We Are Here

We Are Here (Amsterdam) is the first large-scale organization of refugees in limbo in the Netherlands. It was established in 2012 to stand up against the structural denial of its members’ right to citizenship. It consists of individuals whose request

We Are Here (Amsterdam) is the first large-scale organization of refugees in limbo in the Netherlands. It was established in 2012 to stand up against the structural denial of its members’ right to citizenship. It consists of individuals whose request for political asylum was denied, yet who cannot (be) return(ed) to their countries of origin. Together with artists and activists, the group has been exploring this possibility of art as a space to rethink the questions of visibility, solidarity, representation, survival, and action. Examples of previous artistic and educational projects (including: Collective Struggle of Refugees. Lost. In Between. Together. New World Academy #2 by artist Jonas Staal and BAK (2013); establishment of artists initiative Here to Support (with artistic practitioners Savannah Koolen and Elke Uitentuis) (2013–today) and We Are Here Academy (2014–today); and Labyrinth, an interactive theater play realized with Frascati Theater, Amsterdam (2014).