Britt Bakker is an actress, creator, and writer with a passion for microbiology. She works on mycological water purification projects, produces natural cider under the name "Anargist," and collaborates with institutions such as VUB and VLIZ. Alongside Karolien de Bleser, she is developing a theater piece centered on microscopic organisms, and she is writing Microbial Memoirs at De Letteristen. Combining science and fiction, she delves into the origins of life and our earliest ancestors—bacteria.
Rafaella Houlstan-Hasaerts is a Belgian-Panamanian architect, researcher, and co-founder of the action-research group Urban Species. She is involved in SpecXCraft, a collaborative project between four Brussels-based organizations. Drawing on sci-fi and speculative fabulation, the project examines how speculative, embodied, and responsible imagination can foster resilience in the face of Brussels' future challenges.
Sara Manente studied dance and semiotics before moving to Brussels, where she works as an artist and researcher. Her projects explore the intersection of living cultures, fungi, and performing arts, using different formats to reflect on the contagion between pedagogy, research, performance, and publication.
Joske Ruytinx is part of the Microbiology Research Group at VUB, studying fungal biodiversity and the role of microorganisms in enhancing plant resilience. She completed her PhD at Hasselt University (Jan Colpaert lab) and a postdoc as an Agreenskills Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow at INRA Nancy, France (Francis Martin lab). Joske has also been a visiting scientist at Montana State University, USA (Sara Branco lab).
Theresa Spielmann is a first-year PhD student at the Universiteit Antwerpen, working on the FWO-funded "Performing Ends" research project. Originally from Germany, they earned an MPhil in Theatre Studies from the University of Warwick. Previously, Theresa studied Theatre at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität and worked as a theatre maker with the collective Büro Grandezza. They co-directed The 2051 Munich Climate Conference and edited its publication on climate change visions. Her background in both research and theatre informs her interdisciplinary doctoral work.
