Leegstandsproza (Vacancy Prose)

LIFE STORIES OF PEOPLE FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES

Together with Flemish-Dutch huis deBuren and Stad in de Maak, Explore the North commissioned three Flemish writers (Anke Verschueren, Sabrine Ingabire and Younes van den Broeck) and three Frisian writers (Wessel de Vries, Obe Alkema and Marrit Jellema) to lay hands on the stories of the residents of a street in Rotterdam, the Almondestraat. In this street, 52 homes rented out by a housing association will soon need to make way to new flats and other concepts conjured up by property developers. The low-income homes will either be demolished or drastically renovated due to foundation issues. The writers moved in with the residents and wrote a life story. During Explore the North 2019, some of the residents conveyed the audience to their home situation and read their own life story.

This project is Dutch spoken. For more information about the participating writers and results see the Dutch web page.