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JUNE 28, 2017 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2

politics \ p4

Summer sounds

From the Pet Shop Boys to Marilyn Manson, Flanders has a music festival for every taste and dance move. Check out our guide and top picks \8

BUSiNESS \ p6

innovation \ p7

Slam-dunk

Belgium’s women’s basketball team made history at the weekend by earning bronze at the European Championships and qualifying for the World Cup \2

education \ p11

art & living \ p13

Boost of confidence

Brussels’s schools are helping kids make music and teaching newcomers that they can excel with their voices – even if their Dutch is rough \ 11

© Kevin Jordan

Roméo Elvis: “Hip-hop is one big ego trip. You have to brag about how you are the best, but you can’t really mean it”

Sounds of the city

Brussels is a hotbed of hip-hop talents, and this summer is the time to discover them Tom Peeters More articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

While Bozar dives into hip-hop’s history with a summerlong exhibition, leading MCs have new releases out and will be playing to more festival crowds than ever, with their laidback rhymes and take-no-prisoners attitude.

T

here’s a popular Flemish idiom that says: “If it rains in Paris, it drips in Brussels”. Events or decisions in France, in other words, have repercussions here.

For a long time, it was also true for Brussels’ hip-hop culture.

The local MCs and DJs looked up at their hip-hop brothers

in France, who had created their own version of a genre invented in the streets of New York.

But recently, something has changed. The French media, which used to speak with a certain disdain about their neighbours to the north, have even dropped by to have a closer look at this “exotic new scene”.

“We don’t need to carry the weight of the legacy of our predecessors,” Roméo Elvis told a reporter from the leading French newspaper Libération, as it dedicated a full page to the Brussels hip-hop renaissance.

“In France, the situation is different,” says the 24-year old prince of the new scene, who was born Roméo Johnny Elvis Kiki Van Laeken. Sitting on the terrace at his favourite coffee bar in the centre of Brussels, he explains that some of their MCs became real stars and that the new generation has found it hard to live up to their achievements.

“Here in Brussels, we have a totally different relationship with our local pioneers.”

When the Schaarbeek band De Puta Madre and the CNN109 crew appeared in the 1990s, hip-hop was still a new phenomcontinued on page 5

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS

Failed terrorist attack at Brussels Central Station Evening incident shut down train stations and led to shooting death of suspect Emma Portier Davis Follow Emma on Twitter \ @EmmainBrussels

T

he federal prosecutor’s office in Brussels has announced that it has found evidence linking the perpetrator of last week’s failed terrorist attack at Brussels Central Station to Islamic State.

Oussama Zariouh, a 36-year-old Moroccan national who had been living in Belgium since 2002, caused a small explosion with a suitcase bomb inside the station at approximately 20.45 on Tuesday, 20 June. He did not succeed in detonating a larger explosion, and no one was hurt.

Zariouh was shot and killed at the scene by military guards. Military personnel have been patrolling busy areas such as train stations since the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015, which had links with Brussels.

At a raid of Zariouh’s house in Molenbeek in

the aftermath of the attack, the federal prosecutor said that investigators had found the same kind of explosive materials that were used in the March 2016 attacks at Brussels Airport and Maalbeek metro station and in the attacks in Paris.

They also found indications that link Zariouh to IS. The prosecutor confirmed that the incident was being considered as a terrorist attack.

Zariouh walked into Brussels Central at 20.39, according to the prosecutor, making his way towards passengers downstairs.

Standing in the middle of a group of passengers, he took up his bag and caused a small blast.

Brussels’s schools are helping kids make music and teaching newcomers that they

can excel with their voices – even if their Dutch is rough

Stations evacuated Although nobody was hurt, the suitcase caught fire. He left his burning luggage, which then exploded a second time and was later found to contain nails and glass bottles.

The man then returned to the station hall, ran towards a soldier and cried “Allahu Akhbar”, or “Allah is greatest”. The soldier opened fire, shooting him several times.

Bomb squad Dovo was called in and found further explosives on the body of the suspect which were exploded under controlled circumstances. Zariouh was known to the police for drug-related incidents but not

for radicalisation. Nor was he on the list of OCAD, the co-ordination unit for threat analysis.

All Brussels’ train stations were evacuated and closed for a couple of hours following the incident. Brussels Central (pictured) remained closed for about 12 hours.

Interior affairs minister Jan Jambon praised the quick reaction of the military and their activities in the hours following the incident. “The military operate according to a protocol that exists between them and the police,” he said. “They were called in to monitor the situation and guarantee the security of travellers. I think we can say that they have performed adequately and that resources were correctly deployed.” \ Additional reporting by Lisa Bradshaw

Orange alert issued for forest fires in Flanders as dry period continues

© Belga

Belgian Cats make history at EuroBasket After an epic journey, Belgium’s women’s basketball team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semi-finals last Saturday in Prague. The Belgian Cats lost 68-52 to Spain, the eventual winners of the European championship.

The Cats exceeded all expectations at the tournament and gained the respect of basketball pros the world over.

The team beat Greece 78-45 on Sunday in the third-place match to claim the bronze medal. As one of the top five sides, they have also clinched a place in the Fiba World Cup in Spain next year for the very first time.

The team have never previously qualified for the Olympic Games or the World Cup, and did not even appear in last year’s Fiba world

ranking of the top 77 women’s teams. Until this year, they had made 11 appearances in the European Championships, with their best finish being sixth, in 2003.

On Thursday last week, they beat Italy in the quarter-finals thanks to a stellar performance by Emma Meesseman, who scored 28 points as Belgium won 79-66. But Spain, who won their third EuroBasket title on Sunday, were a different proposition.

Meesseman, the outstanding Cats performer until then, managed to score just five points. Belgium had previously played Spain in a warm-up game in West Flanders, losing 87-48. (See related story, p3) \ Leo Cendrowicz

The Flemish Nature and Forest Agency (ANB) has issued an orange alert for many areas in Flanders, signalling a serious risk and “high danger” of forest fires. Fire towers in the areas will be staffed during the day by firefighters during the orange alert.

Because of the exceptionally dry weather over the last several weeks and high temperatures last week, ANB has called on visitors in forest and nature areas in Flemish Brabant, Limburg and Antwerp to be extra vigilant, not to smoke and not to leave children unattended. Anyone in these areas should report any problems they see that could lead to fires.

Water-saving measures are also under discussion in several regions, notably in West Flanders, with farmers concerned about the stability of their crops. Flemish agriculture expert Luc Busschaert told Gazet van Antwerpen that he estimates a loss of €187 million for Flemish farmers up to now because of the drought conditions.

Environment minister Joke Schauvliege is waiting on a report from the Royal Meteorological Institute (KMI) before declaring a state of emergency for local farms. If she does, farms would be eligible for government grants.

Last Thursday was the warmest day of the year so far in Belgium, with 32.4 degrees measured by KMI at its site in Ukkel. However, the warmest place in the country on that day, Kleine Brogel in Limburg, reached 35.3 degrees. Temperatures have dropped this week but are expected to rise again next week.

In related news, a group of 13 children and their counsellors from youth group Chiro had to be rescued at the weekend in the waters off the Flemish coast as the undercurrent swept them out too far, and they could not get back to shore. The group from Ghent was swimming in Ostend while red flags were flying, which means that swimming is prohibited.

“The sea is not a swimming pool,” said the city’s head lifeguard Jonathan Devos. “Youth organisations really need to be more conscious of the dangers.”

Last week, another coastal lifeguard appeared in a VRT video to offer advice to the tens of thousands flocking to sea in the warm tempratures. Don’t go in too deep, make sure you can stand on your feet if you need to and check out which flags are flying, said Lenz Bolckmans.

He advised swimmers to stick to the swimming zones, defined by flags at beaches along the coast. Green means you may swim, while red means that you absolutely may not swim.

Yellow means you can swim but that conditions are not ideal.

If you’re driving to the beach, you might want to consider these three golden rules from Flemish ER doctor Ine Degol: Take water with you for on the way, even if you don’t think you’ll need it; keep sunshades in your car; stay with your vehicle even if traffic is at a standstill. That way you will be sure to receive any aid sent out during traffic jams. \ EPD

230

200,000

reusable cups used for drinks at Genk on Stage last weekend, saving one ton of waste during the threeday music festival

\2

€295 million

invested in 2016 by Belgian brewers, up from €233 million in 2015.

At the same time, the number of brewers rose from 199 to 224, mainly thanks to growth in small craft breweries

30 reports last year of sales of materials capable of making explosives.

A law obliges businesses that sell products like sulphuric acid and fertiliser to report purchases that seem suspicious

150 million

kilometres that school children in Flanders will cover in total during the Racing to the Sun initiative launched by education minister Hilde Crevits to get kids moving

people have applied to become members of a new citizens’ forum to work on a new strategic vision for Brussels Airport for 2040. An independent jury will select 80 applicants to take part

JUNE 28, 2017

WEEK in brief The first stone has been laid of the new Park Avenue building on Handelsstraat in Brussels’ European Quarter. The building will contain 76 apartments as well as commercial and office space. The project has the full co-operation of a neighbourhood group. “This area has been in a miserable state since it was handed over to property developers over the last few decades,” one member of the neighbourhood committee told Bruzz. “It was as if residents were no longer welcome, only European institutions.”

