The Dutch theatre director and producer, Johan Simons, studied dance at the Rotterdam Tanzakademie and drama at the Theaterakademie in Maastricht. In 1985 he founded ZT Hollandia. In 1986 musician Paul Koek joined the group and was appointed their second artistic director in 1993. ZT Hollandia has received numerous prestigious awards including the European Prize for Innovation in Theatre in 2000. Johan Simons works regularly as a guest director for various German language theatres and two years ago presented Sentimenti with ZT Hollandia at the RuhrTriennale. In September 2005 Simons will take over the artistic directorship of the Publiekstheater in Gent.