Intimate insights into life stories during Lelystad Speaks!
Frank, touching - and sometimes raucously honest. These were the life stories of Gea, Lucia, Margarita, Dorrie and Sem. During the second edition of Lelystad Spreekt!, an initiative of Welzijn Lelystad, Gea, Lucia, Margarita, Dorrie and Sem shared their life stories in community centre Zuiderzee on Wednesday 15 April. 'The frayed edges of life are the grains of sand through which pearls sometimes emerge...', said one of the participants.
Living room-like setting
In an intimate, living room-like setting, they shared their stories. On stage, behind the microphone. 'You just have to dare to do it, sharing such a personal story in front of an audience,' responds Welzijn Lelystad quartermaster Jennifer Daal. Together with former city poet Juul Baars, she organised this second edition of Lelystad Speaks!
Unique stories
Juul Baars coached the participants over the past weeks in writing their stories and how best to present them to audiences. 'Beautiful to see how the participants developed and eventually stood on stage,' he reflects. 'Every story is unique and worth telling.'
Lucia: Surinamese roots
Lucia is a familiar face in Lelystad. From her Surinamese roots and her long history in Lelystad, she has long been committed to the city. During Lelystad Spreekt! she gave the audience a glimpse of her life: of her childhood in Suriname, her parents' divorce and how she coped with this.
Gea: powerlessness and acceptance
Gea's story was downright poignant. She told how she had to say goodbye to a friend who chose to say goodbye to life. Her story revolved around two extremes: helplessness and acceptance. The room was silent as she spoke.
Sem: love for his guitar
For Sem, it was all about his love of music. His guitar and he are inseparable. 'His compositions are little films without a camera in which you can also discover his life,' Juul aptly said. Sem makes music for everyone who knows that beauty is often in the frayed edges.
Margarita: turning pain into strength
Margarita, on the contrary, finds her peace in nature, together with her horse Karamba. Her roots are in Colombia and she talked about turning pain into strength and how valuable it is to then find yourself again. Special in this is the role of her horse, with whom she forms a unit.
Dorrie: creativity and strength
And then Dorrie: also a familiar face to many in Lelystad. She is known for her creativity, energy and her big heart for the city. She plays theatre, contributes to the script of plays and writes beautiful poems. Putting her own life story on paper - and sharing it with an audience - reflects her strength, perseverance and creativity.
Two more editions
Lelystad Spreekt was conducted within the Samen Lelystad Oost programme and has one aim: to bring people closer together. Two more editions are planned for this year: on Wednesday 17 June and Wednesday 18 November. Interested parties are most welcome.
Experience the evening
