Kashash

GUERILLA CAMPAIGN

In order to leave a legacy, Syria Sixth Space is committed to sharing the story of KASHASH world wide. Besides starting an online campaign, a global guerrilla graffiti campaign will be launched to spread the message. During the festival we invite you to join us to cut, spray, and campaign for Syria!

Please sign the petition here: Free Syria Skies

Click on KASHASH below to download the stencil

2019

KASHASH toured to The Palais du Bozar

02 Feb — 28 Feb

https://www.bozar.be/en/activities/150697-kashash

As part of MOUSSEM CITIES DAMASCUS

http://damascus.moussem.be/en/programma/kashash

Read the Catalogue

https://www.moussem.be/files/(2)kashashcatalogue.pdf

Background:.

Since 2011, the start of the Syrian uprising, the mysterious disappearance of several rooftops pigeon breeders called the (KASHASH) across the lands is evidence of how Syrian skies have become a maelstrom of fire. The cities’ rooftops, previously occupied by many of them started to serve as vantage points for all forms of authoritative representation continues to be occupied by military presence until today in 2017. At the same time on the 9/2/2015 ISIS detained and executed 15 young pigeon fanciers in the city of Raqqa, and issued a statement forbidding this special traditional practice, while many of rooftops turned to ground zero

KASHASH cause reclaims Syria’s rooftops as intimate popular spaces for safety, meditation, spirituality, and personal escape, it protests the right and freedom of pigeons to dance again in the Syrian skies and by this inviting for reflection around today’s relationship of Syrians with their devastated cities, fear and authority. KASHASH message is a call for a peaceful, free Syrian skies from hostile military aircrafts, a no fly zone, a safe zone, a green zone to end the war and end the bloodshed. KASHASH will deliver this message through the medium of arts and it will break the silence by opening the discussion about issues of preserving intangible and tangible Heritage, resisting politics of Fear, understanding Conflict, calling for Freedoms, Dignity and Justice to all Syrians, resisting Extremism, scandalize War Economy, stressing Mobility, and rights, all human and animals rights

KASHASH aspires to creatively disturb the global community silence about Syria, to push Freedom of expression for and about Syria, in a solicited questioning.

KASHASH: THE NETHERLANDS EXHBITION TOUR AND TALKS THIS NOVEMBER

Syria Sixth Space curatorial platform gathered 22 Syrian cultural leaders, currently resident in 10 countries around the world: Canada, The United States of America, Germany, France, The U.K, Turkey, Lebanon, UAE, The Netherlands and Syria, among them artists, intellectuals, journalists, researchers, software technicians, and speakers to offer to public in the Netherlands a multi-dimensional thoughts space inspired and informed by the Syrian KASHASH.

They tackled various underlying issues: From discrimination and citizenship, to protection of intangible heritage and collective memory; from interviewing a KASHASH/artist, to highlighting the popular practice presence in poetry, religion and literature. From reflecting on rooftops, mediation, transcendence, to exploring boundaries between the Syrian KASHASHsurrealism, hallucination, dreams and nightmares. From challenging issues of KASHASH language dictionary, to conflict, pride and virility. From a specially commissioned short story in Greece for KASHASH to a journalistic investigation in Raqqa to the Media image of Syrian cities destruction and its rooftops put to ground zero.

Celebrated in a Contemporary digital and multimedia artworks installation gathering six visual artists and touring to four cities in the Netherlands, this November KASHASH is aspiring to open a series of conversations in four cities to bring to light those issues,

And in order for it to create a legacy Syria Sixth Space is committed to tell this story to younger generations by offering a KASHASH schools free online educational toolkit, To back-up KASHASH cause by an online graffiti campaign accessible to all, to leave a souvenir mural trace in Amsterdam, and to wrap-up its rich artistic experience in a publication appearing in Spring 2018.

