Wan tru puwema overdenking

Wan tru puwema na wan skreki sani

We hebben een tru puwema hard nodig.  Een conclusie die ik ook weer trok  na het bijwonen van een lezing over de waarheid en dialoog op 30 november 2017 door stichting Projecta in het kader van de democratie maand.   We zuchten en zuchten ... lamgeslagen bijna... van de stroom aan holle frases over dialoog en waarheid, over deze te pas en te onpas gebruikte termen, besmet met vooroordelen en vooringenomenheden van ego's en baatzuchtigheid,  gebruikt zonder enig inzicht, besef, of kennis. De zaal knikte maar tegelijkertijd was de zaal ook de uitkomst van de vooroordelen en vooringenomenheden. 

Wan tru puwema na wan skreki sani, dacht ik zo..

Dialoog en degene die de dialoog leidt, inzet, wie durft  een skreki sani te faciliteren? 

Men voert dialogen die geen dialogen zijn, praat over het zoeken naar waarheden terwijl het een zoektocht naar de viering van het ego is geworden. In de vele dialogen die ik heb mogen leiden om ontwikkelingsvisies van nobele organisaties te bespreken met gemeenschappen in het binnenland waar even zo nobele mensen wonen, was het mooiste om te zien hoe wereldbeelden, ego's, project doelen en deadlines de overhand dreigen te nemen en  de tru puwema als een skreki sani zoveel mogelijk vermeden wordt.

Wan stre te fu dede. Want wan tru puwema is een skreki sani. Het draait velen ondersteboven om de mening van bijvoorbeeld een vrouw te horen. Een mening die door een ego niet ingecalculeerd is in een programma dat dialoog hoog in het vaandel denkt te hebben. Het is een skreki sani als een gemeenschap naar voren komt met een visie waar funding guidelines hun ontwikkelingsparadigma op hebben geplant en zaadjes van inheemse wereldbeelden bijvoorbaat bespoten zijn met een (gelukkig meestal ongeschikt) verdelgingsmiddel. 

Verbinding, verschillende disciplines nauw verbonden. 
Schrijven en engagement, de dialoog voeren in het hoofd, op papier en in het veld participatie processen leiden, het ligt in elkaars verlengde en ik doe beiden met dezelfde overtuiging. Wan tru puwema vraagt je om te duiken in de diversiteit aan wereldbeelden, meningen, kennis en ja ook ego's om tot die 'wan koko' te komen , wan di kan sproiti njun libi': de dialoog te faciliteren en die tru puwema naar boven te halen.
Ik geniet van de stemmen die als een skreki sani naar voren komen. De jongens van Amotopo die  in stilte dagen geluisterd hebben om vervolgens, zich niets aantrekkend van nerveus schuivelende mensen in pakken, of op hakjes, varend als een boot op de ontvangende rivier  hun visie te verkondigen.  Een visie die naarmate dialoog geen skreki sani meer is langzaam deel wordt van een ieder. Ik geniet van de jonge vrouw die met ferme stem haar kans heeft gevonden om het gezag dat zich traditioneel nestelt  uit te dagen, ook geniet ik van het traditioneel gezag dat de tru puwema omarmt en durft. Ervaringen die me steeds dichter brengen bij de taal van wan tru puwema.

Den wortu d'e tan abra

Facilitatie kan heel veel. Kan rollen uit hun rollen halen. Stemmen laten horen.

Dialoog en waarheid... de waarheid die tot stand kan komen omdat het gedicht geleefd wordt in de facilitatie. De facilitatie die zich inzet  als wan tru puwema, wan tru puwema na den wortu d'e tan abra.

Trefossa - Wan tru puwema / oude spelling Wan troe poewema (bron DBNL)

.  

wan troe poewema na wan skreki-sani.

wan troe poewema na wan stré te f' dede.

wan troe poewema na wan tra kondre,

pe joe kan go

te joe psa dede fosi.

wan troe poewema na den wortoe d' e tan abra

te ala trawan n' in joe libi wasi gwe;

wan koko soso,

ma wan di kan sproiti

njoen libi.

lon na mi abra dan,

Aroesoebanja foe grontapoe.

kande wandé, wandé

mofo foe mi sa broko opo

foe taki gi onowsroewan toe wortoe

di, te den gro, sa trowe lepi stari,

di mi de soekoe now.

Documentaire ademhalen , de documentaire, de godin Kali

De documentaire over het Theaterstuk Ademhalen

Telkens weer zou je er nog meer over kunnen vertellen, details die je on the way vergeten bent maar die het stuk gemaakt hebben tot hoe het uiteindelijk in deze eerste reeks is uitgevoerd.
Regisseur Alida Neslo die met zo een mooie toevoeging van de Godin Kali precies die wrange ondertoon  eruit heeft gehaald, die drang om gehoord te worden en begrepen, die drang om je stem te laten klinken. Kali was er, altijd.

