Category Archives: Programs / events
… a deep-brown kind of golden
-You can listen to an audio version of this text by clicking the play button-
As always, Read My World set the tone. That Friday, with the conversation between co-curator Maboula Soumahoro and Rokhaya Diallo, the standards for being ‘in conversation’ were lifted sky-high. Be sure to check Read My World.nl for impressions of it. For a great part, the warmth of their conversation springs from a decade-long Sisterhood. As hosts, moderators, interviewers, etc. we’ll speak to many people who we don’t share that connection with. But, what we can do… correction… what we must (continue to) do, is deep-dive and nerd-out and sit with the work of our guests in such a way that we match, or at least come real-real close to those levels of knowing. I’m excited to continue studying the works of Manyaku Mashilo and Larry Achiampong. And, I look forward to our two programs making me feel the way Soumahoro and Diallo’s conversation made me feel: Full. Inspired. And with a face warmed by laughter.
At Rest: A conversation with Manyaku Mashilo
Manyaku Mashilo is a Cape Town-based artist whose multidimensional practice encompasses mixed-media painting, drawing, and collage. Born in Limpopo in 1991, she addresses themes of spiritual identity, memory, ancestry, community and belonging. Mashilo draws on inspiration from photographic archives to build expansive scenes where imagined representatives of Blackness migrate through abstract liminal spaces. These scenes act as celestial cartographies, connecting the depicted Black figures through a felt mutuality of heritage, spirituality, shared ritual and intent.
The basics
Date and time: Wednesday October 22, 19.30u-21.00u.
Location: Theater Bellevue (Amsterdam, close to Leidseplein and Overtoom).
Tickets: €6,50, €9,50 and €15 via this Theater Bellevue-link.
GembertheeSessies with Larry Achiampong
Speaking of artists who make me dream of co-owning a gallery which also has a cinema and a theatre room: Larry Achiampong. I remember seeing only the stills of his film Wayfinder and thinking: “What a wonder to have your journey imagined by someone who loves in landscapes.” And, guessing that this film came from the mind of a person who loves videogames. Since then, I’ve followed his work with great excitement. His book “If It Don’t Exist, Build It” is a favourite on my bookshelves.
Larry Achiampong’s projects employ film, still imagery, aural and visual archives, live performance, objects, sound and game design to explore ideas surrounding class, gender, cross-cultural and digital identity. With works that examine his communal and personal heritage – in particular, the intersection between popular culture and the residues of colonisation, Achiampong crate-digs the vaults of history. These investigations examine constructions of ‘the self’ through the activity of splicing the audible and visual materials of personal and interpersonal archives,
offering multiple perspectives that reveal the deeply entrenched inequalities in contemporary society.
The basics
Date and time: Thursday November 13, 19.00u-21.00u.
Location: Bijlmer Parktheater, Amsterdam.
Tickets: €12,50 via BijlmerParktheater.nl
Theatre recommendations
– Strange Fruit’s, by Sedrig Verwoert and Productiehuis Rotterdam. I was Blown. A-WAY. Please note: Theater De Schuur in Haarlem programmed a Q&A/conversation with Sedrig Verwoert after the play.
– Mimi’s Shebeen, by Alesandra Seutin and KVS. Two years ago, I went to Bruxelles twice to see it. And yes, I’m buying tickets to see it a third time. Excellent, just excellent.
Must watch
If you understand Dutch, be sure to watch Geen Surinamer in de straat (No Surinamese person in the street), the new episode of Andere Tijden featuring Bijlmer icons André Reeder and Ernestine Comvalius.
(Almost) Autumn will be golden
Read My World festival: The Beat of Belonging (Sept. 11-13)
When looking at most literary festivals in the Netherlands, Read My World is the one that feels like it takes place on the other side of the Eurostar tracks. With its emphasis on care, comfort, courage and conversations, Read My World is the Netherlands’ closest thing to the picture I paint when someone asks me: “Imagine having your own bookstore/event venue… what would you do?” Being part of the programming team has been a longtime dream. I don’t know the work-place-equivalent of “Don’t meet your heroes…” but being part of this team continuously underlines my faith in the possibilities of dream teams, dream crews… basically all the dreams.
This year’s festival curators are two thinkers whose words, writings and ways inspire me: Lou Mensah (London) and Maboula Soumahoro (Paris). Here you’ll find the complete festival program. Maryse Condé fans? Meet Maboula Soumahoro, prof. Gloria Wekker, Domenica Ghidei Biidu, Ayaan Abukar, Jorabelle Lukoki, Emma-Lee Amponsah on Saturday Sept. 13 for our Ode to Maryse Condé.
Recently added to that program: Friday September 12, 22.00h – Rokhaya Diallo and Maboula Soumahoro in conversation about their friendship.
Read My World: Win Maboula Soumahoro’s book during BPT jazz bingo
Part of Bijlmer Parktheater’s South East Jazz program, is a BPT jazz bingo. On Saturday afternoon you can win Maboula Soumahoro’s book ‘Black is the Journey, Africana the Name’ and day-tickets to the festival. South East Jazz at Bijlmer Parktheater is on Sat. August 30 and Sun. August 31, both days starting at 14.00h and ending around 17.30h. You’ll find the program here.
FRANK – Cherish Menzo
Since its première on Wednesday July 9 at Theater Bellevue, I’ve talked about FRANK almost every other day. Cherish Menzo‘s mind? Oh my goodness… This play left me full and open and excited and invited to ‘stand up straight and be my tallest self.’ The choreographies, the references from Grenada and Suriname to Christina Sharpe and Mary Shelley… the stage design, the lighting… the presence of Cherish and the three other dancers. After seeing it, and directly buying my ticket for the performance the next day, I texted a few lovedones: “If you have plans tomorrow, I urge you to cancel them. You’ll love this. Let’s meet at Bellevue at 18.15h.” Cherish Menzo is a marvel, truly.
