International exchange of artists from Curaçao, Suriname and the Netherlands
On Thursday 7 November, 14 artists from Curaçao, Suriname and the Netherlands organised a successful collective event to celebrate their week-long collaboration at the KuraHulanda Museum in Curaçao. This was part of the international exchange project Transforming Narratives 2, in which these artists came together to explore how transnational, decolonial, creative collaboration can create new spaces for connection, healing and growth.
The group included theatre, dance, spoken word, graphic design, film, photography, textiles, jewellery, poetry, creative writing and more.
The first few days consisted of visits to the KuraHulanda Museum and the Tula Museum, led by the venerable Curaçaoan elder Jeanne Henriquez, who shared powerful insights into the role of art in telling untold stories of resistance, resilience and freedom.
The Collective Creativity workshop, as we also teach it in our programme, focused on increasing awareness, skills and enjoyment in collaboration, based on the principle of “nothing about us without us”. Based on their desires, abilities and needs, workshop participants naturally formed groups in which they realised work together. In this way, they transformed their individual desires into collective action.
TransformingNarratives 2 aims to strengthen the position of socially engaged artists in these countries, enabling them to bring these tools back to their own communities.
TransformingNarratives 2 is a collaboration between ST/Art Foundation, Forum TolinToliMasanga (Suriname), Boost Caribbean Foundation (Curaçao), ATD Lectorate and DAS Creative Producing MA (The Netherlands).
Participating artists: Alexandra Martijn (CUR) /Amir Roseberg (CUR) /CherellaGessel (NL/SUR) / Daniel Stewart (SUR) / Jason Eduard (SUR) /JenevieveApinsa (SUR) / Joëlla Inecia (CUR) / Kenny van Genderen (SUR) /MeredithJoeroeja (SUR) /Mirna Martina (NL/CUR) /Rellie Telg (NL/SUR) /RosselChaslie (NL/SUR) /Sheedia Jansen (CUR) /VesuhelyAmericaan (CUR)