An event like Bridge to Liberation involves a lot of work. Planning and execution, writing lyrics, choosing the music, you name it. The person responsible for all of this is Alvin Williams. He's the artistic director of the Bridge to Liberation commemoration event.
"We think about what's coming more than a year in advance," says Alvin. "For the September 2024 edition, I already figured out last summer what we were going to do and what story we were going to tell. How could we make an event from so long ago relevant to today? We're coming up with a concept, but we're not fleshing it out yet. Then, at the end of September, the current edition will be performed. I'll be there in case of any problems, if we can't make it due to time constraints or force majeure, if something needs to be changed, and to provide strategic input. Essentially, my work is already done by then, and I can continue dreaming about the next edition."
Soon after the event, Alvin, Nazmiye Oral, and Victor van Vloten begin evaluating and developing scenarios for the next edition. "How can we effectively map out the story I devised over the summer? Around Christmas, Nazmiye, Victor, and I will know the direction and what we'll be developing in January and February. They'll work on this together, and then we'll present it to all the parties involved for approval in April or March. We'll have a presentation in April or March for approval from all the parties involved."
To keep the event interesting, we come up with a new approach to the theme every year. We look at what's happening in the world, now the war in Gaza and a few years ago the coronavirus pandemic. Alvin searches for relevance, a way to convey the impact of war and the value of freedom. "That you are free now is worth a lot," he says meaningfully.
This isn't the only way Alvin finds a point of view. "When there's war, there are many people involved: people fighting the war, civilians, resistance fighters, and, for example, parents with a child at the front." This way, Alvin manages to shed new light on the story of the Battle of Arnhem and make it relevant.
Connection
"A social event can connect a lot of people," says Alvin. "We're always focused on each other's differences, but when we communicate, we discover we actually have so much more in common." That's why Alvin tries to focus on the similarities at Bridge to Liberation. "If you share ten things, the two differences don't matter so much.".
Of all the moments during the event, Alvin finds the flow of people the most rewarding. Around eight o'clock in the evening, the first people arrive, and from then on, the place just keeps filling up. "I'll leave for a bit to wish everyone good luck, and then around ten past eight, I'll walk back through the crowd and see families on blankets, young people, pretty much everyone together.".
When it comes to freedom, Alvin believes that safeguarding others' freedom is crucial. "My desire to feel free shouldn't mean you feel unfree. Freedom means being able to say whatever you want, but if it hurts someone else, I don't want that. True freedom means being able to respect you.".
Remembrance is a moment to reflect. "You're busy with life, but at some point you take a look in the mirror. How are we doing? That's marking, looking back, looking forward, looking in the mirror, remembering. I like to do that, as a society.".
