On the evening of October 30, Suriname’s newly founded creative collective Productiehuis Mamyo hosted its inaugural Mamyo Avond (Mamyo Evening) at Spice Quest, a popular local restaurant, marking the launch of an innovative community-focused performance art initiative designed to break down barriers between experimental creative work and general audiences. The debut event featured three distinct, thematically bold live performances exploring occupation, cultural uprooting, and abortion — three topics that spark widespread public conversation across the Caribbean and global creative spheres — paired with a custom tapas menu crafted exclusively for the occasion by Spice Quest’s chef and owner Patrick Woei, whose culinary offerings were curated to align with the intimate, thought-provoking tone of the night.
The lineup brought together cross-border creative talent: Surinamese artist Maggie Schmeitz presented a searing piece examining the legacy of historical occupation, Dutch creative Gaurie Malhoe led attendees through a visceral exploration of personal and collective experiences of cultural disenfranchisement and displacement, and Dutch performance artist Sofie Kramer traveled specially to Suriname to stage her latest work centered on the often polarizing social debate around reproductive rights. Audience feedback immediately following the event was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, with multiple attendees asking organizers when the next installment of the series would take place, and one guest noting the night was “truly beautiful from start to finish.” That level of engaged, memorable reaction is exactly the core goal Productiehuis Mamyo set out to achieve: art that surprises, challenges viewers to confront new perspectives, and lingers in public consciousness long after the performance ends.
For Kramer, the debut event was far more than a single performance gig. She described the night’s laid-back, warm atmosphere paired with the intellectually rigorous performances as a “perfect combination,” praising the attentive, open energy of the Surinamese audience. Her extended stay in the country left a profound personal impression as well: she explored the country’s pristine interior rainforest, took a moonlit river cruise, spotted a wild ocelot, deepened her understanding of Maroon cultural heritage, read Raoul de Jong’s celebrated work *Jaguar Man* to learn more about Surinamese national history, and connected with local artists including Elena Beelaerts van Blokland, a creative who has published a book documenting her ancestors’ history as plantation owners. “Suriname is entirely one of a kind, I cannot compare it to any other place I have visited,” Kramer shared. “It was a full, immersive cultural deep dive, and I am deeply grateful for every part of the experience.”
The core concept of staging performance art in non-traditional, unexpected public spaces is already well established in global creative scenes, where cafes, restaurants, community centers and other non-theater venues are regularly repurposed to make experimental art accessible to people who may never attend a formal performing arts venue. Productiehuis Mamyo’s new series brings this successful model to Suriname for the first time: for the debut event, a private event space inside Spice Quest was fully transformed into a cozy, intimate pop-up theater, eliminating the formal barriers of traditional performing arts spaces to make attendees feel more comfortable engaging directly with the work and the artists.
Organizers note that at a moment when artificial intelligence tools are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in the creation and editing of commercial and creative media, unscripted live performance offers an irreplaceable, unmediated point of direct connection between creators and audiences. No two live shows are identical, shaped by the unique energy of the room, spontaneous interactions between performers and attendees, and the inherent unpredictability of live creation. For Productiehuis Mamyo, this unique dynamic underscores the urgent value of protecting space for artistic experimentation, upholding full creative freedom for makers, and nurturing unfiltered, personal connections between artists and the communities they serve.
Following the runaway success of the first Mamyo Evening, the collective has laid out clear multi-phase expansion plans. Starting next year, the organization will host Mamyo Evening events on a far more frequent schedule, each staged at a completely different unexpected venue across Suriname. In the long term, the team aims to grow the recurring series into a full, multi-venue performance art festival that draws local, regional and international creative talent. Beyond staging public performances, Productiehuis Mamyo also plans to roll out a slate of artist-led workshops and masterclasses, and develop consulting services to integrate original, site-specific performance art directly into the core programming and creative design of third-party public and private events, rather than treating art as a disconnected, afterthought add-on. The collective’s founding vision holds that intentional, integrated art can elevate the atmosphere of any gathering, evoke genuine shared emotion, and deepen the overall immersive experience for every attendee.