What a mess! What if I hoard memories and life impressions the same way my mom hoards particularly nice carton boxes (which is almost all the boxes that cross her path)? After all, it only becomes a problem once you run out of space. The wardrobe doors no longer stay shut. The dust settles into every nook and corner. I guess it’s time to unpack and throw some stuff out?

Irina Koriazova (1994) is an Amsterdam-based storyteller. Born in a provincial city in Russia, she never thought she would leave. And yet here she is, trying to make sense of her life through telling stories. She has a dry sense of humour and she likes to turn things upside down: a huge scary monster becomes worthy of love, and a victim turns into a protagonist. Irina often hosts and performs at Mezrab, as well at other storytelling venues and events all over the Netherlands. In 2021 and 2022 she performed at the Boslab Theaterfestival together with Sinead O’Brien, mixing mythological and personal stories. In 2023, Irina performed at the Gluren bij de Buren festival, Viva la Vulva festival, Oerol Festival and the Amsterdam Fringe Festival.

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