A meeting of the bilateral commission on development co-operation between Flanders and South Africa took place last week in Pretoria to discuss progress made, as well as four projects on small business development and social entrepreneurship. Participants also went over a new Country Strategy Paper for 2017-2021 focusing on climate change and the green economy.

Motorists using the Brussels ring road between Tervuren and SintLambrechts-Woluwe should expect delays until 31 July, the government’s roads and traffic agency has said. The road will be reduced to two lanes in each direction as re-surfacing work takes place.

face of flanders and dropped to 124% following the ban – still too high but the sign of a downward trend, the minister said.

Intercommunals in Flanders – utilities owned and run by several municipalities together – are to be limited to a maximum of 15 directors, minister of administrative affairs Liesbeth Homans has announced. At present, the number of directors, recruited from the municipal authorities and usually generously paid for their attendance at meetings, can reach as many as 80 for one intercommunal.

There are 175 such organisations in Flanders and almost 5,000 directors and members of management and advisory committees, for a total bill of more than €9 million.

Kurt Melens, general director of theatre company NTGent, will leave his post after the summer.

Melens’ departure closely follows that of artistic director Johan Simons, who is to be replaced by Milo Rau of Switerland. As well as changes at the top, the company has also decided to bring all actors’ contracts to an end in June 2018, to be renegotiated according to a new model involving permanent cast members, regular guests and occasional guests.

Luc Cortebeek, formerly national president of the Christian trade union ACV, has been named president of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), based in Geneva. Cortebeek, born in Willebroek, Antwerp province, has been deputy chair of the International Trade Union Congress since 2006 and deputy president of the ILO since 2011.

Eight women from the United Arab Emirates – a princess and her seven daughters – have each been sentenced to 18 months suspended by a court in Brussels for human trafficking and human rights abuses. The case concerns the women’s treatment of their servants during a long-term stay in the capital’s Conrad Hotel in 2007 and 2008. The hotel is now named Steinberger Hotel.

Flemish water companies have reported a slight drop in consumption following the ban imposed last week by environment minister Joke Schauvliege on unnecessary use of water. Consumption was at 126 to 128% of the normal level

Studio 100 has announced a second date for the Ketnet birthday show featuring Samson and Gert in Antwerp’s Sportpaleis on 29 November, after the first show sold out in minutes. Tickets were allocated first to those on the waiting

list, and went on open sale at the weekend.

Two employees of Brussels waste collection agency Net Brussel suffered third-degree burns after collecting rubbish bags containing corrosive material that has yet to be identified. The incidents took place on two occasions, causing injuries to one man’s leg and the other man’s hand. One of the men was hospitalised for 12 days for skin grafts. © Virginie Lefour/BELGA

The care provider group Zorggroep Eclips, which runs residential and home help services for the elderly, plans to launch a new TV channel next month. Eclips TV will feature game shows, news and hopefully Flemish television classics, if it can get permission from VRT, a spokesperson said. Although more and more elderly people are living independently longer, there is a still a great lack of quality TV aimed at them, the spokesperson said. The channel will be part of Telenet and Proximus packages.

Roofing company Eternit has decided not to fight a ruling of the appeals court in Brussels that found the company guilty of negligence towards the victims of asbestosis caused by working with Eternit products in the 1970s. The company said there are arguments in favour of an appeal to the Cassation Court but that a negotiated settlement was preferable.

Oliver Naesen is the new Belgian national road race cycling champion after beating Sep Vanmarcke, Jens Keukeleire, and Jasper Stuyven in the final stretch of the 238-kilometre course around Antwerp. Naesen, 26, from Ostend, came third in this year’s E3 Harelbeke, eighth in the Tour of Belgium, and 83rd overall in last year’s Tour de France. In the women’s road race, Jolien D’hoore, beat Lotte Kopecky, Kelly Druyts and 28 others in a group gallop to the finish line.

OFFSIDE On the right track?

Video posted to YouTube, Facebook and the like have often shown the perils of cycling. Those taking to two wheels often have to avoid hazards like parked cars, loose cobblestones and the occasional cycle lane that runs straight into a tree.

But De Standaard is trying to do something to improve the situation. It recently launched a competition inviting readers to send in photographs of the best and worst cycle routes in the country. The photos piled in.

The prize for the most attractive cycle lane went to the former mining town of Genk for its Reinpadstraat – a broad three-kilometre path that carefully separates cyclists from a

busy main road.

Meanwhile, the jury decided the worst cycle lane in the country was a positively surreal route in Asse, Flemish Brabant, that runs straight into

Emma Meesseman Earlier this month, basketball prodigy Emma Meesseman stepped out of her competitive bubble of the EuroBasket whirl to make a non-sporting gesture.

After leading Belgium to victory over arch rivals the Netherlands, Meesseman, 24, posted a photo of her and her opa (grandfather) on Instagram.

It included the message: “So happy I got to play a game at home again, in ‘my’ gym, in front of my family, friends and supporters. But especially proud and happy to have my opa in the stands, his first time to see me play in the national team!”

It was proof that – despite being feted as one of the best European players of her generation – a game in her hometown of Ypres meant more to her than all the other praise.

Since that game, Meesseman’s star has risen even further.

She has been the driving force behind the Belgian Cats’ extraordinary EuroBasket exploits as they reached the semi-finals for the first time ever. They were stopped at the weekend by favourites Spain, who went on to win the championships.

But Meesseman made the tournament’s All-Star Five. The player, who stands at 1.9m, is following in her mother’s footsteps: Sonja Tankrey was the

Belgian Women’s Basketball Player of the Year in 1983.

Meesseman’s day job is with the WNBA side Washington Mystics, having been drafted in the 2013 season. In the 2014 season, the power forward started all 34 games, with an average of 10 points per game. By the 2015 season, she averaged 11.6 points per game, and last year it was 15.2.

In the WNBA off-season, she began playing in Russia, first for Spartak Moscow from 2014 to 2016, competing in two EuroCup tournaments, and then UMMC Ekaterinburg, with whom she won the Russian championship.

Her brilliance was recently cited

by Belgian Cats veteran Ann Wauters. Meesseman and Wauters are now combining for an average 34 points per game.

Meesseman’s club career began at the age of 16 with the Ypres Blue Cats, and in her second season she was named Belgium’s MVP. At her debut at the 2011 Europe Under-18 Championship, she scored 25 points, leading the Cats to victory in the final against France.

She is still young, so expect to see her scoring for many years to come. She tweeted after Belgium’s semi-final defeat: “Regroup. Refocus. Shine tomorrow.” \ Leo Cendrowicz

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.

the side of a house. Asse’s city councillor for mobility told De Standaard the route could only be improved by demolishing the house. \ Derek Blyth

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

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\ POLITICS

5TH COLUMN Interpreting the bomb

The discussion about the presence of military on the streets has intensified following last week’s botched terrorist attack at Brussels Central Station. On Tuesday, 20 June, minor explosions took place at the station, but a larger nail bomb failed to go off.

The terrorist was shot and killed by soldiers patrolling the station. The question then became: Did this action prevent a worse attack from happening or would the attempt have failed regardless – after a man wearing explosives entered the station unhindered?

N-VA, which has always been in favour of a military presence on the streets, said that the events have proven them right. Secretary of state Zuhal Demir (N-VA) promised to hug the first soldier she met on the street, while MP Valerie Van Peel set out to kiss soldiers.

Feelings were mixed with other parties, as almost all of them have previously spoken out against military presence.

Patrolling the streets should be done by the police, they said.

If the police lack manpower for the task, this should be remedied, rather than replacing them by soldiers. “This is not Kabul”, Open VLD president Gwendolyn Rutten said recently.

Vice prime minister Kris Peeters (CD&V), too, has never been happy about the soldiers, who have been patrolling streets in Brussels and Antwerp since the shooting at Brussels’ Jewish Museum in 2014, with an increased presence since the Charlie Hebdo attacks in 2015.

Earlier in 2015, Peeters invited camera crews on a shopping trip along Antwerp’s Meir, “to demonstrate how safe our streets are”, indicating that the soldiers were no longer necessary.

At around the same time, an email was leaked in which his cabinet urged supporters to campaign against the military presence – although it was a decision by the government in which Peeters himself serves as a minister.

After last week’s incident, N-VA went not after its coalition partners, but after opposition parties SP.A and Groen.

“Thanks for the vigilance. Military on the streets, thanks to N-VA, in spite of the ‘left’,” the party tweeted.

N-VA is also angry about a recent vote limiting remand to 72 hours in terrorism investigations. It has shared a selfie taken by a smiling SP.A parliamentary party at the time of the vote over and over again – to denounce the party as failing when it comes to security matters. \ Anja Otte

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Energy tax scrapped by court ‘Turteltax’ ruled unconstitutional and will be eliminated next year Anja Otte More articles by Anja \ flanderstoday.eu

A

tax added to the electricity bills of Flemish consumers in 2016 – known as the Turteltax because it was approved by former energy minister Annemie Turtelboom – has been declared illegal by Belgium’s Constitutional Court.

The tax breaches the law that the regions cannot levy taxes on matters where a federal tax is already in place. The contested Turteltax was introduced last year to compensate the debts caused by green energy certificates, a subsidy system for solar panels.

When the subsidies became more popular than the government had calculated, the energy minister decided to make up the funds lost by adding a tax to everyone’s electricity bill. Critics noted that households that didn’t have the resources to install solar panels were helping pay for those that did.

