In this news item we take you into the stories told by one of our favourite disciplines: theatre. This year’s international performances bring new and surprising forms and content. What can you expect from Amsterdam Roots in terms of theatre?

And because we are so excited about our beautiful programme, this week we are giving away tickets for performances at the TapasTheater and CC Amstel! Want to know how you can win? Read it at the bottom of this blog.

What if your mother tongue is forbidden to speak?
Theatre maker Sipan Sezgin Tekin grew up in a Kurdish family that had to hide its culture, just like many other Kurds in Turkey. As a result, he never fully mastered the Kurdish language. Nevertheless, he feels a strong connection with his family’s language. In his performance ‘King of snake’, Sipan takes you along in the search for the relationship between language and man – what happens when you do not speak or understand a language, but can see and feel it. Watch this performance at 19.00 from 1 to 3 July in the TapasTheater.

The hidden history of the African at the Tsar’s court
Saron Tesfahuney makes theatre from an African perspective, as a much-needed counterweight to the Eurocentric historiography. She tells the story of a boy from a noble family in Central Africa, who at the age of eight is kidnapped by the Ottomans and ends up at the Russian court. In her theatre play ‘Negus of Peter the Great’, Saron reconstructs the suppressed history of his origin and fatherland. Be there in the TapasTheater between 1 and 3 July, starting at 19.00!

What if… I don’t exist? My body is neither male, nor female
In the Netherlands there are 190,000 intersex people. Born with a body that does not meet the regular definition of man or woman. They have often been kept quiet, even by themselves. This is how a growing secret nestled itself in the head of Marleen Hendrickx. How does it feel when you are not allowed to be who you are? Marleen explores this pressing question during her performance in the TapasTheater between 1 and 3 July, starting at 19.00.

Not a sweet story about equality, but about being allowed to be yourself
Dingo’s Stable is an internationally operating company around Turkish-Dutch creator Ilgin Abeln. Through playful site-specific theatre, they take a close look at subjects such as nationalism and migration, using absurd and recognisable situations. The performance ‘As if you are at home’ tells the migration story of Turks to the Netherlands and is performed free of charge on (market) squares in Southeast, North, East and West.

Immersive experience of music and stories from the African diaspora of Curacao
In Voices from Letters, the past of the rich musical tradition of Curaçao comes to life. A zeitgeist that transcends the island forms the basis of the performance ‘Imershon’, to be seen on 29 June in the CC Amstel. Chatlein and his band mix Afro-Curaçao sound fragments with music, stories and improvisations and thus bring “an ode to our ancestors, our language and all its magic”.

Circus Stage
On Sunday 3 July during the Open Air festivals, various disciplines come together in a diverse, qualitative programme in which you can enjoy circus acts, acrobatics, street theatre and contemporary dance. You can see the ‘free-running’ show of Saïd Mouhssine, the explosive tricks and creative dexterity on hip-hop beats of Simple Cypher, the acrobatic performance of Cal & Sam and many more surprising acts!

Contest
Birthday treats! Share with us your best memory of Amsterdam Roots Festival and you could win a free ticket for 2 performances in Tapastheater on 2 July or the performance Voices from Letters in CCAmstel on 29 June. Mail your memory before June 28th to info@amsterdamroots.nl.