Gayance

Kody Chambers

Welcome to the sixth edition of the Living Room Session. A place that radiates familiarity and warmness, as well as a place where people come together, get inspired and recharge in various ways. This edition we dive deeper into the theme ‘home’.

Take a seat in the living room as moderator Shaquille Shaniqua Joy guides you through an evening with a spoken word by storyteller Amber Paris, the screening of “Mascarade : Origin story” (2023), a short film by DJ, Producer & Filmmaker Gayance, a mesmerizing music performance by artist Kody Chambers and a custom art piece by Jonathan Doelwijt. Start your weekend well on the 20th of September and allow yourself to be present while getting inspired by film, music, art and conversation.

Home
What is the first thought that comes up in your mind when you think of home? Is it a physical place, building or country? Do you connect it to a person or maybe even multiple people? What role does language play when you express what home means to you? Is it a feeling you can revisit, and does that feeling arise in multiple situations and environments, or is it unique? How does the environment we live in influence our definition of home? And then there is another layer of what makes us feel at home individually in our physical bodies. During the program, we’ll explore this layered subject through different mediums, including film, art, music and conversations.  

The living room as a metaphor
The living room is a metaphor for a place that radiates intimate, familiar, warm and welcoming energy and a space where people come together. It unites art hanging on the walls, music that one might play or listen to, movies you watch, and conversations with others in the space. The Living Room Session brings all of these aspects together in an evening of inspiration curated and hosted by Shaquille Shaniqua Joy at Felix Meritis.  

Join moderator and program maker Shaquille Shaniqua Joy and her guests for this Living Room Session and allow yourself to be present.

Film

Performances

Spoken word

Culture

Cultural

🎨 Cultural

🍿 Chill

🪩 Party

FELIX MERITIS

Living Room Session 6

Wasim Arslan

Sydney Lowell

OTION

UNBORN

Adwoa Bobo

Dive into an evening where the magic of the performing arts and community spirit come alive.

In the heart of Amsterdam, a city steeped in history and cultural richness, a special milestone is being celebrated: the 10th edition of OTION & All These Voices. Master Of Sceneries OTION, a versatile Amsterdam artist, invites you to an evening that will stimulate all your senses and, above all, touch your heart.

Timetable:
18:00 – 18:30 UNBORN – EP darkroom listening experience (combiticket required)
20:00 – 22:00 OTION & All These Voices

UNBORN – EP darkroom listening experience

Closing the UNBORN theater tour OTION and dropped.dots (music producer) are releasing the music from the show on an EP. For this special occasion they are offering a first time darkroom listening experience, where you will be fully submerged in the sonic vibration of the UNBORN universe.

UNBORN is an intimate theatrical concert blending ambient neo-soul, R&B, hip-hop and indigenous rhythms. Inspired by the infinite in-between of transformation, UNBORN invites you to travel through the inner universe of OTION. Surrounded by emotions like confusion, melancholy and joy, UNBORN creates a moment of reflection and motivates you to kick off your own personal process of transformation. Venture through a world of text, music and projections with the guiding question: “Am I breaking down or unfolding?”


OTION – Master of Sceneries®
Theo d’Or en AFK stimuleringsprijs-nominee (2024), OTION is a multifaceted artist passionate about theater, dance, choreography, composing, songwriting, and performing. Exploring the spiritual tradition of his afro-surinamese ancestry, OTION developed a deep appreciation for the metaphysical aspects of his art form. As an interdisciplinary artist, his mission is to imagine spaces, rituals, and ceremonies for the contemporary urban environment where others can be moved by the power of sound and reconnect with themselves. His work reflects on the human experience using water, waterbodies, water states and water motion as a source of inspiration, making ‘OTION’ (pronounced ocean) a reference to the element that connects us all.

OTION on Instagram (@otion11)


dropped.dots – music producer / sonic architect

dropped.dots, an innovative music producer rooted in Argentine soil, began his journey in 2007, drawing from the rich musical heritage of artists like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Peter Gabriel.

He is heavily influenced by genres such as jazz, Argentine folk music, and contemporary sounds. Performances across Argentina, including notable venues like Luna Park and Único de La Plata stadium, showcased his growing presence. dropped.dots aims to transcend traditional album concepts by integrating visual art with music, enhancing the overall experience. Their live performances adapt to various spaces, utilizing different media to convey their message. dropped.dots invites listeners to shed prejudices and immerse themselves in an unfiltered musical journey, challenging conventional norms and embracing the freedom of the present.

dropped.dots on Instagram (@dropped.dots)


OTION & All These Voices

Homage to global community

In a time when the sense of community often fades into the background, OTION creates a celebration where the audience is not only a spectator but also a participant. Deep listening, breathing together, moving, and sharing silences become the core of an evening that feels like a warm embrace. This event is more than a full evening program; it is an homage from an artist to the global community. ‘All These Voices’ underscores the value of art and cultural diversity, celebrating the elements that make our world a unique place.

