AnExplorationofLanguageandSound
Workshop series in collaboration with the Holland Festival
What happens when language moves beyond definition? When words turn into sound? When a voice does not only tell, but sings, breathes, breaks, and resonates?
Holland Festival and De Nieuwe Liefde are collaborating on the workshop series An Exploration of Language and Sound, in which we investigate the power of storytelling, voice, music, and experimentation across three sessions. Guided by experienced guest artists and performers, participants are invited to discover their own voice and artistic style. How can language break free from constraints? How can sound carry a story when words fall short? And how can personal stories connect to urgent social questions?
Together, we will explore the voice as an instrument, language as constantly evolving medium, and listening as an active and creative practice. Through collective listening, writing exercises, and vocal experimentation, participants will be encouraged to step beyond familiar forms and discover new modes of expression.
The workshop series will take place at De Nieuwe Liefde, a space devoted to language, literature, and social reflection. Your workshop host will be poet, writer and programme curator Dean Bowen.
The workshops will be conducted in English.
Workshop dates
Workshop Dates
Sunday, April 19 at 1:30 PM with Karima El Fillali (uitverkocht)
Sunday, May 17 at 1:30 PM with Jorgen Gario (uitverkocht)
Friday, June 5 at 5:00 PM with Tanya Tagaq (uitverkocht)
Tickets available via Holland Festival
Workshop host
Dean Bowen
Dean Bowen is a poet, writer, performer, programmer, and critic. In his work, he explores the dynamics of composite identity and how it relates to the political and social positioning of the individual. His debut collection Bokman (2018) has been described as lyrical, passionate, and angry; a personal quest that exposes universal patterns and gives voice to many perspectives. Bokman was published in an Italian translation in 2021. Dean Bowen has published on online platforms such as Samplekanon and Hard//Hoofd, as well as in literary journals including nY, Tirade, Revisor, and De Gids.
He teaches performance literature and poetry at ArtEZ in Arnhem, and his second collection Masc:r was published in February 2026.
Guest artists
Karima El Fillali – April 19
Karima El Fillali (1987) grew up between Dutch and Moroccan cultures, shaped by music and spirituality. Her mother introduced her to singing and baroque church music, while her father shared Islam and Moroccan recordings, through which she discovered Oum Kalthoum.
Drawn to her heritage, she traveled to Morocco to study Arabic and immerse herself in traditions like gnawa and classical singing. Under a Sufi master, she dedicated herself to tarab, music that evokes deep emotional and spiritual states. Back in the Netherlands, she became known for her interpretations of Oum Kalthoum as well as experimental work blending African, European, and Middle Eastern influences. She has collaborated with Oumou Sangaré and Mahmoud Guinia, and received an Award of Honor from Morocco’s Minister of Culture.
Jorgen Gario | UNOM – May 17
Jörgen Gario, also known as UNOM, is an Antillean poet born on Sint Maarten, writing in Dutch, English, and Papiamentu. His artistic journey began in 2006 with a spoken word workshop at Poetry Circle Nowhere, where he later became a coach mentoring emerging talent.
Blending poetry with music, he incorporates guitar, ukulele, and electronic production into performances rooted in reggae and dancehall. His work explores identity, expression, and freedom, marked by an energetic stage presence and reflective lyrics.
Gario’s poetry has been featured in major Dutch publications, including Hardop – Spoken Word in Nederland. Over nearly two decades, he has performed extensively across the Netherlands and internationally, building a reputation as a dynamic and boundary-pushing spoken word artist.
Tanya Tagaq – June 5
Tanya Tagaq (1975) is a Canadian throat singer of Inuit and European descent whose work draws deeply on her cultural heritage. She revitalizes traditional Inuit throat singing by blending it with genres such as jazz, punk, electronic, and classical music.
While studying visual arts in Halifax, she developed her distinctive style. Her international breakthrough came through a collaboration with Björk on the album Medúlla (2004). Her debut album Sinaa (2005) won a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award, and she later collaborated extensively with the Kronos Quartet.
Tagaq has received widespread acclaim for her albums and film work, including the Polaris Music Prize for Animism (2014) and a Juno Award in 2015.