Speaking Stones - Leeuwarden City of Literature

Speaking Stones is a literature project about loneliness as part of Leeuwarden Municipality’s Over the Threshold (Over de Drempel) program.

How does loneliness feel, how does it sound, or smell? Through short stories, Speaking Stones wants to make loneliness sensory and, thus, palpable. Five writers held conversations with people who found themselves immersed in loneliness through various causes. These conversations produced a number of immersive stories. In the center of Leeuwarden, you can hear these stories in the midst of the hustle and bustle of people, since loneliness, too, occurs within people, even when they are surrounded by others.

With your mobile phone, you can see where these stories are located through an online platform and, through them, follow the path of eight Speaking Stones and a meeting bench. Hear the stones speak by scanning the QR-codes placed near them.

Writers Remco Kuiper, Gemale Bofunda, Nicole van den Berg, Raymond Muller and Sytse Jansma participated in the creation of the stories, and artist Ineke van der Blom made the stones and the meeting place.

We cannot totally eradicate loneliness, but we can certainly mean something special to someone in our own social circles and community. Do you want that too? Read all about it here.

Speaking Stones is brought to you by a cooperation between Studio Sytse Jansma, Leeuwarden UNESCO City of Literature and Kunstwerkplaats Ineke van der Blom. Special thanks to: Gemeente LeeuwardenOver de DrempelArcadiaHumanitas LeeuwardenNHL Stenden Hogeschool and Provincie Fryslân.

 
"In Leeuwarden, everybody matters"

Locations

Speaking stones

lonesomeone

You’ll find this meeting bench on the lawn near the ‘Grote Kerk’

Bij de Put 17, 8911 GE Leeuwarden, Nederland
Speaking stone

lonesomeone
by Sytse Jansma

De wetten van Martina

You’ll find this stone on the left side of the entrance to dbieb

Blokhuisplein 40, 8911 LJ Leeuwarden, Nederland
Speaking stone

De wetten van Martina
by Nicole van den Berg

'Supervlooi'

You’ll find this stone on the right of the entrance to Tryater

Theatergezelschap Tryater, Oostersingel, Leeuwarden, Nederland
Speaking stone

'Supervlooi'
by Sytse Jansma

Goed vallen

You’ll find this stone on the ride of the entrance to book store Van der Velde

Nieuwestad 59, 8911 CJ Leeuwarden, Nederland
Speaking stone

Goed vallen
by Nicole van de Berg

Gewoon weg

You’ll find this stone near the entrance of ‘Amaryllis jongerenwerk Jimmy’s’

Jimmy's Leeuwarden, Nieuweburen, Leeuwarden, Nederland
Speaking stone

Gewoon weg
by Remco Kuiper

De kavels van het onberijmde land

You’ll find this stone near the bench left of Tresoar’s main entrance

Boterhoek 1k, 8911 EH Leeuwarden, Nederland
Speaking stone

De kavels van het onberijmde land
by Remco Kuiper

De Danser

You’ll find this stone on the left side of the entrance of Kunstruimte H47

Haniasteeg 47, 8911 BX Leeuwarden, Nederland
Speaking stone

De Danser
by Raymond Muller

Ik heb je zoveel te vertellen

You’ll find this stone at the left side of Smoel Kunstwerkplaats

Smoel Kunstwerkplaats, Nieuwe Oosterstraat, Leeuwarden, Nederland
Speaking stone

Ik heb je zoveel te vertellen
by Raymond Muller

The foreign students

On the waterfront of RUG Campus Fryslân, just around the left corner from the front of the building

Beursplein 11, 8911 AN Leeuwarden, Nederland
Speaking stone

The foreign students
by Gemale Bofunda