About the festival
Three lines, many voices Against loneliness
Haiku Brings Us Together: From the Curves of Loneliness to the Threshold of Encounter
Organized by: Between Rivers Foundation – The Hague, The Netherlands
The 6th Haiku Community Festival will take place in December 2026, with the aim of strengthening human connections, addressing loneliness and social isolation, combating racism and discrimination, and encouraging civic participation. Focusing on the neighbourhoods of Spoorwijk and Schilderswijk in The Hague, the festival brings poetry, cinema, visual arts, and music together as a means of fostering dialogue, empathy, and solidarity among residents of diverse cultural and generational backgrounds.
Haiku for every age
Workshops let the youngest poets draw, write and read their own lines next to experienced haiku writers.
Coming up · 2026
The 6th edition
Preparatory Workshops | 18–19 December 2026
Introductory workshops in haiku poetry, painting, and collage will be accompanied by screenings of short films on social themes, group discussions, and informal gatherings. These activities will prepare participants for the main festival while creating opportunities for creative expression, mutual understanding, and meaningful connections.
Main Festival | 22–23 December 2026
A four-hour programme will be organized in each neighbourhood, structured around four central sessions:
- Dates
- 18/19/20/ DEC
- Place
- The Hague
- Call for haiku
- Opening soon
A welcoming gathering where residents can meet, share experiences, and build trust in an informal and friendly atmosphere. Special attention will be given to older adults and people at risk of loneliness and social isolation.
This session will also invite participants to propose and take part in volunteer initiatives, including organized home visits to older adults and others experiencing social isolation, helping to establish a network of local support and human connection.
12 short films exploring loneliness, human connection, and social relationships will be screened, followed by an open discussion with participants and filmmakers, where available.
A collection of six films will also remain accessible online for one month, extending the festival’s reach beyond the event itself and creating further opportunities for discussion, particularly among older adults, care-home residents, and neighborhood communities.
Interactive workshops will invite participants to express their experiences, emotions, and perspectives on social life through haiku poetry, painting, and collage.
Inspired by the themes explored in the films and discussions, participants will work individually and collaboratively to create artworks that reflect their shared experiences and diverse voices.
A shared musical gathering featuring Arabic and Dutch songs will bring participants together through music and collective singing. By crossing linguistic and cultural boundaries, this session will foster a sense of belonging, mutual appreciation, joy, and togetherness.
Archive
Five editions so far
Every edition with its posters, photos, poets and haiku. Open an edition to see everything from that year.
Organisers & partners
Made together
Organised by Stichting Mesopotamië and Stichting Avrasya.
Take part
Write, read, join us
Poets of every age and language can take part when the call for the new edition opens.
Help with the workshops, the readings or on the festival day.
Organisations and media that want to support the festival are welcome.