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june 21, 2017 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2

politics \ p4

Save our friet

The European Commission’s draft law on limiting the consumption of the chemical acrylamide could put local fry shack traditions at risk \6

BUSiNESS \ p6

Consequences of cancer

innovation \ p7

education \ p9

art & living \ p10

Climbing to the top

A cancer diagnosis can mean being sick and the loss of a job, which is why a group of volunteers opened a shop of free products just for cancer patients

A Brussels initiative is training refugees for jobs high in the sky, such as window washer and wind farm maintenance

All change M Museum in Leuven has reopened after five months of renovation. “With this ambitious makeover, we’ve really killed two birds with one stone,” says general manager Peter Bary. “We will be able to use the potential of our vast collection, while at the same time implementing our innovative and visitor-friendly philosophy about what a museum should be these days.”

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Meet the donor detectives

Donor-conceived woman from Antwerp helps others in same position learn their origins Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

Driven by the secrets of her own past, Steph Raeymaekers from Antwerp is part of a team that helps people track down their biological parents.

veryone has the basic right to know where they come from. That’s the principle behind the new Donor Detectives Foundation, in which the children of Flemish and Dutch sperm donors are working together to help people in the same situation find their biological fathers. The team consists of four Dutch and two Flemish women, all of whom were conceived via donation. One of them is Steph Raeymaekers, from Antwerp, who’s also the founder of the non-profit Donorkinderen (Donor-Conceived Children), which facilitates the exchange of experiences between donor-conceived children and fights for their right to know their fathers. When she was 25, Raeymaekers, now 38, overheard that she and her triplet siblings had been conceived via donation. After her father was diagnosed with infertility –

wrongly, as it later turned out – her mother decided to undergo treatment with donor sperm at a private clinic. “Lots of things suddenly made sense to me,” says Raeymaekers. “Most importantly, the fact that I never had a close relationship with my social father,” she says, referring to the man who raised her. This summer, she also found out that her sister doesn’t have the same biological father. The doctor who helped their mother conceive, it turned out, mixed two samples of sperm, believing this would make the treatment more effective. Neither Raeymaekers nor the rest of her family know who the biological fathers are. Until 2007, Belgium had no legislation concerning donors’ privacy, but fertility clinics, as a rule, guaranteed their anonymity. Since 2007, in addition to anonymous donors, fertility centres can also accept sperm from people who are known to the prospective parents, such as close friends or family members. “My parents were told that it was better not to talk about it with us at all, that this would avoid problems,” says Raey-

maekers. “But the long-held secret only undermined our family and had a huge emotional impact.” According to Raeymaekers, anonymity of sperm donors should be outlawed, just like it is in the Netherlands, which banned it in 2004. “Your genetic descent is an important part of your identity, your parents are like a biological mirror,” she says. “The right to know your parents, which is also included in the UN convention on the rights of the child, is fundamental, and so many donor-conceived children are discriminated against.” Fertility centres, in general, favour anonymity because they fear that it would otherwise deter many possible donors and cause a shortage of sperm at a time when demand for fertility treatments is increasing, as more single people and gay couples explore this option. “Donor anonymity works to the advantage of fertility centres because they don’t have to be transparent about their practices,” says Raeymaekers. “Under the current system, however, many donors are people doing it for the money, like students who are looking for extra income, continued on page 5

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS

Heatwave plan launched Temperatures to exceed 30 degrees this week across Belgium Lisa Bradshaw Follow Lisa on Twitter \ @lmbsie

he Belgian Interregional Environment Agency launched the official warning phase of its ozone and heatwave plan on Monday. According to the Royal Meteorological Institute (KMI), there is an official heatwave when temperatures reach 25 degrees for five consecutive days, with three of the days reaching 30 degrees or higher. Temperatures are expected to be between 30 and 34 degrees this week, with slightly cooler temperatures at the coast. Organisations including rest homes and schools will receive warnings and advice about keeping people fully hydrated and out of the sun. Children and the elderly are most at risk of becoming dehydrated and suffering from heat-related illnesses, according to Joris Moonens of Flanders’ Care and Health Agency.

Meanwhile, mayors in West Flanders have implemented a temporary ban on pumping water from streams, other natural bodies of water and from water retention basins. With the warm weather and lack of rain recently, farmers have been turning to water reserves to water their crops, but some municipalities are concerned about shortages and salinization of waterways. West Flemish governor Carl Decaluwé has banned the practice in the north of the province, and the mayors of Ypres and Poperinge have also implemented a stay on the pumping of excess water. As Flanders Today went to press, KMI was predicting thunderstorms on late Wednesday and possibly Thursday. Temperatures are expected to drop to under 25 at the weekend.

Cheaper mobile for Belgians abroad as EU scraps roaming charges Mobile phone roaming charges no longer apply in the European Union. The change also covers Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein and applies to making calls, sending text messages and using the internet. Users should no longer incur any extra costs for any of these activities, whether at home or abroad, within the terms of a provider’s package. The move is “a real European success story,” according to the presidents of the EU institutions in a joint statement. “The EU is there to bring people closer to each other, and to make their lives better,” they said. “By working more closely together, the EU has been able to obtain a concrete positive result for the citizens of Europe.” In effect, using a phone abroad should cost no more than using it at home. One exception is customers of Voo, which may

continue to apply roaming costs under very strict conditions. Voo has no network of its own and so is not able to compensate the charges it has to pay to overseas operators with charges it levies itself for network use. It can charge its subscribers for roaming but only above 60 minutes of calls made, 60 text messages sent and 200Mb of data a day. Phone calls from Belgium to another country are not affected by the change and will still incur higher tariffs than domestic calls. Operators may charge a supplement if a user’s consumption abroad rises above their use at home. Switzerland and Turkey are not covered by the new legislation. The UK is, for the time being, and the issue is likely to form part of the Brexit negotiations. \ Alan Hope

Campaign offers support for elderly victims of domestic abuse Flanders’ welfare minister has launched a campaign to spread awareness of 1712, the free and confidential emergency phone number for elderly victims of domestic assault. Domestic violence among the elderly, as in the rest of the population, can take various forms, Jo Vandeurzen explained: physical, psychological, sexual and financial, as well as neglect and the denial of rights. Research shows that the prevalence of examples is roughly the same among the elderly as other age groups. The Flemish reporting centre receives about 500 calls a year, or roughly 10 a week. However, it is thought that many cases – as

many as 50% of the total – are not reported, creating what experts refer to as a “dark number” of cases. Last Thursday was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, with an emphasis this year on financial abuse, where the victim is dependent on the abuser for financial support, including support for medical care. The 1712 campaign aims to raise awareness of the existence of help for this type of abuse, as well as to encourage discussion about tackling the problem. The number 1712 offers help to victims of all forms of abuse, including domestic abuse among younger people and children. All calls are free and confidential. \ AH

Bookmine turns whole of Antwerp into community library bookmine.be

The city of Antwerp is testing a digital platform that allows residents to borrow books from each other, turning the city into one giant library. Bookmine is the brainchild of 26-year-old Bastien Lauwers. “There are already ways to exchange books, such as free bookcases where you can take one of the books on offer and put another in its place,” he says. “But I wanted to aim for an even wider audience.” The idea to let people lend books to each other caught the attention of the Antwerp library system, which helped Lauwers develop his platform. As well as borrowing and lending books, Bookmine brings people into contact with others who have the same literary tastes, leading to a community of users who can give each other recommendations. Readers go to the Bookmine website, create a profile and make a list of books they have available to lend or exchange for another book. The more people who take part, the larger the virtual library gets. Users can then browse the collection and pick out a book to borrow, or join the community to ask for advice or for a particular title. To hand over the books, people can contact each other via the Bookmine chat facility. “A project like Bookmine is the library of the future,” said Caroline Bastiaens, Antwerp city councillor for culture. “The city becomes one big library where people can meet, borrow books and inspire each other.” \ AH

€168 million

€49 million

63% Belgians signed up for the BE-Alert system, launched last week, which provides text message warnings in cases of emergency situations. The system was tested in 33 municipalities over the last two years

of Brussels police officers are bilingual according to figures from January. Among native Dutchspeakers, the figure is 94%; only 46.5% of French-speakers are bilingual

raised by the Limburg investment agency LRM last year from the sale of Punch Powertrain to the Chinese group YinYi, bringing the agency’s resources to €390 million

birthday of Ketnet, Flemish public broadcaster VRT’s children’s channel, to be celebrated with a party at Sportpaleis in Antwerp on 30 November. People in their 20s and 30s who grew up watching the channel are invited

cost of clearing up 17,500 tonnes of litter in Flanders in 2013, according to figures from environment minister Joke Schauvliege in a parliamentary answer

june 21, 2017

WEEK in brief Self-employed women who have recently given birth will now automatically receive 105 free service cheques, the government has said, intended to make housework slightly easier. The right already exists, but last year some 650 eligible recipients did not apply for the cheques. However, the social insurance organisations did pay out 477,192 cheques to new mothers. Ostend is introducing “heat brigades” charged with making sure there are no animals locked inside cars in warm weather. The idea came from the Blue Cross Ostend. Animals are often left in empty cars, where the temperature can rise to 60 degrees and more. Inspectors will call police each time an animal is found. The Brussels Region has 166 ministers, mayors, councillors and OCMW chairs, more than Antwerp (64) and more than Berlin (71) and Paris (42) combined, according to research by the Free Universities of Brussels (ULB and VUB) commissioned by Brussels minister-president Rudi Vervoort, who aims to cut the number. A reduction of one-third, researchers found, could mean a saving in public spending of €1.7 million a year. Buses, cars and taxis should shut off their engines when they are not moving, according to a member of the Brussels parliament, Anne-Charlotte d’Ursel. The problem is particularly prevalent among public buses, which tend to let their engines idle while they are at a terminus waiting to set off again. Such a practice leads to noise nuisance, fuel waste and unnecessary air pollution, she said. The federal government is looking into moving the population registers of all 589 municipalities to the cloud, according to home