For most households, the tax amounted to

© Siska Gremmelprez/BELGA

about €100 a year, but it was much higher for people who used more electricity. The controversial tax lost Turtelboom (Open VLD) her job; she was replaced as energy minister last year by party colleague Bart Tommelein.

To “avoid legal insecurity and administrative problems,” the court said, the decision is not retroactive; the tax will be scrapped as of 2018.

Taxes paid in 2016 and 2017 will not be reim-

bursed.

Tommelein said that the government would “look at other ways to solve” the debt acquired through the green energy certificates. “The disappearance of the tax does not make past debts disappear,” he said.

Tommelein later pledged that the Turteltax will not be replaced by a new tax. “I will not be introducing a new energy surcharge, and also no new tax,” he told VTM News. “In my view, paying off debts from the past with a tax on the future is not the solution.”

The court’s ruling leaves the government with debts amounting to €2 billion, to which will be added €1.2 billion a year in commitments between now and 2030. “We have to keep on investing in renewable energy,” Tommelein said. “That means a solution to this debt must be found – via the budget, cost savings or other measures.”

Brussels government in crisis as cdH walks out

Director and five researchers of South Pole base sacked

The government of the BrusselsCapital Region is in crisis after the French-speaking Christian democrat party cdH announced early last week that it would no longer govern with French-speaking socialist party PS. The latter has been plagued by scandals over the last few months, most recently the Samusocial affair.

Benoît Lutgen, cdH president, said that PS had a “crushing responsibility” for the scandals. “Politics must serve, not serve itself,” he said. “Every scandal is a new handicap for the work of this government.”

Earlier this month, BrusselsCity mayor Yvan Mayeur, of PS, resigned after he was found to have received substantial board attendance fees from the capital’s homeless agency Samusocial. This followed the scandal that broke late last year over energy distributor Publifin. PS politicians sitting on the board of the intercommunal apparently received payments for meetings they never attended, a similar situation to Samusocial.

PS and cdH have governed together in Brussels and Wallonia since 2004. The current Brussels coalition government is made up of the pair, plus French-speaking FDF and Flemish parties Open VLD, SP.A and CD&V. Lutgen is now talking to several other French-speaking parties to form a new coalition in both the capital region and Wallonia.

PS released a short statement saying that the move by cdH is a “betrayal” and that it was behaving irresponsibly. It also said that various parties were involved in the “affairs” and that it has taken steps to “restore citizens’ trust in the democratic institutions”.

State secretary for science policy Zuhal Demir has dismissed director Rachid Touzani and five researchers at Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth polar base in the Antarctic. The measure is the latest development in a long-running conflict between the federal government and the International Polar Foundation (IPF).

In 2015, then state secretary for science policy Elke Sleurs removed IPF co-founder Alain Hubert from the policy council that manages the base, because of what she saw as a conflict of interest.

The situation escalated, with Hubert accused of taking equipment from the base and a legal battle that made management of the base impossible. Demir, who took over from Sleurs earlier this year, re-instated Hubert on the policy council, but no longer as president.

© Laurie Dieffembacq/BELGA

At the weekend, meanwhile, Brussels secretary of state Bianca Debaets said that public utilities run by more than one municipality should come under the control of the Brussels-Capital Region.

Debaets is also an opposition member of Brussels-City council.

Last week, Bruzz revealed that a decision had been taken to extend payments of €65,000 a year paid to four directors of Vivaqua, the city’s water utility, for another year. The directors are all part time, and the payments are for attending meetings.

One of the four directors is Mayeur, who remains a member of the municipal council – a necessary condition for him holding the position at Vivaqua. “The high remuneration paid to members of the management committee of Vivaqua cannot be justified,” said Debaets (pictured). “I am therefore calling for intercommunals like Vivaqua to be brought under the authority of the region, as they are in Flanders.” \ Emma Portier and Alan Hope

© Courtesy Polar Foundation

Le Soir reported that the Belgian National Committee on Antarctic Research (BNCAR) had written an open letter to Demir, prime minister Charles Michel and several other ministers to denounce the situation at the base.

The researchers complained about a “lack of transparency” and said that certain projects are “not chosen on the basis of scientific and institutional criteria”. They have asked that an independent scientific committee be appointed to manage the base. \ Andy Furniere

Justice minister to propose tougher gambling regulations Flanders’ fast-growing gambling industry could soon face stricter regulations as federal justice minister Koen Geens finalises a proposal that he hopes to introduce before the summer recess.

Under the proposal, there would be no adverts for online gambling allowed during sporting events or on television before 20.00. There would also be a warning with every advert.

The number of approved gambling offices could be cut from 1,000 to 600, and bingo in bars would face tougher rules.

Gambling is at an all-time high in Belgium with €850 million spent

in casinos, bookmakers and online in 2015. Belgians are also spending some €320 million a year on the National Lottery .

Geens’ office said several Flemish mayors had been calling for tougher regulations. While there is a general agreement on increasing regulations around internet gambling, that is not the case for games in bars and restaurants and the number of approved offices.

“More compromises have to be made,” according to a statement by coalition partners N-VA and Open VLD. “The new law cannot be allowed to destroy the whole sector.” \ EP

\ COVER STORY

JUNE 28, 2017

Sounds of the city

Two leading Brussels performers give their take on the capital’s hip-hop scene FACEBOOK.COM/ELVISROMEOBXL FACEBOOK.COM/ZWANGEREGUY

continued from page 1

BOZAR.BE

enon in Brussels, largely turning to examples from the US and France. The scene never outgrew the underground, while young audiences today have grown up listening to urban beats.

“Now the culture is established; it’s in our communities,” says Roméo Elvis (pictured on cover). “We don’t feel the need to respect those pioneers endlessly.”

This environment appeared to be the ideal breeding ground for the laconic rhymes and no-messingaround atmosphere on Morale

if I rap in French, we are on this trip together. In Antwerp, Ghent, Kortrijk or wherever I may be’.

Respecting each other’s language is essential for me.”

Languages have always mingled in Brussels’ hiphop scene. French, Dutch, English, Spanish… The local MCs, sometimes not raised in the Belgian capital, have always performed in the language they felt like.

Caballero, one of the trailblazers, for example, has roots in Barcelona. Bands have always fraternised here, and language barriers are easily broken.

It was leading Brussels Dutchlanguage crew Stikstof that introduced Flanders to Roméo Elvis.

“Gorik showed me the way,” he says, referring to crew member

It’s the couldn’t-care-less attitude that makes Brussels really special 2. Roméo Elvis’ debut album, co-created by his friend and beatmaker Le Motel and released last March, proves Brussels hip-hop has grown up.

Even the Flemish have taken a special interest in him, which doesn’t often happen with Frenchlanguage acts.

“That made me really proud,” he says. “Now I can say I’m really a Belgian artist. I love the Flemish mentality. We are not as different as some politicians want us to believe.”

Raised in a francophone household in Linkebeek, a Flemish municipality with special language facilities for French-speakers, he’s only ever been a short train ride from Brussels. “But when I perform for a Flemish crowd, I introduce myself in Dutch, saying that ‘tonight, even

Gorik van Oudheusden, a real ket, or Brussels kid.

Van Oudheusden has lived almost everywhere in Brussels – Jette, Ganshoren, Molenbeek, Schaarbeek and now the centre. “I had a chaotic upbringing, moving from one apartment to another,” van

Oudheusden says.

He left school at 14 to work in construction on an apprenticeship contract. It was deadening. Hiphop saved him, became his outlet.

As a member of Stikstof and a youth worker, he has been paving the way for a younger generation

of acts, often supporting young talent on stage. In April, he released his first mix tape as Zwangere Guy: Zwangerschapsverlof (Maternity Leave) Vol 3.

His videos may look pretentious, but that’s only show, he insists.

“I do like the showing off part of hip-hop, but you have to see the art and the playfulness in it. If you listen to my lyrics, you can hear they go deep.”

Honesty is important to Roméo Elvis, too.

“It would be ridiculous for me to make statements about poverty or racism,” he says. “I keep quiet about things I don’t know. I only rap about the life I’ve lived.”

His mother is the actor Laurence Bibot, his father the singer Marka, so his middle-class background is totally different from that of Zwangere Guy. It’s probably why he considers himself “more of a rhythmic poet than a street rapper”.

Nevertheless, both MCs have recently joined forces again on the track “Low & Loowgis”, and they have a lot in common. Alongside their laid-back style, they share a preference for self-mockery.

“Maybe that’s what the Flemish and the Frenchspeaking rappers have in common,” Roméo Elvis says. “Hip-hop is one big ego trip. You have to brag about how you are the best, but you can’t really mean it.

It’s typically Belgian to immediately counter this megalomania with self-mockery and irony.”

And of course, Brussels is near to their hearts. “As a Fleming I always had to defend myself,” says Zwangere Guy. “That’s how I ended up

with such a big mouth.

I like the multicultural environment too, though you can find that in any other big city. It’s the je m’en foutisme – the couldn’t-careless attitude – that makes Brussels really special.”

“The city is far from perfect, but I was born here, I grew up with its values, so I feel the need to stand up for it,” Roméo Elvis adds. Last year, he announced the rise of the local hiphop scene with the anthem “Bruxelles Arrive”.

“It was a symbolic gesture to connect Brussels with Paris. And

pictured) focuses on 35 years of rap, DJs, breakdance and graffiti art in the capital, the four-leaf clover of hip-hop culture.

