In this phase, Vermijs created the foundations for StagingWood by experimenting with different forms of expression and their interrelationships: a seminar, installation in the forest, public workshops, and, as a conclusion, two publications in which new questions were formulated. How can the countless processes, which take place in the forest, trigger new thinking, working, and production processes? Elmo Vermijs put together a coalition with various experts in the fields of forest management and policy, wood production, philosophy, art, law, and forest biology. He interviewed these experts about their relationship with the forest on Terschelling. Together, they delved into the history, conducted material and soil research, and initiated new collaborations with local parties. The preliminary phase led to the installation and publication of Narratives of the Forest, the Doorbomen#1 seminar, and the essay Tot het bos by Jente Hoogeveen.