Keynote – Knowledge & Comedy

Jitske regularly seeks collaboration with other speakers and performers. By mixing knowledge with music and/or comedy, information touches the heart. Comedy makes you look in the mirror. Jitske found the perfect combination in working together with the Dutch comedian, TV and radio host Dolf Jansen. Jitske is a near native English speaker and Dolf is half-Irish.

Knowledge & Comedy: ‘A surprising combination’

Jitske Kramer and Dolf Jansen. Where Jitske shares knowledge, Dolf challenges us to take a different perspective. Jitske has power over the slides and the story. Dolf adds his thoughts and questions. With poetry, improv, audience participation, stand-up comedy and serious reflective moments. Laughter, confusion, and anthropological wisdom. Method: Jitske puts together the content of the keynote based on the conference theme and the question the customer asks. She discusses this with Dolf. Dolf adds his comedy. Everything comes together on stage, through a lot of improvisation with each other and with the audience.

Dolf and Jitske challenge each other to look at people, cultures, change and power differently. What is expected of leaders? Are men really that different from women? How do we ensure less conflict and more understanding?There is a risk that both speakers will also attack each other, with words, arguments and emotions of course.

Jitske: I always look forward to the sharpness and alertness that working with Dolf requires of me. I lay out the more general human patterns, Dolf makes the link to current events in politics or a specific organization. His surprising associations and stories always give me new ideas. An extra dimension is that these new insights many times arise on the spot, live on stage…

Dolf: I am looking forward to the collaboration because there is quite a bit in Jitske’s work that I also like – power, culture, change, gender relations, leadership. It is a great challenge to add (unexpected) comedy to her strong content. Plus she is so smart and fast, that challenges me even more…