City Talks Amsterdam: Belonging in Mythology
After a successful first season, City Talks is back! City Talks is ITA's sip & talk show, in which we focus on our city’s talented creatives and change makers. Each edition we will connect one of our theatre performances to social topics, urban trends, and daily life. We invite you to grab a drink, join the conversation, and get inspired!
Location ITA Salon
Run time 60 minutes
Genre perspective
Language English
Questions may be asked in Dutch
Register for free admission and a free beverage
Belonging in Mythology
There are countless stories that make the rounds about queer bodies and identities, designating experiences as ‘unnatural’ and individuals as ‘abnormal’. At the same time, different kinds of identities have always been part of storytelling and mythologies. In some traditions, there seems to be more space given to fluidity in the stories of the past than in the societies which still retell them to this day. It is no surprise that to many reading these stories, where different creatures and people transcend boundaries and undo (now deemed) traditional binaries, has become a site of recognition and refuge.
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In this programme we look at what happens when we reclaim this mythology as a space where we can belong. Geoffrey van der Ven is the host of the evening.
City Talks: Belonging in Mythology is part of Brandhaarden, ITA's international theatre festival that brings performances by remarkable theatre makers from abroad to Amsterdam.
As a professional dancer and model, Diede Vermeesch is specialised in ballet, hiphop, and contemporary and celebrated for her improv skills. From an early age on, Diede wanted to make her way into the (dance) world without having to confine to societal norms. To define is to limit - how do you hold space for yourself? With her artistic work, Diede defies boundaries through movement, sharing stories via body language about identity and belonging.
Growing up on a farm, Marleen Hendrickx spent her childhood dancing amongst strawberry fields. Commencing her professional journey as a dancer and later evolving into a maker, she crafts stories that she believes must be heard, envisioning tangible change. Her solo piece X Y I and the group performance X Y WE - both exploring the experiences of intersex people and how the gender binary became the norm in recent Eurocentric tradition - make you rethink everything you think you know about sex and gender.
With a background in Art & Architectural History and Design Cultures, Mayim Frieden researches how the history, design, and mediation of our environments influence how we perceive space, ourselves, and others. With a focus on the lived realities of moving through space while trans, they explore the ideologies and social codes that have been woven into our urban fabric (and how that sustains gender inequalities towards trans and gender fluid people), and the promises and pitfalls of employing queerness within spatial practices.
Originating in clubs and community spaces, SasaHara's multidiscplinary work focuses on creating a world through text, installations, music and performance. Drawing inspiration from ancient mythologies, they rewrite and craft queerophantasmic narratives and work with self-made queer myths. In addition to their personal artistry, SasaHara is enrolled in the Sandberg Institute's Re:master Opera programme and serves as a creative producer supporting various artists and collectives.
12th edition
BRANDHAARDEN FESTIVAL
Brandhaarden is an international theatre festival that brings performances by remarkable theatre makers from abroad to Amsterdam. The festival offers a unique overview of one creator, house, writer, region or theme. Previous editions have spotlighted directors such as Katie Mitchell, Milo Rau and the Rimini Protokoll collective, writer Édouard Louis, the Southern European region (Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece) and city theatres such as Münchner Kammerspiele, Volksbühne Berlin and Peter Brooks Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord.
FRINGE PROGRAMME: MODERN MYTHS
The fringe programme of Brandhaarden 2024 is all about Modern Myths. The word 'myth' has two meanings today. On the one hand, it denotes stories that contain a certain wisdom, and we speak with wonder about what we then call 'mythological'. On the other hand, we use the word to talk about lies and misconceptions. We invite the audience to reflect on the power of shared stories, but together will also look at how this can turn into widespread ideas that are not necessarily true and can thus further marginalise vulnerable communities.
