After finishing his studies in the History of Art and Archaeology at the University of Amsterdam in 2002, Sabry pursued a career in the antiquarian book trade, going on to run a fine art bookstore in Amsterdam, whilst also writing, lecturing, and teaching about art. Later he dedicated more time to his work as a writer and art historian. Coming from a Jewish background, Sabry was also always interested in the Jewish history of Amsterdam and has thoroughly studied the life and work of Jewish artists living and working in the Netherlands in this century. He is currently writing a book about German Jewish emigree artists in Amsterdam in the interwar years. The work will come out in fall 2016, published by the renowned Jewish publishing house Querido. Sabry also has extensive guiding experience, specializing in the culture of the Low Countries. His expertise has a vast thematic scope that incorporates the art, architecture, literature, and cuisine that helped shape the Netherlands as they are today.

After completing his Bachelor Degree in History and a Master Degree in Museum Studies at the University of Amsterdam, Barend worked in several museums both as a curator, guide and researcher. First at the Jewish Museum in Amsterdam where he was initially invited because of his thesis on memorials, but ending up researching Jewish food culture! A complete change of subject, but that ideally suits Barend’s many interests. In Museum het Schip he curated several exhibitions on the Amsterdam School, an architectural style unique to the Netherlands. At the Rijksmuseum he worked in the field in which he majored: the manifestation of colonial history in museums in the Netherlands. Here he researched the provenance history of holy heirlooms of the Javanese prince Diponegoro. At the museums he worked in he encountered stories of works of art or historic objects that got lost over the years, and his latest project is creating a podcast in which he traces down their histories, and with luck the objects themselves. He looks forward to sharing his love for ‘forgotten’ histories with you on his tour.

As a PhD candidate and museum professional Iris is dedicated to making history, culture, and art accessible to a large audience. Her PhD research focuses on the relationships between Dutch colonists and the Indigenous Nations of North America in the early 17th and late 18th century. Iris was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to perform research at the American Indian and Indigenous Studies program at Cornell University. In addition to her PhD, Iris works as a freelance museum professional for the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, the Frans Hals museum in Haarlem, and the Catharijneconvent Museum in Utrecht. Here, she designs educational programs, write texts, and of course creates and gives tours. She recently completed her pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela on foot.