The Foundations of True Storytelling

In this workshop we work on the foundation of a personal story, a level of understanding that benefits both absolute beginners as well as experienced tellers. You will learn how to compose an effective personal story that has something to say.

This workshop is facilitated by Sahand Sahebdevani.

Curated by Paul Aflalo

Sahand Sahebdivani is an Iranian–Dutch storyteller, musician and founder of cultural centre the Mezrab in Amsterdam.

After the Iranian Revolution, at the age of three Sahebdivani fled with his parents from Iran to the Netherlands in 1983. They were originally headed for Canada, but missed their transfer in Amsterdam, which is why the family ended up in the Netherlands. In his twenties he by chance got the opportunity to become storyteller at the Tropenmuseum, when another Iranian storyteller noticed his hat in the tram. He became motivated to continue his parents’ Iranian tradition of storytelling and music making, which is why he founded the Mezrab in 2004. This started as a monthly gathering in a small teahouse, but within ten years grew into an established cultural center with a multidisciplinary programme of five days per week.

As his cultural center grew, so did his career as an artist. Together with various storytellers, actors and musicians he performs at theatres and festivals across the Netherlands and internationally. In 2014 he was chosen as the Netherlands’ Best Storyteller of the Year. In 2017 together with storyteller Raphael Rodan he won the Amsterdam Fringe Gold Award for their play My Father Held a Gun. In 2020 Sahebdivani’s cultural center won the Amsterdamprijs voor de Kunst (Amsterdam Prize for the Arts) for Best Achievement.