Ring of our time
An epic, ecological tale for our age, in which myths, rituals and music from five different civilizations meet. We see our own age through the eyes of ancient goddesses: river goddess Tiamat cries at the bottom of the Euphrates’ dry riverbed, earth goddess Ine Aya’ gets lost in burning palm oil forests, and sea goddess Olokun curses the oil polluting her holy waters.
Festival Holland Festival
Run time 105 minutes
Genre Music Theatre
language Diverse
Surtitles English, Dutch
Ring of Our Time
Ring of Our Time is performed by an ensemble with traditional and classical instruments, such as ud, saz, organ, clarinet, sape, and kaldi. Percussion plays an important role in the piece, with percussiontraditions from Iraq, Indonesia, West Africa, and Mexico forming the musical backbone.
The opera was created by World Opera Lab, led by Miranda Lakerveld (Utrecht, 1976), who previously appeared at the Holland Festival with Turan Dokht (2019) and Ine Aya’ (2021). World Opera Lab creates intercultural opera performances on global themes.
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Ring of Our Time is the result of four years of artistic exchanges on cultural heritage and the global use of natural resources, involving artists from four continents, including the Balaan Tumaan ensemble and composer Yadi Nursalim Anugerah from Kalimantan, Maya theatermakers Soco Loeza Flores and Lucero Flores, dancers Kehinde and Taiye Yeri (Slaytwins) and Joan Otitoyomi from Lagos, percussionist Hussen Al-Harbi from Baghdad, and singer Elaf Mohamed Saeed from Basra. The teams come together for the first time at the Holland Festival.
about Holland Festival
The Holland Festival is the largest international performing arts festival in the Netherlands and one of the oldest festivals in Europe. Founded in 1947, Holland Festival celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2022.
The festival takes place every June, in and around Amsterdam at various locations, indoors and outdoors, large-scale and intimate, online and offline.
Credits
cast Sabra Al Bahri Khatri (Bird Woman), Samuel Udoh (Esu/Kukulcan), Elaf Saeed Mohamed (Tiamat), Joan Otitoyomi (Olokun/Anansa), Soccoro Loeza Flores (Chac Chel), Madeline Saputra (Ine Aya’), Vanessa Felter (Oshun/Mama Watri), Lucero Flores (Ixchel), Kehinde (Time-keeper), Taiye Yeri (Time-keeper), Dana Gongora (Lady of the Calendar)
percussion Hussein Al-Harbi, Anwar Awhad, Ananda Aristi Dewa, Ridho Firman
cello Yadi Nursalim Anugerah, Tara Kumar suling Yadi Nursalim Anugerah
gong-row Buma Bumadius
sape Buma Bumadius, Juan Arminandi
kaldi Juan Arminandi
violin Reza Zulianda
voice Reza Zulianda, Vincent Martig
ud Haytham Safia
organ Wim Dijkstra
marimba Wendy Palomeque
tunkul Wendy Palomque
clarinet Vincent Martig
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spiritual leader Marta Haran (Dayung of the Kayan community of West-Kalimantan), Marian Markelo (Nana Efua - Priestess of the Afro-Suriman Winti tradition), Yeye Oshun Ikenji (Priestess of the Oshun shrine in downtown Lagos)
artistic director Miranda Lakerveld
video Marteen Houdijk
costumes Jantine Kraaijeveld, Dana Gongora
artistic assistance Olinda Larralde, Alex Benavides
dramaturgy Alex Benavides
Research Maya music Freddy Poot
research Kayancultuur Dominiks Uyub
communication Sylva van Rosse
production Marijke De Schepper
producer Iraq Salman Khairella
