REASPORA
'With her white skin, through her Black family history.'
Anne-Fay traveled across three continents, crossing the Atlantic Ocean twice, tracing one single family history—her own. A history deeply shaped by the colonial past of the Netherlands. In the commemorative year 2023, marking 150 years since the abolition of slavery, Anne-Fay’s Reaspora highlights the ongoing impact of this past today.
Anne-Fay has a Black mother who always kept the racism she experienced hidden. Her mother is relieved that her daughter benefits from the privileges that come with having white skin. But Anne-Fay questions: *"Can I, with white skin, stand up for the rights of a Black woman? And how do I use my privileges in the right way?''
Diaspora - Reaspora Anne-Fay and her brother Felix retraced their family’s diaspora (dispersion or migration) in the opposite direction—Reaspora. From the Netherlands, they traveled via Aruba and Curaçao to Surinam and Ghana, searching for the stories of their heritage. The journey to China couldn't happen because of Covid.
They met family, learned about the colonial past of the Netherlands, and made music with local producers. They also created visuals at Plantage Peperpot, on the Atlantic Ocean, and in a former slave fort in Ghana. The music was combined into the album *Reaspora* with producers Morgan Avenue (S10, Naaz) and Jeremia Jones (Damian Marley, Nicki Minaj).
The Creators
Anne-Fay graduated as a dancer from the Fontys Dance Academy and performed for choreographers such as Roy Julen and Monique Duurvoort. As a singer, she was part of the ZO! Gospel Choir for six years and performed alongside artists like Shirma Rouse, Typhoon, Oleta Adams, and Alain Clark.
Filmmaker and brother Felix Kops developed creative concepts for Studio Roosegaarde, Typhoon and the Kunsthal. Together, they founded Cookachoo, a DJ act that performed at Lowlands, Paris Fashion Week, Oerol, and Milkshake Festival. In the music video for the song Twirl, Dries Roelvink danced in voguing style through the Rijksmuseum.
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Anne-Fay’s project Reaspora was nominated for the BNG Bank Theater Prize.
