The
Cassandra
Project
Supporting the next generation
of European Storytelling
Welcome to The Cassandra Project! A groundbreaking new venture that supports young storytellers (ages 18-30) as they become socially engaged performers set to electrify international stages. The project spans five European countries: Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway.
What is socially engaged storytelling?
For the Cassandra Project, socially engaged storytelling involves sharing narratives that resonate on a personal level while addressing issues of global significance. The voices of real communities and individuals affected by the performances' themes are central to this approach, and deep research has been carried out. Through these stories, the aim is to raise awareness of social challenges, spark meaningful conversations, and inspire positive change while being thoroughly entertaining.
Programme
Saturday 2
20hr
Storytelling Fight Night - 15 storytellers, 5 countries
Sunday 3
16.00hr
Willemijn Hordijk (NL), Meja Ohlsson Rodriguez (SE) and Mari Qviller (NO)
Monday 4
19.30hr
Ynys Convents (BE), Samora de Boer (NL) and Natalia Drąka (PL)
21.00hr
Hanna Asefaw (NO), Daan Arnauts (BE) and Wera Kątna (PL)
Tuesday 5
19.30hr
Dawid Pigut (PL), Meja Johansson (SE) and Sarah Andersson (SE)
21:00hr
Geoffrey van der Ven (NL), Simen Tobias (NO) and Winter De Cock (BE)
Venue: De Vlugt, Burgemeester de Vlugtlaan 125, Amsterdam
*All performances are International debuts. Each group of 3 performances lasts 60 minutes (approx), and the running order may change —contact festeurope@gmail.com for more information and to book performances.
GET TICKETS HERE: Devlugt Amsterdam
Performances
Sunday 3
16.00hr
But Daddy I Love Her
Like many young women, Willemijn grew up believing she would find a handsome prince. She thought she had found him, so she gave him her time, love, and especially her voice. And in the end, she died. But unlike other princesses, she picked up the pen to write the ending of her own fairy tale...
Willemijn tells a story of growing up as a young woman, fighting dragons and life after a toxic relationship.
Willemijn Hordijk grew up in a small, boring village in the Netherlands. Searching for adventure, she moved to the big city of Utrecht to study Theatre and Education and now works as an actress and drama teacher. She’s a fairy tale detective, vintage lover, and wine enthusiast who loves doing karaoke. She specialises in heartbreak songs while holding a glass of chardonnay in an old flower dress. Her favourite nickname is Tante (Dutch for auntie) and she always brings lipstick. You never know when you have to kiss a frog….
The Story that Disappeared
Many years ago, under the stars, an epic tale was told and lost. How many stories have been told and lost since then? During this performance, storyteller Meja O. Rodriguez explores stories from her family's past, including the journey from one country to another.
How many memories disappeared along the way, and how much of the culture gets lost from one generation to another.
My name is Meja Ohlsson Rodriguez. I am a young storyteller born and raised in Ljungby, the land of legends in Sweden. Because of this, I have been blessed to have stories around me from a very young age. But it wasn't until I was 15 that I realised that this was a profession I could have.
Even though I am not a full-time storyteller yet, I have been given the opportunity to tell stories for a lot of different audiences and on different occasions. Everything from a guided tour in the Museum of Legends or in the woods by the fire during the storytelling festival in Ljungby. I have competed in the Swedish storytelling championship. And the opportunities never cease to come. And now I am creating a performance about me for the first time ever. The stories from my family's journey to Sweden and the stories and memories we lost on the way.
Breidablikk
Mari Qviller wants to tell you the true story of how being dumped led her to walk all alone for 40 days in the Norwegian nature the summer before high school.
You are invited to peek through the window of her childhood bedroom and embark on an expedition through the world's largest forest, a little detour to visit the least smelly part of old Norse mythology, and a helicopter ride out to the open sea at the edge of the world.
«Breidablikk» combines autobiography, mythical storytelling, and satire to explore the heroic story of the Norwegian oil industry.
Mari Qviller (24) is a Norwegian playwright and activist. She lives in a farm collective on an island in rural Norway. In 2022, she got her bachelor's degree in script writing from the Norwegian Actors Institute (NSKI) and debuted at Unge Viken Theatre with the play «Little Blue Men». The same year, she appeared in the mini-documentary «The Biggest Test» made by Norway's state-owned oil company Equinor. Mari worked for three years in the environmental organisation «Young Friends of the Earth», and in the spring of 2023, she occupied the Norwegian Ministry of Oil and Gas for five days with fellow environmental and Sami activists.
In 2024, Mari’s theatre company has been on tour with her original play «Mausoleum».
