This video by Jan Troost of the the Kreukel Collectief shows clips from his satire ‘Aaibaarheidsfactor10 (Likeability Level 10)’ along with an explanation about its origins.
[Jan Troost – translated into English from the video] When we were working on Child To Order we also wanted to have a bit of theatre. Theatre company Werktheater was too expensive for the municipality so they said: “Jan, you will have to do it yourself.” So we started Aaibaarheidsfactor10 (Likeability Level 10). We even involved Pimm for the necessary expertise.
We made a theatre show that we played for 10 years, even at the Medical Ethics programma at Nijmegen university. We thought it was high time to involve medical ethicists. since they often decide about life and death. Until I became chair of the National Council of Disabled People. Then the communications department and the board of directors requested that I should no longer play this show, as it was quite a sensitive topic for our constituency.
So let’s take a look! [Jan Troost on video tape] An exhibition of genetic defects and their mobility aids. Spina bifida, also known as “open back”, was discovered earlier via X-ray. A somewhat outdated machine but you might remember it. Very specific was the forehead, the “hydrocephalus”. It didn’t actually contain water, of course, but I will power her up for you. [Saxophone sounds] [Cymbal crash] That’s enough.
[Jan Troost] A blind person. A blind person is someone who cannot see.
[Yvon Bakker] Grass is green. Snow is white. The sky is blue. [Inaudible due to cymbal crash]
[Jan Troost] Osteogenesis Imperfecta. A bone disease. This specimen, it’s female, had blue eyes. Blue sclerae. Very special. She also had a so-called “chicken breast”. Very tricky disease, it was very hard to spot in DNA. Every time the genetic mistake was in a different spot. But it’s a wonderful specimen. They actually lived on for quite some time, mostly in Zeeland. There were entire populations until the year 1999, then they became extinct. So we are very happy with this specimen in our collection.
[Jan Troost] My eh, my grandmother. She said that in the old days, there were disabled people who procreated and that the government subsidized it. That’s why they developed these baby carriers so that those disabled persons were able to get around. My grandmother also told me that sometimes she felt warm and fuzzy, when she saw something like that. Such a disabled person, a deformed person, with a baby in front of them. Yeah. Yeah, that used to be two years and three days. That is what the DNA told me. Then I will also be turned into a specimen and then I’ll be the last disabled guide in Nijmegen. If you’re interested, this book, The Perfect Child …[broken off].
… Nijmegen and the profits go towards a foundation committed to the conservation of this museum. I hope you learned something today and enjoyed yourself. And… Don’t forget about the guide!
Video of the artistic response to Object 4 Aaibaarheidsfactor10 which includes songs from various disabled artists from the Kreukel Collectief.
For this song I used Jan Troost play concerning the question of medical ethics. Apart from the complicated subject and neutrality of the actors’ voices, I recognized an emerging anger whilst looking at the screen. While writing the lyrics I tried to go back to this rage and after a while it almost turned into a song about memorizing rage itself.
This poem is part of Pimm’s performance.
Revolving
feeling into the cracks
scratches in the clock face
holes in an existence
enfolded ponds of tears
shed and unshed
feeling at the cracks
scrapes in the dial
wipes in a non existence
unrevealed ponds
shed unshed tears
i want out of there
the sunrise whispers
my name in capitals
I roll up
glide towards the light
Pimm Hilgeman Grooten
