‘vulnerability’ approached from different perspectives and art forms

Over five days, at various locations throughout the city, Amsterdam Roots Festival presents a multidisciplinary and hybrid context program of film, art, poetry, conversations, and performances by young creators and thinkers. Together with partners Poetry Circle, Framer Framed, We Sell Reality, Aralez, Sites of Memory, and Tapas Theater, Amsterdam Roots Festival explores a broad palette of visions, creations, and experiences.

This year’s program is centered around vulnerability, a phenomenon represented by soap bubbles in the festival image. Vulnerability seems to be in sharp contrast with the hardening, conflict and dangers of this period; as human beings we like to do our best to hide our vulnerability. We do this to each other, but also on a social level. Rather, we create the illusion of strength and unbreakability. When the law of the strongest applies, showing real vulnerability can feel embarrassing, and even unsafe. Because how can we be vulnerable together? And how can we make our communities and meeting places safe(r) to be vulnerable? And what role does vulnerability play in creativity? At Amsterdam Roots 2021, we want to use vulnerability as a breeding ground for curiosity and explore these questions from different perspectives. Keep an eye on the website for announcements about the context program.