The Good trouble | Warming Up Festival
The name of this event is “Good Trouble,” and making good trouble is what our poets and performers will set out to do. Taken from the late civil rights leader John Lewis and intermingled with leading feminist scholar Donna Haraway’s Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene, “Good Trouble” means to trouble the waters of our current right wing political climate. Our performers will follow in the footsteps of John Lewis as he organised sit-ins at segregated lunch counters, bus boycotts and the 1963 March on Washington, and commit to what it means to (nonviolently) disrupt, disturb and misalign in the name of social justice. They will also take from Donna Haraway and lay emphasis on being rooted in the present, intermingling with other mortal critters and becoming-together (or not at all). Our poets will take us along in their interpretations of “Good Trouble” and what that even means in these politically fraught times filled with genocide, injustice and antipathy. This event embodies the spirit of disruption in the present, rooted in the power we hold as a community. Nothing is over until we say it is over. Hopefully you’ll leave tonight knowing that this is true.
Lionel Deul is an Afro-Surinamese writer, poet and sometimes researcher whose work focuses on Queerness, Afro-Caribbean identity, religion and intergenerational trauma. He is also a community organiser and occasional event host.
Leslie Browne was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California. She studied at various art academies in California before she moved to Amsterdam. Painting, poetry (and humor) is how Browne speaks out to share her messages about what could be a peaceful life on Earth. Browne has been organizing poetry, singer/song-writer events for more than 10 years. Poetry events help to build community, and to empower us so that together we can make the changes we desire.
Steven Jones’ debut collection Above All Else, Fly Papa, explores themes of race, religion, adolescence and parenthood. The proud native of Washington, DC applies lessons learned as both student and teacher, to inform his prose.
Writing to make sense of his experiences led to his first being published at the age of nine. Over time, poetry led to writing song lyrics and later short stories that he enjoys performing both locally and internationally. Steven earned a Master’s degree in Education from George Washington University. He currently lives in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
For Duraa, who is a word artist, singer-songwriter and theatre-maker, poetry means both protest and joy. Her work ranges from fierce social criticism to fiery self-love and from bold pieces about sex and sexuality to personal works about this unbearable life. As Duraa likes to combine poetry, music and protest, expect a performance filled with flowing rhythms and smashed taboos.
Luka Prelas (she/her) is a Croatian-bred, Zaandam-based writer and spoken word artist. Through her work, she explores all facets of human existence through a trans lens, like womanhood, traumas, love aches, and other people’s problems with her (trans) womanhood.
She won a feminist performance prize at the 2nd Queer and Feminist Awards in 2023, got published in an Amsterdam-based magazine 'Issue' in 2024, and was a 2025 Spoken Awards finalist. Luka thinks of her style as exorcism-like, often angry, seldom sweet, with a sprinkle of body horror and a dash of hope.
Wonmen: noun “meaning a story that never ends”, 26, is a singer-songwriter whose sound floats between neo-soul and jazzy grooves, weaving intimate storytelling with cosmic textures. Born and raised in Amsterdam yet deeply connected to Liberian roots. Her voice moves like velvet through smoky chords, reflecting both resilience and vulnerability. With each lyric, she hopes to invite listeners into a soulful universe where past and present converse. Rooted in authenticity and guided by curiosity, Wonmen’s artistry is not just heard—it’s felt, echoing like a timeless conversation between spirit and sound.
Lionel Deul is an Afro-Surinamese writer, poet and sometimes researcher whose work focuses on Queerness, Afro-Caribbean identity, religion and intergenerational trauma. He is also a community organiser and occasional event host.
Leslie Browne was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California. She studied at various art academies in California before she moved to Amsterdam. Painting, poetry (and humor) is how Browne speaks out to share her messages about what could be a peaceful life on Earth. Browne has been organizing poetry, singer/song-writer events for more than 10 years. Poetry events help to build community, and to empower us so that together we can make the changes we desire.
Steven Jones’ debut collection Above All Else, Fly Papa, explores themes of race, religion, adolescence and parenthood. The proud native of Washington, DC applies lessons learned as both student and teacher, to inform his prose.
Writing to make sense of his experiences led to his first being published at the age of nine. Over time, poetry led to writing song lyrics and later short stories that he enjoys performing both locally and internationally. Steven earned a Master’s degree in Education from George Washington University. He currently lives in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
