Verhalenkeuken (Storykitchen)

The Slachthuisbuurt is changing. During past decennia the social housing of this former working class neighbourhood has accommodated many new residents. The neighbourhood lacks a meeting place and tenants know little of one another. Over the course of 2½  years, Titia Bouwmeester and her team worked to reveal the cultural wealth of the neighbourhood. Artists developed theatrical forms to record stories, track down talent and designed new ways of sharing.

The Verhalenkeuken was initiated by Titia Bouwmeester. Her company 5eKwartier collaborated  with De Talenten primary school and DOCK welfare organization to realize an inspiring and hospitable new community centre. Beside workshops, expositions, concerts and presentations 5eKwartier provides art education at De Talenten primary school. The art education ties in with sub-projects of the Verhalenkeuken. This helps pupils and parents overcome their initial apprehension and become readily involved.

The Verhalenkeuken consists of five projects. Each project focuses on new participants. In this way, over the course of two years, a growing network of active residents is organically created.

The Verhalenkeuken was food for thought and research. The Domein voor Kunstkritiek and research centre Community Art Lab Utrecht also showed particular interest in the project. In addition, various symposia enthusiastically assessed the project. 5eKwartier organized three expert meetings in collaboration with Kunst en Cultuur Noord-Holland. Each time certain dilemmas were focused on that accompanied a different phase of the process.

Verhalenkeuken 1 | Sept – Oct 2008
Opening new community centre De Hamelink
For two months, Titia Bouwmeester worked with residents to prepare the opening of the new multi-functional community centre De Hamelink. Residents designed and made their own flags for the community centre. To mark the opening, some 600 flags were draped over the new schoolyard while pupils of the De Talenten primary school together with parents and residents put on a theatrical concert.

Verhalenkeuken 2 | Nov – Dec 2008
Opening community restaurant
Each meal has its own story. This was the starting point for three short documentaries about residents preparing their favourite dish. The short documentaries were screened in the new community restaurant in the Hamelink accompanied by live music. The dish in question was  served immediately after the film.
Artist Joke Schole and Rozien Salah helped residents and pupils of De Talenten primary school to make table cloths decorated with drawings and photographs of mothers from the neighbourhood.

Verhalenkeuken 3 | Feb – May 2009
Archiving collective memories
Residents can add their memories to hundreds of photos depicting the daily life of the Slachthuisbuurt over the last 100 years.  An ever growing exhibition with photos and stories  that reveal the identity of the neighbourhood.

For residents with a shared past, 5eKwartier organized a series of meetings to share their common memories. This applied to tradesmen who ran a shop in the neighbourhood or former employees of the abattoir or the first and second generation labourers and immigrants. A compilation of all photos and stories will be published in a book ‘Het geheugen van de Slachthuisbuurt’ (The memory of the Slachthuisbuurt).

Verhalenkeuken 4 | Feb – May 2009
Sharing musical DNA
From all over the world nursery rhymes have found their way to the Slachthuisbuurt. If you listen carefully you can hear Dutch, Afghan, Turkish, Iraqi, Egyptian and Kurdish children’s songs. Musician Ted van Leeuwen collected children’s songs from young and old residents. From September through December 2009, musicians visited primary schools in Haarlem to pass on these songs and organise schoolyard concerts. In this way the rich musical DNA of the Slachthuisbuurt was spread throughout the area.