Warm winter vibes with Verre binding
On 28 November, CONNECT and Rozet made the fifth floor available again for Cultuurfestival Verre binding. What a turnout! The third edition was three times as busy as the previous two! Was it because of the circus workshop, the short films, the Afghan dance workshop or was it perhaps the skating rink on the roof that did it?
Ice skating on the roof!
Skating on the fifth floor in the open air with a view of the Eusebius Church, who wouldn’t want that? Jip, Yasmin and Rixte saw the message on Instagram and didn’t have to think twice about it: on to Rozet. After a round on the mini skating rink, there turned out to be even more fun to do. The circus workshop of Vasim Circus Space, for example. ‘This really connects,’ says Yasmin. ‘It’s great to see that there are not only the people of Arnhem here that you always see, but that everyone is invited.’
Experiences on the stairs
A little further on, designer Zyanya Keizer gives a textile workshop. The table is full of tinkering children with concentrated faces. Noura’s daughter also participates. It is the first time that Noura and her children are at an activity of Distant Bonding. They heard about it through Rozet Kronenburg. ‘It’s so nice for my children, it’s makes them happy,’ Noura beams. ‘And for me too: I’m meeting my friends.’
The workshops for children (and secretly also adults) can be found on the stairs to the fifth. Almost at the top is the artwork ‘The Island’ that artist Neelke Jacobs made together with young people from various shelters. A football field, a boat, a hospital, a windmill: the miniature landscape invites you to play and stare endlessly. Although: not everyone can keep watching, because there is so much more to discover!
Gift on the ice
Almost too many to mention, even. Outside on the roof, in addition to curling, slurping hot chocolate, sipping mulled wine, feasting on Pakistani lentil soup and snacks and skating by people of all ages, an unexpected show is also given away. Professional figure skater and student at Artez Vi Reichel gives a pop-up dance performance on skates. Her performance is her own initiative and a gift to Verre binding, she says: ‘I feel connected to Verre binding and wanted to give something to the festival.’
‘It’s so mooi!’
Lojain, Dina and Basmala from Yemen have less experience on the ice. ‘This is my first time ice skating!’ says Lojain. ‘It’s so – what’s the word? – mooi!’ They would like to integrate, but the language is a thing. The word of this evening? In unison: ‘Leuk!’
Festivals everywhere
Inside, Luxor Live, with Story and Sound, is the host of the stage. Now it’s starting to be a party. The audience listens closely packed to jazz, Palestinian songs, storytelling, Cuban and Kurdish music. In the meantime, Selin and Shehadeh welcome the enthusiastic crowd and talk about the purpose of Verre binding: ‘By meeting each other, we become part of each other’s story, history and hopefully future.’ That would be nice, says August, who has come to music. According to him, events like Verre binding are necessary to offer people perspective. ‘You should always keep doing these kinds of things,’ he says. Daniela, a volunteer at Connect and who came to the Netherlands from South America herself, couldn’t agree more. ‘When you connect with each other, you feel at home, safe and comfortable. Such festivals should be everywhere, in every city and country, and all over the world.’
A shared history
Sounds good, but what does it actually yield? Making tapestries, cooking a three-course dinner for the whole city or recording a song with a video clip: making and experiencing as many forms of art as possible means that Arnhemmers get to know the city from afar and can see it as their home. In addition, it ensures that Arnhemmers from here and far meet each other and build a common history with each other. By making memories together, you automatically become part of each other’s story.
