Where do you end, and where does the world begin?
In a society that is collectively overstimulated, it’s time for an honest conversation about the neurological limits of being human. Mental distress rarely exists “just in your head.” How do you move between the personal and the political, between taking up space and making space, between performing and being gentle with yourself, between the worldly and your own worries?
According to neurobiologist Brankele Frank, writer and program maker Sandy Bosmans, and spoken word artist Halima Ikane, it’s time for a meaningful exchange—about mental boundaries, purpose, and a society full of heavy minds. In this poetic talk, the three writers explore questions such as: What secrets does a burned-out brain hold? What happens when you are reduced to a number, a birthplace, or a surname? What do the climate and parenthood have in common? Where do you end, and where does the world begin?
About the participating makers
Brankele Frank reached her psychological limit, wrote a book about it—and got another burnout from that. She studied neurobiology in Amsterdam, London, and Paris, and has written for Hard//hoofd, nrc.next, and Vrij Nederland. Her book Over de kop (Upside Down) was published by Das Mag in 2023. Brankele is a columnist for Het Financieele Dagbladand host of the podcast Let’s Go Mental and the winner of the most recent run of the dutch tv-show De Slimste Mens.
Halima Ikane is a student of Psychology and Education, a daughter, and a fellow human being. With her spoken word performances, she has appeared on stages such as Poetry International, Mensen Zeggen Dingen, We The People, Tell ’Em, and the Arab Film Festival. Recently, she won the Talent Award at the Spoken Awards 2025.
Sandy Bosmans is a spoken word artist, writer, and program maker. She has performed at De Nieuwe Liefde, Mensen Zeggen Dingen, Woorden Worden Zinnen, and Paginagroots. As a poetry slammer, she reached the semifinals of the Dutch Championships in 2016. She was a member and coach at Poetry Circle, wrote her first theater play Thuiskomen(Coming Home), and published in, among others, the collection En ze leefde nog (And She Lived On) and the anthology Hardop (Out Loud).