Young Storytellers
Meet the young storytellers at the heart of the Cassandra Project.
Each biography introduces an emerging storyteller and the themes that shape their artistic work. Written by the storytellers themselves, these texts offer insight into their interests, perspectives, and the social questions they explore through performance.
Click on the young storytellers’ images to learn more about them and their performances.
Daan Arnauts
Story title: Have you ever been called a wh*re?
In a quest for love you may come across people who have some very different opinions and definitions of what love intales. For Daan, a seventeen year old gay boy in Belgium was this no different. Shocked but also intrigued about everything thrown onto his path he went to find someone who could give him more insight. A person who would change his entire worldview.
Have You Ever Been Called A Wh*re takes you on a journey of deception, kinks and a lotof money. When one message can change everyday life into something much, muchmore interesting… a quest for love where nothing seems to be about love
I’m Daan Arnauts, from Brussels, Belgium and developed a passion for theatre and storytelling years ago, I just finished my theatre studies this year and feel empowered to perform for you.
I like to convey a message, surrounding it with humour and lightness. That being said, depth is, of course, still present in the projects where I put my heart in.
Dawid Pigut
Story title: Tangled
A story of ups and downs, of happiness and tears. A tale heard somewhere in a small town, in a place that holds many different stories – a hair salon. What was the treasure for the main character? Why did she shed so many tears? Did she lose something, or perhaps she came to understand something? You’ll find out by listening to my story.
Hey, my name is Dawid Pigut (Poland); I’m eighteen years old, and I’m not only a student but also a beginner hairdresser on a daily basis. I like it when my work gives someone pleasure. I paint not only my hair but also pictures, but I don’t use a brush for this, but rather words. I also have the extraordinary pleasure of participating in the Cassandra project; in fact, I am just taking my first steps in the world of storytelling, but I look at this world with great admiration.
Geoffrey van der Ven
Story title: What’s the difference?
Remember the first time you felt “different”? Neither does Geoffrey, but that feeling has grown familiar over time. In “What’s the Difference,” spoken word artist Geoffrey van der Ven delves into the emotions of shame and personal isolation. Through storytelling and spoken word, he uncovers how these feelings shape our lives and challenges us to do the one thing shame stops us from doing.
Geoffrey van der Ven beholds the world with a curious eye. He experiences, listens, and brings stories to the forefront. His pieces are sharp, critical, and often activist in nature. His performances are personal and centred around queer and BIPOC identities. With his vibrant energy, he keeps the audience engaged, providing them with space to breathe and reflect between pieces.
As a spoken word artist and theatre maker, Geoffrey tells stories that have long gone unheard. Currently, he is touring with his solo show ‘Het is niet Nieuw’ (It’s Nothing New), in which he highlights the queer history of Africa. Previously, he won the ‘Poet of the Year’ Award at the Queer & Feminist Poetry Awards and received an Honorary mention at Button Poetry, his work was featured at the Eurovision Song Contest, and he has performed at major venues and events such as the Nieuwe Luxor Theater, Rotterdam Pride, and Amsterdam Fringe Festival.
Hanna Asefaw
Story title: How to Rebuild a Meadow
Once upon a time, there was a flower that had forgotten how to bloom.
This is a story about a flower. And a boy. And resilience, resistance, hope, and loss.
In “How to Rebuild a Meadow”, you are invited on a journey – a flower’s journey from being weighed down by contaminated soil to, hopefully, breaking through to the surface.
Hanna Asefaw (NO/ER) is a human geographer, writer, and performing artist based in Oslo. Through play, research and investigation of themes related to identity, liberation, and the memories that are stuck in our bodies, Hanna’s work seeks to unravel, understand, and reconstruct – to convey the relationship between the personal and political, as well as the individual and structural dimensions of experience. our lives, searching and fostering a deeper understanding of both personal and collective stories.
Mari Qviller
Story title: Breidablikk
Mari Qviller wants to tell you the true story of how being dumped led her to walk all alone for 40 days in the Norwegian nature, the summer before high school. You are invited to peek through the window of her childhood bedroom and embark on an expedition through the world’s largest forest, a little detour to visit the least smelly part of old Norse mythology, and a helicopter ride out to the open sea at the edge of the world. «Breidablikk» combines autobiography, mythical storytelling, and satire to explore the heroic story of the Norwegian oil industry.
Mari Qviller (24) is a Norwegian playwright and activist. She lives in a farm collective on an island in rural Norway. In 2022, she got her bachelor’s degree in script writing from the Norwegian Actors Institute (NSKI) and debuted at Unge Viken Theatre with the play «Little Blue Men». The same year, she appeared in the mini-documentary «The Biggest Test» made by Norway’s state-owned oil company Equinor. Mari worked for three years in the environmental organisation «Young Friends of the Earth», and in the spring of 2023, she occupied the Norwegian Ministry of Oil and Gas for five days with fellow environmental and Sami activists.
