"As a researcher, I engage in creative methods to relate to difficult and polarised issues. During the student protests, some students and I devised an intervention called "empty shoes, difficult steps". We invited people to place a pair of children's shoes in a growing row, representing a child who did not get the chance to grow up. This intervention made a big impression on people, who each, in their own way, took a moment to relate to violence and our role in it with their hearts and bodies. As summer approaches, we invite people to adopt a pair of shoes. In particular, people walking the Vierdaagse and attending the Vierdaagse festival are invited to take a pair of shoes with them on their journey and visibly wear them. In doing so, the shoes will continue to invite people to reflect on the lives that have not been lived to the full."
You can pick up the shoes on the grass field opposite the bike shed of the Maria Montessori building. Extra small shoes are available for marchers, including a free carabiner for attachment. For this, email difficultsteps [at] gmail.com, or visit Marieke's office, room MM 2.018.
*Difficult Steps is an initiative by Amber van den Heuvel, Natascha Köcher, Selin Soycengiz, and Marieke van Houte, in collaboration with various staff and students.
Questions or concerns
Do you have questions or concerns you want to share, or do you need other assistance? Talk to your colleagues or supervisors. You can also speak with a confidential advisor or a campus psychologist. There are also various options available for students.