City Talks Amsterdam: Carnival of Resistance

Jill Mathon is a (copy)writer, researcher, journalist, and book author, deeply committed to social issues and known for her fierce advocacy. Born in Brabant - a region celebrated for its vibrant Carnival traditions - she practically grew up in her parents' café. Yet, if you ask Jill where to experience the essence of Carnival, she won’t mention Lampegat or Oeteldonk but rather Rio de Janeiro, where the celebration is a powerful act of defiance and liberation. What stories lie behind the feathers, parades and samba blocos?

Originally from Lebanon, Sarah Safi Harb has been practicing Raqs Sharqi (belly dance) for most of her life and teaching it for over 14 years. She integrates her Lebanese heritage, knowledge of yoga, and holistic dance practices into her classes. To Sarah, dance is a form of activism, empowerment, and joy. Her vision is that every person has their own unique way of moving and dancing. She encourages people to find their own style and express their uniqueness, as it’s not about how you dance, but how you feel and what you express through dance.

Jonathan Tjien Fooh is a poet, writer, and researcher dedicated to untangling systems of oppression and breathing life into erased (hi)stories. As part of the research team Re/Presenting Europe: Healing the Afterlives of Colonialism, Jonathan draws on his Javanese-Surinamese heritage to explore how storytelling, spirituality, and Javanese animistic practices create spaces of resistance, healing, and joy beyond Western understanding.

Taka Taka is a dragtivist, educator, queer theorist, and independent curator. As the art director of the legendary House of Hopelezz, mother of Amsterdam’s first drag king house The House of Løstbois, and co-founder of the non-profit Drag King Academy Amsterdam, they also founded The Closet, a creative haven for queer teens supported by Foundation Erwin Olaf. Taka Taka sees drag as an amplified voice - one that communicates, challenges, and proposes new methods shaped by local conditions. They have shared their knowledge and methodologies on drag mothering, gendered character-based practices, and its intersections with HIV through interviews, lectures, essays, and workshops at various Dutch and international art institutions and academies - dedicated to creating spaces of empathy, creativity, and celebration.