FRESH: CELEBRATING NEURODIVERSITY / XL

Ro, Rox, Roxy, Roxana Verwey.

HumanAlien, Black Queer Person with Afro-Surinamese and Indigenous roots. World citizen, Performer, Maker, Educator, Coach, Policy Maker, Traveller & Activist (Rotterdam,1988)

Ro is a self taught performance teacher, who now still teaches 2 decades later. 

Roxy’s artistic journey started to develop in different places that nurtured their interests and talent. On the streets of Rotterdam, Church, HipHopHuis, SKVR, DOX and later on this became institutes like Codarts and AHK. These places all shaped Roxy’s artistic and educational expertise. Becoming the performer, teacher, programmer and policy maker that Roxana is today.

Next to teaching and creating Ro’s work journey consists of being an allround performer, host, stylist, model and public speaker.

Rox is a role model for young queer, black and brown kids in the arts. With Roxy’s platform QueerSaferSpaces Roxana host events that are focused on Safer Spaces for the BIPOC Queer Community.

Ro’s artistic goal as a person, maker, teacher and policy maker is to let everyone experience what theatre, dance, expression and other forms of art could contribute to true growth of the individual as for the collective.

"ART is everything that moves, makes you move and discovering the pleasure and discomfort to understand yourself and the other more"

Dalila Morais is the founder of House of Noia, a platform dedicated to guiding people on a journey of reconnecting to their bodies, releasing traumas and helping women reduce cycle related complaints and traumas connected to the womb.

Dalila's approach weaves together ancient wisdom and modern insights to empower souls on their paths. Her teachings are not just about the biological aspects of the body but also encompass the spiritual and emotional dimensions, fostering a holistic understanding. With love as her guiding force, she invites you to release traumas and reclaim your power. Nurturing a community where connection, support, and understanding flourish.

During this 90-minute workshop, we will use zine-making to explore the many ways in which our neurodiversity can be our superpower. Building on your earlier reflections from the spoken word and speed-dating, you will be invited to create your own zine or collage. How does neurodiversity make your life better? What are you good at that others may struggle with? In which environments does your superpower shine? Come be creative with us and explore these and many more questions during the neurodivergence as a superpower zine-making workshop.

ABOUT 6 ISLANDS
6 ISLANDS zine is an initiative born out of the need to talk about the position of the 6 islands — Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten – within the so-called “Kingdom of the Netherlands”. From an intersectional approach we explore the experiences of Afro descendants and Indigenous Peoples currently part of SSSABC communities. We uncover the impacts of the colonial legacy on the everyday to collectively re-imagine and construct a decolonial future together.

My name is Sarah Jawla Huygens, a Black, queer, transdisciplinary creator, and creative producer with Flemish/Gambian roots. In the performing arts, I explore the imposed boundaries of myself and the people I work with from a decolonial perspective. I do this through a queer-minded work ethic under the name “Blqck a queer aesthetic.”

Blqck is a methodology, a state of being from which I work, the identity I represent, and the platform I am building with and for the Black queer community. Blqck designs social and visual spaces where people can be together. I function as a social architect in this; together we redefine ways of being together with a focus on the performing arts.

Aisha Bah is a Guinean-Curaçaoan creator based in Rotterdam. Her work is driven by the pursuit of joy and a deep desire for equality. Aisha draws from her experiences in society as a Black, queer, and neurodivergent woman. She creates art and intentional spaces that celebrate African-Caribbean culture, challenge heteronormativity, and foster connections within the communities she serves.

Aisha believes the world should be a place where Western heteronormative neurotypical standards are not the default. She operates on the principle that intentional spaces are a collective creation. Therefore, she actively involves the communities she serves in all her work. She strives for people like herself to see themselves reflected in multiple facets of her programs and art, from conception to production.

"I wish for people, especially BIPOC, queer, and neurodivergent people, the freedom to forge their own paths. I want to create art and intentional spaces that allow us to dream of the future. A future we shape ourselves, a future where we have a say, and where we unapologetically take up space."

Her commitment to this vision is illustrated in the diverse range of activities that shape Aisha's artistic journey. Inspired by Afrofuturism, her art draws from African-Caribbean mythology and visual language to create visions of the future in the present. As a freelance programmer and curator, she organizes events and exhibitions. Her programming and curation prioritize Black culture, queerness, and other intersectional feminist perspectives.