By Boukje Schweigmans Curve to higher consciousness on @TFBoulevard

Some say there is a tunnel of light you pass through when you die. Could be, there are people with near-death experiences who describe such a thing. Personally, I find the paintings depicting such tunnels of light rather kitschy. Clouds with a scary eye or a man with a beard at the end.... But so now sculpture-dance-design artist and general cuddler Boukje Schweigman has created a tunnel of light, and I can suddenly imagine the appeal of such an experience very well.

Enfin. It can be experienced, in the middle of a traffic square in Den Bosch. Theaterfestival Boulevard gave Schweigman the space to build an enormous object, made of feather-light, snow-white plastic. It is a circular tunnel, a curve, and that is what this project is called: Curve. You go in and out through something very gentle and cuddly, in something best described as a reverse birth, and come out again a short half-hour later in a similar way. In between, you experience things that defy any description but leave you feeling very good but totally detached.

Boukje Schweigman is a specialist in playing with your perception of reality in an extreme way. Her performances sometimes deal with scary themes and contain menacing objects, but she always manages to turn those objects and themes into something that embraces you. And into something that makes you want to be embraced too. Her performers are trained to give you that confidence, they can cut right through your comfort zone towards something even better, once you dare to allow it.

You can Curve but best undergo. It accompanied decomposed and being born, this artful near-death experience, defies description. And trust the creator.

Never thought I would say that out loud again.

Curve by Wooden House and Schweigman& can be seen at Theatre festival Boulevard.

NB: Please note that the timing of access is still subject to some teething problems. You go the route alone, and that also sets the pace for the other participants. So some delay is not out of the question, but even that you will undergo with pleasure. Eventually.