Stefanie Claes

Playwright and performer Stefanie Claes lives near a ‘baby hatch’, where infants can be abandoned safely. Claes has always been extremely fascinated by the building. For Claes, the image of a newborn child that has been completely cut away from its roots is the start of an important story. In a strict sense, an abandoned infant or ‘foundling’ doesn’t have a past to speak of, yet everybody comes from somewhere. What kind of significance does our past hold for our present, ourselves and our future?

‘Mia Kermis’ is an ode to all foundlings and to the imagination and curiosity surrounding our roots. Claes tells the wordless story of Mia Kermis with handmade dolls and drawings. Mia is a child that grows up and embarks on a quest, searching for herself and the ability to move on and grow up.