About us - MEZRAB | The House of Stories

about mezrab

Mezrab is run by:

Sahand Sahebdivani and Karl Giesriegl are the creative directors.

Irina Koriazova is the producer.

Rogier Lammers is our music programmer.

Evening managers: Başak Layiç, Joseph Kearney, Sinead O’Brian, Nadine Dijkstra, Alborz Sahebdivani.

Storytelling hosts: Soula Notos, Lara Ricote, Sia Cyrroes, Rod Ben Zeev, Marijn Vissers, Raphael Rodan, Michael Jäger, Sinead O’Brian, Joseph Kearney, Irina Koriazova, Sahand Sahebdivani.

Mezrab is an Amsterdam based platform for storytelling and an important initiator in the development of storytelling as an art form in the Netherlands. Mezrab serves as a source of inspiration for many theatres, centers, museums and festivals to program storytelling. Mezrab and storytelling in general has grown considerably in recent years and is gradually being incorporated into the professional performing Arts sector.
Mezrab programs regular storytelling evenings several times a week. On other nights, storytelling is combined with art disciplines like dance, visual arts, poetry, etc.

Mezrab also hosts a world music program.

Mezrab has a unique position in Europe as a storytelling stage and platform for the development of interdisciplinary art.

Mezrab organises an average of 300 events a year and attracts an average of 800 visitors per week.
Mezrab also organises occasional storytelling events at other venues and festivals such as Oerol festival, Podium Mozaïek, Amsterdamse Bos, Storytelling Festival, Pleintheater, etc.

Mezrab’s programming is multidisciplinary. With crossovers of disciplines, projects, collaborations, cultures and stories, with the focus on telling multidisciplinary stories. In words and music.

A Mezrab Storytelling Night

The night starts with some drinks, nice music and people walking in to find a good seat. There are cushions on Persian carpets, chairs and couches – whatever feels more comfortable. The venue usually opens an hour in advance. When the guests are set for food and drinks, the host starts by welcoming the audience, introduces the theme of the night and then presents the storytellers.

Every story is around 10 minutes long and can be accompanied by music. A set has two to three storytellers, who are introduced separately by the host. The host makes a line-up and informs the storytellers in advance. The order depends on the amount of storytellers and the theme of their stories. There are no more than three sets per night.
On some nights, the last set is an open mic for enthusiastic audience members, willing to take the leap and tell a story.

Over the course of the evening, the host will gently trigger people to share and open up.
After the sets, the venue changes into a comfortable café, giving people enough space to socialise, reflect or simply hang out. The storytellers are usually around to take questions or further discuss their stories, leading to an open conversation, a public dialogue, where issues and topics touched in the stories spark deeper conversations.