face of flanders affairs minister Jan Jambon and digital agenda minister Alexander De Croo. Population details would be available for consultation by all government levels, with changes of address automatically notified to banks, telecoms providers and health insurers. The ministers aim to have a bill ready in the autumn. Investigators into the sudden death of a 29-year-old woman who died after drinking in a bar in Izegem, West Flanders, have confirmed that traces of methanol were found in one of the vodka bottles in the bar. The bar was immediately closed but so far no charges have been brought. The recent marriage of Sharia4Belgium leader Fouad Belkacem to the mother of his children will not shelter him from possible deportation once he is released from prison, federal justice minister Koen Geens has said. Belkacem, from Morocco, is serving 12 years for membership of a terrorist organisation and married while in prison. He is said to fear that his naturalised Belgian nationality will be taken away when he is released. The federal parliament has rejected a proposal to extend the period of time a terrorism suspect can be held without being brought before a court from 24 to 72 hours. The vote was 97-52 in favour, short of the two-thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment. The measure would also have extended the detention time for all other offences from 24 to 48 hours. The Oosterweel project to close the Antwerp ring road has attracted applications from 15 architects from across the world, according to Alexander D’Hooge, in charge of the project. One entrant is Flemish, with others from the UK, Germany, the US and Japan. Before the summer recess, five teams will

be given the job of designing one of five sections of the ring. The court of appeal in Antwerp has confirmed the sentences handed down to senior members of the Limburg-based Aquino drugs gang, ranging from six to 10 years in prison. Lucio and Rafael Aquino and Nico Beckx were convicted of involvement in a criminal enterprise that has imported at least 2.4 tonnes of cocaine to Limburg from South America. A power cut at Brussels Airport last week led to chaos because the airport does not have enough personnel to keep passengers informed, a spokesperson said. Many passengers had to wait outside the terminal, with delays developing because all baggage had to be screened manually using emergency generators. Flights were delayed or cancelled as a result, while some passengers had to take off without their luggage. Virtually every product found in Belgium’s shops is more expensive than in at least one neighbouring country, according to figures from the EU’s data service, Eurostat. On average, a basket full of groceries is 10% cheaper in the Netherlands and 5% cheaper in Germany. Bread is 18% cheaper in the Netherlands and meat 13% cheaper. For dairy products, Germany can be up to 25% less expensive. Only in the fruit and vegetable category is Belgium competitive, at up to 20% cheaper than in France. Unizo, which represents the selfemployed, has described as “unacceptable” a change to the VAT laws that allows tax authorities to pursue cases up to seven years in the past, while the general rule in force limits investigations to three years. In the past, the term could be extended where there was serious evidence of fraud.

OFFSIDE What light through yonder window breaks Leuven’s city theatre celebrates its 150th anniversary in September, and it has just announced an extraordinary production to mark the event. The theatre, on Bondgenotenlaan, which joins the station to the city centre, will present 96 interpretations of the famous balcony scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The choice is not accidental. Romeo and Juliet was the first play ever staged at the Stadsschouwburg when it opened on 3 September 1867, designed by architect Edward Lavergne and intended to replace the Frascati Hall, which was torn down to make way for the stately Bondgenotenlaan. The

The balcony scene, as imagined by Ford Madox Brown

theatre suffered severe damage in the First World War and only opened again in 1938. There then followed the Second World War,

further damage, and closure until 1952. The marathon balcony scene has been made possible by the participation of professionals and amateurs from disciplines across the cultural spectrum: theatre of course, classical music, youth theatre, opera, jazz and even circus. In addition, traffic in the street outside will be diverted for a pop-up garden, while the building will house a 24-hour people’s ball, hosted by local DJs. Food trucks will be on hand, and there are organised tours of the building. The birthday celebrations start on 23 September at 16.00, and last for 24 hours. \ AH

André Gantman Kunsthuis, the collective title for Flanders’ opera and ballet, has announced the composition of its new board, which will be in place for the next five years. It will be chaired by André Gantman, a lawyer and politician. Gantman, 66, was born in Antwerp to a father who had spent time in a Russian POW camp, and a mother who had narrowly escaped being sent to Auschwitz. Gantman has been closely associated with Jewish organisations in Belgium. In 2008, he published a moving family autobiography that was also a reflection of the political switch in Flanders around the turn of the century from supporting Israel to support for Palestine. Gantman studied law at the Free University of Brussels (VUB), with a degree in European law and a master’s in international and comparative law. He has been a member of the Antwerp bar for 30 years and is married to emeritus professor Hélène Casman, a specialist in family law. They have two sons. He is also a politician representing N-VA in Antwerp. Previously a member of Open VLD,

he was Antwerp city councillor in charge of staff and legal affairs. He played a major role in de-politicising and modernising the city’s administration, leading HRmagazine to remark that Gantman was “on the right track to pilot the city services of Antwerp out of the Middle Ages and into the 21st century”. In 2000, however, he resigned from the board in the wake of a tax fraud investigation involving an Israeli business. Gantman received an 18-month suspended sentence for breach of trust and money laundering. He switched parties, joining N-VA in 2012 and becoming fraction leader the following year. He is joined on the board of the opera and ballet by former footballer Roger Claeys, longstanding board member Miet De Bruyn, Ghent city councillor Christophe Peeters, Antwerp city councillor Philip Heylen, Ghent professor Peter Vandamme and National Lottery representative Kiki Vervloesem. Eddy Guilliams of Audit Vlaanderen and Antwerp provincial councillor Bert Corluy represent the Flemish government on the board. \ Alan Hope

Flanders Today, a weekly English-language newspaper, is an initiative of the Flemish Region and is financially supported by the Flemish authorities. The logo and the name Flanders Today belong to the Flemish Region (Benelux Beeldmerk nr 815.088). The editorial team of Flanders Today has full editorial autonomy regarding the content of the newspaper and is responsible for all content, as stipulated in the agreement between Corelio Publishing and the Flemish authorities.

Editor Lisa Bradshaw DEPUTY Editor Sally Tipper CONTRIBUTING Editor Alan Hope sub Editor Bartosz Brzezi´nski Agenda Robyn Boyle, Georgio Valentino Art director Paul Van Dooren Prepress Mediahuis AdPro Contributors Rebecca Benoot, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Sarah Crew, Emma Davis, Paula Dear, Andy Furniere, Lee Gillette, Diana Goodwin, Clodagh Kinsella, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Arthur Rubinstein, Senne Starckx, Christophe Verbiest, Denzil Walton General manager Hans De Loore Publisher Mediahuis NV

Editorial address Gossetlaan 30 - 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden tel 02 467 23 06 flanderstoday@ackroyd.be subscriptions tel 03 560 17 49 subscriptions@ackroyd.be order online at www.flanderstoday.eu Advertising 02 467 24 37 advertising@ackroyd.be Verantwoordelijke uitgever Hans De Loore

\ POLITICS

5TH COLUMN Pandora’s box

Flanders has been watching recent developments in Brussels with mouths agape. Reports that Brussels-City mayor Yvan Mayeur (PS) made money off an organisation that organises homeless shelters were beyond most people’s imagination. In the end, Mayeur had to step down, as even his own party could not justify his behaviour. PS, the French-speaking socialists, have been blamed for much of what goes wrong in Brussels. In Flanders’ view, the way Brussels is governed is much too complicated, with 19 municipalities, one regional government and two language communities having their say. This has led to absurd situations, such as parking regulations differing from one side of the road to the other. Now it has been revealed that Brussels institutions also harbour a number of obscure organisations that are financially advantageous to numerous Brussels politicians, both Flemish and French-speaking. Simplification and slimming down seem the obvious answers. The Flemish have always favoured transferring power from the municipalities to the regional level, which they see as a more efficient government branch in the capital. This idea has little support among French-speaking politicians. The 19 municipalities are their local strongholds, divided up between the two large parties PS and MR. Just as Flanders finds it hard to merge smaller rural municipalities, one can imagine how much resistance there is to a similar operation with much larger populations and more politicians to defend their power bases. When talk turns to simplification, Brussels’ French-speakers often point to the Brussels parliament. As a protected minority, the Flemish have a guaranteed representation of 17 out of 89 seats in parliament. Reducing the number of MPs would thus mean reducing the number of Flemish in power. Also, it would open another round of state reforms, as the protection of the Flemish in Brussels is linked to a number of other compromises. Is that what the Flemish want? their francophone colleagues ask. Everyone agrees that Brussels needs to take a long hard look at itself and that more transparency and efficiency is needed. But adjusting the Brussels institutions opens up a Pandora’s box. Then again, some argue, nothing could be worse than the spectacle we have witnessed in recent days. \ Anja Otte

Samusocial owes €2 million Investigation of homeless agency in Brussels continues Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

he Brussels office for the homeless owes more than €2 million to its parent organisation, social aid agency OCMW, according to Bruzz. The whole Samusocial board stepped down earlier this month over attendance fees paid to some board members, including Yvan Mayeur, who was forced to resign as mayor of Brussels-City. According to documents leaked to the press last week, the OCMW provided Samusocial with three buildings free of charge, as well as 109 members of staff. Samusocial had to pay OCMW €800 a month each for 65 of those staff, but the costs were covered by a variety of subsidies. OCMW charged Samusocial for a laundry service and for parking spaces, but payment was made late or not at all. The documents reveal that for the laundry service alone, there is an outstanding bill of more than €500,000. Samusocial’s total debt to the OCMW amounts to just over €2.2 million. In related news, Brussels-City’s prospective new mayor, Philippe Close (PS) has been accused by the federal Court of Auditors of failing to disclose seven posts he held in 2015, alongside 21 posts both paid and unpaid that he has declared.

Hiring practices questioned

Close (pictured) has been nominated to take over from party colleague Mayeur, who stepped down over payments he received for attending meetings of Samusocial that reportedly never took place. The French-speaking socialists have come under scrutiny since it was discovered that Mayeur –

former chair of the social aid agency OCMW, which runs Samusocial – and his successor, Pascale Peraïta, were paid €17,000 each by the homeless charity. Mayeur resigned, and Peraïta is on an unpaid leave of absence. It was also reported that close relatives of members of PS had been given priority for jobs within Samusocial. Among them were the daughter of Laurette Onkelinx, president of the Brussels wing of the party, and Peraïta’s two daughters. Other reports said Mayeur’s brother had also been recruited. A full judicial investigation has been launched into the Samusocial affair. An investigating magistrate has been appointed, giving the enquiry a wide range of legal powers, including search warrants, subpoena of documents and interviewing witnesses. In Antwerp, meanwhile, opposition parties on the city council are looking into what they say are unexplained payments made to two deputy chairs of the social aid agency OCMW. The pair are paid €80,000 a year before taxes, the same as city councillors with special responsibilities, but opposition SP.A and Groen claim it is unclear what they are being paid for.