Ademhalen publication of the play, the launch in pictures

Amsterdam 3 september, Podium Mozaiek, In de Knipscheer book launch Waiting....

Yes there it is , the publication! Poetry. Theatre.... 

Always supporting. Daughters with my dear friend Hanneke . Blessed. 

By in de Knipscheer!

My daughters representig me. Great inspiration always!

Franc Knipscheer, the publisher, presenting

Part of the documentary made about the play . 

Franc Knipscheer about my work.

Ademhalen 3 September 2017 ' The launch of the publication'.

Informatie: The TWAIN SHALL MEET Boeken presentatie IN DE KNIPSCHEER

Ademhalen, de theaterpublicatie, over vrouwen, over moed , de ruimte om keuzes te mogen en kunnen maken

Na de voorstellingen onder regie van Alida Neslo in maart 2017 in Nickerie en Paramaribo verschijnt de publicatie van het theaterstuk op 3 september 2017 bij Uitgeverij In de  Knipscheer. De presentatie vindt plaats te Amsterdam,  tezamen met de andere uitgaven van de uitgeverij in het programma THE TWAIN SHALL MEET.

Morgen is het zover. Vastgelegd in boekvorm, de theatertekst. Namens mij zullen mijn dochters, D'tasha en Shelby aanwezig zijn en het eerste exemplaar in ontvangst nemen.   'Hum log ke himmat dekh".

ADEMHALEN MARCH 8th THE PREMIERE NICKERIE

March 8th, Nieuw Nickerie. The day of the premiere, international women's day.


The Nickerie performance had a great impact. It was more than I could possibly have foreseen.


Alida Neslo with her cast brought  the script alive,  making the lives and thoughts of women visible. Artistic and culturally enriched it shows women's resilience and the impact is has on women and the society they live in- voices of women who reflect on inequality, domestic violence, suicide, about choices and the courage it takes to live, to breathe.


Watching the play with the public is opening new layers again and again. In the hometown of the birth of this play it fills the air. With my dear friends, my posse, and my family I felt loved and supported for the stories I want to tell, for the work that I do, and the things I want to create for and on earth.


Feeling grateful for the women of Nickerie who trusted me with their stories, and had the courage to live their lives. Quote from the public ' I feel very emotional, it was about time we show the truth of our lives'.

Performing, Radha, Nanda and Nishtha, and the Goddess Kali

With the cast and the initiators ' The Dutch Embassy Paramaribo" 

The Director Alida Neslo with the cast and youth Nickerie (VWO/HAVO)

school performance Nickerie march 9th

Nickerie March 8th, full house!

School performance Nickerie, Discussion about the play, about women rights.

ADEMHALEN PREMIERE MARCH 8TH, 1 DAY TO GO

Note 4, 1 day to go

Road trip to Nickerie!

My posse, Rebi, Iraida, Marieke.

I have some great women who will come with me to Nickerie. Without realizing this , they all represent a part of my life. 
Although everyone knows everyone and each of them  is my close friend, family, this is the first time we cme together with the four of us and it feels surprisingly connected. 

Being with them reminds me of how I created the interaction in the play. It is how women come together, talk together..eat together :).

Jenny  for the lights

Ricardo for the sound

I walk into the theater.
It is a big round grey building from the outside, and the chairs are not the ones you are maybe used to in a theater but I like this place, it has a spirit and  it is beautiful located.
People are walking up and down, light installation, sound , cables, a team is at work. 
Mr Donk, who owns the place, prepared a table with coffee and some water, so thoughtful.
I only want to see the beginning of the rehearsal. And then wait for tomorrow.

With the production leader Ann 

We visited my good friend Tara , the pandita. The production called, asked us if we wanted to eat something special.. the answer to that....(is obvious!) When we drove by she stood in front of the restaurant waiting for us with a big smile and a lot of packages! Enjoy girls.. ........ it is Roti with dahl! Yes, I am ready for the premiere!

ADEMHALEN PREMIERE MARCH 8TH, 5 DAYS TO GO

landscape  Nickerie

NOTE 3, 5 days to go  

All these 16 years I visit Nickerie I keep on taking pictures of the landscape, the cattle, the rice fields. I love the space, the skyline, the fields. So much space, yet so difficult for so many lives to find space.  

Was Invited for the ABC program. Was early , stayed in the car , listening to the music of Raj Mohan. Five minutes before time I walked into the radio station. They already began.  It was okay I guess. 'Don't make it like a theme of Nickerie, that is a too big word for it' I said on a question of  what are the typical Nickerie themes. I think it just looks big because of the scale, but in fact, suicide, domestic violence, women rights, human rights, equality all sound to me universal issues.  A journalist called me, 'I liked that sentence you said', he told me. 

