OUR SPRING: a letter by Voo?uit dramaturg Kopano Maroga

Hello dear,

It’s been a while. How have you been since we last spoke? Are you keeping warm? Are you remembering to drink enough water? Are you remembering to tell the ones you love how much they mean to you?

It’s been intense, hasn’t it? Stumbling through OUR FALL and finding ourselves suddenly together on the floor. Maybe you’re finding yourself frustrated. Tired. Maybe you find yourself under a cover of red and ochre leaves just wanting to rest, rest, rest. If you are, you’re probably exactly where you need to be.

The general trend of increasing restrictions, going inward, going dark, and a kind of forced entrapment makes me think of the myth of the goddess Persephone. Do you know it? In short: the goddess Persephone was the daughter of Zeus (king of the Gods) and Demeter (goddess of agriculture). She was abducted by Hades (god of the Underworld) and forced to become Hades’ bride and the goddess of the Underworld. Her mother, Demeter, was able to make a deal which forced Hades to release Persephone back into the heavens for half of the year. This is how she became both the goddess of the Underworld and the goddess of Spring. When she descends into the Underworld, she heralds the winter. And, when she rises, the Spring rises with her. In order for anything to rise, to grow, there first needs to be a fall, a period of going dark.

At Voo?uit, we’ve been doing everything we can to give you a safe place to go dark. To go inside and stay warm, sparking ideas and inspiration for when we can rise again. Together. And that time is coming, sooner than you think. The seeds we harvested in OUR FALL are going to bloom into the wildest bouquet, if we remember to keep them safe. If we remember to share wisdoms and insights to keep the fire of inspiration lit within each other. If we remember to share what we can, where we can.

We have a lot to look forward to. And we can only get there if we stay vigilant now. If we protect ourselves and each other and remember that we all have the right to life, to love, to liberty and the responsibility to protect these rights and the rights of others. We can only do that together. We need each other. So let’s commit to being together. Not only in the work of bringing in the harvest but in the joy of enjoying its fruits.

From dark to light

From seed to bloom

From my heart to yours 

See you soon

Kopano Maroga