Flanders strengthens foreign affairs team during Brexit negotiations

New tax to tackle empty and neglected buildings in Antwerp

The government of Flanders is employing extra staff to strengthen its foreign affairs department for the duration of Brexit negotiations. The measure was taken to safeguard related Flemish economic interests, minister-president Geert Bourgeois has said. Britain’s exit from the EU could have important economic consequences for Flanders, with the value of annual exports from Flanders to the UK about €27 billion. The government wants to monitor the negotiations as closely as possible, so three extra staff members will be hired at the foreign affairs department for the length of the talks. The new employees will each focus on a different domain: the implications of Brexit in the EU, the implications in the UK and the impact

Antwerp city council has announced a new tax on unused buildings. The tax will apply to houses and other buildings left unoccupied, allowed to decay in appearance or that have been declared unfit for human habitation. The move, the council said, is part of the fight against slum areas in the city. By forcing the owners of buildings to keep them maintained properly, the stock of available housing in the city can be increased, it said. From this year, the Flemish government’s own tax on run-down buildings ends, with the Antwerp tax replacing it locally. Subsidies will be available for renovations carried out to commercial premises to convert them into housing.

outside the EU, with special attention to EU trade policy and external relations. “Strengthening the Brexit team is no luxury if you consider the possible consequences of the UK’s exit for Flemish trade,” said Bourgeois. “It’s crucial that we not only monitor the negotiations closely but also proactively defend Flemish interests on an intra-federal and European level and with foreign partners.” \ Andy Furniere

For properties declared unfit for occupation, the tax amounts to €3,500 plus €1,200 for each bedroom. For buildings allowed to become dilapidated in appearance, the tax amounts to €55 per square metre, starting at €2,000. For a building found not to be wind and watertight, the owner must pay €6,000. “Outward neglect, the creation of slums and unsuitable housing are disturbing, create a feeling of insecurity and have a negative effect on the whole neighbourhood,” said Koen Kennis, city councillor in charge of finance. “With our fight against inoccupancy and dilapidation, we hope to make the city more appealing for companies to set up here, and to help residents find more suitable homes.” \ AH

Court rules Arco settlement unconstitutional A government guarantee created by former prime minister Yves Leterme (CD&V) to protect the savings of members of the Arco organisation is in breach of the constitution, according to the Constitutional Court. The ruling is seen as a victory for a group of ordinary shareholders at the defunct Dexia bank, who lost their investments, while Arco members saw theirs partially protected by the guarantee. Arco was the investment wing of the Christian democrat ACW movement, which now goes by the name beweging.net. When Dexia collapsed in 2011, wiping out the investments of many shareholders, including Arco members, the government led by Leterme – a Christian democrat closely affiliated with the ACW – extended the government guarantee, which exists for holders of savings accounts, to 80,000

Arco investors. According to the Constitutional Court, the guarantee was aimed at one specific group of people, which means it is discriminatory under the Constitution. The verdict has been anticipated for some time. The Court had previously sent a number of questions to the European Court of Justice for clarification and was told at the end of last year that the guarantee was in breach of EU laws. Federal finance minister Johan Van Overtveldt (N-VA) said that because the ruling had only just been issued, it was being studied by the ministry. “The first signs are that this is in line with what the European Court of Justice had decided,” he said. “We will have to be very careful when we come up with possible solutions that could be applied to this case. Anything

that comes to the table will have to be legally watertight. The uncertainty has gone on long enough.” \ AH

\ COVER STORY

june 21, 2017

Meet the donor detectives Steph Raeymaekers’ quest brings ethics of donor conception into question

DONORKINDEREN.COM continued from page 1

without fully grasping the consequences.” Centres pay up to €80 for a sperm donation. Another argument for keeping donors’ identities hidden is that children conceived from their sperm should not be involved in their life. “Even if the donors made a naive decision at one point in their life, by now they should have realised that giving sperm is not like giving blood,” says Raeymaekers. “Their decision resulted in new human beings who are the most affected by it.” If donors are angry, she continues, “they should be angry at the fertility clinics, the doctors and the policymakers who didn’t inform and prepare them sufficiently.” Raeymaekers has recently received death threats, which she says prove that certain donors are angry about the possibility of being identified. She reported the threats to the police. “The person accused me of going after my biological father’s inheritance, which is of course nonsense,” she says. Part of the reason she’s determined to locate her biological father is to do with finding emotional comfort. Then there is her health. A few years ago, Raeymaekers was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited eye disease that gradually reduces her sight. She’s worried her own children could have inherited the disease. For now, they don’t show any of the symptoms, but a genetic test when they’re older could reveal whether or not they also have the disease.

DONORDETECTIVES.NL

databases: FamilyTreeDNA, 23andMe and Ancestry. With the DNA kit, they collect some saliva or take a cheek swab and send the sample to the database, where their DNA is linked to their profile, allowing them to look up people with a similar genetic makeup. Once they match with someone

Such a sudden intertwining of lives is of course a very complex matter. It affects many people, so it requires a lot of cautionary effort “I have RP because of a combination of my mother and my biological father’s genes,” Raeymaekers says. “I want to warn my possible half-siblings, so they are aware of the risks.” The key for donor-conceived children to finding their biological father lies within their DNA. Through the Donor Detectives Foundation, Raeymaekers and her five partners inform their peers about the ways they can track down the missing link in their life, by providing advice online and through training sessions. People are first advised to order a DNA kit from one of the three main international private DNA

in the database, the next step is to create an accurate family tree. This can be done by looking through obituaries and online genealogy communities. With the help of a detective who specialises in family history, one of the Dutch founders of the Donor Detectives Foundation followed the steps and was able to find her biological father. In her case, the man reacted positively and was more than happy to establish a relationship with her. “But such a sudden intertwining of lives is of course a very complex matter. It affects many people, so it requires a lot of cautionary effort,” says Raeymaekers, who

recently tracked down one of her ancestors in Canada and is now developing a family tree to discover her roots. In the meantime, she’s lobbying for changes in the Belgian legislation, so that future donorconceived children don’t have to face the same difficulties. In recent years, several parties have proposed legislative changes, but progress is slow. While the Christian democrat CD&V and the nationalist N-VA are in favour of abolishing anonymity, liberal Open VLD wants to keep it. Apart from the anonymity issue, Raeymaekers is also calling for the creation of a national register that would collect the data from all donors. This central system, she says, would ensure that donors respect the maximum limit of donations. The 2007 legislation says that donors can only provide sperm to six women, but because hospitals don’t communicate with each other, many men get away with going over the limit. According to Raeymaekers, such a national register should also be linked to registers from abroad. This would help prevent scandals like that of a sperm donor from Denmark who carried a severe genetic disorder and whose sperm was used by fertility clinics around the world, including Belgium. In 2012, it emerged that several of his offspring had neurofibromatosis 1, also known as Von Reckling-

Raeymaekers says concern for her children’s health is driving her desire to track her biological father

hausen’s disease, which causes tumours, bone deformities, learning disabilities, vision disorders and epilepsy. The disease also increases the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Of the 19 children who inherited the disease, three live in Belgium. One recent success for donorconceived children is the Belgian

DNA database, which will be launched next year. An initiative of the Flemish welfare minister Jo Vandeurzen, the database was created to enable mothers to reunite with children they were forced to put up for adoption. It should also allow donors and donor-conceived children to find their biological family.

\ BUSINESS

week in business Food Greenyard The fresh and prepared fruit and vegetable group, headquartered near Mechelen, is to pay €93 million to take over the Polish Mykogen Polska, specialised in mushroom substrate. The company, which has four production units in Poland and Ukraine, employs 300 people.

Banking KBC Flanders’ largest financial institution has finalised the acquisition of the United Bulgarian Bank and its affiliate Interlease for €610 million.

Transport Asiana Airlines The Korean airline is considering opening a direct connection between Seoul and Brussels Airport this year. Meanwhile, the African RwandAir is to start a twicea-week service between Kigali and Brussels from July.

Drinks Coca Cola The Brussels-based services affiliate of the US drinks group is to make up to 75 employees redundant out of a total of 220 as part of a panEuropean cost-cutting plan.

Retail Habitat The Belgian affiliate of the UK-based home and decoration company is to close its two stores in Brussels and Antwerp following a drop in sales and supply problems with the group’s French master franchiser. The company has been in Belgium since the mid-1970s.

Chemicals Christeyns The Ghent-based chemical and detergent company has inaugurated a production unit in Brazil to supply the local industrial and professional textile cleaning market.

Home Services Trixxo The Antwerp-based home care company is to take over Clixxs, its competitor in Bilzen, to create the country’s largest firm in the business, employing more than 3,500 household cleaning personnel.

Data processing NGData The Ghent-based customer experience management company with offices in New York and Singapore has taken over the Eccella data management and analytics consultancy, headquartered in New York, to develop its activities in the US.

Calls for investigation into animal abuse at chicken farm Undercover footage shows violent treatment of newborn chicks Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

lemish animal welfare minister Ben Weyts has asked inspectors to investigate claims that a chicken factory in Tielt, West Flanders, has been abusing newborn chicks. The revelations were made by the activist group Animal Rights, which was also responsible for releasing undercover video of malpractice at a pig slaughterhouse, also in Tielt, earlier this year, leading to reforms in the industry. Animal Rights’ latest images show how newborn chicks are selected the minute they hatch. Those considered unsuitable – too small or showing signs of abnormalities – immediately have their necks broken by hand (pictured). On other selection lines, the chicks are drowned in a bucket of water or simply thrown into

waste bins. The factory produces chickens for poultry production facilities, which then raise them for sale. Animal Rights also released video from two other facilities, in Antwerp province and in

West Flanders, which shows newborn chicks being fed a protein-rich diet for six weeks before being slaughtered. “The chickens can hardly stand up, and have the greatest difficulty walking,” an Animal Rights spokesperson said. “They are suffering stress because normal chicken behaviour, such as rooting around and dust-bathing, is impossible.” Animal Rights said the problem was not limited to the one company shown in the video but occurs throughout the whole sector. “Practices such as those seen in the images are not exceptional,” campaign co-ordinator Benoit van den Broeck said. “Flanders is full of hatcheries and poultry factories where such things are commonplace.”

