Waterworks III: stories on Queer Grief ~ The Beach Edition

Waterworks III: stories on queer grief – the beach edition

Let sand and sea be our friend. Let the wind caress our cheeks. Let us be together in our shared, personal grief.

Dear friends,

For the third gathering of Waterworks, we will bring our griefs to the sea! Please join us for a silent walk, shared ritual, and warm tea together, as we find community across difference. During our time together, you will have the opportunity to share your story, or remain quiet, depending on what feels good. We will walk as day becomes night, and we plan to go ahead in any weather conditions.

For this version of Waterworks, you will need to be able to walk on road and sand. We will move at the pace of the slowest in the group. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have questions about access, as we will modify our plans as far as possible to include every kind of body.

Practicalities:
We will meet at 3.15 pm at Zandvoort Station, upstairs in front of the Station House. You will recognize us by our little rainbow flag.
We will be back at Zandvoort Station at/before 5.15 pm to take the train back to Amsterdam Central.
For the people who want to travel from Amsterdam Central together, we will leave at 2.41 pm from platform one (unless there are changes to train times! please check). Again, search for the little rainbow flag. If you are unable to find us, you can also call Sanne at the appropriate time: 0031 6 175 08 259.

The afternoon will be hosted and held by Rajni Shah & Sanne Pols:

~ Rajni Shah (they, them) is a writer, a researcher, and a performance maker. They are queer, quiet, trans non-binary, and a feminist killjoy. In 2021, they published Experiments in Listening, a book that also exists as a series of five print-at-home zines. Rajni works as a researcher and Head Heart of the THIRD programme at the Academy for Theatre and Dance in Amsterdam. They think and write about listening and gathering as creative and political acts, and how listening relates to embodied practices of grief. Rajni loves to learn about unlearning, to write songs, and to practise collective healing.

~Professional storyteller and public speaker Sanne Pols is the proud and founding mother of LGBTOUR_Amsterdam: a queer walk through the pink and historic heart of her beloved city of Amsterdam, sharing LGBTQI+ stories and experiences with queers and allies from all over the world. In addition, Sanne Pols is a well-experienced expert on training D & I in the workplace, schools, and sports clubs, organising Pride boats, and winning LGBTQIA+ Awards with her workshops on diversity.

The birth of Waterworks (see 2nd picture)
In 2024, Sanne lost her lover and partner, Afina. And with that, queer grief came into her life like a whirlwind, together with the need for communal support. Waterworks was born from necessity and had its first get-together in September 2023.

You don't need to bring anything but yourself.
You don't need to be anyone but yourself.

With loving kindness,
don't
Rajni Shah & Sanne Pols

~ Beautiful 'Waterworks' drawing is made by Rajni Shah.