Participating authors, artists and speakers by alphabetical order: Hassan Abbas (academic and writer), Rasha Abbas ( writer) , Basel Abdo (software developer), Ziad Adwan ( theater practitioner), Dima Al-Chukr (critic and writer), Abed Al-Hakwati (filmmaker), Sarmad Al-Jilane (activist and journalist), Abdullah Alkafri ( playwright , Executive Manager Ettijahat for Culture) Jumana Al-Yasiri (performing arts manager and researcher) Khaled Barakeh (visual artist), Ibrahim Fakhri (graffiti/visual artist), Omar Imam ( Photographer) , Hanan Kassab Hassan (art scholar), Anita Mouccadem (film metrial), Marieke Odekerken ( Photographer), Astrid Rijbroek (Ex Director of the Netherlands Institute for Academic Studies in Damascus (NIASD), Mey Seifan ( Dancer and Choreographer) , Liwaa Yazji (filmmaker, writer and poet), Khalil Younes (visual artist), Natasja Van’t Westende ( Director Dancing on The Edge festival) Wannous Dima ( writer and critic) , Esther Wienese (writer)

Curator Alma Salem Production Syria Sixth Space Coproduction Dancing on the Edge

KASHASH is a continuous installation with free admission. Curator’s tours can be attended with a reservation. Click on tickets below to book your (free) visit.

8 & 9 Nov / The Hague Korzo
10 & 11 Nov / Amsterdam Podium Mozaiek
15 & 16 Nov / Utrecht Stadsschouwburg Utrecht
17 & 18 Nov / Rotterdam Theater Rotterdam

For detailed schedule of events and ticketing updates visit the festival website : http://dancingontheedge.nl/projects/KASHASH/

Dancing on the Edge

Special thanks from Syria Sixth Space to Dancing on the Edge and its festival team for their invitation, generous support and memorable moments of making KASHASH happen
http://dancingontheedge.nl/festival/about/

Kashash Team

Alma Salem Curator and Cultural advisor

Alma Salem is an independent curator and cultural advisor with 22 years of International expertise of working in the arts . She is the founder of the contemporary arts curatorial platform Syria Sixth Space Read more on : www.almasalem.com
Hassan Abbas Academic and writer

Born in Mesyaf – Syria – 1955 PhD in Literature - Literary Criticism from the New Sorbonne University- Paris III. He worked since 1992 till the beginning of 2017 as a Professor and researcher in IFPO: "Institut Français du Proche-Orient" in Damascus then in Beirut. Besides that, between 1992 and 2006 he was in charge of cultural activities in IFPO. At the same time between 2000 and 2009 he was a professor at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus. He has many studies in the fields of culture, citizenship and civil society, and books, such as: “Citizenship Handbook” in collaboration with the artist Ahmed Maala” “The cultural map of the Valley of Nasara", “Syria, an Aerial View, in collaboration with the photographer Hisham Zaaweet” “A trip with the Haiku" “Do not close your eyes!” His translations: “The machine of vision”, "New thinkers in Islam” and others. Founder and president of the Syrian League for Citizenship and has participated in the establishment and/or management of many associations working in culture, human rights and citizenship, as well as several film and literary clubs.
Rasha Abbas Writer

Rasha Abbas. Syrian Short story writer. Born in 1984 in Lattakia Syria. Currently based in the Netherlands. Published two short story collections: “Adam hates television 2008”. “How German Grammar was invented 2016”. The third collection: The Gist of it is to be published in December 2017.
Basel Abdo Software developer

Basel Abdo is a Syrian Software Developer, resident in Montreal, QC. Graduated with a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from the Arab Academy for Science Technology and Maritime Transport, and is a master’s student at Concordia University, studying Software Engineering. A talented Web Developer, and researcher in human computing interface, he worked as a teaching assistant at the AAST for two years, teaching Pattern Recognition and AI courses. Among other project he achieved, he developed integrating information with real world, converting any surface into an interactive-touch screen using Nintendo Wiimote, he also participated in inventing a portable hemodialysis machine on 2015, and currently working as a senior full stack software developer.
Ziad Adwan Theater practitioner

Ziad studied for an MA in Text and Performance Studies at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and King’s college in London, and then took a PhD in Theatre Studies at Royal Holloway; his thesis was on "Mistakes, and Making Mistakes in Cultural Representations ". He taught Performance Theory, System of Rehearsals and Mask techniques at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damasucs/ Syria. Ziad has acted in several plays and movies and directed theatre. He was the artistic director of Invisible Stories, a series of street theatre events that take place in different places in Damascus. Currently Ziad lives in Germany and directs theatre. He runs several workshops with regugees and young artists. He is currently affiliated with the Global Theatre Histories Research Project at LMU Munich. Ziad is a partner at Tanween Theatre and Dance Company.
Dima Al-Chukr Critic and writer