‘Beer train’ to replace thousands of lorries on Belgian roads

No extra charges for electronic payments from 2018

Brewer AB InBev and supermarket chain Delhaize have launched a “beer train” that will remove the equivalent of 5,000 lorries from the roads every year. The rail link between the Jupiler beer production centre in Jupille, Wallonia, and the Delhaize distribution centre in Ninove in East Flanders was launched last week. “Of course, road transport is essential to every distribution system, but Delhaize wants to look wherever possible for sustainable modes of transport, such as rail, waterways and other alternatives,” said Delhaize CEO Denis Knoops. “I’m very proud that this partnership has succeeded in pulling thousands of lorries a year from the roads. I hope this is only the beginning and others will follow our example.” Fewer lorries on the roads means less congestion and less carbon

Starting next year, it will be illegal for retail outlets to charge customers paying with bank cards, federal minister of consumer affairs Kris Peeters has announced. Currently, customers may be asked to pay a fee to use a bank card, particularly if the amount to pay is under a certain total. The law, which comes into force on 1 January, follows a new EU guideline on payment systems, which forbids retailers from charging customers for using the main electronic systems, including Bancontact, Maestro, Mastercard and Visa. Member states are free to extend the rule to other payment systems if they choose. “Bank cards are more frequently used as a payment method,” Peeters said. “From the beginning of 2018, extra costs for payments made using bank cards will no longer be allowed. Economy ministry inspectors will see to it that this is being enforced.” Belgians used their bank cards to make 1.96 billion retail transactions last year. \ AH

dioxide output, said Alexander Soenen, logistics director for Leuven-based AB InBev. “We have set ourselves the target of reducing CO2 emissions by 25% by the end of 2017,” he said. “This project will certainly make a contribution. And we will also help reduce traffic jams. The lorries normally follow the classic route of the E40 and the Brussels Ring.” As well as AB InBev and Delhaize, the project includes transport company Remitrans of Ninove, Brussels-based transport experts Lineas and the province of East Flanders. \ AH

Colruyt invests €75m to cut carbon footprint Supermarket chain Colruyt is investing €75 million in renovating more than 200 of its stores to operate on low energy. The project will run for 12 years, with the aim of cutting the chain’s carbon dioxide output by 4%. Ten years ago, Colruyt committed that all its new buildings would be lowenergy. The latest stage of the plan to cut the company’s environmental impact involves renovating older stores – 234 from a total of 516, mainly Colruyt and OKay branches. One of the first renovated stores is due to open in Knokke this week, with progress expected at a rate of about 20 stores a year. “Renovating to save energy involves extra insulation, making the place more airtight and introducing new technology where necessary, in every store more than 10 years old where we are the owner,” explained Koen Baetens, Colruyt Group’s director of technical services. “Thanks to this investment, the group’s carbon dioxide emissions will go down by 4%, roughly equivalent to what 1,975 houses produce from heating in a year.” Some of that new technology includes heat pumps for warm water, propane- or propylene-powered refrigeration installations, and heating powered by heat recycled from refrigeration units. Electricity is 100% green, meaning no fossil fuels have been used in its production. Later this year, the first OKay stores using no fossil fuels at all will open. \ AH

Friet culture could be at risk if Europe passes fried food regulation The traditional way of making fries in Belgium – recognised as protected cultural heritage by the government of Flanders – could be in danger, tourism minister Ben Weyts has suggested. The EU has drafted a new law that would limit the chemical acrylamide from reaching consumers. Acrylamide is a natural result of frying some foods at high temperatures. Potatoes in particular produce what some experts consider to be a dangerous level of acrylamide, which is being studied as a cancer-causing chemical. If requirements are made to alter methods of cooking to limit acrylamides to a certain level, the fries would have to be blanched – or pre-cooked – before being delivered to frietkots and other outlets. That would mean those outlets would not be able to fry them twice – a Belgian tradition that has made the country’s fries famous around the world. In a letter to European food safety commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, Weyts said he supported

efforts to minimise consumption of acrylamide. “It is important, however, to think carefully and not take measures that have unintended and far-reaching consequences for our rich gastronomic tradition,” he said. The government’s heritage recognition covers the knowledge and traditions of the friet culture, as well as the famed frietkot – the roadside stands where frieten are sold with all the toppings. \ Lisa Bradshaw

\ INNOVATION

june 21, 2017

Dressing with care

week in innovation

Free clothes ‘shop’ opens in Antwerp for cash-strapped cancer patients Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

FACEBOOK.COM/HUISKLAAS

ancer doesn’t only ravage a patient’s body, it can also severely damage their financial situation, to the extent that buying things like new clothes becomes a luxury they can’t afford. That’s why volunteers in Antwerp have set up the Huis Klaas, a centre housing clothing donations where cancer patients can “shop” for free. Last month the volunteers created a “clothes shop without a cash register” in two rooms of a historic building at the Sint-Vincentius campus of Antwerp’s GZA Hospitals network. Patient support group Waaier helped set up the project after a team of nurses and paramedics at GZA came up with the idea. Cancer patients within the hospital network can now find clothes, shoes, accessories, books, toys and games in Huis Klaas, where everything is new or in excellent condition. One room is dedicated to children’s items and the other to adults, and subsequent rooms in the impressive building – a former nursing school – may be used in future. According to the GZA, about 70,000 people in Belgium are diagnosed with cancer each year, with 14,000 of them already experiencing financial troubles when they receive the diagnosis. “During the course of their illness, this figure increases to a staggering 30,000,” they said in a statement. “That means almost half of the patients experience poverty at some point.” Joke Van Immissen, who is currently recovering from breast cancer, said the disease had also affected her financial breathing space. “After a while you can only pay the essential bills; buying new clothes

Huis Klaas at Antwerp hospital caters for patients suffering financial hardship because of their cancer diagnosis

is not an option any more, even though you’ve studied and worked hard to be able to afford these things,” she says. “It’s a great feeling to be able to take something beautiful from Huis Klaas without having to feel guilty.” Van Immissen also praises the individual approach at Huis Klaas. Patients come by appointment so they can look around in peace and speak privately with the volunteers, who also have experience of cancer, either personally or professionally. “You know nobody will look at you in a strange way because you show signs of cancer treatment,” says Van Immissen. One of those volunteers, Charissa Vermeersch, knows first-

hand what impact the disease has, as she’s currently going through experimental treatment for ovarian cancer at the University Hospital of Leuven. After three years of working at a large insurance company, her contract will not be renewed in July, meaning she will have to look for a new job. “They, of course, didn’t tell me to my face that the reason my contract was not being extended is because I’m sick and will cost them more, but you know that is the reason,” says Vermeersch. Patients find out about Huis Klaas through the care providers in the hospital, who put them in contact with the volunteers. “When they

In the five years from 2010 to 2015, malaria infections across the world dropped by 29%. Meanwhile, the number of infected travellers coming back to Belgium – about 300 a year – is not decreasing. In fact, it’s on the rise. Dr Ula Maniewski, from Antwerp’s Institute of Tropical Medicine, offers some possible explanations.

they’ve lost the partial immunity they used to have.

arrive for the first time, you notice that they struggle to feel comfortable, but that quickly passes,” says volunteer Mieke Meukens, who has a sister with a history of cancer. “People also take a limited number of things with them – nobody is taking advantage of this charity.” People can keep coming after their treatments have finished, as “financial troubles don’t just disappear” after it’s over, says Meukens. “As I’ve heard from my sister, it’s very hard to find a job after having cancer,” she says. Van Immissen agrees, adding: “When I was applying for new jobs, I always told them about my cancer history at the end of the interview, because I know it plays a big role,” she says. While Huis Klaas currently only offers material support, there are plans to expand its services to possibly include space for yoga and mindfulness workshops, support group meetings, and nail and hair care sessions. There is also hope it could extend to patients suffering from other diseases at other hospitals. “It would be fantastic if it became a general centre with information on all kinds of practical problems. For example, the physical discomforts, like losing your nails after treatment,” says Van Immissen, who adds that “too often you have to find solutions on your own”. The Huis Klaas team has submitted funding requests to the Foundation Against Cancer and the Support Fund of GZA Hospitals. If approved, the budget would be used to pay a project co-ordinator and invest in coaching and training for volunteers. The team may also seek subsidies from the Flemish government.

Q&A

How did you notice this anomaly? We get blood samples from laboratories all over the country to confirm the diagnosis of malaria, and we also see malaria patients in our travel clinic. In recent years, the number of cases we’ve confirmed at the institute has been increasing slightly. What might the reasons be? There are more travellers than ever before. But most importantly, there is a problem of perception, in that travellers underestimate the risk and the consequences of infection. In some regions the risk is

rather low and only mosquito bite prevention is recommended, but in other regions – like most of the destinations in sub-Saharan Africa – the risk is still high and malaria prophylaxis is necessary. Some people might think a mosquito net and repellent are enough wherever they go, but actually they’re not. What about African communities in Belgium? African people who are living in Belgium don’t protect themselves when they visit their previous home because they didn’t when they were living there. Because of the time they’ve spent in Belgium,

Do the anti-malarial pills have side-effects? Some of the prophylaxes don’t have the best reputation. Some people do indeed suffer from side effects to some of the prophylactic agents, but certainly not everyone and not to all prophylaxes. These cases get generalised and this means some people decide not to use the medication. How seriously should we take the malaria risk? In this country a couple of people still die from the disease each year. Malaria starts just like an innocent flu, with chills, fever and pain in the muscles. Most people think they will get over it but, within a few days, complications can occur

and might lead to death. To anyone who has a fever within three months of returning from Africa, I would say: please go to the doctor immediately. Waiting a weekend might be too long.

Ghent scientists find new animal species Biology researchers at Ghent University have discovered a new animal species – a type of microscopically small worm called a nematode, which lives in mushrooms. Nematodes live in all ecosystems, from the polar regions to the tropics. Most of them feed on bacteria and fungi and are not harmful, but there are also nematodes that live as parasites on people, animals or plants. The new variety was found in the Blaarmeersen recreation domain in Ghent and resembles a parasite but is not strictly one. The species’ intestine is filled with needleshaped crystals which may be related to its relationship with insects.

3D-printed house ready in three years Eight Flemish universities, social organisations and companies are partnering to promote integration of 3D printing in the building sector in Flanders. The joint project is being carried out by the Kamp C innovation centre in Westerlo, the support centre for sustainable building and living in Antwerp province. The province, the Flemish government and the European Union have invested about €1.6 million in the project, which will be used to purchase a new 3D printer. According to Peter-Paul van den Berg, director of Kamp C, it should be possible to set up a fully 3D-printed house in Westerlo in three years. Partners in the project include Ghent University and Thomas More University College.

