BETA DISINI
On Saturday 17 July we presented the 3rd edition of the online talk show BETA DISINI, or I AM HERE — in the light of 70 years of Moluccan presence in the Netherlands. During the broadcast we dived deeper into the world of Moluccan entertainment over the years up to now, from the Netherlands to Maluku.
Hosts Gerson Oratmangoen and Talita Angwarmasse and their guests took up themes such as historical and cultural awareness, social impact, representation and shared dreams for the future and for younger generations. We also went live to Moluccans in Ambon and Jakarta, and as in previous broadcasts the talks were interspersed with musical and culinary breaks. For this edition we worked on programming and production with Tifa Magazine — an independent news and entertainment platform focused on the international Moluccan community.
Programme For every edition we work with a different partner, hosts and guests. This edition was presented by Gerson Oratmangoen (actor, screenwriter) and Talita Angwarmasse (singer, dancer and actress). Guests included Jessica Manuputty (singer), Benjamin 'Benjih' Vlijt (singer) and Joshua Timisela (comedian). With music by Arles Tita (Jakarta), Mario Yamlean (Merauke), Oceanikz x Ona Hetharua (Ambon) and Putry Pasanea (Ambon). The cooking segment was taken care of this time by Zainal Dean Umarella (caterer), who tells us more about the Moluccan eating tradition of dining off palm leaves on the beach — known as 'Makan Petita'.
Support the museum and join the live audience
In future we want to invite a larger audience to the live talk shows. Would you like to be there? Then support the museum for €25 a year, become part of the audience pool and receive, among other things, free admission to physical and digital exhibitions. For more, click here.
Collections, archives and programmes The MHM helps you get to know and/or immerse yourself in Moluccan history, the arts and culture in the broadest sense. As a heritage institution we manage various collections and multimedia archives. We also develop exhibitions and multidisciplinary programmes together with a changing set of creative and commercial partners. Since last year we have been broadening our focus as an accelerator for artists (through exhibitions such as IKAT) and as a community builder (through online live programmes such as Beta Disini and Molukse Dialogen).
With thanks to
Bobby's Dry Gin Barak 51 Sau
BETADISINI LIVE #2 | SUN 20 JUNE
**Art is essential to anchoring the Moluccan story in the Dutch collective memory — so it was argued during the first BETA DISINI live from Museum Sophiahof. **But to what extent can we speak of the Moluccan story? And what do we regard as Moluccan art in 2021? Are there frames and boundaries? And if so, should artists not break through them precisely in order to explore new paths?
On Sunday 20 June, during the second BETA DISINI live from the studio in Hilversum, we talked with Moluccan artists who have pushed boundaries in their work. We took up popular terms — such as safe spaces, poppy syndrome, call-out and cancel culture — in conversations around the table and on the sofa, interspersed with live music, spoken word performances and a culinary excursion into Moluccan fusion cooking.
Programme This edition of BETA DISINI was presented by Djé-rimo Holle (artist) and Charisma Pical (journalist and producer in media and culture). We talked with Jazzy Taihuttu (teacher and assistant director of the film De Oost and programme developer of De Wereld van De Oost), Tamara Soukotta (PhD researcher at The International Institute of Social Studies ISS of Erasmus University and lecturer at Leiden University), Surya Nahumury (cultural anthropologist / founder of Speak-Up / Welke Sporen Horen We), Mirjam Manusama (fashion designer and founder of Atelier Manusama), Darcy Akollo (spoken word artist), Sarah Anne Rootert (interior designer), Tuale Sopacua (part of artist duo RUA) and Jeziel Sohuwat (head chef of the Moluccan fusion restaurant Ta-Toru).
BETADISINI LIVE #1| SUN 21 MARCH
On Sunday 21 March the Moluks Historisch Museum presented the first livestream broadcast BETA DISINI (I AM HERE) at 12:00. On this day it is exactly 70 years since the first ships carrying large groups of Moluccan families arrived in the Netherlands. The Dutch broadcaster NOS marked this historic fact the same day with a themed broadcast. For referral links see museummaluku.nl/beta-disini-info. Translations in Bahasa Indonesia and English can be found on YouTube as well.
**BETA DISINI was broadcast live on 21 March 2021 from Museum Sophiahof with a range of guests from the fields of art, scholarship, education, sport and music. The programme is multilingual – the main language is Dutch, but it is also partly in Bahasa Daerah Maluku and English. We shine a light on the past decades, with conversations about historical and cultural awareness, image-forming and shared dreams for the future, and performances with music and spoken word by younger generations. With BETA DISINI we want to contribute to a more balanced image of people with Moluccan roots. An image that has too often been determined by what was said and written about Moluccans in colonial times and over the past 70 years.
BETA DISINI was presented by Jeftha Pattikawa (Verloren Banden) and Rocky Hehakaija (Favela Street). Around the table were Jazzy Taihuttu (teacher and assistant director of the film De Oost), Milko Hitijahubessy (activist and columnist), Tamara Soukotta (PhD researcher at The International Institute of Social Studies ISS of Erasmus University and lecturer at Leiden University) and Joaniek Vreeswijk (historian), among others. State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport Paul Blokhuis contributes by means of a video message. The musical contribution comes from Safa Liron, Rafael Sinay, Kick Woudstra and Giorgio Sitanala, among others.
Beyond Walls As a partner, Beyond Walls was responsible for the programme concept and production of the first BETA DISINI Live. Beyond Walls is an independent collective of cultural professionals, academics and (visual) artists. Rastovac is a historian, curator and co-founder of Beyond Walls. Pattipeilohy is an educator, curator and event producer; her followers on social media know her from her work in Maluku (for example with Moluccas Coastal Care). For more about the collaboration see the article below.
MHM JOINS FORCES WITH BEYOND WALLS
#BETADISINI ✨
Fireflies shine their light as a sign of presence. They create new shapes and patterns to hold the attention and to light one another up in the dark. The Moluks Historisch Museum uses the hashtag #betadisini, or I am here, to shine a light on all the Moluccans who gave new shape to their lives after arriving in the Netherlands, and on the generations that followed. **Will you join in? **Download more images in the SOCIALKIT. Post this text on your feed with photos or videos of a Moluccan story that deserves attention, using the hashtags #betadisini (or #ikbenhier) and tag others asking them to join in.
