Beatrice was a medieval nun who left the convent to be with her childhood sweetheart. But when the money ran out, he abandoned her and their children. She turned to sex working to survive but eventually decided to give up her children and return to the convent. Lola Bogaert, Sara Haeck and Yinka Kuitenbrouwer update this medieval tale to the modern era. Why did Beatrice make the choices she did? How do we relate to her today?

De Duivels (The Devils) is a theatre performance based on a real witch trial that took place in the 17th century in the French town of Loudun. Mother Superior Jeanne Des Anges and her fellow Ursulines were accused of being possessed by a demon. In the hunt for the perpetrator who sent the demon, the promiscuous priest Urbain Grandier got caught in the crosshairs. The Devils takes the form of a modern trial, with the public acting as the jury. This jury is confronted with a society suffering a crisis of faith: the old unassailable truths shaken by fear and doubt.

For Dit is geen appel. (This is not an apple.), LARF!, together with theatre maker Marieke De Maré and video artist Ilke De Vries, set to work with a class of students from the Spermalie Hotel and Tourism School in Bruges. Starting from the children’s own environment, they conduct artistic research into the word “faith”: examining it more closely, dressing it up and dressing it down, and thinking about what faith might mean today. The results of this research are processed into a video artwork installed in the public space along the canals. The students also make something tasty to eat for visitors.

In cooperation with the Spermalie Hotel and Tourism School.

Earth is the first in a five-part series of participatory performances with the overall title Table Dialogues. This multi-year project aims to link theatre with the personal stories of participants. In each performance of Earth, four participants interact closely with each other as they attempt to create a cosmos. The tools are a combination of analogue instruments, such as clay, chalk and the spoken word, and Virtual Reality using Oculus headsets. This unique experience is about life’s big questions and the beauty of things.

Enter the ♡ is an audiovisual installation created by Riccardo Santalucia to introduce and contextualise the audiovisual video and live performance Myein. The central image is a 3D piñata, mostly familiar to us from children’s parties where they are filled with sweets and hit with sticks until they fall apart. Traditionally, the piñata was part of a ritual that celebrated abundance; here it is used as a way of thinking about the use of archives in the gamification of artworks.

The setting is a magical tent boat. The public listens to the voice of Captain Nemo, who takes them along on his enchanting underwater journey — through storm or calm — and tells of the fantasies that endure. Kapitein Nemo (Captain Nemo) is a dream-like listening adventure for seafarers great and small (from 6 to 106 years).

O quam metuendus est locus iste! Oh, how awe-inspiring is this place! Benjamin Verdonck and Lucas Van Haesbroeck made a new composition for the Joseph Ryelandt Hall (formerly the Theresian Convent’s church) using one of their viewing boxes. You can expect an intriguing spectacle of light and shadow, shutters, rich tones and lots of strings.

Myein is an immersive audiovisual experience with live performances by choreographer and dancer Gloria Dorliguzzo and multimedia artist Riccardo Santalucia. Their project proposes the use of cultural heritage — the Flemish Primitives in particular — as a mythological instrument to create and promote a national identity. In Santalucia’s video, medieval paintings and monuments are transformed into pure colour and integrated into the waters that define Bruges: the canals. Gloria Dorliguzzo’s performance brings together various narrative strands and gives insight into the use of images by the media – from their preservation to their repurposing.

During this participatory project, Azzurra De Gregorio explores the magic and rituals behind faith as well as the role of ex-votos together with the public. Participants make their own ex-votos, with inspiration drawn from different countries and historical periods, and experience new forms of hybrid and shared rituals.

P.G.R. is for all visitors to the Reiefestival who would like to thank someone or something for granting their wishes. The ex-votos made during the workshop will be offered to a mysterious figure during a boat procession, who will then perform a ritual on the water.

With T-2123, Barbara T’Jonck has created a fictional archive of stories about buildings that will probably vanish in the future. The piece is an auditory tour that tells a fictional story. It was inspired by our relationship with heritage, our view of it and the way we use it. Not only does a perspective on heritage tell us something about the past but also about how we perceive the present and future.

With the support of Het Entrepot and Concertgebouw Brugge.

Vitus is a journey of physical and spiritual healing. Now that the first signs of Huntington’s disease are starting to show, Jorre Vandenbussche embarks on a very personal project. He will create a ritual crossing in the spirit of the people afflicted with Saint Vitus’ and Saint John’s dance, who would cross a bridge every year to plead for healing. His inspiration is drawn from his own movement repertoire and the history of dancing manias.

With the support of Cultuurcentrum Brugge.

Wensen voor de Wind (Wishes for the Wind) is a ritual performance about dreams. The mesmerising sound of a dream mast entices visitors to leave hopes and dreams in the boat. During the closing performance on Sunday, Michiel Alberts offers these hopes and dreams to the water and the wind.

Wensen voor de Wind (Wishes for the Wind) is a ritual performance about dreams. The mesmerising sound of a dream mast entices visitors to leave hopes and dreams in the boat. During the closing performance on Sunday, Michiel Alberts offers these hopes and dreams to the water and the wind.