BE-Alert guides through emergencies The federal government has launched a tool to alert citizens automatically about emergency situations via SMS, email and social media. People must register to use BE-Alert, which was tested in about 30 municipalities between 2014 and 2016, and will then receive specific instructions about precautions they must take in emergency situations. If there is a fire with toxic smoke, for example, they will be told to close windows and doors. BE-Alert also contains the Alert-SMS system that localises every sim card within a certain radius, allowing everyone in that location to be automatically warned if there is an emergency situation there, even if they haven’t registered or don’t live locally. Alert-SMS will be tested during the Rock Werchter music festival in July. \ AF

\ Interview by Daan Bauwens

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IN A CHANGING WORLD,

\ EDUCATION

june 21, 2017

Get schooled

week in education English skills vary widely in primary schools

Social experiment rethinks the future of Hasselt Diana Goodwin Follow Diana on Twitter \ @basedinbelgium

THESCHOOLHASSELT.EU

either a joke nor a riddle, The School is a daring new concept in creative collaboration that’s taking shape in Hasselt. This autumn, 16 creative thinkers and doers will come together in a six-month experiment that’s part educational experience, part urban intervention and part creative incubator. They will be divided into two teams and collaborate on projects, participate in workshops, perform outreach in the city and find new ways to generate ideas. This ambitious undertaking is the brainchild of Pablo Hannon, a graphic designer with a history of creative innovation in the public sphere. He was one of the organisers behind Beyonderground, a festival of design in Hasselt and Helsinki that drew international attention. “The School started as a reaction,” he explains. “That’s often what happens with my projects: I see something that’s lacking, and I see an opportunity and react.” Hannon, who teaches at PXLMAD, the visual arts department of PXL University College in Hasselt, noticed there was no sustainable way for creative people to further their development outside the traditional educational system. The idea is that the participants will learn from other professionals and from each other, but will also become teachers by sharing their own skills with their fellow students and with the community.

Pablo Hannon is already thinking of setting up a second school in Girona, Spain

“What is a school? What makes a student or a teacher? Setting aside all these typical roles, 16 creatives will come and they will give a lot of knowledge and energy to us, so we give them roles that they can use to play with that change constantly,” Hannon says. He believes that one of the problems facing traditional schools is the need to compete for students and funding. As he sees it, this focus on numbers doesn’t always serve students’ best interests. “How can we de-grow not just the school but the city?” he asks. “Cities are becoming bigger. Should we be getting bigger?” Sustainability is one of the key concepts behind The School: How does a creative professional sustain a career? How can The School promote sustainability in design and other areas? And how

can design support sustainability in the city? In this way, The School is positioning itself as a resource in solving a problem faced not just by Hasselt but by cities everywhere. Next year, Hannon wants to start a second school in Girona, Spain. The project was presented there during a conference on turning abandoned spaces into creative hubs. In Hasselt, The School will be housed in a vacant hotel across from the railway station. “My idea is to develop or co-develop and initiate enthusiasm, so others have the confidence to do the same thing,” he says. Meanwhile, he’s already assembled a network of city officials, creative professionals, design instructors and interested parties who want to get involved. The School’s team members,

besides Hannon, include Heleen Van Loon, director of Limburg Design Culture Platform, a provincial initiative to support young designers. She also teaches at LUCA School of Design in Genk and organises Toegepast, a programme for recent design graduates in Limburg. The 16 participants will be chosen from a range of disciplines, including photography, architecture, music and fashion. Sociologists and philosophers were also invited to apply. The goal is to have an eclectic mix of people from different backgrounds. Each month, the teams will be asked to produce something tangible to share with the community, whether it’s a book, a product or a performance. At the same time, they’ll be encouraged to seek partnerships with local organisations who could use their expertise. The teams will be coached by Pablo Calderón Salazar, whose training is in industrial and social design, and Caro Van den hole, the creative force behind MaisonCaro design studio in Ghent. They and the rest of the team will be evaluated over the course of the project by the teacher training programme at UC Leuven-Limburg. “Why Hasselt? Because it’s a micro-city,” says Hannon. “The ease of connecting with people in a city of 70,000 people – if you did this in Berlin or London, the effect would be lost.”

Brussels climbing club helps job-seeking refugees aim for the sky NATURE.BE

Finding a job as a refugee can prove challenging, so many settle for the first thing that comes their way. A non-profit from Brussels is changing that by helping refugees, quite literally, aim for the sky. Rising You(th) trains young refugees for careers in fields as varied as high-rise window cleaning and wind farm maintenance. According to Benjamin Gerard, one of the project’s founders, climbing is a great way to help refugees develop physical and mental strength and gain professional competence. “As part of Rising You(th), we founded a climbing club in Brussels, called The Vertical Club, for refugees as young as 12,” says Gerard. “There, we focus on skills like co-operation, mutual support and safety. With the youngest climbers we do this in a playful way; with the older ones it’s more explicit.” Climbing can be a great pastime, but Rising You(th)’s ambitions stretch further. “If someone really wants to make it as an industrial

climber – and has the right attitude – we can train them,” Gerard explains. “Industrial climbing is quite different from its recreational alternative. You go up buildings and electric poles – this requires a specific set of skills.” In addition to the climbing techniques, the refugees learn skills like painting and assembly with the help of the Flemish employment and training agency VDAB. “This way they can build an interesting profile for potential employers,” says Gerard. Jobs that require climbing skills range from industrial cleaning to maintenance of wind farms. This gives Rising You(th) the possibility to match each refugee with a career that’s right for them. “Some of the refugees have a decent level of schooling, others close to none,” says Gerard. “We try to find fulfilling jobs for all of them.” RisingYou(th) is an offshoot of another project. Under Gerard’s guidance, the Leuven-based nonprofit Nature has been organis-

ing summer camps for vulnerable youngsters, but eight years ago, it also started working with young refugees. “I was surprised by the resilience of these young people,” Gerard recalls. “All too often we see them

as victims who need help, but that is not what they think of themselves.” On the contrary, he adds, they want to move on and start building their lives. “Summer camps are nice, but we wanted to have a bigger impact on this group, and employment is a key factor in doing so. That’s when we came up with RisingYou(th).” So far, 12 climbers have finished the training, and all of them have found a job. Now it’s time to scale up. “We were surprised by their success, even though there is a real demand for people with their skillset,” Gerard says. “Now we want to grow, both in terms of training and resources.” Building a climbing wall is a possibility, for example. “Convincing companies to hire the refugees we have been training is another thing we’re working on,” he adds. “Providing people with skills that help them find a meaningful and fulfilling job is a winwin for everyone.” \ Toon Lambrechts

There are significant differences in the English skills of children in the sixth year of primary school, according to a study by Ghent’s Artevelde University College among 867 students in 38 Flemish primary schools. Currently, English is only integrated in secondary education curriculums, and primary schools can provide English as an optional course. For the study, children took vocabulary and skills tests to measure their reading, speaking, listening and writing ability. One in four already possessed the listening skills expected from secondary school children, but 70% of children didn’t pass a test for speaking skills. The researchers say gaming, computer use and contacts with Englishspeaking people can help improve children’s English skills.

Education minister gets good marks Hilde Crevits is doing her job well, but needs to focus more on diversity in schools, the secondary school student union Vlaamse Scholieren Koepel (VSK) said in an interim report on the education minister’s policies. The VSK is calling on Crevits to launch a broad discussion on the place of headscarves in schools. At the moment, the education network GO Vlaanderen has a general ban on headscarves in schools. The Catholic network, on the other hand, lets each school decide whether or not to allows its students to wear headscarves. In general, VSK’s report has given Crevits a positive score. She obtained especially good marks for her participatory approach and her efforts against bullying.

Trial project to help explain world events Public broadcaster VRT is launching a trial project to inform students about developments in society. Klaar – Dutch for “ready” – will provide audio and visual materials to teachers in the first and second grade in secondary education, which will help them explain current affairs and news such as overseas elections. It will be distributed across 20 schools via platforms such as the Smartschool digital learning platform and the Flemish Institute for Archiving (VIAA). “Teachers need visual materials that clearly explain current events to children, so they can start a discussion on these topics,” Liesbet Vrieleman, editor-in-chief of VRT NWS said. \ Andy Furniere

\ LIVING

week in activities Sand Sculpture Festival An annual favourite at the Belgian coast, the festival is celebrating 25 years of Disneyland Paris, with sculptures taken from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel movies. Forty artists from 12 countries have created sand sculptures up to six metres tall, covering an area of 10,000 square metres along the beach. 24 June-10 September 10.00-19.00, Groot Strand, Ostend; €12 \ zandsculpturen.be

Music in the Begijnhof Up-and-coming pop and rock bands will be street musicians for a day on the cobblestone streets of Tongeren’s old begijnhof. Eight bands will play four acoustic sets each, for a surprising combination of modern music in a historic setting. 25 June 14.30-18.00, Sint-Ursulastraat, Tongeren; free \ tinyurl.com/stadsmuzikanten

Yoga in the Park This outdoor yoga flow class is suitable for all levels, including beginners, and is taught in English. Just wear comfortable clothes. Bring a towel or blanket or just enjoy the feel of grass under your feet. No registration required. 25 June 11.00-12.00, La Guingette, Vorst park, Brussels; free \ tinyurl.com/yogabrussels

Koksijde Shrimp Festival A celebration of the tiny North Sea shrimp and the horseback shrimpers who traditionally bring in the catch, the festival on Saturday culminates in the spectacle of the shrimpers at work in the surf, ending with a shrimp boil on the beach. The Great Folkloric Shrimp Parade is on Sunday. 24-25 June, Fabiolaplein, Zeedijk, Oostduinkerke; free \ visitkoksijde.be

Ceramics Market This annual market takes place in the main square in the centre of Maaseik. More than 100 international and Belgian artists will be exhibiting their wares, ranging from decorative to functional, and from stoneware to porcelain. 25 June 9.00-17.00, Markt, Maaseik (Limburg); €2 \ maaseik.be

\ 10

Good vibrations

Surf’s always up at Antwerp’s hub for wave catchers Sarah Schug More articles by Sarah \ flanderstoday.eu

HAVENSURF.COM

surf shop is something you’d expect on a beach in California – not in Antwerp. But that’s exactly where Haven has found its unlikely home. Haven is a surf concept store with a penchant for design and craftsmanship that aims to attract surfers, as well as non-surfers, with a carefully curated selection of clothes, equipment, art objects and more. The creative minds behind it are Filip Van Moerkercke, who runs a local PR agency and is the manager of the Flemish band Arsenal, and John Roan, one of the band’s core members. Van Moerkercke got the idea for the store during his travels to New York, Paris and Tokyo. “Paris doesn’t have a beach either,” he says. “So why not try this in Antwerp?” While Roan only discovered his passion for surfing a couple of years ago, Van Moerkercke first caught the bug when he was 12, while trying to ride the waves at the Portuguese coast on an air mattress. In the world of surfing, there are those who only surf during the holidays, and then there are the hardcore types, who never miss an opportunity to catch the waves. Van Moerkercke clearly belongs to the latter. “The Belgian and Dutch coasts have great spots for surfing,” he says. “With a wetsuit, you can do it even when it’s only 2°C outside.” Against all expectations, Flanders actually has a significant surfing community. “If you go to Blankenberge, for example,” says Van Moerkercke, “you’ll probably find

