She is a poet, thinker, performer, and above all a voice you don't just hear, but feel. Aja Monet, Grammy-nominated and deeply rooted in soul, blues, jazz, and resistance, comes to BIRD on Sunday 16 November, with her debut album when the poems do what they do.

Expect a show that scratches and soothes, that opens and summons. Together with her full American band, she brings poetry that sings, trembles, and fights somewhere between memory and revolution, between prayer and protest. After the concert, we’ll pull up chairs for an in-depth talk 'Behind The Rhyme' about the power of language, music, and community. Together with:

Poetry International – for decades a platform that elevates poetry across borders. Based in Rotterdam, this organization makes the power of poetry accessible and tangible worldwide, with a sharp focus on urgent voices and international connection.

Mensen Zeggen Dingen – the collective shaking up spoken word and performance poetry. With razor-sharp texts, raw performances, and a fresh perspective, they bring stories to the stage that go straight to the heart.

The Writer’s Guide (to the Galaxy) – a home for young writers, book nerds, and intersectional feminists. A place where written (and sometimes spoken) word is given the space to grow, challenge, and connect.

Together with Aja Monet, we'll discuss how poetry and music move through communities, how they build bridges between people, and why these art forms still have something to say, something that must be heard. You can buy individual tickets for aja's live performance €23.50 or talk €10.50 and if you want to go to both you can buy a passe-partout ticket €28.50.

Timetable:

Doors: 14:00
Live Performance: 14:30–16:00
Break in the café: 16:00–16:30
Talk - Behind The Rhyme: 16:30–17:15

For fans of: poetry, spoken word, poetry & jazz, a powerful tribute to the women who shape the world, injustice, sorrow, and displacement, while also celebrating love, motherhood, and Black joy. Black empowerment, feminism, social justice and poetry.

Clarice Gargard | Moderator for The Talk

Clarice Gargard is an award-winning journalist, writer, documentary maker and organizer who works at the intersection of journalism, art, social justice, and philosophy/mysticism.

She has worked as an NRC columnist and Resistance Correspondent at de Correspondent, and for BNNVARA, AT5, and VPRO. She is also the co-founder of grassroots organizations Lilith Magazine and Black Pride NL.

In May 2025, her new, critically acclaimed book "From Resistance To (R)evolution" was published, exploring what we as individuals can do to initiate a personal and societal (r)evolution.