We step, we walk, we stumble, and sometimes, we even falter through life. Along the way, we leave things behind—sometimes intentionally, often by accident. We pick up other things—sometimes by choice, often by chance. And other things simply happen.
 
Some of them can be life altering. Then everything shifts. Before you know it, you’re picking at a skin that no longer fits but hasn’t quite let go. You’re in this place between 'no longer' and 'not yet.' The waiting room between two realities. Barbara Raes speaks of vervelmomenten. These are moments, big or small, often unnoticed, that accumulate quietly beneath the surface, seldom recognized by society.

Everyone has been there, in that awkward room. Waiting for a new skin to grow, uncomfortably shedding the old.  But no one knows in advance how long it will last. Sometimes, you knock hesitantly. Sometimes, you come crashing in. Often, you stay longer than you ever thought you would. But every time, it looks different. And often, you want to get out as soon as possible. 

This evening, you knock. Two keepers meet your gaze and, with a simple gesture, guide you in. They welcome you to the waiting room. For once, there’s no need to hurry. Together we move through this in-between space, along stories and through gestures. For once, we take our time to slow down. Some things you’ll hear, others you’ll see, some you’ll do and others you’ll just feel. 

Julie Asenova (1994) is a writer, performer, audio and theatre maker. Her work explores the self in relation to the other. Themes such as identity, love, loss, and connection in a digital age and the anthropocene often cross her work.  The question “what does it mean to exist today?” never seems far away.  She creates pieces where sound, language and movement intertwine, inviting the audience to feel, listen, and immerse themselves in the moment. She studied media, writing and performance art at the Royal Conservatory in Antwerp and graduated with her performance in Luftslott (2023), has done theatre residencies at Het Bos (Antwerpen) en BUDA (Kortrijk). She performed her writing on Matinee, Dream On, Radio Ruit and YART in collab with Ward Foulon, and on the music album can i meet you nowhere? of Sasja Maekelberg.

Flora Van Canneyt (1995) is a theatre maker, performer, and playwright. Playing with the political potential of radical imagination, her work explores themes of ecology, philosophy of science, and the identity of the outsider. After obtaining degrees in English Literature (UGhent) and Drama (Royal Conservatory Antwerp & RITCS), she has performed in her own creations, most notably the solo Swallow Me Whole (2023, Ecopolis Festival), and for various production companies, including Toneelhuis, NTGent, and Moz Floks. She is the co-founder of two Ghent-based theatre collectives: Terreurwilg, whose work centres around climate change and political action, and Trage Vaart, which creates productions for people in vulnerable situations.