30 or 40 surfers, even when the weather isn’t so great. On a sunny day, it’s double that.” Van Moerkercke describes Haven as a genre-crossing, multifaceted concept that lies a bit off the beaten path. The store is supposed to appeal not only to regular surfers, but also to Antwerp’s art and fashion crowd. “We wanted to find a compromise between these two worlds,” Van Moerkercke explains. “About half of our customers don’t surf at all.” As you walk into Haven, you feel as if you’ve just entered a design store rather than a typical shop for surfers. The focus is on small brands that stand out through craftsmanship and pay attention to fair trade

and durability. “The boards you find here are not produced in a Chinese factory, but are handmade by shapers who know the demands of the North Sea,” says Van Moerkercke. The shop explores surfing in all its aspects: there are travel books and magazines, body lotions, handloomed eco-friendly cotton beach towels, surf wax kits made out of beech wood, sneakers and more. “There’s a certain lifestyle that comes with surfing, and we wanted to build a store around this culture,” says Van Moerkercke, who launched the concept as a pop-up store in March last year. The year-long test was so successful that the temporary experiment

turned into a permanent affair. “It quickly became clear that there was a demand for this kind of shop,” he says. As the project grew, so did the team. The two founders were joined by Marc Bleys, creator of the fashion label Bellerose, and local surf photographer Wouter Struyf. The leap from pop-up to permanent this spring also included a move to a much bigger location, one perfectly suited for hosting events, which Haven organises on a regular basis. They include concerts, film screenings and exhibitions, turning Haven into a hotspot for surfers and culture vultures alike.

BITE

Six traditional delicacies recognised as regional products The Flemish government’s agricultural marketing agency, Vlam, has added six new foods to its list of officially recognised regional products. Five of them are baked goods and pastries. The Adriaan Brouwer Tart, from Oudenaarde, East Flanders, dates back to the 1950s and is a tribute to the 17th-century painter from the area, whose name is also commemorated in beer and other products. The tart (pictured) is a type of frangipane with pineapple. It exists in oval form, serving six to 10 people, and in individual portions, and can be baked in larger sizes for special occasions. To qualify for the Streekproduct (Regional Product) label, the product must be produced locally according to a long-held tradition. The Bakkemoezevlaai tart from Limburg takes its name from the bakkemoezen – pears that were dried in the baker’s cooling oven after the bread had been baked. The style was revived in 2014 by baker Jack Knapen in Bocholt, at the request of TV chef Jeroen Meus. Knapen’s family has guarded the

recipe for the tart since the 1880s. Open-faced vlaaien tarts are a tradition across Flanders, and the Gentse Vlaai is an example of one reserved for special occasions. There are two versions – with and without raisins – and it’s baked on a light base spiced with gingerbread and speculoos spices. Its dark colour comes from candy sugar.

STREEKPRODUCT.BE

No English-name exists for geuteling, a type of oven-baked pancake that was revived by a youth organisation in Elst, East Flanders. It consists of flour, eggs, yeast, a pinch of salt and cinnamon, but traditionalists insist on the aroma of the wood-fired oven. Tradition also demands that they be warmed up in a pan and eaten the day after they’re made. The mattentart of Geraardsbergen is a familiar sight across Flanders and Brussels, and has even been commemorated by its own postage stamp. Matten means milk curdled with vinegar and mixed with buttermilk, eggs, sugar and almond essence. Finally, the list also includes the Ostend oyster, the only non-pastry to make the cut this time. Although oysters were grown in Flanders as far back as the 18th century, today the trade is dominated by imports, primarily from the Dutch region of Zeeland. The revival began in 1995, and oysters from the Spuikom reservoir in Ostend are now beginning to be produced in greater numbers. \ Alan Hope

june 21, 2017

Ultimate glory

Flanders rewards its brightest creative minds with new accolade Daan Bauwens More articles by Daan \ flanderstoday.eu

ULTIMAS.BE

lemish artists, creatives and innovators across cultural disciples have been rewarded with a new prize for their outstanding contributions in an event that recognised issues ranging from urban regeneration to radicalisation, and domestic violence to fashion. The ceremony last week at Ghent’s Vooruit arts centre brought together artists from the entire cultural scene under one new event, replacing the Flemish Culture Prizes which were awarded at various events scattered throughout the year. The new Ultima award refers to the name of the sculpture the laureates receive, “La Ultima Isola” - The Last Island – by Antwerp artist Philip Aguirre y Otegui. Each winner also goes home with a prize of €10,000. The list of this year’s laureates illustrated the jury’s enthusiasm for initiatives with an urban and diverse slant. A prime example was the Ultima for social-cultural work for adults going to Toestand, a volunteer organisation in Brussels that turns vacant buildings or land into temporary socio-cultural centres. Both inside and outside Belgium’s borders, the young people running the organisation re-energise the social tissue of abandoned places. A project called Refugees for Refugees also got the judges’ attention, bagging the Ultima music prize for Muziekpublique. Nine musicians from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tibet – drawn from among the refugee population in Brussels – last year made the album Amerli under the guidance of Muziekpublique. The album, songs from which were performed at the awards, was named Album of the Year by a consortium of music journalists from the Transglobal World Music Chart. The jury’s choice for the Ultima for amateur art was Molenbeek’s Forumtheater. Run by women of Moroccan descent, with the help of Dutch director Har Tortike, its performances address familial and social violence. The initiative began in Molenbeek, where the women live, but went on to tour through France and the Netherlands. “We play small scenes, based on true stories that we have experienced ourselves and that end badly,” says Fatima Zaki, one of the initiators and members.

The jury’s choice for the Ultima for amateur art was Molenbeek’s Forumtheater, which is run by women of Moroccan descent and addresses familial and social violence

“Then we stop and ask the public what could be changed in this situation so that things would work out for the better.” Fellow member Louiza Amghizar adds: “This is therapy for us. We travel around playing these scenes and realise we are not the only ones facing these problems.” Forumtheater’s most recent project addressed the sensitive subject of radicalisation of young people in the community. “In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Brussels airport and the subway, lots of the women in our group complained that they were getting weird looks on the street,” Amghizar explains. “To show that we too are victims of this situation we went to work with the story of a woman from our community who lost her son in Syria. On stage we tell her story, the mother’s fear, literally, word for word.” Having already won the Fintro Literature

prize last month, Jeroen Olyslaegers was again honoured at the Ultimas ceremony for his novel Wil, set in Antwerp in the Second World War. “I wrote this book with the intention of breaking through an ideological firewall,” he says. “Because many have always put me into the category of activist, people taking other positions along the political spectrum wouldn’t be inclined to read my books. “With this novel – describing plain humanity during a very difficult period in our nation’s history – I seem to be reaching a much wider audience. This prize symbolises the breakthrough. It’s fantastic,” he adds. Also breaking through to the Flemish public at large is documentary filmmaker Pieter-Jan De Pue. He took home the Ultima for film with his epic Land of the Enlightened, a fictionalised documentary about Afghan children during the American manoeuvres in their

Pop-up posing: Taking yoga out of the studio and into the city In the wake of pop-up shops, bars and restaurants, a new urban trend is emerging: pop-up yoga. Abandoning the idea of a permanent studio, the pop-up version of this ancient pursuit sees yogis laying their mats in all kinds of city locations, from a hotel rooftop to an art gallery. Michel Van Cauter, 40, who has a Flemish father and Thai mother, is the first to have launched the idea in Brussels, with his company Pop Up Yoga Concepts. His creation is also the story of a personal transformation. Originally a marketing manager, Van Cauter traded his corporate career for that of a yoga teacher after discovering it during a trip to San Francisco. It was during a particularly trying time that he realised the enormous benefits it had on his health, he says. “I was working stressful jobs in London and Hong Kong, I was overworked and exhausted, and yoga was the only thing that made me feel better,” he recalls. After more than a decade in a high-paced marketing job, Van Cauter decided to switch paths. He quit his job and bought a plane ticket to Asia, where he spent a year immersing himself

Yoga enthusiasts participating in a Pop Up Yoga Concept class in Brussels

in the yoga scenes in Indonesia and India, with workshops and teacher training. Eventually, he started giving classes at a hotel in Ubud, Bali,

war-torn country, which took him eight years to finish. Having won the prize for best photography at its premiere at Sundance in 2016, and a nomination for best documentary at the Irish Film & Television Academy awards, De Pue had to wait 18 months before receiving recognition or encouragement at home. Rounding off the evening was a long-distance appearance from Limburg-born fashion designer Raf Simons, who was awarded for his entire body of work and given twice the prize money of other laureates. Speaking via video linkg from Calvin Klein’s offices in New York, he was close to tears when saying he missed his family on the other side of the Atlantic. “But you need to go forward,” he said. “If you have something to say, nothing should stop you. If you have a voice, you need to let it be heard.”

FACEBOOK.COM/POPUPYOGACONCEPTS

home to one of the world’s major yoga communities. “I never thought I’d become a yoga teacher,” he says, “but during that year off I realised how much I liked the dynamic of teaching. “I love teaching yoga because I strongly believe in it. It has huge benefits that can seem subtle at first, and I enjoy bringing this knowledge to people.” Back in Belgium, the plan was clear – the only missing piece was a location. “I started checking out spaces in Antwerp and Brussels, but was struggling to find something attractive,” he explains. “Then I remembered how people in Ubud would just meet up in a square to do yoga and I thought, why not try this here?” The result was his one-man company, which offers Englishlanguage yoga classes, at all levels, in unlikely spots in Brussels and beyond. Venues so far include outdoor yoga-with-a-view on the rooftop of the Jam Hotel, after-work yoga in the Sint-Hubertus Gallery, and morning yoga at Chicago Café, combined with a healthy breakfast. \ Sarah Schug

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june 21, 2017

Goya within reach

week in arts & CULTURE €1.4m investment in Flemish film

New De Reede museum is Antwerp’s home of graphic arts Clodagh Kinsella More articles by Clodagh \ flanderstoday.eu

MUSEUM-DEREEDE.COM

Works by Edvard Munch, Félicien Rops and Francisco Goya get top billing at Museum De Reede, founded by collector and Brussels-based expat Harry Rutten.

