Loesje is an organisation founded in 1983 in the Netherlands, now having the main office in Berlin. Local Loesje groups are active in about 30 countries around the world, promoting freedom of speech, freedom of expression as well as actions in the public spaces (e.g. workshops, performance, postering) and the idea of creative activism. Warsaw Loesje has been active since December 2008. Among the ideas that are promoted, besides mentioned above, are also intercultural dialogue and multicultural society. Loesje was born in Arnhem, the Netherlands, November 24th, 1983 at 6:40 p.m. and her birth was announced by posters on the streets. Together with a group of nine friends she started her energetic life as postergirl on the streets of Arnhem. The purpose was to develope a new initiative to escape from the continuing downward spirale of the critical political movements of that time. Loesje signs the texts with her own name, to make them more personal, to reflect the clearness and simplicity of the ideas.
By 25 years several dozen Loesje groups of various profile were created in many countries building up a network in Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Some groups are more involved in social matters while others – in culture and art. The flexibilty of Loesje basic ideas let to define the profil of each group and choose the actoins depending on local conditions as well as the number of members of a group.
Activities undertaken by Loesje are to stimulate reflexion as well as creative and constructive thinking and make people realise possibilities of influeancing on their closest surrounding.
Loesje is not an organisation of very formal rules and bureaucracy. Is more of a movement which inspires for activism, expressing your own views and opinions, constructive criticism.
Various Loesje groups are active in different ways to promote their aims but among actions characteristic for Loesje is postering and creative text writing workshops.
Posters, having their specific layout, appear in public spaces being an expression of Loesje members' ideas. Besides, postcard or stickers are practised. Texts used for Loesje posters are often created at creative text writing workshops which aim to stimulate creative and constructive thinking and expressing yourslef by short slogans. One of the forms of creative text writing workshops are creative poetry writing workshops.
Moreover, Loesje also publishes 'Mašta' magazine and book under the name 'Book in 1 Day'.
Warsaw Loesje carries on regular creative text writing workshops which usually take place every last Sunday of the month. Anyone is invited to join (provided a workshop group doesn't consist of more than 10-12 people).
Contact details:
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www.loesje.pl
www.loesje.org
www.creativeacts.org
www.1-day.org
