While someone is inflicting violence on you, while having to protect yourself from someone, can you still feel empathy for that person? Is the motive to be empathetic important? And do we need more empathy in our society?

In the autumn of 2022, theater and program maker Mara van Nes, in collaboration with psychologist Daan Blankenstijn, conducted a social-artistic research commissioned by theater de Schuur in Haarlem, in the context of a so-called 'social practice'.

This social practice ran parallel to the production process of the performance History of Violence by Toneelschuur Producties and Theater Oostpool. The performance is a theater adaptation of the book of the same name by French author Edouard Louis, directed by Abdel Daoudi.

Mara and Daan's social-artistic research was an exploration into the extensive concept of empathy. For this purpose, Mara interviewed residents from Haarlem and the surrounding area about their personal and professional experiences. Different meetings took place between these interviewees and visitors to the Schuur. They discussed empathy from different perspectives at a specially designed round table in the foyer of the Schuur.

The table also functioned as a recording studio. Mara made a podcast from more than 10 hours of recordings of conversations at the table, a documentary insight into this social-artistic research.

We take you into empathy because everyone has to deal with this, consciously or unconsciously it keeps us constantly busy...