s home to the Plantin-Moretus Museum, a renowned typography resource, Antwerp has a long tradition of graphic arts. Now, with the launch of the Museum De Reede, it finally has a museum dedicated to the genre. Set beside the river Scheldt and Het Steen castle, the museum is the brainchild of Harry Rutten from the Netherlands, who made his fortune with Transpetrol, a ship-owning company that transports oil and gas. Last year, the company established the De Reede Foundation to create a museum to house Rutten’s world-class art collection – mostly graphic works by Francisco Goya, Edvard Munch and Félicien Rops. Rutten’s friend, interior design architect JeanClaude Lerouge, led the conversion of the former commercial premises, alongside Antwerp’s Studio 22 Architects and Dendermonde engineering firm Artex. The result is a sleek, minimal space with deft nods to Antwerp’s heritage – including a hefty wooden entrance door recalling the port’s old lock gates. According to Rutten, the choice of Antwerp was somewhat haphazard. “If you have a vision of a home for your collection and then you stumble on a building like this, where you immediately see the potential, that’s the decisive moment,” he says. The museum is in the historic centre of Antwerp. “It’s a prime area,” says Rutten. “If someone comes here and their partner doesn’t like it, in three minutes they can be on the Grote Markt, having a beer. It’s a real advantage. Plus you have a big population within a 150-kilometre radius.” Whatever the motive, the city has welcomed the gift. “For me it was an incredible day when Harry Rutten called me,” mayor Bart de Wever recalls. “He introduced himself as a Dutchman who had made money in oil and wanted to present his art to the public by buying a building and creating a museum all at his own expense. It was too good to be true – but here we are.” While graphic art masters Rops, Goya and Munch have permanent displays on the second-floor mezzanine, a ground-floor exhibition space holds works by artists from the 17th to the 21st centuries. The Flemish contingent counts Rik Wouters and Eugeen Van Mieghem, whose namesake museum lies next door. This street-level space will host three or four temporary exhibitions a year. First up is Norwegian artist Ole Jørgen Ness, who in autumn will create a monumental mural paying homage to 19th-century non-conformist Rops. In total the 300m2 exhibition space holds roughly 200 works, spanning prints, woodcuts, lithographs, drawings and etchings. Only a few have gallery labels, and there are no information panels – letting the art do all the talking. Rutten, who is now retired, amassed much of his collection while on business trips. In the 1980s, with Norway in the grips of a recession, he began snapping up relatively cut-price graphic works by Munch. That same decade he was converted to Rops when he happened to catch a show of his works in Brussels. He moved to Brussels soon after. By 2006, he had enough pieces by both artists for the travelling show Rops-Munch Man-Woman, which drew 100,000 visitors in Brussels, Seoul and Tonsberg, Norway.

Screen Flanders, a Flemish government funding agency, has invested €1.4 million in seven Flanders-based film productions in 2017. The investment is expected to generate €9.32 million, the highest economic leverage created since the programme began in 2012. Screen Flanders was created to support audiovisual productions that spend at least a portion of their budget within Flanders. Some of this year’s beneficiaries include the second season of the international crime series The Team, directed by Kasper Gaardsoe, the historical saga Redbad by Dutch director Roel Reiné, and the German-Belgian co-production Brechts Dreigroschenfilm. A panel of cultural and economic experts made the selections. \ screenflanders.be

Historians give insight into Great War through diary On 27 June, Flemish historian Sophie De Schaepdrijver and her American colleague Tammy M Proctor will give a lecture at the In Flanders Fields museum in Ypres about a secret diary from the First World War. The diary contains the thoughts and feelings of an English governess, Mary Thorp, during enemy occupation in Brussels from 1916. The lecture provides complex political, social and cultural context to the personal entries, giving listeners a chance to connect with the Great War. It begins at 19.30 in the museum’s cafe. \ inflandersfields.be

Works of late Ghent artist on display in New York

“The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters” by Francisco Goya (1799)

Museum De Reede showcases 25 works by Munch – mostly lithographs, but also two etchings with his recurring Madonna motif. Each is more intense than the next, echoing the despair of his celebrated painting “The Scream”. Thirty works apiece by Rops and Goya, seen as the father of modern art, take an equally bleak view of the human condition. While Rops’ erotic etchings explore sex and death, Goya’s formative 80-strong print series Los Caprichos (1797-1798), of which Rutten holds a complete set, mercilessly catalogues the follies of Spanish society. Despite the fame of Munch and Goya, many won’t know their graphic works – or even the genre as a whole. Rutten, who sees Munch’s lithographs as superior to his painting, has never collected anything else. “It’s much more available and of course much more affordable than, for instance, oil paintings,” he says. “You can find a Goya graphic for less than €1,000.” While Museum De Reede doesn’t benefit from

government subsidies, in its first year it has received financial support from around 20 sponsors – mainly Belgian companies and art lovers – which Rutten values for the moral as much as the material support. In place of the usual professional staff, 50 or so local volunteers will oversee the running of the space. “The foundation that runs the museum definitely has funds to establish it and get it going, but from an economic point of view it has to be sustainable,” says Rutten. “Ideally it has to be supported by revenue from entrance fees and we aim to build this up over the next five years.” In the meantime, it’s already a major asset for Antwerp, says De Wever. “It perfectly fits in with a very strong cluster that we already have with our open-air Middelheim sculpture museum, our classical art museums with Rubens, and our contemporary art museums.” When you combine it all, he adds, “whatever type of art you’re into, Antwerp is the place to be.”

New York art gallery Hauser & Wirth will present an exhibition showcasing paintings and sketches by Belgian artist Philippe Vandenberg (1952-2009). The exhibition will feature more than 150 pieces, including, for the first time, a complete example of one of Vandenberg’s sketch books. Many of the paintings and sketches were created during the last years of his life and have been interpreted by scholars from around the world. The pieces touch on themes of war, sexuality, religion and death and are spread out over three gallery floors. The exhibition runs until 28 July. \ Taylor Kinnerup

\ hauserwirth.com

Ernest Van Dijckkaai 7, Antwerp

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Curator Peter Carpreau. “We want to raise the visual awareness of our visitors by confronting them with how they look at things.”

What do you see?

New-look M in Leuven rethinks what a museum should be Tom Peeters More articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

After a five-month renovation, Leuven’s art museum hopes to improve visual literacy among its visitors and increase interaction between the rooms and the collection of objects held in storage.

ith more than a million visitors since it was created in 2009, Leuven’s M Museum is one of the success stories of the art landscape in Flanders. Displaying both old masters and contemporary works, the former Vander Kelen-Mertens museum building, neatly renovated and extended by leading architect Stéphane Beel, has become a real crowd-puller in the centre of Leuven, with as much attention given to the visitor experience as to the artists on the wall. Even so, over the years small frustrations have arisen about the permanent collection, displayed in a sophisticated but very formal and rather old-fashioned style. In addition, the museum has only been able to show a selection of approximately 300 of the more than 50,000 objects in its cellar depot. Now, with an ambitious makeover, “we have really killed two birds with one stone,” general manager Peter Bary says, a few days before reopening the museum after a fivemonth closure. “We will be able to use the potential of our vast collection while at the same time implementing our innovative and visi-

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tor-friendly philosophy about what a museum today should be.” By replacing the permanent collection with five thematic clusters, all of them mini exhibitions, he hopes to “smooth the interaction between our depot and the museum rooms”. As you stroll around, the impact is immediately visible. Transcending historical boundaries has been always a prominent factor in M’s temporary exhibitions, and again, the intriguing solo show by French artist Aurélien Froment benefits from the 19th-century paintings and even the cannonballs he found in the museum’s depot. They back up the way in which his reflection on the methods of the German educationalist Fröbel is all about interconnecting, transforming and constructing images. Removed from their historical context, classical distinctions between old and contemporary art are now also disappearing in the more permanent rooms, evoking new layers of significance, which are more than ever triggered in the head of the visitor rather than imposed by the curator. At the end of the opening cluster, The Power of Images, a 14th-century Pieta in oak and a 15th-century Pieta in oil from the school of Flemish Primitive Rogier van der Weyden hang next to the conceptual “Himalaya Golf ”, a silkscreen print by the contemporary artist Jan Vercruysse. In front of the artworks stands a wide desk. Pencils and postcards with a series of questions encour-

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age passers-by to draw their own story of the art. Six chairs are there to stimulate interaction between visitors. “The best way to visit a museum is still with a sketchbook,” says Peter Carpreau, the curator of Old Masters who led the makeover. “Drawing allows people to see better,” he explains. “We want to raise the visual awareness of our visitors by confronting them with how they are looking.” Above all, the museum wants to improve visitors’ visual literacy. “In a society full of images and affected by fake news, we consider it a social responsibility to encourage the visual skills of our customers, so they can cope with this inflation of images even when they are outside the museum.” Supported by international experts, the M staff have translated the concept of visual literacy to a museum context, shifting their focus from what the artist wanted to say with a work of art to what the audience makes of it. “With each new thematic cluster we are trying to develop the visual literacy skills of our visitors a bit further,” Carpreau explains. It’s not always that obvious, but walking through the rooms focusing on The Art of Collecting, Masters of Sculpture or Form First, visitors learn about selective perception, about the fact that displaying art has always implied manipulation, and about the meaning of nonverbal aspects of human behaviour. To be a better observer of art,

you have to do more than just open your eyes. As a result, the museum has developed sensory labels, enabling visitors to touch or even smell the art. A surprising mirror window, including a variety of teapots, tells a story about social conventions and cultural differences. Vaporisers allow everyone to distribute the fragrance of their choice in the museum room, from strawberry and red wine to roast meat. To develop these labels, the museum invited British museum guru James Bradburne. “He’s currently the director of the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan,” says Carpreau. “But he wrote his PhD about museum labels and was a big inspiration.” He helped to curate the new labels, whose main function is no longer to overwhelm visitors with often not particularly interesting detail, but to activate and empower them, often by asking questions about the works on display. “Sometimes we don’t even mention the title,” says Carpreau. “When you consider that these were often inventions to fit a work of art into a catalogue, you understand that they’re not as relevant as we might think.” Visiting the last thematic cluster, Boundless Hospitality, you can hear a woman called Blanca talk about a landscape by Flemish painter and sculptor Constant Permeke. This Mexican who’s married to a Belgian is one of the eight non-Western people living

in Leuven who selected a work of art from the museum’s depot and took over some curator’s duties. The dark painting reminded her of her first Belgian winters, she says from a big video screen. “As I come from Mexico, my body really needs light, so you can imagine winters over here are difficult for me.” “We are not an authoritarian museum,” says Carpreau. “With co-creations like this, we want to get rid of the highbrow image of art, and involve as many stakeholders as possible.” That could be “newcomers”, but it could equally be scientists. A video shows how infrared scans taken in the local Gasthuisberg hospital reveal new information about a 15th-century wooden statue of Christ, which was, until very recently, attributed to an unknown master. Thanks to a close collaboration with the Laboratory for Experimental Psychology at the University of Leuven and innovative eye tracking technology developed in the game industry, you can compare the way you look at art with that of the museum’s curator and that of an eight-year-old child. And as if we needed extra proof that M is dropping the academic, 19th-century top-down approach, developing an experience-based vision for the future: “To really boost your visual literacy, you should bring not just a sketchbook but also a child,” Carpreau says. “Maybe we should introduce a rent-a-child service?”