For the next two years, she has been granted the state artists scholarship and is working on bringing new queer art to young people in rural Norway.
GET TICKETS HERE: Devlugt Amsterdam
Monday 4
19.30hr
The stork that raised me - The ‘Antipelargy’ of a Family
What if you questioned conventional parenthood as you know it?
Rooted in the concept of antipelargy – reciprocal care between parent and child – this tale uncovers deeper layers of love, memory, and the fragility of familial bonds. Ynys weaves memories into a tale that challenges the imagination and reshapes the notion of family.
Ynys Convents is a young storyteller based in Antwerp. She is finishing her master's degree in Dutch literature and loves to fill the gaps in her day by writing poetry. Last year, she appeared on stage as a film festival host, and this summer, she was particularly active as a social justice activist in Antwerp.
Ynys's love for connecting with an audience and her strong sense of community is reflected in her personal story, 'The Stork That Raised Me: The Antipelargy of a Family', which she will perform for you.
Overshadowed
In a magical forest where fantasy and reality intertwine, the young girl Isabel battles a dark force that affects not only her but also her loved ones. Overshadowed is the enchanting, deeply personal story of Samora de Boer that explores the impact of depression and the power of love, self-discovery and creativity. A metaphorical fable offering a profound, magical perspective on mental illness and hope.
Samora de Boer (1995) is a storyteller living in Amsterdam with a great passion for her work. After finishing her theatre studies in 2018, she has been developing her skills at the Storytelling Centre. Samora creates magical worlds that draw her audience in, inspired by nature, books, folktales, myths, fables and her own experiences. Her storytelling is known for its vivid details, helping listeners picture the characters and scenes as if they were right there. In addition to storytelling, Samora enjoys sewing, acting, illustrating and making videos, often blending these skills into her storytelling to make it even richer. One of her dreams is to travel the world, gathering stories from different cultures and sharing them with people she meets. Her creative flair and love for exploring different cultures infuse her stories with a special magic that captivates and delights audiences.
Aurora - Daughter of the Dawn
A girl waiting for her father’s return from war sends out a final plea into the night, begging to reclaim her lost childhood. Whom or what does she summon?
This is a tale of longing for the irretrievable, of anger and defiance, difficult relationships, growing up, coming to terms with the past and identity, and fighting for oneself.
One night, Natalia Drąka (Poland) fell in love with stories in an old, abandoned mill, poring over a book of fairy tales and folk legends. In stories, she discovers the real lives of people who, like her, feel longing, fear, and love. A passionate musician, she follows the sound of music wherever it calls her. She sings and plays for loved ones and strangers in the forest, in the shower, on stage, and even while washing dishes. She believes deeply that every story is a song, and every song is a story. She craves the presence of people, the warmth of a fire, the scent of the earth, and most of all, she needs to tell stories and, even more so, to listen because it is the act of listening that makes us human.
Although she has been sharing her stories for only two years, she has participated in key storytelling events, including the National Storytelling Festival in Radom and the annual Story Walk in Wirty. She hones her craft through her involvement with storytelling groups like: Kolektyw Opowieści Tamdarym; Karawana Opowieści.
GET TICKETS HERE: Devlugt Amsterdam
Monday 4
21.00hr
How to Rebuild a Meadow
Once upon a time, there was a flower that had forgotten how to bloom.
This is a story about a flower.
And a boy.
And resilience, resistance, hope, and loss.
In "How to Rebuild a Meadow", you are invited on a journey - a flower’s journey from being weighed down by contaminated soil to, hopefully, breaking through to the surface.
In the summer of 2023, Hanna was rarely seen without a camera. She used it to document her travels in Eritrea, the country her parents had fled from due to a war that lasted three decades. This story is based on pictures Hanna took during that summer and is shared in honour of all the people who continue to coexist with, and take care of the soil.
Hanna Asefaw (NO/ER) is a human geographer, writer, and performing artist based in Oslo.
Through play, research and investigation of themes related to identity, liberation, and the memories that are stuck in our bodies, Hanna's work seeks to unravel, understand, and reconstruct - to convey the relationship between the personal and political, as well as the individual and structural dimensions of experience.
Her artistic practice is influenced by interdisciplinary exploration and experimentation, drawing on diverse traditions of poetry, movement, and music. Hanna’s performances and writings often blend these elements in an attempt to create a language and dialogue that reflect the intricate connections between the inner and outer worlds. Her work invites audiences to engage with and reflect on the complex narratives that shape our lives, searching and fostering a deeper understanding of both personal and collective stories.
Have You Ever Been Called A Whore?