Dive into an evening where the magic of the performing arts and community spirit come alive. Allow yourself to be carried away by the diverse voices that converge to inspire, connect, and celebrate. Reserve your tickets today and become part of this extraordinary event. Join us as we navigate the currents of creativity and celebrate the arts up close. Together, we will make the 10th edition an unforgettable one.

Concerts

OTION & All These Voices

Een avond vol podiumkunsten waarin het thema “Nusantara” centraal staat – Gecureerd door Cheroney Pelupessy

“Nusantara, een woord dat resoneert met de rijke geschiedenis en diversiteit van Indonesië, verwijst naar de immense archipel van talloze eilanden en culturen. Oorspronkelijk gebruikt in het Majapahit-rijk, symboliseert Nusantara vandaag de eenheid binnen de verscheidenheid van Indonesië. Het is ook de naam van de toekomstige hoofdstad in Oost-Kalimantan, en staat als metafoor voor een verenigd Indonesië.”

Tijdens deze avond, die zich afspeelt in het monumentale gebouw van Felix Meritis, wordt het publiek uitgenodigd om in groepen een unieke route te bewandelen door verschillende ruimtes van het gebouw. In elke ruimte ontdek je een andere performance, elk met wortels in de rijke cultuur van de archipel – van Maluku, Java tot Bali. De performers putten kracht uit hun diepgewortelde erfgoed en zetten hun persoonlijke verhalen en emoties om in kunst, eerbetoon en reflectie.

We nodigen de performers uit om hun eigen verhalen te vertellen en te transformeren tot kunst, door zich te verbinden met de erfenis van hun voorouders. Door middel van spoken word, muziek en dans zullen ze de herinneringen en spirit van hun voorouders eren. Deze avond staat in het teken van het herdenken, voortzetten en versterken van de tradities en wijsheden die door de generaties heen zijn doorgegeven.

Programma:

- Tiga Batang Rumah – Drie krachtige vrouwen brengen de ritmische klanken van de Molukse Tifa, een eerbetoon aan hun voorouders.
- Krishna Sutedjo – Bespeelt de Javaanse rebab en de Balinese suling, versterkt door Wayan Pitriana met Javaanse/Balinese zang en Balinese dans, en put inspiratie uit de muzikale tradities van hun voorouders.
- Djérimo – Spoken word performer met Molukse roots, die woorden gebruikt om de kracht en wijsheid van zijn voorouders te laten resoneren.
- Nasib Katong Dua – Een dansperformance met Cheroney Pelupessy, Bryan Nurhakim & Jermaine Rumahlaiselan, waarin beweging de verbinding met hun voorouders symboliseert.  
    
Beleef een avond waar verhalen, tradities en kunstvormen, gevoed door de kracht van voorouders, samenkomen in een unieke viering van diversiteit en eenheid. Wandel door Felix Meritis en ervaar hoe elke ruimte tot leven komt met de nalatenschap van de voorouders, waardoor deze rijke cultuur voortleeft in het heden.

Cerita Kita | “Onze Verhalen”

Somewhere near the toilets, an ominous showdown is taking place. In a tantalizing mix of candid lyrics, energetic music and a grimey setting, two friends search for the limits of their ‘faggot friendship*: a very intimate friendship with no hidden romantic feelings. What are the limits of intimacy, now that falling in love plays no role?  

No Matter What is a poignant, theatrical love letter to your very best friend. The performance is an ode to toxic patterns, destructive forces and new forms of intimacy. – ‘Fuck, I wish I was your lover!’  

Intimacy without love and/or sex, what about that? In literature and movies, queer friendships often revolve around a secret, unrequited love (think Call Me By Your Name, Brokeback Mountain, Saltburn). What forms does intimacy take in a relationship where this doesn’t play a role? To explore this more broadly, the creators came up with the framework “faggot friendship.” During the course of the research, it turned out there was little space for such platonic bonds within current systems, leading to a portrait of a dystopian friendship with palpable socio-political overtones.  

*R3LN4CHT recognizes that faggot is a provocative word used in a discriminatory manner. This performance follows in the footsteps of a long history of creators, writers and individuals from the queer community; who reclaimed the word as a slogan. The frame of the ‘faggot friend’ is a conscious choice derived from the queerness of the creative team, including the questions it raises.  

Would you like to attend this program, but don’t have the means to pay for a ticket? Send an email to info@felixmeritis.nl, we can work something out.

FELIX MERITIS

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Living Room Session 6

OTION & All These Voices

Cerita Kita | “Onze Verhalen”

R3LN4CHT | No Matter What