Ismaîl Mamo

With his debut Mam, ik ben geen crisis (Mom, I’m Not a Crisis), Ismaîl Mamo made a powerful entrance into the Dutch literary scene last year, quickly becoming one of its most distinctive new voices. Born in Kobanî, Syria, he arrived in Ter Apel eight years ago and made a promise to himself: I’m going to tell everyone why I’m here — and why I’m staying.

Since then, he’s been doing exactly that, with remarkable energy and creativity. During Lazy Listeners, Ismaîl will perform Crisis is mijn ex (Crisis Is My Ex), the piece with which he graduated from the ArtEZ Theatre School last year — a moving blend of theatre, music, and personal storytelling.
We invited Ismaîl because his work speaks deeply to what it means to belong — to carry your story and turn it into art that connects people. We found his storytelling to be fearless and tender.
Ismaîl takes his audience on a journey to new places, unexpected encounters, and moments that could only happen to him. There’s homesickness, of course, and plenty of cultural contrasts, but also humor, tenderness, and the joy of surprise. With wit, insight, and heartfelt stories, Ismaîl explores what it means to find your place between two worlds.