The Wonders of Multilingualism #6: (un)learning languages

Kaaitheater and Passa Porta present the sixth edition of The Wonders of Multilingualism, which focuses on the layeredness of multilingualism. This time, in (Un)learning languages, several makers take a closer look at the links between migration, power and language acquisition. Thus, they unravel the relationships between language and power and dig into (language) resistance. 

(Un)learning languages takes place in the context of Marah Haj Hussein’s performance Language: no broblem.  Hussein talks about colonial mechanisms that ensure - often by force - how the language of the original inhabitants disappears. Different voices from occupied Palestine reflect on their mother tongue and the coloniser’s official state language. 

After the performance, writers Fatima Noori and Zaïneb Hamdi will discuss their own experiences of multilingualism. Fatima Noori fled her homeland Afghanistan and ended up in Belgium after a horrific journey, where she learned Dutch very quickly. She wrote about her experiences as a refugee dealing with powerlessness and racism in Het boek van Fatima (Fatima's Book). Zaïneb Hamdi published her first book of poetry Fils d'Arabe in 2017 and has been translating her texts into performances and typographic videos since 2020. 

Poet Maud Vanhauwaert pondered the limits of translatability. She asked herself: how many combinations can you make with the words ‘Ik spreek de taal nog niet zo goed’ (I don't speak the language very well yet’)? Her research culminated in the world's longest audio poem, which will be presented at WoM#6. 

Meanwhile, Brussels city poet Lisette Ma Neza wrote a cycle of poems about language and identity for Molenfest, from which she will read. To conclude, she will perform improvised poetry on this multilingual evening. 

Note: Marah Haj Hussein's performance Language: no broblem starts on Wednesday, September 18, at 7pm. You will need a separate ticket for this performance. You can book it here. 

• Marah Haj Hussein (1998) is a dancer, actress and maker from Kofor Yassif in occupied Palestine. She currently lives in Antwerp, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Dance from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp in 2021. In June 2023, she completed her Masters in Drama at KASK in Ghent. By merging these two disciplines, Marah challenges the demarcation that separates text from movement, while at the same time looking for possible ways to allow both into the performative space.  In her work, Marah examines the concept and definition of mother tongue while exploring the power dynamics between languages. 

• Fatima Noori (2008) is a young Afghan-Belgian writer. Six years ago, Fatima and her family had to flee and leave her homeland behind. After a horrific journey, she ended up in Belgium. She learnt Dutch and made her debut in 2021, at 13, with Het boek van Fatima (Standaard Uitgeverij). 

• Zaïneb Hamdi (1989) is a French-speaking poet who has lived in Brussels for 15 years. In 2017, she published her first book of poetry, Fils d'Arabe, followed by several publications in magazines and anthologies in Belgium and France. In 2020, she began adapting her texts for performances and turning her poems into short typographic videos, which she shares on social media. In 2024, she published Où mon amour sera houb, her second collection of poems. 

• Maud Vanhauwaert is a Dutch-language writer and performer. She published the acclaimed poetry collections Ik ben mogelijk (2011) and Wij zijn evenwijdig (2014) and writes pieces for De Morgen. For her role as official poet of the city of Antwerp she wrote Het stad in mij (2020), which was awarded the Jan Campert Prize and called ‘a feast’ by De Morgen. Tosca, her debut novel, was published in 2023. 

• Lisette Ma Neza is from the Netherlands but now lives in Brussels where she studies film. In 2017, she became the first Dutch-speaking woman to win the Belgian Poetry Slam Championship. In 2018, she became vice-world Slam Poetry champion in Rio de Janeiro. She has so far only published her work on stage, both solo and with her backing band. VRT called her ‘our own Amanda Gorman’. In 2024, she became the first Brussels City Poet.