Part of MIXITY.brussels, a festival organised by tourist office Visit Brussels, the curators have dived into the archives of local hip-hop pioneers such as Benny B and CNN199, and present the current generation of artists, led by Caballero & JeanJass, Roméo Elvis and Stikstof.

Interactive rooms make for an immersive experience, with a breakdance tapestry, a rap boat and a golden graffiti wall, while artist talks and workshops provide in-depth information.

Initiatives like this can help spread the good news about the burgeoning scene, which is something to be proud of as far as Roméo Elvis and Zwangere Guy are concerned. But that doesn’t mean the city doesn’t need bottom-up projects.

All photos © Yannick Sas

look what’s happening now! In Paris they realised that, though they speak the same language, we’re so different. It makes us exotic, exclusive and hot in their eyes.”

Let’s enjoy this success for now, he suggests. “But please, let’s avoid making it a craze, because crazes come and go.”

In the meantime, fine arts centre Bozar has also discovered the local urban scene. The summer exhibition YO: Brussels Hip-Hop Generations (objects from exhibition

Until 17 September

Zwangere Guy is involved in Biestebroek, a social project that provides a new youth club for 14- to 24-year-olds in the densely populated Veeweide neighbourhood of Anderlecht. “Frontal, the collective around Stikstof, is developing a recording studio there right now,” he says. His eyes gleam at the possibilities.

Roméo Elvis and Zwangere Guy are both playing festivals across the country all summer

Bozar

Ravensteinstraat 23, Brussels

The Antwerp way Brussels’ hip-hop scene may be flourishing, but there’s something stirring in Antwerp, too. Unlike their urban brothers and sisters in the capital, here they prefer their rhymes in English and with a touch of soul, funk and jazz.

Take TheColorGrey. Last year, the BelgianCongolese rapper released the EP Do The Right Thing. Now he has his own label, Corner Vibe, a licensing deal with Warner

© Achim Raschka/Wikimedia Commons

Music and a first full-length album, Rebelation. His smooth, laid back grooves are catchy enough to climb the charts.

He might soon be joined there by the promising jazzy hip-hop duo blackwave (check out their EP mic check) or the funky DVTCH NORRIS, who have already had a radio hit with “Don’t Care”, a duet with the local hip-hop princess Coely (pictured).

Coely, 23, is the talented daughter of a Congolese mother, who used to run a gospel choir in Merksem. She was just 18 when she released the single “Ain’t Chasing Pavements”, followed by the EP Raah: The Soulful Yeah.

This spring, she launched her first full album, Different Waters. Next weekend she will support it at Rock Werchter.

\5

\ BUSINESS

week in business Materials Umicore The Brussels-based nonferrous metals and materials group is paying €120 million to acquire Denmark’s Haldor Topsoe company, specialised in the production of catalytic mufflers for diesel-powered trucks and power stations.

Brewing AB Inbev The Leuven-based beer group is selling its German Hassenröder and Diebels beer brands for up to €200 million. The brews landed in AB Inbev’s portfolio as part of the company’s acquisition of SABMiller two years ago, to create the world’s largest beer group.

Banking National Bank The country’s state bank has for the first time acquired Chinese yuan and South Korean won currencies as part of the diversification of its reserves.

Banking KBC Flanders’ largest financial institution is investing €1.5 billion over the next three years to further develop the digitisation of its services.

Industry Sapec The Belgian-owned agro business and industrial chemicals group, with the bulk of its operations in Spain and Portugal, is to be delisted from the Brussels stock market following the decision of its leading shareholders, the Antwerp Velge family, to take the company private.

Data management Syx The Benelux leader in automated registration systems for sport, cultural and leisure activities, based in Ypres, is being taken over by Austria’s Gantner company, specialised in access control and registration systems.

Food Continental Foods The owner of the Antwerpbased producer of soups, sauces and related packaged foods, London’s CVC Capital, is seeking a buyer for the business, which is said to be worth up to €1 billion.

Continental Foods employs more than 1,000 people and has production facilities in Belgium, France and Germany.

\6

Audi Brussels to build second electric model Contract ensures employment until 2020 Emma Portier Davis More articles by Emma \ flanderstoday.eu

German luxury car maker Audi has announced it will start production of a second model of electric car at its plant in Vorst, providing further job security to employees and confirming the company’s commitment to electric vehicles.

Starting next year, the Brussels plant will produce an SUV called e-tron. Audi has now decided that the same factory will start production before 2019 of the e-tron Sportback, a fully electric-powered sports coupe (pictured).

This second model will have a driving range of more than 500 kilometres and will go from 0 to 100 kilometres in 4.5 seconds.

“We are pleased that we have succeeded in getting a second model to Brussels. thus ensuring long-term employment security in Belgium,” said Patrick Danau, general director of technol-

© Courtesy Audi

ogy and logistics at Audi Brussels.

The plant employs about 3,000 people who are currently constructing the Audio A1. More A1 orders are also expected for the plant later this year and next year.

Toddler TV hangs in balance after regulator advice Plans by VRT children’s TV station Ketnet, home of Bumba and Piet Piraat, to launch a channel aimed at children under the age of six must now be reviewed by the government after the media regulator VRM declined to give a definitive opinion.

Ketnet wants to launch the station Ketnet Junior because the programmes it offers the youngest viewers are limited, said network manager Maarten Janssen. With a separate channel, Ketnet can offer more Flemish productions in a commercial-free environment for this age group.

VRT asked VRM to give a verdict on the proposal, and the advice came back neutral.

According to the regulator, Ketnet Junior would be good for the protection and promotion of Flemish culture and identity but an additional public channel would be problematic from an economic point of view.

The decision must now be taken by the government of Flanders, which supports the public broadcaster. So far, N-VA, a member of the majority coalition, has said it is not in favour of an additional VRT channel. \ EP

Nearly one-third of cleaning people in Belgium are sexually harassed

VRT introduces new logo

Nearly 32% of house cleaners in Belgium – the vast majority of them women – have at one time or another received unwanted sexual comments and physical contact. The results of the survey were announced in Brussels last week during an event on the rights of cleaning staff.

The survey carried out by the ACV union questioned 51,000 people working as cleaners in private homes. The harassment consisted largely of suggestive comments or sexual proposals.

But about one-third of the cleaners experienced physical harassment, such as kissing or being fondled, and 15 women told ACV that they had been raped by their employer.

According to ACV, the cleaners often work alone at a client’s home, which makes them more vulnerable. “There is no social control, no colleagues around and the place of work is the private property of the client,” Pia Stalpaert, chair of ACV’s Food and Services branch, told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Many cleaners furthermore are afraid to lose their job.”

Many of the harassment victims have suffered

Flanders’ public broadcaster VRT presented its new company logo and corporate branding to the Flemish parliament last week.

The new image is designed to represent VRT’s rapid evolution as a public broadcaster.

“VRT is a strong brand. It is our ambition for it to stay strong and evolve,” said CEO Paul Lembrechts. “Our mission is to remain relevant to all of Flemish society, to keep our position in the media world and to become a modern media company, ready for 2020.”

The new branding, he said, “will give everyone who works for us and with us a recognisable, VRT identity that connects us all.” Individual channel logos, such as Eén, Canvas and MNM, will remain the same, Lembrechts confirmed.

In related news, VRT’s annual report shows that the public broadcaster’s share of the market has increased in 2016, for both television and radio. Its websites, too, attracted more visitors.

VRT’s total market share stands at 64% compared to 62% in 2015. In terms of its TV channels – Eén, Canvas, Ketnet and Sporza – its share increased from 38.5% to 39.3%.

Eén is VRT’s most popular channel. Every day 2.8 million households tune in to one of VRT’s channels. VRT’s online news site deredactie. be has more than 270,000 unique visitors daily.

With nearly 29% of its listeners Radio 2 is VRT’s most popular radio station by far, followed by Studio Brussel, MNM and Radio 1. It also owns Klara, the classical music station.

The public broadcaster received 4,820 complaints in 2016, an increase of 3.4% on the previous year. The main reason was the end of the teletext service, but there were also complaints about a perceived lack of neutrality in news reporting and about excessive drinking in entertainment programmes. \ Anja Otte

from anxiety, difficulties performing their jobs, trouble sleeping and even suicidal thoughts. ACV has suggested training programmes for house cleaners where they learn that they do not have to accept such behaviour, demand more respect from their employers and report incidents.

More than 200,000 people work as house cleaners in Belgium, most of them women and many of them immigrants. The ACV pointed out that it is a demanding job that is often undervalued. \ Andy Furniere

Federal work minister tackles burn-out with new measures Being permanently on call for your boss could become a thing of the past if federal work minister Kris Peeters can reach an agreement with employers’ organisations and unions on a new package of measures. Peeters is working to address the growing number of cases of burnout among workers in Belgium.

The number of people absent from work due to illness grew by 80% between 2005 and 2016.

Last year, 35% of absences were due to psychosocial or mental health problems while 30% involved musculo-skeletal issues such as lower back pain or neck pain.

Preventive measures include ensuring a better work-life balance for employees, said Peeters.

The proposed measures also urge companies to devise clear policies on dealing with burn-out, including re-integration once workers return.

“Tackling burn-out is one of the major challenges of this time,” Peeters said. “We are busy at home and at work. Finding the balance

© ingimage

between work and private life is difficult. People do not know what to do first, they lose control and, thereby, their enthusiasm.”

