Searching for freedom in a world without boundaries

This months speaker is Johan Visschedijk talking about FREE!

During the Coved-19 pandemic many people have seen their sense of freedom becoming smaller and smaller. Transportation has been reduced to a minimum. People were forced to work from home. Restaurants and theaters were closed down.

The limitation of freedom is its border. If we had no borders freedom could be without limitation. So why is it that we love borders so much? Are we afraid of losing our possessions? Do we need a fence around our tiny garden? What about borders of countries? Why can’t we travel freely over the world? Why do we need a visa?

‘My wife is from Russia, but born in the Ukraine, in the Donbas area. She hasn’t seen her parents for nine years and what is going to happen there this year?’

Considering all these things Johan had a plan running from Amsterdam to Moscow asking people along the road about their opinion of freedom, but Covid-19 didn’t let him.

From Dacha with love

At the same time I am working on a book called “From Dacha with love” and it is all about how Russian people during summer leave their 35 square meter apartments growing vegetables in the countryside. In their dacha’s they feel completely free. Making a good grill called “Shashlik” and drinking Vodka or wine.

Looking forward to see you all on Friday, Februari 4th at the Stadstuin in the WerkspoorFabriek!

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The liminal space is a birthplace for innovation

We are so happy to announce Ellen ter Gast as our next (post-corona) live speaker on this months theme: LIMINAL

Ellen ter Gast loves the feeling in liminal spaces: ‘I guess we all know the feeling of free floating brain waves when we go through, or sit waiting in, a liminal space. Maybe you feel anxiety, what will come next? Maybe you feel anticipation, you can’t wait for what is about to come. I truly love that feeling.’

She thinks it is the place where new ideas can take shape and asks herself: ‘why are liminal spaces often so poorly designed? Why do airports look, sound, and smell like shopping malls? Why are airplanes designed as mind numbing flying amusement parks?’

In this talk she will exchange ideas about the challenges the liminal offers to designers.

What is your favourite liminal space?

Photo: Folkert Rinkema

Ellen ter Gast PhD is an interdiciplinairy thinker and story teller who works at the cross roads of arts, philosphy, biology and business. In addition to her practice as an ethics consultant, Ellen enjoys working with a diverse group of international bio artists, artists who, like her, reflect on the fascinating developments in bio(techno)logy.

She participated in The Modular Body (2016) by Floris Kaayk and Trust me I’m an Artist (2014-2017) by the British Anna Dumitriu. Ellen gives lectures at various art schools on art science. She is advisor of Mondriaan Fund and Creative Industries Fund.

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Design is and can be, must be, many things.

We are very happy to announce Dennis Hambeukers as our next (post-corona) live speaker on this months theme: DESIGN

Dennis will take us in his talk to design as strategy, design as a way to solve business problems. Over the years Dennis has been writing a lot about design on his Medium blog called The Design Leadership Notebook, nearing 100 articles!

Medium has rated my blog as “top writer in design” and it has attracted a lot of readers from all over the world. This has led to interesting contacts and discussions about the future of design.

Writing next to his work as a designer at Zuiderlicht has helped him to connect the visual worlds of design and the verbal world of strategy.

In his talk, Dennis will talk about his perspective on the future of design. It revolves around a concept he calls creative strategy. That is not about making strategy more creative.

It’s also not about making strategy for creative projects. It’s about using creation to “do” strategy.

Looking forward to see you all on Friday, November 5th, 08:30, at the Stadstuin in the WerkspoorFabriek!

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Do you DARE?!
We are very (very !) happy to announce that as of this month we are able to host all upcoming Creative Morning Events live! So excited!
This month’s theme is DARE. We had a hard time making this month’s event a reality and with only a few day’s left we didn’t think we could make it work. And it is still a major challenge. However, without taking a little risk, without trying to pull it off, even if it is last-minute… do we dare? Yes, we do!
Next Friday we will host our very first live Creative Mornings Utrecht event, here in the WerkspoorFabriek, and we love to have you join us! Coffee & croissants will be waiting for you.
Oh, and about the speaker. In line with this last-minute call, we thought about asking you, our community, to share your Daring story. Please check our latest newsletter for the details or email us at utrecht@creativemornings.com

Looking forward to see you all on Friday, October 1st at the Stadstuin in the WerkspoorFabriek!

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HOME - MALGOSIA FIEBIG
The Creative Morning team was thinking about this month’s theme HOME. It didn’t take long to figure out that the iconic Dom Tower represents the feeling of home for all people living in Utrecht
So what if we could broadcast from the Dom Tower celebrating that feeling of HOME!
Malgosia Fiebig is the city carillonneur of Utrecht. She is the Dom Tower’s 17th City Carillonneur since 1623. She will play a song for us.
For those who call Utrecht home, they know that Malgosia can play almost anything. Avicii went viral, and you may remember her playing Daft Punk, David Bowie and Prince. Last June 26^th she played a concert of requested songs, from Utrecht for Utrecht. One of yours? Let us know.
This time, at our request, she plays a song about Home. Want to know which one? Join us Friday 9 July 9:00 AM!
About Malgosia
She studied at the Music Academy of Gdansk, where she earned a Master of Music in Organ Performance and Choral Conducting. In 1999 she followed a carillon course led by Gert Oldenbeuving and which she became the first carillonneur of St. Catherine’s Church in Gdansk after 60 years of silence. In 2001 she was appointed a second carillon in the City Hall Tower in the heart of Gdansk.
In 2004 she moved to the Netherlands and a year later received a Bachelor of Music in Carillon Performance with Arie Abbenes at the Dutch Carillon School. She graduated as Master of Music in June 2007 with Frans Haagen en Henk Verhoef.
She has given carillon concerts throughout Europe and the US.