Critic, translator and cultural editor. She published the book entitled "The Chained Rythm: Old and Modern Arabic metric , she translated the French book "In the Praise of Borders" by Régis Debray, and edited the "Arab Poetry Metrics in the Thirteenth Century after ALKHALIL" (in collaboration with Bruno Paoli), that appeared in the Bulletin études orientales, and she wrote "The image of the Leader and the Foe in Arabic Metrics during the Crusades" (in Levant vs. the outside world), edited by Denis Eagel ((LE BILĀD AL-ŠĀM FACE AUX MONDES EXTÉRIEURS
Abed Al-Hakwati Filmmaker

Abdullah Al-Hakawati Born in Hama in 1978, he moved to Aleppo with his family in 1983. He participated in many theatrical plays in the city of Aleppo, the last of which was the play "The Clown" in 2011 to be arrested during rehearsals in March. The first month of the civil movement in Syria. After his release in the year and to continue his civil activities by portraying and documenting the civil and popular movement in the city of Aleppo. He moved to northern Syria after his second detention at the end of 2011 and began training activists on photography and media reporting beside taking part in organizing the Syrian street festival. By the end of 2012, he began filming and directing short documentaries among them (Mortar - Euphrates - Under the Rubble – A Normal Day - Peaceful - I don’t hear the sound of bullets - Tattoo), he also took part in shooting and producing the film ( false labor 2013)
Sarmad Al-Jilane Activist and Journalist

Sarmad al-Jilane is a former Petrochemical Engineer student who was expelled from university after being detained by the Syrian regime for months. He was also detained by ISIS and al-Nusra Front in 2013. Al-Jilane is the co-founder and advocacy trainer at “Sound & Picture” organization, and the co-founder and former CEO of “Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently”. Since 2012, he has been documenting the violations of the regime and extremist groups in Raqqa, Deir ez-Zorr, and Idlib. Al-Jilane is a researcher on extremist groups in the Middle East, and his researches and publications focus on ISIS-related issues. His publications include a study on the educational curricula in ISIS-controlled areas. Recently, he conducted extensive research around the inception and development of jihadist groups in Afghanistan. In March 2017, al-Jilane was a panelist at the 34th United Nations Session of the Human Rights Council during a high-level panel discussion on the situation of human rights in Syria. He is an experienced advocacy and media trainer, with exhaustive knowledge and skills in citizen journalism. Among the campaigns that he designed and implemented were the “Deir ez-Zorr Calls for Help”, a media campaign that shed the light on the ISIS siege of Deir ez-Zorr neighborhoods in April 2014. Furthermore, he co-founded the “Euphrates Pain” campaign in January 2017, which was an advocacy and awareness campaign that illustrated the journey of the civilians who migrated from Deir ez-Zorr and Raqqa to Rural Idlib and Rural Aleppo. Al-Jilane is well-versed in humanitarian aid and the development sector with strong proficiency in civil society and civic activism. Additionally, he possesses extensive networking connections inside Syria, including local and international organizations as well as local governing bodies.
Abdullah Alkafri Playwright , Executive Manager Ettijahat for Culture

Abdullah Alkafri, a playwright and cultural activist, who works as a trainer in topics related to the field of culture with many organizations. He has taken part in many projects focusing on writing, particularly for theatre, organized by both Syrian and international organizations, and co-organized “Miniatures: A Month for Syria”, in collaboration with Shams Association in April 2013, and “Agora: Platform for Theatre Labs”, in collaboration with Hananne Hajj Ali in January 2014, both of which took place in Beirut. A regular participant at conferences and forums on culture and art. He has also collaborated with art organizations such as Lift- The UK, the Lark- USA and the Royal Court- The UK. He has published and directed several plays, including "Mrs Ghada’s Pain Threshold" in Beirut, and was a member of the selection committee for "Arab Contemporary Dramaturgy" (organized by IEVP 2012) where he was entrusted with selecting nine Arabic texts to be published in French. He was also part of the project "An Enemy of the People and Pillars of Society: the Tragedy of the Individual", produced by the Ibsen Conference in 2014 in Norway, in collaboration with Zoukak Theatre Company. Abdullah was awarded first place in the 19^th Mohammad Teymour Competition for Theatrical Creativity for his text “Damascus - Aleppo”, which was also shortlisted as a finalist in the BBC Competition for Best Translated Work in 2008. He is a founding member and Executive Manager of Ettijahat- Independent Culture. Abdullah graduated in Theatrical Studies from the High Institute of Dramatic Arts, Damascus, 2004 and completed his Master’s study at Saint Joseph University, Beirut, in the same field in 2015. He is currently a PhD Student at Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Jumana Al-Yasiri Performing arts manager and researcher

