In a little over two months, it will be time again! At KVS, we will kick off Het TheaterFestival 2026, marking the start of a new theatre season. With a first this year: the Sectorprijzen, the awards for Flemish performing arts, are becoming the Aura Awards. The new name highlights what these awards aim to celebrate: the presence, impact, and artistic force of creators, performers, and companies who shaped the performing arts landscape over the past season.
On September 8th, the Aura Awards Gala will take place at KVS, free of charge and open to everyone. Het TheaterFestival, the Actors Guild, the Toneelschrijfprijs and the city theatres NTGent, KVS and Toneelhuis are once again joining forces for the occasion. Notably, many of the nominees are artists who will also appear on our stages in the KVS 2026–2027 season.
A fine KVSelection
Thus, Colette Goossens is nominated in the category Most Valued Performance (-35) for her role in COPYRIOT, our own KVS creation with KRAPP, which will be shown again twice next season in KVS BOX.
Lois Lumonga Brochez is also in the running for an Aura thanks to her performance in Vier Muren. Next season she will appear at KVS in Broken Home, My Shrine, the new (KVS) creation by Alix Konadu.
Another nominee in this category is Inci Gül Civelekoğlu, who impressed in The Truthful. Together with theatre maker Lieselot Siddiki, she will come to KVS next season with Schweinerei.
Marjan De Schutter is nominated in the category Most Valued Performance (+35) for her role in Mantike. That production will also be part of the KVS programme next season. In addition, Peter Seynaeve is nominated for an Aura for his role in Family. In April 2027, he will appear at KVS in Amour, a production by Louis Janssens, in which Marjan De Schutter also performs.
Carolina Bianchi is also nominated for an Aura for her role in The Brotherhood. With The Cadela Força Trilogy – Chapter III: A Cordial Light, she will bring the final part of her internationally acclaimed trilogy to KVS next season.
In the category Most Valued Visual Work, FC Bergman is nominated for Guernica Guernica. Their much-praised Werken en Dagen will also be on the KVS programme next season.
Junior Mthombeni in charge
The KVS links don’t stop there. One of our familiar KVS faces, Junior Mthombeni, together with his SOCHA collective, is curating the gala. You may know Junior from BURNING CITY, and this season he is once again leaving his mark on our programme with no fewer than three productions: Die Before You Die, Hannibal and the acclaimed The Barbershop Chronicles.
With the Aura Awards, the sector gains a new name for a moment of recognition and encounter. The fact that this first edition takes place at KVS, and that so many artists connected to our house are helping shape this story, makes this edition especially meaningful to us.
We are already looking forward to welcoming them on our stages next season, and to seeing you on the terrace of KVS BOL during Het TheaterFestival 2026!
All nominees
MOST VALUED PERFORMANCE (-35)
- Colette Goossens in COPYRIOT
- Lois Lumonga Brochez in Vier Muren
- Courtney May Robertson in A Rite of Spring
- Inci Gül Civelekoglu in The Truthful
MOST VALUED PERFORMANCE (+35)
- Sofie Decleir in ALKIBIADES
- Els Dottermans in De Jaren
- Marjan De Schutter in Mantike
- Carolina Bianchi in The Brotherhood
- Peter Seynaeve in Family
MOST VALUED ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
- Josse De Pauw and Kristien De Proost – Three times left is right (Julian Hetzel)
- Lineke Rijxman & Willem de Wolf – Alledaags verlies (DE HOE)
- Camping Sunset – Queen of The Flies (Camping Sunset)
- Benjamin Vandewalle, Véronique Mees and Pak Yan Lau – Ben en Vero (Benjamin Vandewalle)
MOST VALUED VISUAL WORK
- FC Bergman – Guernica Guernica
- Lieselot Siddiki / CAMPO – The Truthful
- Buren – SHOE/FARM - A FAMILY BUSINESS
- Maxim Storms & Lobke Leirens – Marshmallow BBQ