About
I'm a Hungry Caterpillar, developing my wings
Nest of Kin was founded out of a need to offer a place where people can truly connect. Where you can discover who you are, without judgment. Where you can explore what matters to you. And where you can practice using your creativity and personality to create change — in your own life and the lives of others.
Nest of Kin means to me:
Discovering. Experiencing. Connecting.
At Nest of Kin, art, nature and identity come together. Here you can learn, develop, experiment and research
to then fly off again with everything you have discovered (about yourself and the world).
About me
My name is Ruthana (Ruth) Slob. I'm a theatre maker, arts educator, life coach, consultant, and researcher. And above all, I'm an artist of life.
I believe in the power of creativity, in the connection between people, animals and nature, and in the necessity of exploring stories that help us understand who we are.
I am a hungry caterpillar who loves learning, living and connecting with others (both human and non-human). I enjoy going on adventures with others who are also curious, ask questions and like to learn more. People who dare to look: at themselves, at others, at the world. And who long for connection – between head and heart, between human and animal, between individual and community.
From a young age, I felt at home in the world of art and expression: I played music, danced, and did theater, and learned early on the importance of expressing myself—and through that, learning to understand the world. I felt equally at home in nature and with other animals: with and through them, I learned to understand the world better.
My background
I studied theatre at the Amsterdam University of the Arts . After my Bachelor's degree, I completed a Master's degree in Education in Arts at the Utrecht University of the Arts. Since then, I have worked as a creator, facilitator, and thinker in diverse contexts—in the Netherlands and (far) beyond. I also completed two life coaching programs, for adults as well as for children and young people. I have completed several certificate and training programs in areas such as nature assisted interventions, ecopsychology, working with (family) systems—including health and illness, animal rights and their application, consultancy, leadership development, visual thinking, and children's yoga.
Since 2023, I pursue a PhD in Applied Theatre at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. My research lies at the intersection of applied theater, animal studies, and ecopsychology; I explore how (applied) theatre can play a role in bringing more awareness to the interconnectedness between us, other animals and nature, and how it can support young people in developing a 'relational ecological identity'.
Besides my research, I work for a variety of (international) clients in the non-profit sector, I teach different courses, and serve on multiple boards and committees. I also enjoy spending time outdoors - hiking, paddling, skiing - prefarbly in the company of my kin; I love reading a gripping book, dancing away to Latin music or having deep conversations with friends over lunch/dinner/tea.
Together with my own 'nest of kin'
- dogs Amber & Fern, cats Ollie, Wolfie & Mosey,
sheep Lou & Les as well as horses Aría and Paris -
I live, play and work in Canada and the Netherlands.
