Julian Hetzel

Julian Hetzel wass born in the Black Forest (DE), and is currently based in Amsterdam (NL). He studied at Bauhaus University Weimar (DE) with a focus on visual communication. 

In 2013 he graduated from DasArts Amsterdam, an artistic research laboratory for new forms of theatre and performing arts. Hetzel is a founding member of the electro pop band Pentatones  and he performed with the group until 2016. 

Between 2014-2016 Hetzel was associated artist at SPRING Performing Arts Festival Utrecht (Niewue Maaker). Since 2014, Hetzel collaborates with Frascati Theater Amsterdam. 

In 2016, Hetzel established Stichting Ism & Heit in Utrecht to realise and produce his artistic work under the label Studio Julian Hetzel. In 2017, The Automated Sniper received the VSCD-Mimeprijs. 

Since 2018 Hetzel works in close collaboration with the Gent based art center CAMPO (BE). Both their joint productions All Inclusive (2018) and Mount Average have been selected for the Nederlands Theaterfestival (2019 / 2021). 

Hetzel has presented three works at the Venice Biennale Teatro in 2019. The performance Installation SELF has been selected as the Dutch National entry at the Prague Quadrennial in 2019. 

In 2024, two productions by Studio Julian Hetzel were selected for the Dutch Theater Festival: Diarrhea is My Favorite Color (in collaboration with Theater Artemis) and SPAfrica (in collaboration with Ntando Cele). Diarrhea is My Favorite Color was nominated for the VSCD Mime/Performance Award 2024, and Willemijn Zevenhuijzen won the Golden Cricket 2024 for the most impressive stage performance in youth theater for her role in this production. Ntando Cele was nominated for the prestigious Theo d’Or 2024 for the most impressive acting performance in a leading role in SPAfrica. Finally, SPAfrica won the directing award for the most impressive direction of the season.

The work of Julian Hetzel was shown in / during:

Venice Biennale del Teatro (IT), Steirischer Herbst Graz (AT), Theater der Welt Mannheim (DE), Impulse Theater Festival (DE), Santarcangelo Festival (IT), Brut Vienna (AT), Espacios Revelados Buenos Aires (ARG), Adelaide Festival (AU), Kaai Theater Brussels (BE), Vooruit Gent (BE), Biennale Bern (CH), Belluard Festival Fribourg (CH), Quadrennial Prague (CZ), Spielart-Festival Munich (DE), Festival Theaterformen Hannover (DE), Theater der Welt Mannheim (DE), Saal Biennale Tallinn (EST), Actoral Marseille (FR), Actoral Marseille (FR), Festival Impatience 104 Paris (FR), Next Festival (FR), MMCA Seoul (KR), National Theatre Riga (LV), Theaterfestival Amsterdam (NL), SPRING Utrecht (NL), Noorderzon Groningen (NL), Festival Boulevard Den Bosch (NL), Dutch Design Week Eindhoven (NL), Malta Festival Poznan (PL), SouthEastDance (UK), Transform Festival Leeds (UK), Dublin Theatre Festival (IRL), etc.