Troubleyn urgently requests the media NOT to use ANY images/footage of any kind in articles about the allegations and #metoo/Jan Fabre on which the company's performers and/or employees are in any way recognizable. Troubleyn insists on this out of respect for all of them.

Theater Company Troubleyn reacts emotionally to the allegations about the company in the open letter. The organization regrets that not only Jan Fabre but the entire company has been tried in the media without any prior official complaint. Troubleyn would like to indicate that, since the #metoo media storm in 2017, like many other cultural organisations, it has taken several measures to make inappropriate behaviour discussable and to act upon it. A clear border is maintained within Troubleyn: everything is done with mutual consent and respect. Nobody is forced to do anything that is experienced as being unacceptable by him or her.

The company is hit hard by the allegation that nothing is discussable within Troubleyn, since a person of trust has been appointed and the work regulations explicitly mention an internal and external procedure. If the internal procedure does not suffice, anyone can call upon the prevention advisor for psychosocial aspects (IDEWE). This way complaints can be dealt with in an objective and professional manner.

Troubleyn would like to point out that during the past season, it was informed of a reporting of one of the dancers just once. Unfortunately, this dancer refused to use the internal or external procedure. The company has done whatever it took to discuss this reporting in an open and objective way. The woman in question was not willing to cooperate. The fact that this woman is now being called courageous through an open letter in the media, tastes somewhat sour: instead of opting for a media spectacle on the basis of rumours, it would have shown a lot more courage to trust the course of the company’s formal procedures. A professional organisation cannot take measures on the basis of rumours. The company sincerely hopes that everyone who wants to complain, will choose the official way so matters can be dealt with swiftly by the right bodies. Obviously Troubleyn will cooperate fully in any official investigation, such as suggested today by the Minister of Culture, Sven Gatz.

This open letter is full of innuendos and everything is lumped together. It is painful to read so many untruths. There is no ‘semi-secret’ photography practice. This concerns a known art project by Jan Fabre as a visual artist. A great number of photographs have been published and used as a basis for a series of artworks. Sex being used as a currency in exchange for a solo is also firmly denied.

In the meantime, Troubleyn has invited the Instituut voor de gelijkheid van vrouwen en mannen (the institute for equality between men and women) for a talk, because direct dialogue is still better that indirect communication through the media.

The open letter has sent a shockwave through the company. It has been decided to continue working in a calm manner. IDEWE has been contacted for additional support.

Jan Fabre reacts emotionally to the personal allegations described in the open letter. “As a producer I know I can come across as very direct. It was never my intention to intimidate or hurt people psychologically or sexually. I would like to urge women who claim my behaviour was unacceptable to use the available procedures. I will full cooperate. I regret that this media storm is taking down an entire company and is standing in the way of a fair trial.”

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Further info / press inquiries only through :

Frederik Picard
Kerkstraat 19 | 2060 Antwerpen
T +32 496 62 06 94
frederik@reputations.be | www.reputations.be

'Jan Fabre, The Box’: a DVD-box that brings together a collection of the filmed work of Jan Fabre, performances and documentaries of the last 30 years, on 17 DVD’s. Produced by Compagnie des Indes and available on Amazon and Cdiscount, as well as in retailers like Fnac.