Karel Tuytschaever (°1985, Belgium) works as an actor, teaching artist and researcher in the arts, alongside creating his own hybrid work. His fascination for Physical presence within the arts plays a common key role in these four cornerstones of his artistic practice. Of great importance to him is the cross-pollination interaction that these four different approaches offer him on the topic of physicality and embodiment. Together they form the unique heartbeat of his artistic journey.
PERFORMING
Karel obtained a master's degree in acting at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp in 2007, as one of the last classes led by Dora van der Groen. To date, he works as a freelance performer for theatre, film and television series. You can also hear him in voice-over work for TV, radio and museums.
Watch the showreel here (2020, 3:19 minutes) or listen to a selection of voice work (2023, 3:28 minutes) by pressing the button below. You can always request additional examples.
Other references are as among others Kellogg's, MeDirect, Kinepolis, LEGO, Jules Destrooper, Ville de Bruxelles, Loncin Interieur, AA Drink, Leffe, City of Antwerp, City of Ghent, CEPA / Port of Antwerp, Microsoft, Storytel luisterboeken, Lotto Zesdaagse Gent, Vlaamse overheid, Hasbro, Passendale kaas, Vlaams verwarmingsfonds, 123 Autoservice, Arvesta, Veet Men, Frako, VakantieDiscounter, Monizze, Bank de Kremer, Hörmann, Dag Allemaal, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), FIRM, Play Nostalgie, Mercy Ships & De Morgen Magazine.
TEACHING ARTIST
Since 2008, he is a lecturer at the Bachelor programmes in Drama and in Contemporary Dance at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp / AP University College. He is a member of the dance education committee and student mentor team. He is regularly solicited as a coach and hosts workshops and masterclasses organized by theatre studio Nest, OPENDOEK, University of Antwerp, deDansPunt, Let's Go Urban Academy, scenography education KASKA, Zuidpool, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, The Amsterdam School of the Arts & Fontys School of the Arts.
RESEARCHER
Karel is a doctoral researcher in the Arts at the Antwerp University, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and Royal Conservatoire Antwerp. Als de kunstenaar zijn beeld inslikt (When the artist swallows his image) (2022-2026) is an in-depth trajectory which digs into the seldom explored domain of embodied knowledge within the relationship between the maker and their created image of somebody else. He explores the role that the maker's unique physicality plays in depicting someone else. Throughout this journey, he looks at ways to arrive at more reciprocal and sustainable relationships between different artistic disciplines, finds new inter-medial forms, further develops his inclusive vision, and explores its scope.
He is a member of CORPoREAL research group at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, Art & ecology research group at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, and a member of ARIA (Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts) and ViDi (Visual and Digital Cultures Research Center), two research units at the Antwerp University. He also sits on the research council of the Antwerp Schools of Arts.
CREATORSHIP
Platform BARRY was founded in 2015 on the need to create an environment where Karel’s personal hybrid own work can be developed, made, and shared. He reconsiders how to approach embodiment in the arts in pursuit of creating space for a more authentic and honest physicality in the works. As of 2019, BARRY (BE) has a long-term collaboration with DansBrabant (NL), where Karel is involved as one of the core artists.