The Artistic Pleas

Below you will find the artistic pleas part of the Trial in the park - the trees speak out. These consisted of four representations on behalf of the trees:

  • Roots, poet Gershwin Bonevacia

  • Trunks, composer and musician Thijs van Vuure

  • Leaves, high school students Mus Broer and Noi Vermijs

  • Juices, dancer Kenzo Kusuda

Gershwin Bonevacia - representative of the roots







Gershwin Bonevacia is a poet, writer and performer. From March 2019 to January 2022, Gershwin served as Amsterdam's city poet, writing a monthly poem in Het Parool (Dutch newspaper). He self-published his poetry debut Ik heb een fiets gekocht (I Bought a Bike) in 2017 and single-handedly turned it into an underground classic by selling more than 6,000 copies. In 2021, his new collection of poetry Toen ik klein was, ik was niet bang uit (When I was little, I wasn't afraid) was published by Das Mag publishers and he translated the children's book Change Sings: A Children's Anthem by renowned American spoken word artist Amanda Gorman.

With his characteristic way of reciting, he is regularly part of cultural programs.



Thijs van Vuure - Representant van de Stammen




Thijs van Vuure studied biology and philosophy at the Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam). After his master's degree in biology, he studied instrumental performance and music composition at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (Utrecht), and fine arts at the Rietveld Academy (Amsterdam).

Over the last years, Thijs specialized in composing, arranging, sound design and music direction for theatre and on a regular basis he performs on stage with variable instruments and styles, depending on the concept and context of the performance. Besides this he creates projects where art, philosophy and science and their reciprocal influences are a central theme. Among others he makes site responsive performances and installations. He was part of Collectief Walden, an interdisciplinary collective which performs internationally.



Mus Broer & Noi Vermijs - representatives of the leaves






Mus Broer is a student at the Sint Nicolaas Lyceum in Amsterdam, through the educational program of The Amstelpark - the trees narrate their story Mus came in contact with this project in which the pupils were tasked with preparing and re-enacting the different roles in Trial in the park - the trees speak out in the Parliament of Trees. Mus is actively involved in Fridays For Future, participating in demonstrations and gatherings that contribute to a future livable planet for her generation.

Noï Vermijs is a student at the Gerrit van de Veen college in Amsterdam, where she follows the art+ trajectory; a special curriculum for students who want to develop further in the arts. She is an idiosyncratic multi-talent who acts, draws, films, edits and writes. She is very committed and involved in a future livable planet for her generation to which she contributes through protests, among other things.




Kenzo Kusuda - Representant van de Sappen



Amsterdam-based Japanese choreographer and dancer Kenzo Kusuda is a unique phenomenon in the world of dance. He reveals the poetry of the dancing body in a personal and often breathtakingly intense manner. Kusuda takes the audience to a world filled with imagination. His work is possessed of a mystic beauty that lies beyond the perception of our physical senses. Simply with the body's movement on an almost empty stage, he is able to reveal that which is invisible.

In the days he was studying economics and business management and working part-time at the world’s biggest fish market in Tokyo, Kusuda discovered dance as his form of expression and gained almost immediate recognition with his very personal and intense movement language. Kusuda's work stems from a highly original imagination and aims for a communication with his audience precisely by finding a connection with their imaginative powers.