Our Footsteps at The Barricade
Migrants’ narratives as artistic affirmation of our human dignity and a call for political awareness

Sunday 17 November, 20:30
The Barricade  
Voorstraat 71 Utrecht
Info Here

Twenty migrants/refugees artists or performers in ten languages. The result of five months of playful improvisational rehearsals, where through self-representation, migrants share stories of their journey and living in the Netherlands facing a long lasting uncertainty after having crossed many, colonial, borders.

We believe arts need to engage society; they need to represent today’s turmoil.
To this end we come together as migrants, political refugees and locals in order to create a performance: an act of theatre, poetry, music, performance art, choreography. And an act of activism, of human and political togetherness. Projects such as this one are seldom seen in the Netherlands. Hence our artistic intervention. It’s time to stop seeing the migrant as ‘problematic’ or ‘troublesome.’ It’s time to go beyond the politics of social segregation as mass distraction.
Our performance seeks to transcend the political pitfalls of discrimination and hate peculiar to our present and confused world. We want our performance to be a safe haven, a place where diversity is richness and discrimination can only vanish.

AstaroTheatro
presents
‘On The Harmful Effects of Tobacco’
A theatre monologue by Anton Chekhov

Direction: Vasiliki Koutrouli
Starring: Roberto Bacchilega
Photography and Video: Melanja Palitta / BalansLaB

Saturday 2 November, 20:30
Haagse Toneelvereniging
Lange Lombardstraat 38, The Hague
(as part of the event ‘Constrained! An evening of theatre and poetry’)

“It is what it is, it’s all the same to me”, Ivan’s prologue.  Is that ostensible latency the main element of Ivan Ivanovich Nyukhin, the character of the monologue “On the harmful effects of tobacco”?
The way Ivan is “moving” looks like he lost his orientation in life. There is a force inside him that makes him unmovable. He is giving a lecture on the harmful effects of tobacco though he is smoker himself.  Why?  So many unfulfilled dreams, Don Quixotic ambitions condemned to fail into the dull routine of daily life.
In our interpretation of the play there is something “new”, like the sense of hope that a new born baby is giving.  We welcome you to discover it!

Redemption Song
Documentary Screening at AstaroTheatro 

Friday 8 November, 20:30

REDEMPTION SONG
by Cristina Mantis

Finalist Premio Solinas
Supported by MIBAC. Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali
Winner of the prize RAI CINEMA
Supported by Amnesty International

LÉONORE BOULANGER (QUARTET) + ELL SOL (TRIO) at ASTAROTHEATRO

LÉONORE BOULANGER
On their fourth album of deconstructed chanson, Léonore Boulanger and Jean- Daniel Botta, assisted by drummer and percussionist Laurent Seriès, have taken a major step up. If previous album Feigen Feigen was, by the band’s own admission, something of a puzzle then Practice Chanter could be likened to a mosaic, due to the sheer quantity and variety of sonic fragments that is somehow made to cohere in these 16 wild, wonderful tracks. But even that doesn’t quite do justice to a 3D vision that can maintain so many disparate elements in uneasy equilibrium – I suspect the cubist female portrait on the sleeve is an attempt to convey a similar idea.
www.lesaule.fr/leonoreboulanger.htm

ELL SOL
Joan Mena is a solo artist, guitarist, multi instrumentalist, organizer, performer, improviser and multitask from Catalonia based in The Netherlands.
His groundbreaking performances push the boundaries of contemporary music with the soul and sensibility of an artist looking to connect in deeper ways with his audiences. Primarily in his native Catalan, his lyrics transcend language with penetrating melodies and a familiar but unconventional delivery.
Inspired by DIY world-touring Joan Mena presented his last work PWALUGU in 16 countries around 3 continents in the last years.
Nou Principi is his very new work, an acoustic volcano of questions and answers
performed with the percusionist Rubén Castillo and the maestro James Hewitt at viola. New begginings and other endings in a powerful set of songs.
‘’Does Catalonian balladry involve a lot of sighing, whispering, squawking and screeching? Well regardless if it does or it doesn’t we got that. Charming and very surprising show, a whole new approach to playing a guitar. ̈
Richard James Foster -The Quietus, Louder than War, Vice… (Incendiary Magazine )
https://www.ellsol.tk/

Entrance by Donation

Our Footsteps at Podium Mozaïek Amsterdam
Migrants’ narratives as artistic affirmation of our human dignity and a call for political awareness

Saturday 19 October, 21:00
Podium Mozaïek
Bos en Lommerweg 191 Amsterdam
Info & Tickets via Podium Mozaïek Website or Facebook  

Twenty migrants/refugees artists or performers in ten languages. The result of five months of playful improvisational rehearsals, where through self-representation, migrants share stories of their journey and living in the Netherlands facing a long lasting uncertainty after having crossed many, colonial, borders.

We believe arts need to engage society; they need to represent today’s turmoil.
To this end we come together as migrants, political refugees and locals in order to create a performance: an act of theatre, poetry, music, performance art, choreography. And an act of activism, of human and political togetherness. Projects such as this one are seldom seen in the Netherlands. Hence our artistic intervention. It’s time to stop seeing the migrant as ‘problematic’ or ‘troublesome.’ It’s time to go beyond the politics of social segregation as mass distraction.
Our performance seeks to transcend the political pitfalls of discrimination and hate peculiar to our present and confused world. We want our performance to be a safe haven, a place where diversity is richness and discrimination can only vanish.

A project by AstaroTheatro, IIRE and Stichting Vrolijkheid
With the support of Academie voor Theater en Dans
Photo credits: Unai Risueño

Inter.Nos Festival at AstaroTheatro 

Friday 13 September, 20:30
The Hamlet Machine
Rudolf Watzlawik Ceschia

Saturday 14 September, 20:30
Between Worms & Gods
Juan C. Tajes
Country: Uruguay/The Netherlands; Language: English

Saturday 14 September, 21:30
The Things of Death
Alejandra Nettel
Country: Mexico; Language: Spanish

Sunday 15 September, 15:00
Video Lounge
Mariana Behoteguy Chaves
Rudolf Watzlawik Ceschia
Juan C. Tajes
Rodrigo M. Malmsten

AstaroTheatro
Sint Jansstraat 37 Amsterdam
Entrance by Donation