Rehearsals in the afternoon. I think for the whole time I was holding my breath. It is always such a strange experience to hear what you have written.. and see people play it.  I connected so much with what I saw and what I knew was the feeling I wanted to express. I felt still. Alida said. 'girl, relax, it is just work'.  And it really is. Hard work. Her input and the value of her directing this piece is what any playwright would wish for. It is like the rice on the field, first a small seed under water, finally rising... and rising.  

CCS with Kavita, Afiba, Ilhaam and Evita , giving my feedback 

Engagement. Alida  asked me to also give my feedback to the players which I did. And they related to what I told them. 

Spirit. Like the spirit.How great to hear and see them play what is written and not written, and with such dedication.

Cooling down. After these rehearsals a cooling down was what we needed. We went together for coffee/tea and talked. At home I  Made myself another tea, some sweet Chai and called my daughter on the other side of the ocean. Alida first went for a walk before heading home. It is a strong energy, this energy. Women energy. 

ADEMHALEN PREMIERE MARCH 8TH, 8 DAYS TO GO

NOTE 2, 7 days to go

ltr: repr Dutch embassy pr and mrs M Baak , me, repr of moederhart, repr of st Saari Nickerie

Press meeting yesterday Nickerie, the press was so  much engaged and asked such good questions. Ha, Paramaribo, you have to compete with them! Being in Nickerie felt again like coming home. 

Man in taxi bus had his laptop on, watching a movie. Could hear the sound, suppose it was a thriller he was watching.  A woman visited family in Nickerie. Another girl is a student in town. Wow, she wears beautiful high heels.  Back in Paramaribo the taxi bus dropped her of at the Mandir in Paramaribo. Interesting. 

Had my notes, didn't read them. Why do I make notes!  Making notes again for tomorrow. Interview with Radio ABC tomorrow at 8.45.   Seems to give guidance to all the thoughts and layers of this theater play.

Meditation yesterday evening: Intention for Alida and cast,  working very hard and dedicated. 

People in Suriname find it always very important to ask 'what is the message'.  Isn't that a preacher thing?  This is about show something, and  leave it to people to think about it. The purpose of any art is I think to see, read , listen and it will always leaves you with something to think about, reflect upon, take action maybe, whether it is a song or in this case a play. It reflects and influences lives.

There is always one saying or one question that makes me keep on thinking.  So today, thinking again. (how many days left, have to set a max for promo!)

One journalist asked about the storyline.  Good question but so hard to find the right thing to tell, trying to find the balance what to tell or not. I like it for people just read or see for themselves instead of me talking about it but  also realize the importance of giving  information and sometimes the need to explain and discuss to understand what you see, read hear and experience. 

When working on the script of Ademhalen there were three things that were important. One was of course the reason why the whole idea started, the stories of the women I talked with.  Their own stories. Second very important were their  discussions, thoughts and worries about women who are victims of domestic violence. And third, very important theme was Nickerie itself. Talking about Nickerie, going deeper into these lives makes it impossible to leave out the theme of the very high percentage of suicide (-attempts)in this district. On my first trip I discussed this with Chandra, one of the writers of the Nickerie book. How to move with this line, this theme. I decided  not to make it a main topic but to create a script set against a suicide attempt of  a woman friend. This setting made it possible for me to develop the stories of the lives of three women visiting, show the struggle to survive, to overcome obstacles, to find the courage to breathe.

The theatre has seats for 400 persons. It is a beautiful theatre. The insight and the setting reminds me of a theater in London where I went with my parents when I was something like 11 or 12 years old. It made a big impression on me. Don't remember the name of the play, only the stage  and how a story came alive. Thanks mom and dad.   

Ademhalen, 10 days to go, awaiting the premiere

NOTE 1 - 10 days to go.
Have to go to Nickerie,  3,5 hours drive, for a press meeting and come back. What to expect. Thinking. Story, process, content. Making notes of thoughts. Searching for my notes. Write again in notebook. 

Have not been to the rehearsels yet. Since the start of actually going in production the space between writing and directing has been held very strict, and is quiet. We discussed in front the story, my thoughts, the visuals, the inspiration, the characters, the background, the writing. Then Alida started to work. 

It is new. A press meeting to talk about something you wrote, created. It is also new not to have some interaction with a team. As writer and communication professional you sometimes find yourself in an awkward position.

