Everyone has a story. Some make you laugh, others catch you off guard or stay with you long after you've heard them. But what happens when people step onto a stage and share those stories with a room full of strangers? Come find out!
This SG Student Take-Over is brought to you by three students, Mwanton Ngoune, Venkatesh Kannan, and Praise Ibhaze, who believe in the power of storytelling. They've put together an evening of live storytelling and comedy, featuring Rashi Agarwal, Dirceu Da Silva, Kunal Waghray, Justina Segers, and David Allain. Together, these five performers will explore the theme Where It All Began through personal stories and comedy.
From funny encounters to life-changing experiences, expect personal stories, unexpected twists and moments you might recognize from your own life. Every story offers a different perspective on what it means to be human. Just sit back, listen and let yourself be surprised. Who knows? You might even leave feeling inspired to share your own story.
Doors open at 19:00.
Meet the students behind this Student Take-Over
Mwanton Ngoune
“A year ago, I attended a storytelling event in Amsterdam called MEZRAB, where people took the stage to share their experiences, struggles and transformations. Sitting in the audience, I felt strangely at home, despite being far away from home.
The stories could not have been more different. There was a woman who grew up hating herself, a man who cycled from Amsterdam to China through Afghanistan, and someone who found the love of their life at that very show. Yet somehow, each story reminded me of myself. Every laugh, sob, gasp and moment of silence felt like a recognition of something deeply human that we all share.
On my way back to Eindhoven that night, I kept thinking: What if we had something like this in Eindhoven? Where can I have more of this? How can I create a space like this?
A year later, I am joining hands with friends Praise and Venkatesh to make that idea a reality.”
Venkatesh Kannan
“For a long time, watching others share their stories in front of an audience felt absolutely mesmerizing to me. It looked like magic. But whenever I tried to share my own, I would find myself at a loss for words, my stutter getting in the way.
I moved to the Netherlands in 2021 for work, and in 2023, I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone by joining Toastmasters, a local public speaking community. It changed everything. Experiencing that incredibly supportive environment, stepping onto the stage, and feeling the warm reception from the audience made me realize something profound: people actually wanted to hear me.
Toastmasters is also where I first met Mwanton. Later, on a train ride back from a public speaking contest in Den Haag, I met Praise. We started talking and realized we wanted to bring that same feeling, the power of an open, supportive storytelling stage, to Eindhoven.”
Praise Ibhaze
“Over 4,000 km away in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria, is where I grew up, in a cultural melting pot of many Nigerian tribes. So seeing this many internationals made Eindhoven feel like home. Not quite the same, though, but I manage to stay optimistic through the wonderful Dutch weather.
Engineering was always my dream in some form, and I'm glad I got the chance to do it. But when I'm not in front of a computer, I love hearing stories, whether on stage or one-to-one.
I think everyone has a story, and my passion for storytelling began when I met my brother from another mother, Mwanton. It was just another day, and this random guy with a lot of charisma walked up to me. For a second, I thought he owned the building. He came up to me, shook my hand, and talked with me for a bit. I knew there was something different about him, and I knew I needed to stay in touch with him.
It's been one of the best connections I've had, and we exchange ideas most of the time we're together. When he told me about his journey with public speaking, the idea of hosting a storytelling show in Eindhoven was born.
Together with Venkatesh, we began exploring how to create a storytelling stage in Eindhoven. We had our doubts: how we would start, where the funding would come from, how we would organize it, and what location would accept our idea. But seeing people show up, connect and share their stories convinced me that we really could make it happen.”
Natemah – An Eindhoven storytelling initiative in the making
The three organizers share a passion for creating spaces where people can connect through stories. Over the past months, they have also been developing Natemah, an emerging storytelling initiative in Eindhoven. Natemah means “the stories you cannot hunt” in Yemba. Through storytelling, music, comedy and poetry, the initiative hopes to bring people together, inspire and entertain, and encourage more people to find their voice.
Ticket reservation recommended
Students, PhD’s and EngD’s can attend this evening for free, others pay €5. To be assured of a seat, we recommend reserving a ticket (black "order" button).
SG & ITEC for bachelor’s students
Please register for SG & ITEC by scanning your student ID at the venue prior to the start of the program.
More information about SG & ITEC can be found here.