In a quest for love you may come across people who have some very different opinions and definitions of what love intales. For Daan, a seventeen year old gay boy in Belgium was this no different. Shocked but also intrigued about everything thrown onto his path he went to find someone who could give him more insight. A person who would change his entire worldview.
Have You Ever Been Called A Whore takes you on a journey of deception, kinks and a lot of money. When one message can change everyday life into something much, much more interesting.... a quest for love where nothing seems to be about love
Hi there! I'm, Daan Arnauts, from Brussels, Belgium and developed a passion for theatre and storytelling years ago, finishing my theatre studies this year I feel empowered to perform for you.
I like to convey a message, surrounding it with humour and lightness. That being said, depth is, of course, still present in the projects where I put my heart in. I put my heart at this moment in passions, which are theatre, storytelling and Waacking! In the last three years, I found a dance style originally from the west coast of America created by the queer and POC community. A dance style with a lot of expression, fast arm movement and funk.
I hope I get to meet all of you who are reading this at the storytelling festival in Amsterdam!
Bed Story
Have you ever heard voices in your head before going to sleep? Tala listens to them every night. She sets off on a journey to find a place without them. On her way, she fights with monsters who live under the beds. But is there a way to fight them all forever and fall asleep in peace?
Wera Kątna – a young creator and performer based in Poznań, Poland. Her main passions are art, culture, and dance in its many forms. As a practitioner, she is developing her skills in off-theatre, performance art, improvisation, movement, and poetry. Wera is well-known within the spoken poetry and slam community, where her work is often recognised and awarded. Throughout her journey, she has collaborated with various theatre groups on numerous productions.
In her storytelling research, she explores transdisciplinary methods to blend her diverse interests. Through her unique narratives, she invites audiences to connect with shared human experiences. Her world is infused with absurdity and curiosity. And poetry, obviously.
Wera has participated in several international projects, festivals, and has traveled extensively—often spontaneously. After gaining valuable insights from both formal and non-formal education, she began dance studies to explore movement as a therapeutic tool. She loves to move and is ready to move the world.
GET TICKETS HERE: Devlugt Amsterdam
Tuesday 5th
19.30hr
Tangled
A story of ups and downs, of happiness and tears. A tale heard somewhere in a small town, in a place that holds many different stories – a hair salon. What was the treasure for the main character? Why did she shed so many tears? Did she lose something, or perhaps she came to understand something? You’ll find out by listening to my story.
Hey, my name is Dawid Pigut (Poland); I'm eighteen years old, and I'm not only a student but also a beginner hairdresser on a daily basis. I like it when my work gives someone pleasure. I paint not only my hair but also pictures, but I don't use a brush for this, but rather words. I also have the extraordinary pleasure of participating in the Cassandra project; in fact, I am just taking my first steps in the world of storytelling, but I look at this world with great admiration.
The Tallest Mountain in the World
In The Tallest Mountain in the World, Meja Johansson will bring you along on the frustrating journey that is finding out what you truly believe in. Told as a classic fairytale, we follow our heroine as she climbs. Each mountain she reaches will bring her closer to the answer to the age-old question: Is there really nothing more to life than putting stamps on a cardboard box?"
Based on interviews with people in different stages of their path to and from faith, and with inspiration from Swedish folktales, this performance is a tale of exploration, faith, and the human spirit’s relentless search for meaning. Follow along in a story which in itself reflects the authors own exploration of faith. And who knows, maybe this is the start of your journey?
My name is Meja Johansson, and I come from the small town of Ljungby, Sweden. Growing up in a small town where art and culture is surprisingly present, I have always found myself drawn to storytelling in many different forms. Art and working with my hands have long been a creative outlet for me, but in later years, I have also taken an interest in music and theatre. I like to explore the intersection of storytelling, painting, theatre, and music and want to constantly push the boundaries of my own creativity.
Now for the first time I will be performing a self-written story, inspired by my own, and others, journey to faith.
Until recently, I studied cultural heritage studies at university, and I am currently working as a trainee at the Swedish Church, where I hope to bring oral storytelling to light as a powerful tool in communicating with our community.
Success Has Many Fathers, But Failure Is An Orphan
In a pond, not too shallow yet not too deep, the frogs sing for their king and queen, who neither appreciate nor tolerate their existence. Is it worth singing for those who do not appreciate it? They are ruled over ruthlessly until one day, the common marsh frog decides to change itself, to become like its oppressors, to sing like a bird.
This froggy tale has been created with both children's rights organisations and experts on the topic of domestic violence. It is a story about finding your place and identity, the importance of safety and self-esteem and most importantly; opening up, breaking cycles and accepting help when it finds you. Even if the shadow of a stork looms over you.
