Voorwaarts Esmay Usmany

In Voorwaarts, Esmay Usmany goes in search of who she is and where she belongs. Her grandparents came to the Netherlands from Indonesia after the war, but some of them stayed behind: in the sawa’s (rice fields), in the kampongs (fenced-in yards), and at the pasar (market). What travelled across the ocean formed the basis of a new existence and still resonates in Esmay’s life today.

Esmay sings, tells stories, and performs about grief, acceptance, and movement. But also about being stuck in old patterns. What does it mean to have roots in multiple places? How do you find a home when your memories are scattered across different countries?

An intimate performance that touches and invites you to think along and feel along. For anyone who has ever moved, been left behind, or simply wants to move forward.