{"id":1189,"date":"2026-03-31T14:19:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.poetry.nl\/festival\/?post_type=event&p=1189"},"modified":"2026-05-28T11:42:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T10:42:02","slug":"mezrab-storytelling-showcase","status":"publish","type":"event","link":"https:\/\/www.poetry.nl\/festival\/en\/event\/mezrab-storytelling-showcase\/","title":{"rendered":"Mezrab: Storytelling Showcase"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Who better to voice what\u2019s going on than storytellers? Storytelling is the art form of telling a tale in which every detail is given space, drawing the listener in from beginning to end without knowing where it will lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Poetry International Festival, we have curated a special storytelling showcase featuring three creators from Mezrab, the<\/em> storytelling hub of Amsterdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experienced storytellers Rasha Hilwi, Irina Koriazova, and Sahand Sahebdivani present a performance inspired by the festival theme. Poetry and storytelling merge, as personal narratives intertwine with poetic street slogans from the performers\u2019 cultures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"event_date":"2026-06-07","footnotes":""},"venue":[267],"event_type":[105,116],"route":[],"class_list":["post-1189","event","type-event","status-publish","hentry","venue-lantarenvenster-6","event_type-program","event_type-showcase"],"acf":{"event_location":267,"event_location_source":{"label":"Locatie","type":"taxonomy","formatted_value":267},"event_category":[116,105],"event_category_source":{"label":"Categorie","type":"taxonomy","formatted_value":[116,105]},"language":["english"],"language_source":{"label":"Voertaal","type":"select","formatted_value":[{"value":"english","label":"Engels"}]},"spoken_languages":"English","spoken_languages_source":{"label":"Gesproken talen","type":"text","formatted_value":"English"},"language_label":"spoken","language_label_source":{"label":"Label","type":"select","formatted_value":"Gesproken talen"},"subtitles":[],"subtitles_source":{"label":"Boventiteling","type":"select","formatted_value":[]},"has_interpreter":false,"has_interpreter_source":{"label":"Tolk NGT\/Schrijftolk","type":"true_false","formatted_value":false},"poets":[771],"poets_source":{"label":"Dichters","type":"relationship","formatted_value":[{"ID":771,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2026-04-01 09:15:41","post_date_gmt":"2026-04-01 08:15:41","post_content":"\n

Mezrab (NLD) is a storytelling stage and cultural platform based in Amsterdam, known for its vibrant evenings of spoken word, music, and personal narratives. Rooted in oral storytelling traditions from around the world, Mezrab creates a space where diverse voices come together, blending intimate autobiographical stories with myths and imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its contributors include Rasha Hilwi (PSE)<\/strong>, storyteller and former editor-in-chief of the Arabic-language platform Raseef 22, whose work explores themes of displacement, identity, and life as a Palestinian woman in Israeli society; Irina Koriazova (RUS)<\/strong>, a key member of Mezrab\u2019s team who combines production, programming, and performance, with stories ranging from deeply personal narratives to fantastical tales; and Sahand Sahebdivani (NLD\/IRN)<\/strong>, founder of Mezrab and one of the most prominent storytellers in the Netherlands, known for weaving personal and political histories into powerful performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How you may know Mezrab<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n