All processes are different with regards how communication with the director takes place. Sometimes you receive feedback or changes are discussed , as I experienced with the Helstone monolog in 2013, my debut play. Sometimes you are in very close communication as when I wrote a Surinamese version of Romeo and Julia.  Another time with the cabaret 'Spokendans' I went to the readings with the cast. There is not a set of guidelines for these processes. It depends on who you work with, the kind of play and you just know as long as you have equity, respect and space, it is good. 

Thinking about this space, something writer both director are dealing with. With "Ademhalen" it really is about space. And Alida Neslo is a director who very much feels space, not only physically. I like how she works with  a strong feeling for the use of different spaces in mind , body and physical. It is something also seen in experimental theater, like  poor theater, (Polish theater maker Grotowski).  'Poor theatre’ is a  performance style that rid itself of the excesses of theatre. 'Poor Theatre pieces' centre very much on the skill of the actor and are often performed with only a handful of props. I have seen Alida teaching some of these methods in her drama classes.  I also followed her classes during my study of creative writing about the art of writing for theatre, about Asian and African theatre, about Japanese styles, about the body and its movement in horizontal or vertical spaces, small and large. We practiced with it in our texts. It was such an out of the box experience. 

Although I would rather skip the promotion part it feels very good to first speak about Ademhalen in the place where the story is rooted, Nickerie. It is also good for Nickerie to know it is an universal story about women. Called my Nickerie contacts, told them about the press meeting, they are waiting for this.   

I will be picked up at five in the morning ! Practical things cross my mind. Clothes, hair, bag, shoes, notebook, battery, Internet, mails. Need to cook. Made myself a Pom today, Mom's  dish and of course her receipt is the best.  It is a mom thing! She is up there in heaven but the pom is here! 

Taxi called. I will be the first to pick up. I make a joke about it. They don't think its funny. I rather drive on my own, but up and down in one day on my own would be a bit too much, have to bare with the shedules.  

The production made the reservations for the taxi bus to Nickerie, as the other car with people for the meeting did not have any space left. Maybe not that strange to just go into a taxi bus with strangers for 3,5 hours and overcome a distance to connect. So while I find myself in  this 'in between' space I will connect with mom and have my "broodje pom" (bread with pom). Food speaks.

Theatervoorstelling ADEMHALEN

On March 8th Ademhalen (Breathe)  will be performed.

I was handed a transcript of a group interview with women of Nickerie  about their lives in Nickerie. 

I was moved, instantly, and kept on reading while images passed my mind. I said yes to the question if I would like to write  a play inspired by these ingredients. From then on characters start developing, text and context start buzzing in my head and visuals came into  mind together with  music and movement of what was to be told. 

I went into a process of research, talked with the women, stayed in the district of Nickerie, a place very familiar because of my many visits and holidays with my children. I inhaled, observed, talked, walked, experienced. Stories that  resonated also with myself as a woman, how much courage it takes to feel the freedom to breathe.. to speak out , have space. Cramped spaces with vague rules are hard to move in and so many times , especially women, find themselves in these cramped spaces, punished for thinking, speaking, questioning;  hardly able to breathe. These himmat  (sarnami, meaning courage) women of Ademhalen experience(d) how this affect people's lives. 

I am very grateful for the freedom I felt with some special people who in this process shared their space with me. They have made it possible to write the story, create the play. They all  inspired my creativity  and gave their support to make it happen. The Dutch embassy Sandra Ammersingh, the writers and researchers of the Nickerie Book Chandra van Binnendijk and Fineke van der Veen,  The Himmat women of Nickerie, the co- readers and advisors Gert Fokken, Sophia Jonker and Raj Mohan,  my beloved (himmat) daughters D'tasha, Shelby and Jyoti and especially during this writing process I felt the spirit  and love of my dear 'Himmat' Mom, my fearless and funny grandmother 'Oma' and  my wise grandmother 'Adjie'. 
I must thank my big Sisa Jane who was the one I shared a first selection of poems with years ago .. who  told me, 'please  sis, please go on and write!' 

I handed the script to Alida Neslo, who read it and immediately decided, without hesitation, to direct this play. I suppose, as happened with me, from that moment on her  thoughts on how and what began to flow. With her cast of beautiful women she works since the last ten to twelve weeks , bringing characters and text alive to take the stage. I have not seen it yet and so yes, of course I am nervous and excited to see and experience Ademhalen on the stage!   It is a process in which I move as a playwright,  for which there is no script, except this, my day to day diary starting on the 26th.. 10 days to go until march 8th.  

  

Ademhalen, a play by Karin Lachmising, directed by Alida Neslo.
Cast: Kavita Ramphal, Ihaam Ahmadali, Afiba Becker,  Evita Issa,  Razia Barsatie. 
Premiere  March 8th Nickerie, school performances March 9th Nickerie 
Paramaribo Performances March 16,17,18.