Private: Beauty Verhalen Salon

The phone rings. An unknown foreign number.

A man’s voice says: “Congratulations, your son has died a martyr.

The gates of heaven have opened for him.”

The line goes dead.

Zoubida, Amsterdam.

—

Does unknown mean unloved?

Theatre company Zina | AdelheidFE and Belgium’s Kraaitheater respectively took to the streets of Amsterdam and neighbourhoods of Brussels to collect stories from locals and visitors: stories of those who came in search of safety and happiness, but often faced a harsh reality in the promised land. In the audio installation ‘Beauty Verhalen Salon’, life stories from both cities are explored.

Close your eyes and make yourself comfortable: closed off to the outside world and under the enjoyment of a hand massage, listen to the intimate stories of the people of Slotermeer and Molenbeek.

The installation ‘Beauty Verhalen Salon’ can be seen before (15.30 – 16.45) and after (18.30 – 19.15) the Molenbeek 2016 programme in Theatre Bellevue. Myriam Sahraoui, co-founder of the Zina Platform, is one of the participants of this programme.

The installation will be in Dutch, French, and English.

Photo: Bart Dewaele