60/40 Playspace: What's Lost, What's Found
What can we learn from loss? What is the shape that grief molds into our lives? When it comes to grief, we’re often told that we must ‘move on’. In reality, it changes things. We adjust to a new state of being; we find our own ways to carry on. As the 13th century Sufi mystic and poet, Rumi, wrote: “The wound is where the light enters you.”
In this workshop we’ll take some time and make the space to embrace this light. In collaboration with Waterworks and Touch Grass, we’ll explore the shape of grief with the help of reflective writing prompts and calming painting exercises. Enter the evening with a grounding exercise led by our guest, Rajni Shah. This two-hour session is a gentle invitation to reflect on the experience of loss through creativity.
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Prior to the workshop, give yourself time to connect with nature. Join a guided session with the Touch Grass initiative. From 16:00-18:00 in the Rembrandtpark; maximum 12 participants. Sign-up to reserve your spot with Touch Grass.
As always, the bar is open from 18:00 at SUPERMERCATOR for drinks, soup, snacks and general gezelligheid.
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Touch Grass is a nature connection initiative in Amsterdam for queer communities. It is guided outdoor sessions in urban parks and nature reserves, where people slow down, tune into their senses, and connect with nature and with each other. It draws on queer ecology and forest bathing, and nurtures awe and softness.
Waterworks—founded by Rajni Shah and Sanne Pols—is a home for queer grief and queer grievers. We create gatherings where our widest queer community can be held by people who understand what it means to be queer and queered, people who celebrate and respect difference. You are very welcome to join us.
Your instructors
Daniel J. Cecil is a writer and teacher in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His work has appeared in The Rumpus, The Heavy Feather Review, The LA Review of Books, Barrelhouse, Miracle Monocle, and The Stranger among other notable publications. His fiction has been nominated for a pushcart, was long listed for the Dzanc Fiction Prize, short-listed for the Yes Yes Books open reading period, and has received the support of several residencies.
Daniel teaches travel writing and literature for Emerson College at their Limburg campus and is the founder of Honing House, an English-language, community-centered, and empathy-led educational resource that was built for writers all over the world.
Shayna Schapp is a queer Artist Educator based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She has over 20 years experience working at the crossroads of creativity, pedagogy and social justice. Most notably, she was a core instructor with Interactive/Media/Design (I/M/D) at The Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, and the Community Art Developer for LEAD, an after-school program in Amsterdam.
Shayna works with photography and drawing, documenting her immediate family and exploring internal landscapes. She’s exhibited her work in the USA, NL and UK and is in publications such as Versal Journal, Pigeonhole and SMART Papers.
