Press release
Praise Of Folly Festival 2017
Every year the literature café House Of Craziness in Rotterdam seizes Erasmus’s birthday to study and celebrate his masterpiece Praise Of Folly (Lof der Zotheid) for three days and to celebrate Erasmus’s most translated book Praise of Folly. Literature, food and drink will be everywhere when we celebrates Erasmus last last words:
“Wherefore farewell, clap your hands, live and drink lustily, my most excellent disciples of Folly.”
Stop Violence Against Women
The 2017 theme of the Lof der Zotheid Festival is Stop Violence Against Women. We have chosen this topic in order to connect it with the theme of Women’s Day Rotterdam (www.vrouwendagrotterdam.nl). Both the Opening Lecture on Friday, October 27th, as well as the Workshops and The Poets and Philosophers Diner on Saturday, October 28, the theme is Stop Violence Against Women. All Poets and Philosophers present will shine their light on the 2017 theme.
Opening
Traditionally we open the Praise Of Folly Festival with the Praise Of Folly Lecture at the Lof der Zotheid monument in Rotterdam. The Lof der Zotheid Monument was donated to the municipality of Rotterdam in 1989 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Friday, October 27
17:00-18:00
Praise Of Folly Lecture 2017
In the Praise of Folly Lecture 2017, we will commemorate the Pakistani Achitecte / Activist Perween Rahman. In 1986, Perween obtained a postgraduate degree in Housing, Building and Urban Planning at the IHS / Erasmus University and she was brutally killed by Pakistani land and property owners in a brutal manner for her office in Karichi in 2013.
18:00-18:30
Cortegé
At the end of the lecture all the attendants will walk in a Cortegé (= march) from the monument to the 250m. further situated literary café House Of Craziness. The participants walk under the musical accompaniment of the French umplugged band Les Anchahuteurs from Nantes.
19:00-20:00
Concert Les Anchahuteurs
On arrival at House Of Craziness, Les Anchahuteurs will play with a set of saxophone a few great pieces of their own repertoire.
Saturday 28 October
12:00-18:00
Various Workshops
12:00-14:00 Create your own book
Under the guidance of Wilma Kun, participants make their own empty book.
14:00-16:00 Dare to write poems
Under the guidance of Herman Coenen, all participants write a poem with the theme Stop Violence Against Women. The poems will be handwritten in the empty books.
16:00-18:00 Draw your own illustrations
Under the guidance of Andy Lo Tam Loi, participants will draw illustrations in the book with poems.
Pay attention!
The workshops cost € 7.50. The three workshops together for € 20, -.
18:00-20:00
The 2nd Praise Of Folly Diner
Poets and Philosophers from Rotterdam will shine their light on the theme Stop Violence Against Women during the Praise Of Folly Diner!
20:00-21:00
Concert Tobias Noë
Singer / songwriter Tobias Noë will close the Saturday with several protest songs in Dutch. His repertoire consists of a mix of happy, hilarious, but also sensitive songs about love & loyalty, art & fraud, money, power and many more business matters that make our lives worthwhile.
Sunday, October 29th
12:00-13:00
Classic Concert Ariadne Verstegen
At Sunday we traditionally open the Praise Of Folly festival with classical music. This time, Ariadne Verstegen plays on her piano some Minimalist Neo Romance pieces composed by herself.
13:00-18:00
The Praise Of Folly
At the third day 68 people will read one for one their favorite chapter of Erasmus book Praise Of Folly. During the reading of this hilarious, sometimes sarcastic masterpiece of Erasmus we will show the orginal illustrations of Hans Holbein de Jongere. This German artist made those illustrations for Erasmus in 1509.
Pay attention!
Apply in House Of Craziness if you also want to read your favorite chapter?
20:00-22:00
Film The Rebel Optimist
At 20:00 we proudly show the Dutch Premiere of the documentary The Rebel Optimist. This documentary shows the life of the Pakistani architect / activist Perween Rahman who was brutally killed in Karachi in 2013. Perween Rahman had a warm relationship with the Netherlands after gaining a postgraduate degree in Housing, Building and Urban Planning in 1986 at Erasmus IHS University. The documentary made by Mahera Omar is currently winning numerous prizes at international film and documentary festivals.