about Studio Nergens
Studio Nergens creates transdisciplinary performances at the intersection of music theatre, visual arts and immersive media.
We create sensory experiences that invite the audience to look inward. This inward journey takes them to a place where personal associations arise in response to universal philosophical questions.
Our work centers on the audience. They are right there, immersed in scenes, or even walking through them as protagonists. Moving music and creative technology are our most important allies in this process.
Our performances are shown in various renowned venues, from (music) theatre and film festivals to concert halls and museums at home and abroad.
Studio Nergens was founded by director Celine Daemen. She graduated from the directing program at the Maastricht Academy of Performing Arts in 2018 and, through opera company Silbersee, was supported by the Performing Arts Fund from 2021 to 2023 as part of the New Makers scheme, during which she further developed her unique signature. Art Director and Tech Director Aron Fels has been fully involved with Studio Nergens from the very beginning. Since July 2025, Sophie Simenel has been on board as Business Manager. Collaborations with composers, writers, 3D artists, software programmers, and support professionals are project-based but are often ongoing and sustainable in nature.
Studio Nergens has been receiving multi-year support from the Performing Arts Fund since 2025.
In recent years, the studio has generated significant national and international attention with virtual reality operas, in which visitors explore visual musical scenes while walking, wearing VR headsets.
We have won several prestigious international awards. For Songs for a Passerby, we received the Venice Immersive Grand Prize for Best Immersive Experience at the Venice Biennale in 2023. Our VR opera Eurydice had previously received a Reflet D’Or for Best Immersive Experience at GIFF in Geneva in 2022.
Studio Nergens endorses the Collective Labor Agreement for Theater and Dance , the ' Governance Code for Culture ' and the ' Code for Cultural Diversity '.
team
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Celine Daemen
Celine Daemen is a director of transdisciplinary art. Her work lies at the intersection of theater, music, visual arts, and technology. After graduating from the Maastricht Academy of Performing Arts, she created several productions that combine immersion in both music and virtual reality.
environment form the common thread.
Thematically, questions about "being" are central. Celine aims to create sensory experiences that invite the audience to look inward.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sophie Simenel
Sophie Simenel has been involved as business manager since 2025. With her strong background in production, she came to strengthen in a structural way.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Aron Fels
Aron Fels is an art director for Virtual Reality. He graduated in Immersive Media and Visual Effects from the Netherlands Film Academy in 2017. Inspired by new technologies, he explores new ways of designing and telling immersive stories. His designs explore magical realism, drawing primarily from Romanticism and Impressionism. Since 2021, he has been the permanent art director and technical director at Studio Nergens.
PRODUCER
Nicky Groot
OFFICE & COMMUNITY MANAGER
Giulia Cristofoli
business information
Management:
Ravian van den Hil (Chairman)
Katrien Sitters (Treasurer)
Marijke Hessels (Secretary)
Remuneration policy:
The board receives no compensation or attendance fees.
Management and employees are paid according to the Collective Labor Agreement for Theater and Dance.
Foundation Studio Nergens
Studio Nergens
Lauriergracht 116 B-1
1016 RR Amsterdam
General questions
KvK number
92677177
Stichting Studio Nergens is a charitable organization: it is designated as a cultural Public Benefit Institution (ANBI). Thanks to this designation, private individuals can make a gift or donation to Stichting Studio Nergens with additional tax benefits.
Stichting Studio Nergens is structurally funded by the Fonds Podiumkunsten.
For more information, please contact us via info@studionergens.com