Meja Johansson
Story title: The Tallest Mountain in the World
Meja Johansson will bring you along on the frustrating journey that is finding out what you truly believe in. Told as a classic fairytale, we follow our heroine as she climbs. Each mountain she reaches will bring her closer to the answer to the age-old question: Is there really nothing more to life than putting stamps on a cardboard box?”
My name is Meja Johansson, and I come from the small town of Ljungby, Sweden. Growing up in a small town where art and culture is surprisingly present, I have always found myself drawn to storytelling in many different forms. Art and working with my hands have long been a creative outlet for me, but in later years, I have also taken an interest in music and theatre. I like to explore the intersection of storytelling, painting, theatre, and music and want to constantly push the boundaries of my own creativity. Now for the first time I will be performing a self-written story, inspired by my own, and others, journey to faith. Until recently, I studied cultural heritage studies at university, and I am currently working as a trainee at the Swedish Church, where I hope to bring oral storytelling to light as a powerful tool in communicating with our community.
Meja Ohlsson Rodriguez
Story title: The Story that Disappeared
Many years ago, under the stars, an epic tale was told and lost. How many stories have been told and lost since then? During this performance, storyteller Meja O. Rodriguez explores stories from her family’s past, including the journey from one country to another. How many memories disappeared along the way, and how much of the culture gets lost from one generation to another.
My name is Meja Ohlsson Rodriguez. I am a young storyteller born and raised in Ljungby, the land of legends in Sweden. Because of this, I have been blessed to have stories around me from a very young age. But it wasn’t until I was 15 that I realised that this was a profession I could have. Even though I am not a full-time storyteller yet, I have been given the opportunity to tell stories for a lot of different audiences and on different occasions. Everything from a guided tour in the Museum of Legends or in the woods by the fire during the storytelling festival in Ljungby. I have competed in the Swedish storytelling championship. And the opportunities never cease to come. And now I am creating a performance about me for the first time ever. The stories from my family’s journey to Sweden and the stories and memories we lost on the way.
Samora de Boer
Story title: Overshadowed
In a magical forest where fantasy and reality intertwine, the young girl Isabel battles a dark force that affects not only her but also her loved ones. Overshadowed is the enchanting, deeply personal story of Samora de Boer that explores the impact of depression and the power of love, self-discovery and creativity. A metaphorical fable offering a profound, magical perspective on mental illness and hope.
Samora de Boer (1995) is a storyteller living in Amsterdam with a great passion for her work. After finishing her theatre studies in 2018, she has been developing her skills at the Storytelling Centre. Samora creates magical worlds that draw her audience in, inspired by nature, books, folktales, myths, fables and her own experiences. Her storytelling is known for its vivid details, helping listeners picture the characters and scenes as if they were right there. In addition to storytelling, Samora enjoys sewing, acting, illustrating and making videos, often blending these skills into her storytelling to make it even richer. One of her dreams is to travel the world, gathering stories from different cultures and sharing them with people she meets. Her creative flair and love for exploring different cultures infuse her stories with a special magic that captivates and delights audiences.
Natalia Drąka
Story title: Aurora – Daughter of the Dawn
A girl waiting for her father’s return from war sends out a final plea into the night, begging to reclaim her lost childhood. Whom or what does she summon?
This is a tale of longing for the irretrievable, of anger and defiance, difficult relationships, growing up, coming to terms with the past and identity, and fighting for oneself.
One night, Natalia Drąka fell in love with stories in an old, abandoned mill, poring over a book of fairy tales and folk legends. In stories, she discovers the real lives of people who, like her, feel longing, fear, and love. A passionate musician, she follows the sound of music wherever it calls her. She sings and plays for loved ones and strangers in the forest, in the shower, on stage, and even while washing dishes. She believes deeply that every story is a song, and every song is a story. She craves the presence of people, the warmth of a fire, the scent of the earth, and most of all, she needs to tell stories and, even more so, to listen because it is the act of listening that makes us human.
Sarah Andersson
Story title: Success Has Many Fathers, But Failure Is An Orphan
In a pond, not too shallow yet not too deep, the frogs sing for their king and queen, who neither appreciate nor tolerate their existence. Is it worth singing for those who do not appreciate it? They are ruled over ruthlessly until one day, the common marsh frog decides to change itself, to become like its oppressors, to sing like a bird. This froggy tale has been created with both children’s rights organisations and experts on the topic of domestic violence. It is a story about finding your place and identity, the importance of safety and self-esteem and most importantly; opening up, breaking cycles and accepting help when it finds you. Even if the shadow of a stork looms over you.