Jumana Al-Yasiri is a Paris-based curator, researcher and writer. In 2015, Jumana was appointed as the Middle East and North Africa Manager at the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, co-leading the development and the implementation of the program’s outreach in the region and beyond. Jumana holds a BA in Theatre Studies from Damascus Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts, and an MA in Comparative Literature from the University Paris VIII. In 2012, she met Arab-American poet and visual artist Etel Adnan, and since then she’s been in conversation with her and researching her work. Currently, she is working on a research paper on Syria as a topic in contemporary artistic creation, commissioned by Ettijahat – Independent Culture. Jumana is also part of the inaugural Fellows cohort at The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University.
Khaled Barakeh visual artist

Born in 1976 in Damascus Suburb, and currently based in Berlin, Khaled Barakeh graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus, Syria in 2005, completed his MFA at Funen Art Academy in Odense, Denmark in 2010 and finished his Meisterschueler at the Städelschule Art Academy in Frankfurt a.M, Germany in 2013. During his stay in Europe Barakeh, originally trained as a painter, has developed a stronger concentration on conceptual art practices. Today he works in a variety of media, focusing on the current and pertinent issues, often revolving around politics and power structures in context of identity, culture and history. He has exhibited at the Künstlerhaus Stuttgart; Shanghai Biennale; Salt Istanbul; Kunsthalle Brandts, Ovegarden Denmark; Frankfurter Kunstverein; Artspace New Zealand and many other institutions and venues around the world. Recently Barakeh started a new initiative called Syria Cultural Index, dedicated to mapping and connecting the Syrian artistic community around the globe and showcasing their work to wider audience. https://khaledbarakeh.com/
Ibrahim Fakhri graffiti/visual artist

Ibrahim Fakhri is a Syrian artist and curator primarily concerned with the civil activism in Syria and the Middle East, who has been based in the UK since 2004. He has exhibited the graffiti of the Syrian Revolution in venues in Europe and the UK including the Disobedient Objects Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum and also in the Talking Peace festival. His curated exhibitions include the Parallel Republic exhibition in Fuse Gallery, Bradford and Syria Speaks in RichMix, London. Ibrahim’s latest work is an exhibition with the British Red Cross that uses milk bottles to represent each day of the Syria crisis.
Omar Imam Photographer and video artist

Omar Imam (Damascus, 1979) is an Amsterdam-based, photographer and video artist. In his photographic works, Imam uses irony and a conceptual approach to respond to the violent situation in Syria. After leaving Damascus in late 2012, he began making fictional short films and he often has to publish his work under a pseudonym. Imam’s photographs vacillate between mundane documents and utterly inconceivable dreams. His project "Live, Love, Refugee" has been shown in 14 countries around the world.
Hanan Kassab Hassan Art scholar

Since she got her PhD in theatre from the Sorbonne in Paris (1982), Hanan Kassab-Hassan was a tenure professor and faculty member at the Damascus University in Syria, in addition to several professorships in the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts and the Higher Institute of Translation in Damascus; and the IESAV institute in the Saint Joseph University in Beirut. She was also the Director of the Damascus Opera House (2009-2011), the General Secretary ofDamascus Arab Capital of Culture for the year 2008, and the dean of the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts (2006-2009). She was a member of the Strategic Committee of the “Conseil Cuturel de l’Union Pour la Méditerranée”in France (2009 to 2011); a board member of Roberto Cimetta Fund (2015-2016), an external evaluator for the cultural projects presented to the IFPC, UNESCO (2014 and 2015), and an individual consultant in the ICH Section, UNESCO (2016). Kassab-Hassan also directed theatre plays, managed workshops, and wrote many research papers and articles in the fields of theater and the arts. She translated from French into Arabic and vice versa several theatrical texts, which included works by Genet, Koltès, Beckett, and Wannous. She also co-authored a French-English-Arabic Dictionary of Terms and Concepts of Drama and Performing Arts, which is one of the main references in the field of theatre in the Arab world. She was awarded by the French government for her contribution to the French culture; and was one of the women presented in the Dictionary of Creative Women published in France (2012) .
Anita Moucadem Filming and photography