Companies are also experiencing rising costs due to the number of absences. The estimated cost of worker disability in 2017 is just short of €8 billion, meaning that for the first time in history, the cost will exceed unemployment benefits. \ EP

\ INNOVATION

JUNE 28, 2017

All in your head

week in innovation

Groundbreaking scientist unlocks the secrets of the unconscious mind Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

“I

’m not a miracle doctor,” says Steven Laureys, neurologist and coma expert at the University of Liège. But thanks to his breakthrough research into human consciousness, in particular among coma patients, the 48-year-old Flemish scientist has won this year’s Francqui Prize – known as the Belgian Nobel Prize for science.

Laureys, from Hoeilaart in Flemish Brabant, earned his PhD in medicine at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and moved to Liège in the second half of the 1990s to study human consciousness.

He now leads the Coma Science Group based at the university hospital, dealing with disorders of consciousness – primarily patients who have ended up in a coma after a head trauma or brain haemorrhage.

One of his team’s main discoveries is that about 40% of coma patients have a degree of consciousness.

“It was a historic mistake to think there was only a state of consciousness and one of unconsciousness,” he says. “There are actually many degrees of consciousness.”

He rejects the term “vegetative state” for coma patients, preferring to describe their state as “nonresponsive”.

He has also contributed significantly to the detection of two consciousness networks in the brain: an external one that deals with the environment and an internal one focused on ourselves. “One part of the brain is responsible for the perception we get through our senses, another for that ‘voice’ in our head that summarises our thoughts,” he explains.

But his work goes further than detection. With his team, he has also developed a technique to temporarily stimulate a coma patient’s consciousness. For this treatment, patients receive mild

© Virginie Lefour/BELGA

Neurologist Steven Laureys collects his Franqui Prize at a ceremony earlier this month

electric waves through their brain, via electrodes on their skull. It enables a large number of patients to follow movements with their eyes or answer simple questions for about two hours.

There are currently clinical trials taking place with hundreds of patients, who are given electric brain stimulation for about 20 minutes a day over several weeks.

This will help scientists understand how brain networks become active again after they are damaged. It could also become a way to assess the condition and treatment of patients and possibly the basis for new treatments.

Such findings have resulted in global renown for the Coma Science Group. Each week, the team stud-

ies the precise mental condition of a coma patient from outside the hospital – often from abroad.

As well as external patients, the researchers focus on the many patients in the hospital with disorders of consciousness.

“Many coma patients still experience pain and emotions,” says Laureys. “For their comfort and to give them the best chance of recovery, it’s essential that we can induce reactions in the brain and establish a kind of communication.”

The researchers will use a variety of imaging methods to measure the reactions in the brain when certain body parts are hurt in a controlled manner. They also try to induce emotional reactions in the brain by calling a patient by their name,

Q&A

EN.DOCTENA.BE

Patrick Van de Mosselaer of Antwerp has co-developed the app Doctena, which simplifies scheduling for both doctors and patients What does your app do exactly?

Doctena is a central platform that connects patients with healthcare professionals on one side and doctors with patients on the other side. It’s very simple: In three clicks, patients can start their healthcare journey. You can install it on a phone, but it’s also something you can connect to through your computer, tablet or any other digital device.

What inspired you to create it?

Two things. I grew up in a family of doctors, so I’ve got 20 years’ experience in appointment manage-

holding a mirror in front of their eyes or letting them listen to music.

Despite this, in many cases, the conclusion is that there is no hope of recovery for the patient. The team then has to confer with the next of kin about the question of allowing the patient to die. As this concerns matters of life and death, the team is at the centre of an ethical and legal discussion, often attacked by both the pro-life Christian movement and atheists who want people to have the right to die.

“What matters to us is a patient’s quality of life,” says Laureys. “We want to conduct this complicated debate on the basis of our scientific evidence and use nuanced arguments.”

Laureys’ work on the human consciousness, however, goes beyond the situation of coma patients. He also examines things such as the influence of meditation skills on the brains of Buddhist monks, and of weightlessness on those of astronauts.

He studies the nature of near-death experiences, too, and his team has collected about 1,500 testimonies from people from around the world. Laureys has even carried out experiments on himself. He was given psychedelic mushrooms intravenously and used a centrifuge at a military base in Warsaw where pilots experience the effects of extreme gravity.

“We have already made huge progress in helping people with hearing and visual impairments, for example, but the working of the consciousness still holds so many mysteries,” he says. “We have to explore diverse ways to collect scientific evidence.”

Laureys was presented with the Francqui Prize in May at the Academy Palace in Brussels by King Filip.

The prize, granted to scientists up to the age of 50, is worth €250,000.

ative. After that, it was just a few months until we had our first patients and were in business.

ment. When I was 10 years old, I’d pick up the phone and write down the appointments in a book, the old-fashioned way. But later I lived in the US and saw how appointment management could be digitised, and that something like this could be a really great way to make life easier for both doctors and patients.

How long did it take to create it?

In 2010, I said it would be a great idea, but I was working on other things at the time, and I didn’t have the technological knowhow to create what I had in mind. So

when I came back to Belgium, I spoke with friends who were more digitally skilled than I was, and in 2013 I met the person who would become my partner in the initi-

How do people find out about you?

It’s a two-sided market place, a bit like Airbnb, where you have tenants and people looking for a place to stay. On one side, we have doctors, and on the other side we have patients. When we sign up a new doctor, we give them a communication package, which contains personalised posters, flyers and business cards to help them find new patients. When someone calls looking for an appointment, we have them refer to our app. \ Inter-

Belgian Maker Award goes to Aluvision Aluvision, a family-owned company in Deinze, East Flanders, has won this year’s Belgian Maker Award, which honours companies in the manufacturing industry that excel in sustainability and innovation. Aluvision manufactures modular, reusable components made of sustainable aluminium that are used to create temporary stands, stages and other display systems at events and trade fairs. The company exports to more than 30 countries.

“Many manufacturing activities are outsourced to countries with cheaper labour,” said Danny Van Himste, CEO of DHL, one of the award’s sponsors. “Aluvision is a nice example of how things can be turned around again: production in our own country for export abroad.”

Many parents unaware of kids’ use of smartphone About 40% of pupils in the third year of primary school have their own smartphone, according to research by communication management students at Hasselt’s PXL university college among 960 children in the city. More than half (53%) of pupils in the fourth year have a smartphone, 66% in the fifth and 82% in the sixth year. The younger children are, the less aware they are of the risks related to using a smartphone. Less than half of the pupils in the third year – generally eight- and nineyear-olds – are aware of the possible dangers, compared to 59% of those in the sixth year. Some 35% of pupils indicated that their parents don’t know what they do with their phone.

‘Superbacteria’ found in nursing homes The number of rest home residents in Flanders infected with the “superbacteria” ESBL has almost doubled in five years, according to a report from the Scientific Institute for Public Health (WIV). So-called superbacteria are pathogens that are difficult to battle because they are resistant to antibiotics. “One in nine rest home residents is a carrier of ESBL,” WIV researcher Boudewijn Catry told VRT. The percentage of people carrying the bacteria increased from 6% to 11% between 2011 and 2015, he said, adding that ESBL is particularly prevalent in the intestines. The main causes of the advance of ESBL are excessive use of antibiotics and insufficient hygiene.

view by Taylor Kinnerup

\7

The sound

Party through the summer to the tune of Flanders’ many music festivals

Rock Werchter This granddaddy of all Flemish music festivals is nearly sold out, though as we went to press, there were still Thursdayonly tickets available. So while you’ll miss the likes of Radiohead, Linkin Park and Foo Fighters, you can still see Arcade Fire, Beth Ditto, Kings of Leon and local faves Het Zesde Metaal.

29 June to 2 July Tarweland, Werchter (Rotselaar, Flemish Brabant) \ rockwerchter.be

CRITIC’S CHOICE

CRITIC’S CHOICE

Brussels Summer Festival

Couleur Café

Since its inception in 2002, the Brussels Summer Festival (BSF) has grown bigger every year. And more interesting, too. The 10-day affair runs across two indoor and two outdoor stages at Kunstberg and Paleizenplein, the cobblestone square between Warandepark and the Royal Palace. The lineup includes the futuristic electro-pop duo Pet Shop Boys and Northern Ireland’s The Divine Comedy. Then there is the glacial perfection of Goldfrapp, the amazing sounds of Canadian singer Feist and the noise pop of Scottish rascals The Jesus and Mary Chain. Altogether, there are 87 acts to choose from, including Brussels ethno funk band Allez Allez, who are staging a comeback after 35 years. The full festival pass also gives you access to museums and exhibitions across the capital. \ Christophe Verbiest

For the first time, the beloved Brusse location – the park around the Atom & Taxis site. Other than that, the 25 true to form, with a varied offer of ar thread of urban or world music. Th (The Roots, Princess Nokia, pictured) but you’ll also find a fair amount of a sprinkling of Balkan, bossa nova an perfectly channels the je ne sais quoi time. \ Linda A Thompson

Gooikoorts Now in its 15th edition, Gooikoorts is an international folk festival with a family vibe. Located in the Pajottenland countryside, it prides itself on its kid-friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Names on the bill include the American roots music behemoth Bruce Molsky. The band leader (and banjo picker, fiddler, guitarist and vocalist) plays on Saturday with his new trio Molsky’s Mountain Drifers, which also features The Goodye Girls’ Allison De Groot on the banjo and Boston’s Stash Wyslouch.