Born in the early 2000s and raised in the woods of southern Sweden, with a passion for fairytales and plastic toys, meet me, Sarah Andersson! Bold colours, bold personality, friend of amphibians and reptiles, I’m full of life, embracing my quirky oddities and excited to share! 24 years of age and studying my bachelors in library and information science, this young storyteller is hoping to bring oral storytelling to her future workplaces. Since forever I’ve been enticed by stories, whether oral, written or animated, they’ve captured me. Everything has a story to tell, such as the mist that lay atop of the lakes during early mornings, that’s the fairies dancing. My grandmother once told me this, and to this day that is what I see and hear when I look at the mist gliding over the still waters.
Seimen Tobias
Story title: Modern Masturbation
A story about Sexual Awakening. A story about growing up in a digital era. A story about connection, about disintegration, about sexual philosophy, about digital pornography. A story about love, sex and masturbation. And above all, this is a search to find out how all those things really work in a world where we spend as much time with our screens as we do with our partners. This is a confrontation with Modern Masturbation.
Seimen Tobias (Norway). My goal has always been to connect with people. To dare to ask questions, though they might be difficult, both to reflect on and to answer. Or maybe they’re easy. It’s not up to me to answer all questions, but I sincerely believe in the importance of sharing, talking about and get to the core of all aspects of what it means to me human. As both an actor, a teacher and facilitator, I have witnessed so many moments of transformation erupting from physical presence and deep interhuman connection. This is what I seek, above all. To be present with others and to let our collective presence move us and change us.
Willemijn Hordijk
Story title: But Daddy I Love Her!
Like many young women, Willemijn grew up believing she would find a handsome prince. She thought she had found him, so she gave him her time, love, and especially her voice. And in the end, she died. But unlike other princesses, she picked up the pen to write the ending of her own fairy tale…
Willemijn tells a story of growing up as a young woman, fighting dragons and life after a toxic relationship. Willemijn Hordijk grew up in a small, boring village in the Netherlands. Searching for adventure, she moved to the big city of Utrecht to study Theatre and Education and now works as an actress and drama teacher. She’s a fairy tale detective, vintage lover, and wine enthusiast who loves doing karaoke. She specialises in heartbreak songs while holding a glass of chardonnay in an old flower dress. Her favourite nickname is Tante (Dutch for auntie) and she always brings lipstick. You never know when you have to kiss a frog….
Wera Kątna
Story title: Bed Story
Have you ever heard voices in your head before going to sleep? Tala listens to them every night. She sets off on a journey to find a place without them. On her way, she fights with monsters who live under the beds. But is there a way to fight them all forever and fall asleep in peace?
Wera Kątna – a young creator and performer based in Poznań, Poland. Her main passions are art, culture, and dance in its many forms. As a practitioner, she is developing her skills in off-theatre, performance art, improvisation, movement, and poetry. Wera is well-known within the spoken poetry and slam community, where her work is often recognised and awarded. Throughout her journey, she has collaborated with various theatre groups on numerous productions.
In her storytelling research, she explores transdisciplinary methods to blend her diverse interests. Through her unique narratives, she invites audiences to connect with shared human experiences. Her world is infused with absurdity and curiosity. And poetry, obviously.
Winter De Cock
Story title: Not your Girl!
Maybe we knew all along. Maybe we were warned by the old stories full of fantasy transmitted and performed two thousand years ago. Daphne is a girl who doesn’t like men. She messes up her hair and makes herself dirty. But it doesn’t matter how dirty she gets; she stays an object of desire for Apollo, who chases her in the forest. She runs away from him in vain. But when he is about to catch her, something mysterious happens… Not Your Girl weaves auto-fiction and myth, asking enduring questions of female objectification, agency and consent.
Winter De Cock, born in 2002, became fascinated by storytelling after high school, where she learned all about stories like Ovid’s metamorphoses. These stories trigger her for several reasons: on the one hand, there is the imagination, the beauty and the poetry; on the other hand, there is the patriarchal hierarchy they reflect. After writing media and performance studies at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, she discovers the power of telling a story herself. She reinvents and reshapes the ancient stories, combining and associating them with new and other stories with female main characters today through a labyrinth, a puzzle, and a journey. She starts with subjects that affect her personally and searches for the ideal medium for this specific story. What does the story need? Whether she’s performing, acting, podcasting or telling a story, she always invites you to listen well. If you do so, you will hear the soul of the story, the heartbeat of humanity.
Ynys Convents
Story title: The stork that raised me
What if you questioned conventional parenthood as you know it?
Rooted in the concept of antipelargy – reciprocal care between parent and child – this tale uncovers deeper layers of love, memory, and the fragility of familial bonds. Ynys weaves memories into a tale that challenges the imagination and reshapes the notion of family.
Ynys Convents is a young storyteller based in Antwerp. She is finishing her master’s degree in Dutch literature and loves to fill the gaps in her day by writing poetry. Last year, she appeared on stage as a film festival host, and this summer, she was particularly active as a social justice activist in Antwerp. Ynys’s love for connecting with an audience and her strong sense of community is reflected in her personal story, ‘The Stork That Raised Me: The Antipelargy of a Family’, which she will perform for you.