Anita Moucadem is a renowned retail designer and events organiser with over 20 years of expertise of working in diverse prestigious corporation in Syria and Dubai , among them REEBOK, SHERATON, SWATCH, DROUBI sports club, and PATCHI chocolats company , where she held positions as Retail expo representation, shop manager, Chocolate expert, brand concepts design and boutiques display, she also organized sponsorship, marketing, media and PR events . In 2014 Anita opened “Anita’s Attik” her own antiquities and design boutique shop in Old Damascus, she moved later to work in Dubai where she continues her work in designing and exhibiting. Anita was born in an old Damascene house, and she is knowledgeable and passionate about Damascus crafts and heritage. She created photography and filming materials for KASHASH
Marieke Odekerken Photographer

About photographer Marieke Odekerken Marieke Odekerken is specialized in portraits and reports, in which she finds beauty through paying careful attention and treating her subjects with integrity. Marieke strives for an image that is both powerful and sweet at the same time. Each photo is a new encounter, which is the beauty of her work: it allows her to go past so many front doors, from familiar faces to ex-detainees. The ‘ordinary’ person is what she finds most beautiful. By -literally- watching them, capturing them, Marieke gives them the feeling they are worth to be seen. For the Rotterdam Rooftop Book, Marieke portrayed 18 visionaries, in black and white images, on different locations in the city. Next to that, Marieke photographed part of all the rooftops, everything that came close and is human (the other photos are by photographers that photograph from above and/or in panoramas). More info: http://www.mariekeodekerken.nl
Astrid Rijbroek ex Director of the Netherlands Institute for Academic Studies in Damascus (NIASD),

The first moment she set foot on Syrian soil in 1995, Astrid in one way or another knew and felt that her relation with the country would last for a long time. She lived and worked in Syria until the summer of 2011, and considers herself fortunate to have served as director of the Netherlands Institute in Damascus. With a dedicated team and diverse partners, a variety of academic and cultural projects involving both Syrian and Dutch partners saw the light. "Syria and its peoples have shaped me, I hope to set foot on that precious soil again one day soon".
Mey Seifan Dancer and Choreographer

Syrian choreographer Mey Seifan explores the influence of (un)consciousness on the body in everyday life as well as in times of war. In 2011, Seifan started to document dreams that Syrians had during the Syrian conflict. This led to The Syrian Dreams Project. The short film Cocoon is one of the artistic results. Seifan is the first professional choreographer in Syria with works such as Consequences,Contract, ElectroSofi. She founded the Damascus Contemporary Dance Platform and Tanween Theatre Company. Seifan studied at the Ballet Conservatory of Damascus and at the Dance Department of the Syrian Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts, also in Damascus. In addition to this, Seifan studied at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Art in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. After her studies, she performed with groups in both Syria and Germany.
Liwaa Yazji filmmaker, writer and poet

(Filmmaker, poet, playwright, scenarist and translator) was educated in both English Literature and Theater Studies in Syria. Board member of Syrian cultural organization "Ettijahat-Independent Culture", published her first play "Here in the Park" in 2012, her poetry book "In Peace, we leave Home" in 2014, published a translation of Edward Bond`s “Saved” into Arabic in 2014. She worked a script doctor in several pan Arab companies and wrote the script of the pan Arab series “The Brothers” which was broadcasted on many channels and still on from 2014. A resident poet at the Poets House- New York in 2015 to work on a poetry collection. Her play “Goats” had a staged reading at Almadina Theatre Beirut -May 2015, and at The Royal Court Theatre in March 2016, and set to be premiered in The Royal Court- November 2017. And her play “Q&Q” premiered at the Birth Festival at The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in October 2016, and was part of The Fringe Festival 2017 – Breakfast Slot. Her first documentary "Haunted" was released in 2014 and premiered at FID Marseilles where it got the Mention Special in the First Film Competition, has since then been commissioned for other festivals and screenings, and recently received the Al-Waha Bronze award at GIGAF festival, Tunis. A jury member in Freistadt International Film Festival 2016 - feature documentary competition. Now co-writing HEIM, a TV series to be produced in Germany.
Khalil Younes visual artist & writer

