Handtheater is a unique theater group in the Dutch theater. The group was founded on May 2, 1990 by Marja Bönker, Jean Couprie, Wim Emmerik, John van Gelder, Rudi Hietbrink and Gert-Jan de Kleer. Handtheater gives bilingual performances, in Dutch Sign Language and Spoken Dutch, in small and medium-sized theaters in the Netherlands and abroad. The audience of Handtheater accounts for thirty percent of deaf and seventy percent of hearing people. Handtheater is the houseboat of Cultureel Centrum 't OOG in Amsterdam.
Handtheater makes performances for children, young people and adults. For children, Handtheater made the performances Brekebone, Can you have an egg, and Kika Mouse and Arie Mol. For young people, Handtheater together with Artichoke / 020 made the show Ten over the top. And for adults, among others:
Handtheater has contact with theater groups of deaf actors around the world.
In 2006, Handtheater Cultural Center established the OOG. The OOG is a center for cultural education and sign language. In the OOG, sign language users (deaf and hearing for whom the Dutch Sign Language is the first or second language) can attend courses, participate in workshops or opt for a two-year part-time theater course. In Cultural Center 't OOG, besides the theater performances of Handtheater, there are also performances of foreign theater groups of deaf and visually appealing performances of hearing groups.
Handtheater has received structural grants from the municipality of Amsterdam and the Ministry of OCW since 2001.
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