7-9 July Dorpsstraat, GOOIK (Flemish Brabant) \ gooikoorts.be

30 June to 2 July Atomiumsquare, Brussels

6-15 August Kunstberg and Paleizenplein, Brussels

\ bsf.be

Cactus Festival In Bruges’ Minnewaterpark, Cactus has one of the best settings of all the Flemish festivals and its line-up is traditionally stacked with cutting-edge acts. This year’s edition is no exception. On the melancholic, dreamy, indie front are artists like Texan post-rock-outfit Explosions in the Sky and slowcore-songwriter Sophia, who will put you in a state of trance. On the festive, cheery front there are the regular visitor Jamie Lidell and Tom Barman’s experimental jazz outfit Taxi Wars.

7-9 July MINNEWATERPARK, BRUGES \ cactusfestival.be

Rock Zottegem July’s second weekend traditionally hosts this little East Flemish town’s finest festivity: Rock Zottegem. The “rock” in the name might be slightly misleading , as the festival is known to book straight-up pop acts as well. There’s the Dutch class act Marco Borsato (who, in his most famous song from the 1990s, claims that most dreams are a deception), the UK’s Bryan Ferry and the most popular Flemish singer of the moment, former Steracteur Sterartiest contender, Stan Van Samang.

7-9 July Kastanjelaan, ZOTTEGEM \ rock-zottegem.be

\ couleurcafe.be

CRITIC’S CHOICE

Gent Jazz Ghent’s jazz festival thinks outside of the box. Held in the gardens of the Bijloke concert hall, it’s an event that the city of hipster go-getters and urban experimenters truly deserves. Case in point: one of the headliners is German musician Blixa Bargeld’s long running avant-gardist ensemble Einstürzende Neubauten. Along with classic instruments, they’re known to play grinding discs, metal objects, jackhammers and iron rods. Also keep an eye out for fresh new jazz acts like Robert Glasper Experiment and Kamasi Washington. The last two days overlap with the Gentse Feesten.

6-15 July De BIJLOKE, GHENT \ gentjazz.com

Gentse Feesten The largest combined music and street theatre festival in the world, Gentse Feesten draws more than one million visitors to the centre of Ghent for a 10-day outdoor bash that never sleeps (quite literally). Every square is a stage, and the biggest are the Korenmarkt, which features a variety of acts, the Trefpunt world music stage at Sint-Jacobsplein (or Walter De Buck-plein, named after the late musician who re-invented the Feesten in the 1960s)

and the appropriately named Boomtown on the Kouter square, with mostly local alternative rock acts. Partygoers will be glad to hear that DJ sets at the Vlasmarkt will go on until the early hours of the morning. Next to music and theatre, there are, as usual, lots of activities for children, including a puppet festival and the kids village Gentopia, where you can cast your vote for the child mayor of the festival.

14-23 July ACROSS GHENT \ gentsefeesten.gent

Jazz Middelheim

As the world celebrates the centena the occasion with a day dedicated to gus and Thelonious Monk. Jazz Mid pianist Randy Weston and 79-year(pictured), but it’s not all about nos bands like Portico Quarter and The ented locals, including saxophonist N Machtelinckx, the festival’s focus is evolving genre. Drummer Mark Guil while Irish storyteller Van Morrison crowds. \ Tom Peeters

Sfinks Mixed Sfinks Mixed is a household name in the world music festival circuit in Europe. It’s free, it’s family- and refugee-friendly and in, its 42nd edition, it hosts the AlgerianDutch rap phenomenon Boef. There’s also a special Latino edition of the festival on 23 September.

27-30 July Pastoorsleike 7, BOECHOUT (ANTWERP PROVINCE) \ sfinks.be

Suikerrock Which small city festival blurs the line between mainstream and alternative and is named after its renowned sugar refin-

3-6 August Park Den Brandt, Antwerp

\ jazzmiddelheim.be

of summer

els festival takes place in a brand-new mium – instead of the traditional Tour 5th edition of Couleur Café is staying rtists and genres, all connected by the is year’s line-up is heavy on hip-hop ) and reggae (Alpha Blondy, Soom T), soul and electronic music, as well as nd Afro and Latin. This festival, which i vibe of the city, is a guaranteed good

ary of jazz, this annual festival marks o the music of Art Blakey, Charles Minddelheim has also invited 91-year-old -old saxophone player Charles Lloyd stalgia. With younger and innovative e Cinematic Orchestra, as well as talNicolas Kummert and guitarist Ruben more than ever on the future of the liana is this year’s artist in residence, n is guaranteed to woo the biggest

ery? Tienen’s Suikerrock (or Sugar Rock), smack-dab on the Grote Markt, shows its knack for an eclectic line-up, with headliners such as Iggy Pop, Zucchero and Tinie Tempah.

28-30 July Grote Markt, TIENEN (FLEMISH BRABANT) \ suikerrock.be

Reggae Geel Immerse yourself in the tunes of dancehall, ska and reggae artists such as Maxi Priest, Black Uhuru, Blood Shanti and ’60s originators The Heptones and The Silvertones. Maxi Priest helped transform the ska and rocksteady sound into reggae and has released a whopping 21 albums. The Silvertones have worked with the greats, including Duke Reid and Lee “Scratch” Perry, and have brought out new records in 2013 and 2015.

4-5 August Malosewaver, GEEL (LIMBURG) \ reggaegeel.com

Lokerse Feesten Although they do serve a mean sausage, alternative music is the bread and butter at this hugely popular annual festival near Ghent. This year sees a lot of big, mostly American rock artists, many of whom will undoubtedly strike a chord with those who grew up in the 1990s.

The main stage hosts the legendary altrockers The Pixies (no Kim Deal though; the new bassist is Argentinian-American Paz Lenchantin), Californian skatepunks Pennywise, shock rockers Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper (pupil and teacher, you could say) and Bay Area thrash metal icons Megadeth.

4-13 August Grote Kaai, LOKEREN (EAST FLANDERS) \ lokersefeesten.be

By Laurens Bouckaert unless otherwise noted

Antilliaanse Feesten The Antilliaanse Feesten is not the city festival the name would suggest (there is no town called Antiliaan), but a tribute to all Caribbean music, albeit in a rocklike atmosphere. It’s actually the biggest festival in the world to put the spotlight on the spectrum of Caribbean genres. To people passionate about the music created by the descendants of African slaves, performers like Wilfrido Vargas, Farmer Nappy, Doble R and J Alvarez will most certainly sound familiar. Shaggy and Congolese Brusselaar Baloji should also ring a bell. Or just go to soak up the upbeat atmosphere.

11-12 August Blauwbossen, HOOGSTRATEN (ANTWERP province) \ antilliaansefeesten.be

Pukkelpop Pukkelpop – on a par with Rock Werchter as the king of Belgian music festivals – needs no introduction. The Afghan Whigs, Tycho, STUFF., Interpol, PJ Harvey, Moderat and Strand of Oaks are some of the more interesting names on

show this year. Other big names are Ryan Adams and The Flaming Lips. As we went to press, combi tickets were still available but Saturday-only tickets were sold out, so if you’re planning on going, don’t wait any longer to secure your entry.

16-19 August Kiewit festival site, HASSELT \ pukkelpop.be

Leffingeleuren Leffingeleuren in Middelkerke is known as the epilogue to Flanders’ festival season and caters beautifully to people with an acquired taste in alternative music.

Expect a big contingent of the alt rock and indie scene to make its way to the seaside town, but there will also be focus on local hip-hop artists. As we went to press, the following names had been confirmed: J Bernardt, Romeo Elvis & Le Motel, Zwangere Guy and Dieter Von Deurne & The Politics.

8-10 September LEFFINGE (MIDDELKERKE, West Flanders) \ leffingeleurenfestival.be

CRITIC’S CHOICE

HORST Horst is a two-day celebration of both music and the visual arts, actively promoting the cross-fertilisation of the two. Arty, yes, but open to all, especially to lovers of left-field electronica. The festival, set in the picturesque Hageland hills, is named after the 15th-century moated castle at which it takes place. The underlying theme of this year’s festival is the conversation between art and architecture and the organisers have invited two internationally renowned architecture studios to each build one of the two stages. Horst has only recently announced the complete DJ line-up and it will prove a treat for any lover of cutting edge dance music. It includes Hamburg’s electro and techno stalwart Helena Hauff and everyone’s favourite Gilles Peterson, from the UK.

Festival Dranouter Dranouter has steadily grown as a local favourite and is now cherished as West Flanders’ cosiest music event of the summer. It used to be primarily a folk festival but now features a diverse, largely local line-up, with a folky tone. All ears this year are directed towards the legendary Dutch ska rockers Doe Maar, who sang praises to a certain Dutch herb (“Nederwiet”) back in the 1980s. Other names include festival favourites Het Zesde Metaal and De Dolfijntjes, dreamy Flemish pop-rock sensation Bazart and Antwerp’s Stef Kamil Carlens. © Willem Govaerts

4-6 August DRANOUTER (Heuvelland, WEST FLANDERS) \ festivaldranouter.be

9-11 September Horststraat 28, Holsbeek (Flemish Brabant)

\ horstartsandmusic.com

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IN A CHANGING WORLD,

\ EDUCATION

JUNE 28, 2017

Bang a drum

week in education

Global movement puts music at the heart of Brussels education Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

jeugdenmuziekbrussel.be

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ince the beginning of the Second World War, Jeugd en Muziek (Youth and Music) has taught children the liberating power of music. Starting this year, the non-profit is focusing its attention on students and teachers in the Dutch-speaking schools in Brussels.

