With this year's theme Love, we explore love in all its facets. Portraying it’s romance, warm family love, and the dark sides of love. Celebrating that love is love, and the power of love to bring about change. As we see every night as a package experience curated with love for a full night of stories, we sell only daytickets. We will be joined by storyteller and comedian Soula Notos to guide us through three days filled with stories as our host extraordinaire.

Check out SFN2024’s program: Storytelling Festival Nijmegen

Tonight we kick of the 4^th edition of the Storytelling Festival Nijmegen with a grand line up of short love filled stories. Introducing a line up of diverse and refreshing storytellers diving in to all that is love, being romantic, portraying love in our family histories and the love of family, learning to love yourself and what can come from loving your fallow man in stead of hatred and fear.

Let’s start off by introducing this year’s festival host Soula Notos; Soula Notos is a versatile performer (theater, spoken word, stand-up comedy and storytelling) based in Utrecht. She performed her solo Who are you when no one is looking? at storytelling festivals in Oslo, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Nijmegen, Prague and London and also at Oerol and Festival Boulevard. At the moment she is touring with her new solo Gurbet – or how I became rich. She is the organizer and host of the bimonthly Soula's Storytelling Nights at Theater Kikker in Utrecht. Energy, humor, interaction, empathy and layered stories characterize her style as a creator and performer. Her work focuses on themes of power relations, connection, equality, freedom and lightness.

Anas Al Halabi, a storyteller from Syria. Nine years ago, Anas came to the Netherlands as a refugee, an experience that has profoundly shaped his passion for storytelling. He firmly believes that the best way to truly understand someone is through their stories—the tales of their life. His love for reading and listening to podcasts keeps him continuously immersed in the world of narratives. Through storytelling, he shares the richness of life, resilience, and the shared human experience, inviting you to know him, and others, one story at a time.

Erwin Kiene is an all-round performer, writing, performing and dancing, specializing in the style krump. Through music and dance, he brings his Guyanese history to life, revealing struggles, pride and humor. His performances are a celebration of movement and family love.

There is no doubt that Roxana Gavrilut is more ready than ever to challenge herself,to step out of her comfort zone, and to give a voice to the many hidden stories her body holds. She understands the transformative power storytelling brings, and she is dedicated to encouraging and inspiring those in her community to dothe same–take ownership of their narratives and turn them into sources ofgrowth. In her stories, Roxana blends playfulness, her cultural Romanian background with its rich experiences, vulnerability, humour, a sense of bravery and innocence. She creates a space where people are invited to reflect on their own stories, celebrate them, and unearth their ''enoughness''.

Geoffrey Haynes is a highschool theatre teacher, theatre maker and performer. After his first soloperformance 'Welcome Home Kid' (2023) he ventured into storytelling and started performing as a storyteller. He tells stories of his reconnection with his father and black American roots and his adventures as a teacher. Personal narratives that are woven in the greater history of our society.

Ever wondered how to navigate the world of heartbreak like a pro? How to Be an Avoidant is here to show you the way. From kindergarten crushes to dodging love like it's a full-time job, join Başak Layic as she takes you through a journey of heartbreak, healing, and a few missteps. Expect laughs, maybe a few tears, and the ultimate question: is it worth living with a safe but closed heart? Başak is a storyteller, theatermaker, and Artistic Director originally from Istanbul, now based in Amsterdam. Her work encompasses theater, storytelling, and community-building, and exploring the complexities of identity and belonging. As an in-house storyteller at Mezrab (Amsterdam), Başak captivates audiences with narratives that blend humor and serious themes, illuminating the universal human condition.

Between December 2022 and January 2024, collective De Niemanders (Rocco Ostermann, Wout Kemkens and Rick Wiegerinck) visited asylum seekers' centers in the Netherlands with a mobile studio in search of singers, musicians and their music and stories. Together they created an album that became a sincere collaboration between the people they met and themselves. As a result, the album is a mishmash of many singers and languages and tells the stories of their travels, dreams, family, previous lives “back home” and their current situation as refugees. Omar Alshahari, an 18-year-old boy who fled Yemen due to war and insecurity, finally found a safe place in the Netherlands (Grave) after a long journey. In Yemen, Omar already loved to sing, but due to the traumatic experiences of the war, he lost his voice. Despite the hard times he went through and rediscovered his voice in the Netherlands. Tonight we welcome Rocco and Omar to the stage together.

More to be announced…

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