Howl baby howl

The story of the girl from across the street was a familiar one to us. Found in a wicker basket and raised by wolves, that's all we knew about her. She always wandered with a homemade butterfly net, capturing every pink fluttering creature she could find and tucking them into her hoodie. When asked why, she simply stated, "Their flapping wings drown out the cries." We nodded and didn't ask further questions. One evening, she stood alone on the hill beside our house. She sang a song and shed her hoodie. Butterflies poured out, painting the sky pink. We watched.

Howl baby howl is visual performance by Judith Engelen and Ika Schwander, who use sculptures and video projections to depict a world in which children grow up in atypical circumstances. Ika and Judith connect the story of the wolf children Romulus and Remus with the challenges faced by KOPP and KOAP children. ‘KOPP’ and ‘KOAP’ respectively stand for ‘Children of Parents with Psychological Problems’ and ‘Children of Parents with an Addiction Problem’. Both Romulus and Remus and KOPP and KOAP children shed light on the socio-political aspects of care and being overlooked in society.

For this production, Ika and Judith collaborate with the MaPa team (Mama-Papa Team) from the Medisch Sociaal Opvangcentrum (MSOC) Vlaams-Brabant. The MaPa-team, based in Tienen, aims to reduce risks for children of substance-using parents and prevent them from developing similar or other problems later in life.