Born in the early 2000s and raised in the woods of southern Sweden, with a passion for fairytales and plastic toys, meet me, Sarah Andersson! Bold colours, bold personality, friend of amphibians and reptiles, I’m full of life, embracing my quirky oddities and excited to share! 24 years of age and studying my bachelors in library and information science, this young storyteller (ME!) is hoping to bring oral storytelling to her future workplaces.
Since forever I’ve been enticed by stories, whether oral, written or animated, they’ve captured me. Everything has a story to tell, such as the mist that lay atop of the lakes during early mornings, that’s the fairies dancing. My grandmother once told me this, and to this day that is what I see and hear when I look at the mist gliding over the still waters.
GET TICKETS HERE: Devlugt Amsterdam
Tuesday 5th
21:00hr
What's the difference?
Remember the first time you felt “different”? Neither does Geoffrey, but that feeling has grown familiar over time. In “What's the Difference,” spoken word artist Geoffrey van der Ven delves into the emotions of shame and personal isolation. Through storytelling and spoken word, he uncovers how these feelings shape our lives and challenges us to do the one thing shame stops us from doing.
Geoffrey van der Ven beholds the world with a curious eye. He experiences, listens, and brings stories to the forefront. His pieces are sharp, critical, and often activist in nature. His performances are personal and centred around queer and BIPOC identities. With his vibrant energy, he keeps the audience engaged, providing them with space to breathe and reflect between pieces.
As a spoken word artist and theatre maker, Geoffrey tells stories that have long gone unheard. Currently, he is touring with his solo show ‘Het is niet Nieuw’ (It's Nothing New), in which he highlights the queer history of Africa. Previously, he won the ‘Poet of the Year’ Award at the Queer & Feminist Poetry Awards and received an Honorary mention at Button Poetry, his work was featured at the Eurovision Song Contest, and he has performed at major venues and events such as the Nieuwe Luxor Theater, Rotterdam Pride, and Amsterdam Fringe Festival.
Modern Masturbation
A story about Sexual Awakening. A story about growing up in a digital era. A story about connection, about disintegration, about sexual philosophy, about digital pornography. A story about love, sex and masturbation. And above all, this is a search to find out how all those things really work in a world where we spend as much time with our screens as we do with our partners. This is a confrontation with Modern Masturbation.
Seimen Tobias (Norway). My goal has always been to connect to people. To dare to ask questions, though they might be difficult, both to reflect on and to answer. Or maybe they're easy. It's not up to me to answer all questions, but I sincerely believe in the importance of sharing, talking about and get to the core of all aspects of what it means to me human.
As both an actor, a teacher and facilitator, I have witnessed so many moments of transformation erupting from physical presence and deep interhuman connection. This is what I seek, above all. To be present with others and to let our collective presence move us and change us.
Not Your Girl
Maybe we knew all along. Maybe we were warned by the old stories full of fantasy transmitted and performed two thousand years ago. Daphne is a girl who doesn’t like men. She messes up her hair and makes herself dirty. But it doesn’t matter how dirty she gets; she stays an object of desire for Apollo, who chases her in the forest. She runs away from him in vain. But when he is about to catch her, something mysterious happens…
Not Your Girl weaves auto-fiction and myth, asking enduring questions of female objectification, agency and consent.
Winter De Cock, born in 2002, became fascinated by storytelling after high school, where she learned all about stories like Ovid’s metamorphoses. These stories trigger her for several reasons: on the one hand, there is the imagination, the beauty and the poetry; on the other hand, there is the patriarchal hierarchy they reflect.
After writing media and performance studies at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, she discovers the power of telling a story herself. She reinvents and reshapes the ancient stories, combining and associating them with new and other stories with female main characters today through a labyrinth, a puzzle, and a journey. She starts with subjects that affect her personally and searches for the ideal medium for this specific story. What does the story need? Whether she’s performing, acting, podcasting or telling a story, she always invites you to listen well. If you do so, you will hear the soul of the story, the heartbeat of humanity.
GET TICKETS HERE: Devlugt Amsterdam
Cassandras’s Partners
The Cassandra Project isn't just about performance—it's also about expanding the horizons of international storytelling festivals by finding new ways to champion the art of social good and platforming young and diverse voices. Cassandra’s International festival partners are;
Storytelling Network of Kronoberg, Sweden (SE) | Storytelling Centre Netherlands (NL) | Stowarzyszenie, Grupa Studnia O. Poland (PL) |
Alden Biesen, Belgium (BE) | Stiftelsen Fortellersentrum Norway (NO) |
Cassandra is made possible Thanks to the support of Creative Europe and tis managed by The Federation For European Storytelling.
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