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MATRIARCHY FRÉDÉRIQUE DONKER
The stories of male resistance members are well known, but the stories of female resistance members are hardly ever told. What was it like for women in World War Two? Was it common to join resistance groups? What are their stories? And have women in The Resistance changed the role of women in society in that time?
Together with Anna Huizing and nine students from the Utrecht University, Frédérique Donker has made an audiotour about female resistance fighters, based on the stories of Truus and Trui van Lier. Truus was 22 years old when she shot and killed an important police officer who collaborated with the Nazis. Her niece, Trui van Lier, interrupted her studies to set up a nursery through which they managed to bring 150 Jewish children to safety. The students in the audiotour are about the same age as Truus and Trui at the time of WW2. Would they have dared to do the same as Truus and Trui? What was it like for women in The Resistance? Based on our research we have made a personal theatrical audiotour through Utrecht as part of Theater Na de Dam.
Have a look at www.vrouweninverzet.nl.
Frédérique Donker (1990) is a trained psychologist who creates theater performances. I think telling stories is the best and most important thing about theater. And specifically the underexposed, untold stories. Stories can connect people and generations. I work with young people, always with a social, personal and and philosophical approach.
WALK WITH US
In anticipation of Frédérique’s talk, we will walk the audio tour with CM Utrecht on Friday 18 June 2021. We gather at 13:45 and leave at 14:00 at the starting point of the audio tour, Prins Hendriklaan 50A, Utrecht. For information about the tour see https://vrouweninverzet.nl/audiotour/.
Will you join us? Let us know at: utrecht@creativemornings.com.

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Resilient Friso Wiersum
Expodium is an urban do tank. They stroll and awe. Most likely, you too have started walking your neighborhood in this pandemic. Even though we might not expect wonders from strolling our cities, Friso likes to argue that every city - or society for that matter - that wants to be resilient might benefit from simple things as a stroll.
Friso Wiersum (1976) is a program maker, moderator and connector. Educated as a historian, currently Friso works as project manager communications at the European Cultural Foundation. Friso is also a member of Expodium, an urban do tank which curates, teaches and publishes on art and the city.
He sometimes reviews books, dj’s with Kako Da Ne collective, helps boarding some foundations, and rides his bicycle.
https://www.instagram.com/expodium.utrecht/

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Procrastination Pro: Angela van Son
Don’t we know it all: TO PROCRASTINATE! In the beginning it can feel kind a nice but in the end it is never fulfilling. So we’ve got something for you or rather somebody! She is the Queen of procrastination, she knows how to do it but - and that’s better - how to get rid of it.
Fotograaf: Danielle Moelker, Beeldbalie
Angela is a poet and procrastination coach (in alphabetical order). She’s great at helping people do things THEIR way and make that really, really work for them. Angela has fifteen years of experience combining psychology and practicality adding her sense of humor to the mix. In 2019 she published From Do it Later to Do it Now in Ten Days, a practical and realistic workbook that helps you deal with procrastination both in the short and the long run.
Poems by Angela have been published in Nonbinary Review, Cold Mountain Review, Auroras & Blossoms Poetry Journal, Runcible Spoon, I’m Not a Silent Poet, Art Saves Lives International, and Celebrating Change. In 2020 she published More than meets the I, a collaboration with a prize- winning photographer (who happens to be her mother).
https://www.procrastinationcoach.net/

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Hi all,
How about having PAASONTBIJT? Have your BYO virtual paasontbijt with us on Friday April 2 2021 at 9:00 a.m. We would love for you to join!It would be great to get to know the Utrecht community a little better, which means YOU :-)!Feel free to join us so we can share ideas, suggestions, opinions on future events. You do have a voice.If you are as eager as we are, then sign up.
Feel free to share this or invite likeminded people
Hope to see you then.Marcel, Daas, Erik and Charlotte
Photo by Toni Cuenca on Unsplash

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On Ripple this months speaker: Merlijn Tinga
Merijn Tinga is known as the Plastic Soup Surfer. A surfing biologist and visual artist who became a full time activist. He fights plastic pollution by focussing his campaigns at the source: policy makers and companies.
His spectacular expeditions and record attempts are meant to generate attention for his mission.
With success: his ‘Plastic Soup Surfer resolution’ was the basis for national policy in which we will see deposits on small plastic bottles coming.

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