11/10/2025

I’m Niloofar Fouladi, a dreamer. My Art is my biography.

I’m a polyamorous, queer, Filipina-Indian immigrant and writer living in Amsterdam for 13 years. My writing explores the intersection of the roles I play as wife, mother, writer, girlfriend, lover, daughter and explorer (often all at the same time!). I’m the author of the memoir ASK ME HOW IT WORKS: LOVE IN AN OPEN MARRIAGE, published by Viking Books UK, in Dutch as JE MAG ME ALLES VRAGEN, and in German as WIE ES MIR GEFAELLT. It’s the story of how I migrated to the Netherlands with my husband from the Philippines, a conservative Catholic country where divorce is still illegal, and opened our monogamous marriage to an open one. I started working on ASK ME 5 years ago during Covid, and it was published internationally this year. I’ve read my work live at COME ALIVE, a large-scale art exhibit on the power of pleasure, at the PLEASURE SOCIETY poetry slam, BODY ELECTRIC, and SCHMUTZ CINEMA, an arthouse erotic cinema series, and more.

I’m Selim Ferhad, and I’m 29, originally from Azerbaijan and now living in the Netherlands. Music is my way of expressing my rebellion and deepest emotions. Nature has always been my greatest teacher. I’ll play a simple, melancholic piece of my own composition on guitar. I am not a professional musician, it is just love

Hi, I’m Jess. I’m 52 years old and I have a mild intellectual disability.
There was a time when I was attracted to women; back then I thought I was a lesbian. One day, when I watched the TV program Hij is een Zij (“He is a She”), something clicked. I immediately knew: that’s me, a trans man.

People say you ‘come out of the closet,’ but I don’t like that expression. I always say: ‘come out of your cocoon.’

As an ambassador for Transcafé LVB, I give educational talks. My message is: ‘Come out of your little cocoon and become a beautiful butterfly. Just like me.’

I’m Miss Nightingale, or Venuss if you’re feeling cheeky. My passions for dance and costume-making come together in the art of burlesque: a radical form of self-expression that celebrates beauty, identity, and intersectional feminism.

I’d love to share my act “Birth of Venuss,” inspired by Botticelli’s iconic painting, and create a space where creativity and diversity can shine.

I am Emma Voerman. I only discovered at the age of 55 that I am a woman. Since my transition, the part of me I never used to show is finally allowed to exist as well.

I was both a teacher and a master. My very first job was as a social skills trainer. I’m autistic — though I didn’t know that back then. Now I realize that I loved that job so much because it allowed me to teach non-autistic people how to communicate more directly, without circling around things.

Today, I am a writer, illustrator, and storyteller.

For Duraa, who is a word artist, singer-songwriter and theatre-maker, music means both protest and joy. Her work ranges from fierce social criticism to fiery self-love and from bold pieces about sex and sexuality to personal works about this unbearable life. In 2022, she released her debut EP ‘Toen – Nu – Straks’ and in 2023, she made her first solo theatre performance about sexual liberation, full of queer energy and openly discussed taboos. Picture by Rosa Quist.

Aryelle Freeman Hopelezz is a trans woman and Amsterdam based performer and LGBTQIA+ activist. She is performing in the Dutch (queer) and arts scene. She is a member of the House of Hopelezz from club Church, where she does entertainment in the form of drag shows that include soulful lipsynching and dancing. For this edition Aryelle is bringing us her personal story. Don’t miss it!

Famil Zaman is a choreographer and interdisciplinary artist based in Amsterdam, studying at the SNDO (School for New Dance Development). Their practice merges movement-based choreography with fashion, spoken word and vocalization into performances that explore transformation, ritual, and identity, often dissolving the line between stage and audience. Through their alter ego Zaman, they channel personal and ancestral memory into a performative language that challenges time, celebrates softness, and invites audiences into intimate, sometimes unsettling spaces. Their work has been shown at festivals such as FASHIONCLASH and In The Mountains (Berlin), and in long-duration formats at Stevenson Gallery and Brakke Grond. They have also contributed to No Intermission, a project presented by Marina Abramović in Amsterdam.

Srushti Mahamuni is a intersectional feminist activist, queer mama and immigrant. A storyteller and performer, she moonlights as a blogger rambling about pleasure positive sex ed, anti-racism, and feminism. Born and raised in India on a steady diet of Bollywood and biryani, she currently lives in Amsterdam and is raising two kind, badass baby girls!

‘I ain’t got time for self-disgust no-more’ is a 10-minute experimental live performance by Mees Elias (artist, curator, and trans man), in which the performer performs mostly nude. Exposed and unprotected, he opens himself up to the curious, judgmental, and fetishising gazes of others. Meanwhile, he slowly licks, touches, and eats a life-sized pink chocolate replica of his own vulva in an increasingly provocative and sensual way, while keeping steady eye contact with the audience. Where trans* people are often made to feel uncomfortable under the gaze of society, Mees turns the roles around. Through this radical act of bodily re-claiming, he confronts his audience with the same discomfort he so often experiences— but now with confidence, sexiness, and boldness. Before and after the performance, the audience is invited to take a bite of the chocolate vulva themselves: a chance for direct, physical involvement. Not just to watch, but to feel, taste, and respond to the discomfort the piece creates. The performance is accompanied by an original audio track, written by Mees and produced by Martijn Ruytinx, which reinforces the themes.

Dark Web Banshee. Sleep paralysis demon trapped in theater kid’s body. Proudly Polish and proudly an Amsterdammer, she’s going to bring you high concept, fashion, drama and horror.

Coco worked for over 35 years in international development cooperation and gained experience in Africa, Asia, Latin America and The Netherlands as a Diversity and Inclusion expert. In 2019 she represented Dutch civil society at the annual Women’s summit of the United Nations in New York where she stood up for socio-economic and political participation of all women including for safe working conditions and fair labour rights for sex workers. She has a passion for jazz (French Swing, Latin) and blues and likes to sing feminist songs with a bit of humour.

Sex Workers Who Changed History Fashion Show shares the stories of sex workers from around the world who, throughout the centuries, who have fought for women’s and queer rights and against slavery

Sex workers are rebels, fighters, revolutionaries, heroines and heroes!

Sex workers have changed the world!

QAUCASIA is a show showcasing and celebrating queer art from the Caucasus region.

The event creates space for queer stories and identities – loudly and unapologetically – in regions where they’re often silenced.
QAUCASIA envisions a future where coexistence is possible beyond divisive nationalistic ideas, and where queer communities can thrive without fear, embracing their identities with pride and resilience.

Dennis is an Amsterdam based art student with a passion for teaching, specializes in gender and sexuality studies. Passionate about queer acceptance, aims to uplift queer stories in the cultural sector.

Marie is Paris-born, shaped by London, now calling Amsterdam home. Marie has followed art everywhere—from museum vaults to festival tents. With a background in Art History, museums, and collections, she’s drawn to culture that grapples with queer histories, society, technology, and feminism.

Mythologies across Asia held vibrant, fluid understandings of gender and sexuality. For our presentation at Viva la Vulva we will be diving into the queer roots of Hindu and Chinese myths.

We’ll explore a specific tale of gender transformation from ancient India and a story of same-sex love from Chinese lore. Join us to rediscover a past where queerness was woven into the sacred.