The It Fûgellân neighborhood in Dokkum was given a voice; a voice of those who live, reside, and dream here. Sentences appeared on facades in the neighborhood: simple, personal, special. Not just to be read, but to be felt. It is the latest addition to Pratende Bouwurken (Talking Buildings), the poetic project by Over de Drempel, which travels throughout Friesland, making residents’ words visible in public spaces.
The sentences in Dokkum emerged from meetings in the library, where residents discussed home, connection, and belonging. Poet of Fryslân Arjan Hut and city poet of Leeuwarden Marrit Jellema guided the participants in writing texts, sometimes gentle, sometimes investigative, sometimes full of longing for a home. Now those words are returning, on the walls of their own neighborhood.
A sentence as a meeting place
The facades transform into an invitation: to pause, to read, or to start a conversation. Not about the bricks, but about what lives between the walls. “What does home mean to you?” the wall seems to ask, and the neighborhood listens. Along with about twenty residents, the participants and initiators walked past the houses on IJsvogel, Kievitstraat, and Kwikstaart, where the first four lines of “Pratende Bouwurken” can be read. The conversations along the way were at least as valuable as the words on the walls. For many residents, it was a special encounter with the writers of “their” lines.
“So you wrote that beautiful line!” Mrs. Michon exclaimed enthusiastically when Zee Postmus recited her poem. “Did you know we used to have a rocking chair in Indonesia too? That’s why your line immediately conjured up images for me.” Zee smiled: “Did you know I actually never sit on mine?”
Madelon also shared her experience: “I’ve already been approached three times about the sentence on my wall. One person thinks it’s beautiful, another says: I don’t understand it at all. While: ‘Home can be a human being. Home can be an animal’ doesn’t seem so difficult.” She’ll soon be getting her assistance dog, Leentje, so perhaps the neighborhood will understand the sentence even better then.
Baukje Fokkema said, moved: “I’ll just stay home, I always think… but I’m so glad Anneke has me back.” Her words about cycling along the sea touched not only her, but everyone who listened.
After the walk, residents and initiators took time to meet up again in the library to share stories, drink coffee, and talk about how valuable words can be. A traveling project with Frisian roots
Talking Buildings has previously appeared in Leeuwarden, Sneek, Stiens, Heerenveen, and Harlingen, among other places, each featuring phrases from the community itself. The words in Dokkum add a new voice. Each place brings its own story, its own tone.
A phrase on the wall, a feeling in the street
The phrases in Dokkum are not decorations, but mirrors. They remind passersby that every house can tell a story, and that a single phrase can be enough to bring people closer together.
Leonie from Thús Wonen helped find suitable housing and engaged residents. “The best part is that the texts really resonate,” she says. “Some people love it, others don’t, but it does get people talking to each other—from young to old. That’s what makes it special.”
Collaboration and Support
The project is an initiative of Marrit Jellema and Arjan Hut and is being implemented by Over de Drempel and Writer’s Block, with support from Arcadia and the municipality of Noardeast-Fryslân. The sentences were created by Annabel Adema and Sterre van Bommel. Thanks to the efforts of residents and local partners such as Thús Wonen and the Dokkum Library, the words are being given a visible place in the streetscape and in everyday conversation. The remaining four sentences are expected to be placed next year.
Photo’s: Marc de Fotograaf
