User:LucasBoerwinkel2000/Henk Boerwinkel

Henk Boerwinkel (Alkmaar, 1937) is a Dutch puppeteer.

Education and career
Boerwinkel studied illustration and graphics at the Quellinusschool in Amsterdam. At the age of eightteen he made his first marionettes of various materials and experimented movement techniques. In 1963, Boerwinkel started Figurentheater Triangel, joined by his wife Ans Boerwinkel as performance assistant. Here he performed several kinds of puppetry. In 1971 Boerwinkel rented a former farmhouse in Meppel, where he rebuilt the grand attic to a theatre from where he performed his shows. By performing over the entire world the theatre gained its fame.

Performances
Henk and Ans Boerwinkel played on several international puppet and theatre festivals, including performances in the United States, the Soviet Union, Israel, Japan, Australia en New-Zealand. They also frequently performed in France, on occasions such as the Festival of Avignon. In the course of time Boerwinkel made three more shows: the trilogy or mask performance 'De Zoon van Moeder Aarde' or 'Son of Mother Earth', the solo puppet play 'Levensbomen', or 'Trees of Life', and 'Trio for Pierrot'. After Ans quit her role as performance assistant in 1991, Henk Boerwinkel decided to make a last compilation performance of his favourite acts after 2222 shows, titled Metamorfosen. It toured in several countries until 1996. During this time, Boerwinkel was assisted by Charlotte Puyk-Joolen. In 1996, Boerwinkel quit touring abroad and from 1997 he exclusively played in 'Het Magisch Theatertje' in Maastricht for five years, a theatre workplace which he founded with his former assistant Charlotte Puyk-Joolen.

Recognition
In 1973, the Boerwinkel couple received the Cultural Prize of Drenthe for their cultural merits. In 1984, American puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of the Muppetshow, chose Figurentheater Triangel to be included in a documentary covering six famous puppeteers in the series World of Puppetry. In 1986 Boerwinkel received the Wim Meilink Prize, the oeuvre award for Dutch puppetry. In 1991 two German cabaret awards followed. In 1996 Boerwinkel was knighted in the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands.

Today one of his sons performs as a mime artist, using original puppets from Henk Boerwinkel's works. Boerwinkel still lives in Meppel.

Since 2003, the Henk Boerwinkel Culture Award is awarded yearly in Meppel. In 2008, a large exhibition took place in Meppel with all of Boerwinkel's ninety remaining puppets, titled 'Verstilde Figuren' or 'Figures in Silence'. In 2009, at publishing house Boom, the book 'De Magische Wereld van Figurentheater Triangel' or 'The Magical World of Figurentheater Triangel' appeared.

In 2013 Ans Boerwinkel passed away at the age of 79. Henk Boerwinkel occasionally still makes puppets and illustrations. Less known, less used puppets gained a second life in his son Jeroen Boerwinkel's 'Theater of the Dream'.