Here, you’ll find the complete playlist for FRANK. I recommend going twice in two different venues. I’ll probably be at most of them. FRANK is a collaboration between Cherish Menzo, GRIP, Theater Utrecht and Dance On Ensemble.
Interlude – Quick note I
Let’s see the plays we love more than once. If you had a great time seeing the work and you can afford another ticket… consider going again. I do it often!
Save the dates: Manyaku Mashilo and Larry Achiampong
If you’re in or can make it to Amsterdam on Wednesday October 22 and/or Thursday November 13, please save those dates. This Autumn, I have the honour and pleasure to be in conversation with Manyaku Mashilo (Wednesday Oct. 22) and Larry Achiampong (Thursday Nov. 13).
Manyaku Mashilo is a Cape Town-based artist whose multidimensional practice encompasses mixed-media painting, drawing, and collage. Born in Limpopo in 1991, she addresses themes of spiritual identity, memory, ancestry, community and belonging. Larry Achiampong’s projects employ film, still imagery, aural and visual archives, live performance, objects, sound and game design to explore ideas surrounding class, gender, cross-cultural and digital identity.
More info on about this in the 2nd week of September. Examples of their work are posted in this 2nd image, with Achiampong’s book being on the bottom right and Mashilo’s being top right.
Recommendation: Strange Fruit’s by Sedrig Verwoert
Listennn, how I hype I’ve been since seeing FRANK? That’s how Romana Vrede was when she told me about Sedrig Verwoert’s Strange Fruit’s. Romana saw a preview of it during a Track at Theater Rotterdam and the way her entire face just shined talking about it?? I’ve been on standby ever since. Throughout the weekend of the Track that the preview for Strange Fruit’s was a part of, I received many, many text messages saying: “You. Must. See. This. Work!” So, tickets bought. I’m excited. Tickets can be bought here.
The gorgeous image with the flower? It’s from Strange Fruit’s, made by Amanda Harput.
Outro – Quick note II
For this weekend’s South East Jazz program, I renamed Bijlmer Parktheater’s theatre space the Pablo Nahar Hall. Because in my dream scenario, someone would send me a text, asking where I am. I’d say: “In the Pablo Nahar Hall, ready to see Ronald Snijders and Djuwa Mroivili. Where are you?” And they’d say: “I’m at the Anne-Marie Hunsel pavilion sipping some tea. Just saw Bahghi perform. Meet me here after an hour?” And, I would. Because we deserve that.
It’s maddd to me how little concert halls and festival stages/spaces in the Netherlands are named after Black musicians. That is, indeed, something for a next note.
(waves)
Speaking of ginger tea… – upcoming events
… come share some good spices at Bijlmer Parktheater in February and March. The first two guests of this year’s GembertheeSessies (Ginger tea sessions) are Romana Vrede (Thu. February 6) and Shehera Grot (Thu. April 10). Both sessions will be in Dutch. Same for the Anton de Kom Vandaag-program on Sat. February 1. Horror-fam and thriller-folks: My first English program of the year will be BPTUnpacks: Social Thrillers on Thu. March 6.
If you already know you’ll be there… I beg, get your tickets in our pre-sale. This gives our colleagues from our production, reception and bar teams the opportunity to properly prepare for each program. And since we’re working with fresh-fresh ginger tea… an indication of the number of visitors would be great. Ticket links are posted below:
Timeline
– Saturday Feb. 1, 15.00h: Anton de Kom Vandaag. With: Guno Jones, Sarah-Jane & Bijlmer Bookstore. This program is in collaboration with the Anton de Kom Chair (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam).
– Thursday Feb. 6, 19.30h: GembertheeSessies with actor, director and writer Romana Vrede.
– Thursday Mar. 6, 19.30h: BPTUnpacks Social Thrillers. Line up to be announced. This conversation will be in English.
– Thursday Apr. 10, 19.30h: GembertheeSessies with curator and photographer Shehera Grot.
These event will take place at Bijlmer Parktheater (Anton de Komplein 240, Amsterdam).
Anton de Kom Vandaag (Dutch)
Known for his sharp-sharp, critical mind and thorough research, professor Guno Jones is our national treasure. Jones studied the impact of the histories of the Netherlands’ political discourse on citizenship, post-colonial migration, national identities and the legislation associated with it. Since December 2023, he’s professor of the Anton de Kom chair. On Saturday Feb. 1, he’ll connect Anton de Kom’s work with some of today’s most colonial forms of terror.
This program also features Sarah-Jane and the Bijlmer Bookstore.
These gorgeous illustration by Grant Jurius
The illustrations for Anton de Kom Vandaag and the two upcoming GembertheeSessies were made by Grant Jurius. Jurius is a painter, illustrator and sound artist who was born and is based in Cape Town, South Africa. He co-founded the Burning Museum Collective and Future Nostalgia. Check @sunofamantis for more on him.
Romana, Shehera and Grant –notes in the making.
Starting this year’s GembertheeSessies with Romana Vrede and Shehera Grot is a decision that deserves its own love note. These are two dear-dear friends who I love deeply. As sisters + as craftspeople, experts, dreamers and thinkers. Their minds are deliciously exciting. Writing about them makes me emotional in a way that got my words stuck in my pen.
I also feel that my note about why I invited Grant Jurius for a collaboration needs to marinate a bit.
Soon!
laZeefuik 
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