In the Utopia of actress, maker, and researcher Sanderijn Helsen, teenagers have a full-blown voice in the design of society. This vision has fueled her passion for theatrical co-creation with young audiences for twenty-five years.
Since 2022, she has been realizing a Teen Trilogy, in which young people are not only spectators but also active contributors to the artistic process. For the first two parts, De Puberfluisteraar (2023, De Studio) and Jeanne (2025, De Studio), teenagers contributed as muses, brainstorm partners, and coaches.
In parallel, Helsen defined her co-creation method, the Perspectives Carousel, during a pilot study (Conservatoire, 2024-2025). She describes it as a ‘pressure cooker’ for co-creation derived from several artistic and theatrical perspectives.
To be(come), the final part of the Teen Trilogy, anchors co-creation in research. Working with 85 adolescents on the threshold of adulthood (aged 17–19), Helsen will develop a collective manifesto aimed at the adults who raised them and at the emerging adult within themselves. This manifesto will be staged and performed in De studio by three adolescents, young professional musician Willem Theerens, and Helsen herself. By engaging the young participants as co-authors and co-performers, Helsen radicalizes the artistic ownership of adolescents with To be(come).
The research process is framed by the principles of Participatory Action Research, with the Perspectives Carousel forming the pivot of the creative process. Helsen will publish participant observations during the research and develop an online platform as a sustainable source of knowledge about theatrical co-creation with young people.
Image: Analogue soundsystem of To be(come) composer Willem Theerens
Update: May 2026