Jeugd en Muziek was established in 1940 at the fine arts centre Bozar, at a time when the German occupying forces were trying to gain control of cultural life in Belgium through organisations including the Hitler Youth. Hoping to open their minds during a period of oppression, Jeugd en Muziek offered youngsters an alternative: classical music concerts that were free of Nazi propaganda.

When the war came to an end, instead of dissolving, Jeugd en Muziek became an international movement that has since spread to all continents. Its motto since 1945 has been “enabling young people to develop through music across borders”. Thanks to the international network, countries can learn from each other’s experiences and set up projects that have already proven effective elsewhere.

Over the years, Jeugd en Muziek has also developed chapters for young Dutch-speakers in Flanders and Brussels. Last year, however, the Flemish chapter, Jeugd en Muziek Vlaanderen, received a negative evaluation from the Flemish government and lost its subsidies. The move threatened the existence of Jeugd en Muziek Brussel as well.

Earlier this year, the Flemish Community Commission (VGC), which represents the interests of the Flemish government in Brussels, signed a three-year agreement with the Brussels chapter, ensuring its existence until at least 2020. The €180,000 budget for this

© courtesy Jeugd en Muziek

year has a clear objective: to bring music to Dutch-speaking pupils in Brussels.

“We used to reach out to young professional musicians too, but we will now focus almost exclusively on students,” says Patrick Lenaers, Jeugd en Muziek Brussel’s general

musicians take a group of students on a walk around Brussels, to show them places that inspire them the most. In another, musicians with foreign roots expose children to the musical traditions of their home countries and show them, for example, how to dance

and styles. “Our workshops also give children confidence,” says Lenaers. “A student who doesn’t speak fluent Dutch can still prove they can sing, by doing it in their native language.”

In addition to activities, Jeugd en Muziek Brussel will also train teachers to integrate music in their lessons. “We will show them how to inspire their students by organising lessons around innovative music technology and multimedia applications, for example,” says Lenaers.

Another plan is to create an online platform that could be used by classes to share their experiences with each other. Teachers would be able to upload videos of classroom activities or use the platform as a visual aid when presenting their ideas to others.

In Autumn, Jeugd en Muziek Brussel will move to the Brede School Nieuwland, an education campus

Our workshops give children confidence. A student who doesn’t speak fluent Dutch can still prove they can sing, by doing it in their native language director. It will organise classroom activities and set up after-school programmes and summer camps.

“We provide non-formal education,” Lenaers says. “It’s not meant to teach children how to read music scores, it’s mor a fun way to pique their interest.” During an interactive concert, for example, primary school pupils are encouraged to dance and sing along to Balkan music. They also get to experiment with music production software.

The activities are meant to broaden their worldview, adds Lenaers.

As part of one of the workshops,

at a Turkish wedding or how to make traditional instruments from Brazil.

For a more technical workshop, Jeugd en Muziek Brussel has students create a sound box, a hollow wooden structure found in most string instruments. “You don’t have to be good at writing music,” says Lenaers. “For creating it, technical skills are just as valuable.”

To expand their worldview and encourage their creativity, the organisation aims to give every child the chance to discover the broad range of musical elements

in the Marollen area of the city. At Nieuwland, the organisation will have its own dedicated space that should make it easier for hosting workshops and networking with potential partners.

The campus already houses Met-X, a creative space that brings together local and foreign musicians, and the arts education services of the City of Brussels.

This should help children participating in activities organised by Jeugd en Muziek make the eventual transition to a more formal music education.

UGent rector elections stop as sole candidate fails to win majority After seven rounds of voting, Ghent University (UGent) still has no new rector and vice-rector, after the only remaining candidate duo again did not achieve the required two-thirds majority, or 66.6% of the votes.

Rik Van de Walle and Mieke Van Herreweghe got 60.3% of the votes in the latest round of voting: their best result in these elections, but not enough for victory. The other 40% of votes came back blank.

As they had announced they would do if they still failed to reach the majority last week, they have stepped down, and the elections have been paused. They didn’t rule out the possibility of coming back.

“It’s clear that there is not enough support for our specific proposals,” Van de Walle said in a Facebook post. “We will now have a welcome period of rest and reflection, during which we

will consider our future path.”

In the first five rounds of voting, Van de Walle and Van Herreweghe (pictured) competed against Guido Van Huylenbroeck and Sarah De Saeger, who withdrew from the contest after they were both promised positions as vicerector.

Under the compromise suggestion, two other vice-rectors – also previous candidates – would be appointed, increasing the number of vicerectors to five. This proposal had to be approved by the board of directors, which passed it on to an internal work group.

The large number of blank votes in this and the previous round indicates a rejection of this compromise. The board will now establish the future course of the elections.

There is a possibility that Patrick De Baets of the engineering sciences faculty and Karin

© Courtesy UGent

Raeymaeckers of the communication sciences faculty are preparing to run for election.

The rector elections in Ghent were also marred in the beginning by reports of intimidation of the current rector, Anne De Paepe, convincing her not to seek re-election. \ AF

Board game tells stories of refugees This is Not a Game was introduced to primary and secondary school pupils at the Arhus library in Roeselare last week.

The board game puts youngsters in the shoes of refugees and is the result of a co-operation among Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen (Flemish Refugee Action), heritage agency Faro and the province of West Flanders. Launched on 20 June, to coincide with World Refugee Day, it tells the stories of 14 refugees who lived between the middle ages and the present. Youngsters get an insight into what it means to have to leave your home country, become familiarised with basic concepts of immigration and learn the impact of fleeing conflict on people’s lives.

Website helps challenge exam results The Flemish education sector is concerned about the launch of the website studiebetwisting.be, which advises students on their chances of successfully disputing their final results. The website is an initiative of Antwerp lawyer Christophe Vangeel and is aimed at secondary school students who have received a B or C certificate. It also targets higher education students who have failed to pass one or more courses or who didn’t finish an internship successfully. On the website, students answer a series of questions concerning their end-of-year results. They then receive advice on how successful they would be in challenging those results, from “a small chance” to “100%”. If the site considers a student’s chance to be good, it advises them to contact the legal firm.

Most refugee diplomas recognised The Flemish branch of the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (Naric) recognised 93.5% of the diplomas belonging to refugees and asylum-seekers that it reviewed last year, education minister Hilde Crevits has announced. Naric Vlaanderen evaluates which level in Flemish education that the diploma corresponds to – secondary education, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree. There were twice as many diploma recognition requests from refugees and asylum-seekers with subsidiary protection status as in 2015: 965 compared to 482. Naric Vlaanderen took a decision in 512 cases last year, of which 479 were approved as equivalent to a locally earned diploma. \ AF

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\ LIVING

JUNE 28, 2017

Seeds of joy

week in activities PERPLX

Plant swapping initiatives take root in Brussels Sarah Schug More articles by Sarah \ flanderstoday.eu

SEEDSBRUSSELS.WIXSITE.COM BRUTBRUSSELS.COM

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n recent years, activities related to greenery have lost their dusty, old-fashioned image.

Houseplants especially are making a comeback.

Plant swaps – meet-ups that cultivate the exchange of plants – are popping up in cities all over the globe, and traditional florists and gardening centres are experiencing competition from new kinds of shops that put the focus on design.

Recently, the growing trend has arrived in Brussels, giving birth to a multitude of initiatives.

One of them is Seeds, a collective founded by a group of young plant lovers that regularly organises plant swaps and workshops.

“I couldn’t find any plant swap events in the whole of Belgium, while in Los Angeles and Portland for example there are plenty,” says Seeds co-founder Giada Seghers. “There was a real shortage of activities for plant lovers and we wanted to fill that gap.”

The plant swaps, which take place in locations like cafes and cultural centres, have become a bit of an institution for plant enthusiasts in Brussels, and Seeds has even successfully exported the concept to Paris and Milan.

But why are these gatherings such a big hit?

Seghers believes it’s a combination of factors.

“They are much more than just a place for exchanging a product,” she says. “Many people stay and chat for hours, sharing tips and tricks.

Swapping plants and cuttings is also story-telling time. I can tell you a story about each cutting I received, proving that plants really can create connections between people. Plus, it’s all free.”

Accordingly, Seeds encourages attendees to attach stickers to their plants, mentioning the type of the plant, the swap date and their contact information so the exchange can continue.

Brussels-based copywriter Victoria Kirk sees her plant collection as a way to bring a piece of her rural childhood home in southern France to the city. Three years ago, she founded a Facebook group enabling its members to find a new home for plants they no longer needed.

“I got the idea when I came across other groups built around the idea of exchange and avoiding waste,” she explains. Her group now includes more than 2,600 members.

