Surpassing the beeline - Abishek Thapar

A dive into the stories of the Amsterdam expat community

Stories of those who are emigrants as they leave their home and become immigrants elsewhere; their past, present and sense of 'home' are completely intertwined. The emigrant from one country is the immigrant from another.

Immigration history, mostly written in the countries of arrival, has mostly focused on the problematic policies and experiences of entry, acceptance, rejection and/or placement of newcomers, while expatriates always bypass this circus because of their economic status.

TIP : Come with an empty stomach, because a meal will be served during the performance.

During the previous edition of Frascati Issues: The (un)told city (November 2017), Abhishek Thapar presented a first study of the Indian expat community in Amsterdam within Stadslab. Surpassing the beeline is a further development of this.

The title 'Surpassing the beeline' comes from the idea that expats never walk a straight line from A to B when it comes to coming home or the concept of 'home'. After all, their home is in constant motion; constantly changing, shifting, compromising.

Lieve Stad, March 17 - 26

Amsterdam is a city with many faces, literally, because we live here together with many different nationalities. 'Lieve Stad' is about the city and all kinds of Amsterdammers that the city is rich in. This festival, a collaboration between ITA and Meervaart, is about bringing people together, in the city, in the theatre, in society.

How do we live together and what stories do all individuals and groups carry with them? They all have their own stories, strengths, challenges. Showing this is the starting point of 'Dear City,'. View the overview at meervaart.nl/lievestad .