Khalil Younes is a visual artist and a writer recognized for challenging social norms and the desensitization of society. Employing the use of a variety of media—ranging from time-based media, to illustration and writing—he has in his crosshairs the essence of the human experience as a target. With a human society oversaturated with sensorial and emotional stimuli; the rate of socioemotional development is rapidly changing, with the inverse effect of dulling responses, and causing various levels of social desensitization. Through his art, Khalil diligently toils on re-designing social and emotional stimuli to motivate personal awareness and self-resensitization. Born in Damascus, Syria in 1983, he studied experimental film and video at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design of Boston in 2008 and received his BFA in cinematography from Columbia College of Chicago in 2010. Khalil’s art pieces are showcased in both private and public art collections in the US and Europe, and his illustrations have been featured in many renowned magazines and newspapers such as the Le Monde and Natural History Magazine. Two of his pieces were also acquired by the British National Museum in London. His first exhibition was in Damascus Syria, Ashtar Gallery in 2006. Khalil has since participated in many group shows, including Syria Art for Freedom Gdansk, Germany 2011; #Withoutwords London 2013; Syria’s Art of Resistance Rundetarn, Copenhagen 2013; Culture in Defiance Amsterdam, Holland; Institut des Cultures de l’Islam Paris, France; 2012. Khalil was also a coauthor of many publications, including Syria Speaks Art and Culture from the Frontline which showcases the work of artists and writers who are challenging the culture of violence in Syria, published in 2014 and comprising a collection of essays, art projects. His work was also featured in a book titled Syrie, l’art en armies which showcase art work related to wars. http://khalilyounes.com/
Natasja Van’t Westende Director Dancing on The Edge festival

Natasja van ’t Westende is the artistic and managing director of Dancing on the Edge, an Amsterdam based organization that presents and promotes contemporary (performing) arts from (or collaborations with) the Middle East and North Africa. Since 2007 Dancing on the Edge presents a biennial, multi-city, multidisciplinary festival. Next to the festival, Dancing on the Edge arranges performance tours, training programs, workshops, artistic residencies, co-productions, educational and participation programs, film screenings, debates and other activities throughout the year. Van ‘t Westende is also director of West-End-Art and works as arts manager, programmer/curator, researcher, concept developer, adviser and fundraiser in the field of performing (and visual) arts.
Wannous Dima Novelist, critic and TV show presenter

Dima Wannous born 1982 in Damascus is a Syrian writer and translator. Bachelor of arts in French literature from Damascus University and the Sorbonne. She also studied translation in France. She worked in both print and broadcast media (radio and TV). She caught the eye of literary critics with Details, a short story collection released in 2007. She published her debut novel The Chair in 2008. She was named as one of theBeirut39, a group of 39 Arab writers under the age of 40 chosen through a contest organized by Banipal magazine and the Hay Festival. Dima is the daughter of Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannous. She is married to Ibrahim Hamidi, al-Hayat’s bureau chief in Damascus. They have a son. Dima wrote in multiple Arab (Al Safir, Al Hayat) and foreign (Washington Post) newspapers. She managed the cultural section of the electronic magazine “Modon” between 2012-2014, Currently she is resident in London and continues to prepare and present a cultural television show entitled I am from there : ANA MIN HOUNAK on Orient TV Some of her work titles The frightened | Al k’haifoun 2017 The chair |Al kursi 2009 Details | Tafasil 2007
Esther Wienese writer

About the author Esther Wienese Since 2006, Esther Wienese questions, writes, tells and connects with the city (Rotterdam) that she enclosed in her heart. Her specialization is writing stories based on interviews. Asking questions allows her to make abstract subjects concrete, accessible and humane. As a guide, Esther tells stories in and about the city. Asking questions allows her to make abstract subjects concrete, accessible and humane. As a guide, Esther tells stories in and about the city. Esther wrote and writes about water and innovative city development, for – amongst others – the city of Rotterdam, Rotterdam Partners, Gers! Magazine and others. Esther studied at the Utrecht School for Journalism and worked as a business journalist, communication advisor and spokesman for, amongst others, KEMA, NS and Ruimte voor de Rivier (Space for the River). More info: www.estherwienese.nl