\ AGENDA

june 21, 2017

Bring the family

CONCERT

Grensrock 23-24 June

Brussels

Brouwerspark, Menen GRENSROCK.BE

hile Rock Werchter tends to be considered the starting shot of the Flemish festival season, the credit actually goes to Grensrock. Dutch for “border rock”, the festival’s name is a genuine double-entendre: drawing a few thousand visitors to the Brouwerspark in the littleknown town of Menen, right on the border with France, its bands play any genre, from rock and pop to funk and dance, with DJs playing tunes between shows. For the occasion of its 30th birthday, the festival is taking care of its many fans who are now parents. Especially for the youngest, kids’ favourite Kapitein Winokio is kicking off the second day of the festival. Also, at the back of the Brouwerspark, for the first time a kids’ village will be built where children aged from three to 12 can

do all sorts of fun things: try out crazy haircuts, take their first steps into the world of graffiti or learn how to make mocktails. A team of babysitters will watch over the kids so parents are free to enjoy the music.

The headliner on day one is Antwerp’s Admiral Freebee. On Saturday night West Flanders’ multi-talented Flip Kowlier’s new hip-hop and soul formation Ertebrekers – West Flemish for “heartbreakers” – will treat the public to soulful love songs in the local dialect, followed by young soul phenomenon Delv!s singing the soundtrack to sunset. The night will end in a massive party initiated by Ghent’s renowned dance act The Subs. The festival also gives a platform to upcoming talent: indie rock band It It Anita, now on tour through Europe, will be playing here for the second year in a row, and rock’n’roll hurricane King Hiss, with roots in Menen, has grown to stardom in the metal scene after opening this festival in 2013. But the most beautiful thing: it’s all free. Even the babysitters. \ Daan Bauwens

FAMILY

FILM

Yale 3D World and Magic Fun

Filmophetstrand

24 June-3 September For its fifth edition, this familyfriendly exhibition comes to the coast with a collection of innovative 3D and virtual reality technologies. Its classic offerings are still here, namely its collection of 3D sets in which visitors young and old can photograph themselves for a laugh. You’ll find exotic landscapes, glam-

Kursaal, Ostend 3DWORLDBELGIUM.BE

orous celebrities and local kitsch. There’s also cutting-edge technology on display. This year’s new additions include an immersive augmentedreality experience that transports visitors into a zoo as well as a virtual reality “restaurant” where “meals” are digitally mapped on to the table surface. \ Georgio Valentino

6 July-31 August

Kaiti Koullia: Blue Horizon: The singer from Kalymnos performs traditional Greek island songs, accompanied by Kyriakos Gkouventas on violin and Vasilis Smanis on lute and voice. 24 June 20.00, Art Base, Zandstraat 29 \ art-base.be

VISUAL ARTS Brussels Picturing Belgium 14-18: Open-air exhibition in the park, featuring the most striking and intriguing photographs made in Belgium between 1914 and 1918. Until 17 September, Warandepark \ picturingbelgium14-18.com

FILM Brussels St. George’s Day Wandeling, Zeebrugge BRUGGEPLUS.BE

It’s beginning to feel like summer and there’s nothing more summery than the beach. Filmophetstrand gives you one more reason to hit the coast. Every Thursday in July and August, Zeebrugge’s beach becomes a giant open-air cinema screening two youth-oriented matinees and an evening feature – all for free. The programme ranges from Hollywood blockbusters to European films. There’s even a few Flemish and Dutch productions, including Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth’s comedic road movie King of the Belgians and the animated children’s feature Rintje. \ GV

Brussels Film Festival: A regular fixture in the Flagey building, the festival features a mix of short, medium and full-length films, with an emphasis on new, mostly European work, and also includes concerts and openair screenings. Until 23 June, Flagey, Heilig-Kruisplein 1 \ brff.be

SPORT Ghent

Midzomernachtrun: Annual night run through the streets of Ghent, with a choice of three distances: 5, 10 or 15km, followed by a party. 24 June 22.00, Topsporthal Vlaanderen, Zuiderlaan 14 \ sport.be

FOOD&DRINK

EVENT

Refugee Food Festival

Roller Bike Parade

19-25 June Brussels celebrates UN World Refugee Day by participating in the international Refugee Food Festival, an event that transforms restaurants across Europe into showcases for refugee chefs and their respective national and regional cuisines. The festival unfolds at eight Brussels restaurants including hip fusion bistro Gramm, organic haven Oficina and

Across Brussels REFUGEEFOODFESTIVAL.COM

popular Sint-Gillis hangout Cipiace. For the occasion, these establishments’ resident chefs lend their kitchens to counterparts from Syria, Palestine, Kurdistan, Iraq and Somalia. It’s not just about exchanging flavours and ideas. The festival is also an opportunity for these expatriated chefs to establish professional networks in their new city. \ GV

Until 15 September Cyclists, boarders and skaters take to the streets every Friday throughout the summer for a mass guided ride through the car-free streets of Flanders’ cities, complete with travelling DJ. This week’s edition takes place in Ghent and sets off from the Dok

MARKET Geetbets (Flemish Brabant) Across Flanders BELGIUMROLLERS.COM

Noord shopping centre. Upcoming events will also be held in Hasselt and Leuven, with weekly rides in Brussels suitable for both families and professionals. See the city from a new angle – just don’t forget your helmet and knee pads.

Monnikenmarkt: Fourth edition of the cosy market featuring artisans making their crafts, regional products for the tasting, art, workshops, demonstrations and vintage and lifestyle items. 25 June, Monnikenhof van Vlierbeek, Kasteellaan 5 \ hetmonnikenhofvanvlierbeek.be

FAIR Hasselt Ink Mania: International tattoo lifestyle event featuring 350 tattoo artists, live music, cars and motorcycles. 24-25 June, Grenslandhallen, Gouv. Verwilghensingel 70 \ inkmania.be

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\ BACKPAGE

june 21, 2017

Talking Dutch

VoiceS of flanders today

Roads to nowhere

In response to: Bookmine turns whole of Antwerp into community library Sabina Schlee: Brilliant idea, I would love to see this in Brussels!!!

Derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

ou might have noticed a strange new word recently in the press – weeswegen. It means, literally, orphan roads, from the Dutch wees – an orphan, and wegen – roads. You might be thinking about sad orphans plodding down country lanes. But that’s not what people are talking about here. The problem is this – 22 kilometer wegen die niemand wil – 22 kilometres of road that no one wants, De Standaard explained. It’s all to do with a decision made eight years ago to scrap the old provincial highways. Some roads went to the regional government. Others went to the local municipalities. And seven roads went literally nowhere. De lokale besturen willen er niets mee te maken hebben – The local authorities didn’t want to have anything to do with them en ook de Vlaamse regering trekt er haar neus voor op – and the Flemish government also turned up its nose at them, De Standaard explained. The result: zeven oude provinciewegen verkommeren al acht jaar in niemandsland – seven former provincial roads have been left to rot in no man’s land for the past eight years. And it’s the local mayors who often have to take the flak for these rotting highways. Krijgen de burgemeesters naar eigen zeggen ‘bakken kritiek’ van hun burgers – The mayors get, in their own words, “a barrage of abuse” from their citizens. But they can’t do anything, argues the mayor of Avelgem, who has to deal with complaints about a road on the edge of his town. De verbindingsweg naar het industrieterrein – The access road to the industrial estate, amper 900 meter lang – a mere 900 metres long, ligt in

In response to: No extra charges for electronic payments from 2018 Murray Manning: But businesses will still incur bank fees. So all that is going to happen is more will switch to cash only.

niemandsland – lies in no man’s land. And so it’s slowly falling apart. De betonbaan wordt niet meer onderhouden – The concrete road surface isn’t maintained any longer, het groen in de berm niet meer gesnoeid – the grass along the verge isn’t cut en er wordt amper nog gestrooid in de winter – and there is barely any gritting done in winter, he told De Standaard. Totaal debiel – It’s complete madness. But Flemish minister for public works Ben Weyts declines responsibility. Die gemeenten blijven weigeren die stukken over te nemen – Those municipal councils have continued to refuse to take over these sections, he said, terwijl het duidelijk lokale wegen zijn – while it’s clear they are local roads. Punt – End of story. He did, however, offer some hope. We voeren nog besprekingen met de gemeentebesturen – We are engaged in talks with the local councils, he said. Maar laat mij zeggen dat een akkoord vinden gene simpele is – But, let me tell you, it isn’t easy to find a solution. And so it looks as if people will be having a bumpy ride on orphan roads for some time to come.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

In response to: Ghent scientists find new animal species in recreational domain Pierre Lemair: Oops

Lieven @ GCC @D0RlANPAVUSS There are so many trains to Ghent, I can’t choose

Celeste @BelleInBelgium Rode the bus for the first time today. I tried to enter through the exit #everyonestared #expatproblems #antwerp

Jerome Hughes @Jerome__Hughes #Ostend is stunning. Just a short trip on the train from #Brussels. If visiting #Belgium I highly recommend it :)

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the last word Do you know who I am? “The BV phenomenon. What even is that? The word seems to have been invented for people who have no job but are just in magazines.” Sexologist Goedele Liekens calls for an end to the term BV – Bekende Vlaming, or celebrity Fleming

In the family “To me, deafness isn’t a handicap. In fact, I’d say we enrich society.”

Sylvie Van Landuyt, a deaf educator and interpreter on the children’s TV programme Karrewiet, says she would like to have a deaf child

Value for money “We’re all becoming like cheap Fiat Pandas.”

Dutch strategic leadership lecturer Bob de Wit told De Standaard how technological progress in the healthcare sector is reducing costs

Breaking the taboo “People are ashamed, they lose their self-esteem, they stop buying new clothes and going to the hairdresser. Before you know it, you’re entirely isolated.” Conny De Baets opens up about the consequences of incontinence, a condition that affects one in 10 Belgians over 30

FIT AS A FIDDLE Brussels hosted its first Olympics for Seniors this month, giving people aged between 75 and 96 the chance to compete in a range of adapted sports at the national stadium. More than 130 care home residents took part in activities including throwing a wool ball, tossing a pancake and a 4x25m wheelchair relay

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