\ perplx.be

Cherry Picking The cherries are ripe in Haspengouw, and you can pick your own every Saturday in July at Jacobs Fruit Company. A tractor takes you out to the orchards, where you can fill your basket and then pay by the kilo (market price). If you fill your basket to the top (eight kilos) you get a €4 discount. 1, 8, 15 & 22 July 13.00-17.00, Heide 114, Sint-Truiden \ jacobsfruit.be

© Courtesy Seeds

Two years ago, Jaqueline Ezman, owner of a vintage boutique in Brussels, teamed up with a freshly graduated florist to replace designer dresses with exotic plants. Brut, an urban jungle nestled in the Marollen neighbourhood, recovers decade-old, mostly large vintage plants, among them a few botanical rarities.

“I feel fashion has had its time,” she says. “The younger generation in particular is looking for something with a deeper meaning, and that has to do with the tendency to pay attention to sustainability.”

Answering to a rising demand, Brut also offers tailor-made interior decoration. “Customers started coming in with photos of their homes, wanting advice on which plants would thrive there and what would work best visually,” Ezman says.

Magali Elali, one half of Antwerp-based creative agency Coffeeklatch, made this newly emerging species of design-conscious plant lovers the subject of a book, Greenterior, that compiles stories of home owners who have a penchant for plants.

A plant collector herself, Elali attributes the growing success of house plants to a variety of reasons. “There’s a health aspect, as plants clean the air,” she says. “There’s the aesthetic element, and, personally, I enjoy the slowness of the whole process.”

All these project creators speak of the increasing sentiment of needing to bring a piece of nature into our urban living environments, as well as the therapeutic, meditative activity of taking care of a living entity and watching it thrive.

“It connects you with nature and has a calming effect,” says Baptiste Péron, a Brussels-based graphic designer and plant aficionado. As he browses the plant selection at Brut, he does admit, however, to taking the whole trend with a pinch of salt.

“I found more than half of my plants on the street, thrown away by people who thought they were dead,” he says. “People should be aware that plants are not just pretty interior objects.

They’re living things that need constant care.”

BITE Mechelen bakery goes back to basics with sourdough bread Steven Van Der Stichelen and Johan Nulens are not actual brothers. Their bakery, Broodbroeders (Bread Brothers), started in the kitchen of Nulens’ catering business. “I helped him out from time to time, and one of the things we did was bake bread to go with the other dishes,” says Van Der Stichelen.

Eventually, they decided to forgo catering and focus on baking. “We started with the small oven in Johan’s kitchen and sold our first loaves among friends and acquaintances,” Van Der Stichelen says.

Broodbroeders bakes only old-fashioned sourdough bread, with leaven instead of yeast.

Leaven has been used for ages, but slipped into oblivion when industrial yeast took over the market. Now, according to Van Der Stichelen, it’s making a comeback.

“Leaven has a number of strengths,” he says.

This international circus festival brings top European troupes together for an exciting weekend of stage shows, world premieres and outdoor entertainment.

Purchase tickets for individual acts or a pass for the weekend, or just come and enjoy the free performances on the festival grounds. 30 June to 2 July, Hellestraat 6, Kortrijk; free to €26

Steven Van Der Stichelen (left) and Johan Nulens deliver bread right to your door

“It gives the inside crumb a more solid texture, while making the crust, well, crustier. Sourdough bread can be preserved for much longer than regular bread and is easier to digest. It’s also heartier and tastier, at least in my opinion.”

Van Der Stichelen and Nulens also refrain from adding any artificial ingredients, extra sugar or

fat – they also don’t work through the night.

“Our bakery offers fewer choices than a regular one,” says Van Der Stichelen. “We only have four or five different kinds of bread on the menu, but we change the recipes daily.”

Another thing that sets Broodbroeders apart is its subscription programme. Customers can put in weekly orders, which are then delivered by bike to a collection point. According to Van Der Stichelen, this has at least one advantage: “It gives us a clearer idea of how much bread to bake so we can avoid waste.”

Sustainability is one of Broodbroeders’ core values and the bakery co-operates with a local mill that processes wheat from Belgian farmers. The focus is on quality and not scaling up production, says Van Der Stichelen. “Just like our sourdough bread, our bakery gets to grow at its own pace.” \ Toon Lambrechts

Ramblas An annual street party in the old Seaman’s Quarter of Antwerp, this festival includes concerts on several stages, art, antique and flea markets, international food and drink stands and street theatre. New this year: an artificial beach on Falconplein. 1-2 July 10.00-18.00, Klapdorp 15, Antwerp; free \ ramblas.rocks/r17

Festivelo The whole family will enjoy this musical adventure by bike. Along a 25-kilometre route in East Flanders, participants will encounter many kinds of concerts, from classical to contemporary, in English, Dutch, French and Arabic, in locations ranging from a stable to a school to a village square. 2 July 10.3018.00, starting point Markt in Lokeren; €12 \ ccl.lokeren.be

Medieval Village In conjunction with the annual Ommegang procession in Brussels, a medieval village and market can be found in Warandepark, across from the Royal Palace.

In addition to demonstrations of medieval crafts and daily life, there will be jousting, sword fighting, archery contests and beer tastings.

5-8 July 12.00-21.00, Warandepark, Brussels; free \ ommegang.be

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\ ARTS

The child inside

Former teacher and author of books for young people branches out into adult fiction Rebecca Benoot More articles by Rebecca \ flanderstoday.eu

Kristien Dieltiens has just released her first novel for adults after a successful series of books for young people.

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efore becoming a full-time author and illustrator, Kristien Dieltiens was a teacher. These days, she mainly writes coming-of-age stories for young adults, frequently in a historical setting. Her latest novel is her first for adults, and it, too, has its feet in the past.

She stumbled on the premise for Kortgeknipt (Cut Short) while she was working on her previous novel, Kelderkind (Cellar Child) – about the German boy Kaspar Hauser who claimed to have spent his childhood locked in a darkened basement.

“I did a lot of research for Kortgeknipt, and several years ago I found a website about children who had to flee the Basque country in Spain, which immediately caught my attention,” she says.

As a visual artist, Dieltiens (pictured) was familiar with Picasso’s “Guernica” but had never really thought about the context in which it was created. “I knew I had to do something with this material, because the stories of children in particular are often lost in history and the news.”

Children are a recurring theme in all her works. She feels a great deal of sympathy for the underdog, those who aren’t written about. “Everyone is confronted with the child in themselves,” she says. “When you’re sad or ashamed or confronted with loss, it’s always your inner child that resurfaces.”

Set in 1937, during the Spanish civil war, Kortgeknipt tells the tale of Angel, a nineyear-old who flees San Sebastian with his family, hoping to find refuge in Guernica.

Carmela, 14, lives in Guernica, but, as the city is frequently bombed by the Germans on General Franco’s orders, families decide to get their children to safety.

Angel and Carmela are evacuated by boat to Flanders, where they have to deal with a new culture, the loss of loved ones and the horror of war.

Five years ago, Dieltiens got in touch with Manuel Gonzalez, the son of a Basque refugee who works for the police in Ghent. “He was really excited to work with me on this

project,” she says, “which was initially going to be a book for young adults.”

It took her four years to write the novel. “The

first two chapters I’d written were where Angel sees his mother again for the first time.

That’s when I started to wonder if it really

More new books this week Een redelijk gelukkig huwelijk (A Reasonably Happy Marriage) • Fien de Meulder (Polis) Fien de Meulder is another teacher turned author. Her debut novel tells the tale of a young woman who has it all: a great husband, wonderful kids and a beautiful home, yet she is filled with discontent.

Funny and relatable, de Meulder says what we’re all thinking but are often afraid to say out loud. A refreshing debut that shows things aren’t always what they seem.

Guggenheimer koopt een neger (Guggenheimer Buys a Negro) • Herman Brusselmans (Prometheus) In the latest instalment of Brusselmans’ Guggenheimer series, the wealthy protago-

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nist decides to buy a football team, which he’ll make great by acquiring a talented black player. If that wasn’t enough, he’s also on the market for a new wife. Politically incorrect with a vengeance, this mediocre satire is not one of Brusselmans’ best works.

For die-hard fans only.

Voorbij de grenzen (Beyond the Borders) • Rudi Meulemans (Hollands diep) Theatre director Rudi Meulemans’ latest non-fiction outing focuses on the life of American author Glenway Wescott. During his early 20th-century youth he published three bestsellers, and that was it – though he never stopped writing. Meulemans takes us on a literary pilgrimage that explores the art scene in the US before and after the

Second World War. Focusing on Meulemans’ friends and multiple lovers, this is a fascinating depiction of a turbulent era.

Zei mijn vrouw (Said My Wife) • Marnix Peeters (Pottwal Publishers) Marnix Peeters has a reputation as a literary bad boy who doesn’t shy away from occasional depravity. He shows his softer, more serious side, however, in this collection of columns that were originally published in the weekend edition of De Morgen. Shedding some light on the author’s personal life, this witty, eloquent and entertaining book puts his wife, Jana, centre stage, depicting her musings with aplomb.

was a book for young adults or more mature readers, so I sent it to other publishers.”

Antwerp publishing house Vrijdag immediately saw its potential.

Whether she’s writing for adolescents or adults doesn’t make that much difference to Dieltiens. “I take both very seriously. A child is a person, and I write for people, regardless of their age,” she says. “I occasionally adjust the language, and when I’m writing for young people my work is more plot-based, whereas when I’m writing for adults, I let my protagonist take the lead.”

Dieltiens has a big family and was a teacher for many years. “I know what children deal with quite well. And in literature, you can give them a sense of recognition and show them you understand what they are going through.”

It doesn’t matter if her novel is set in contemporary times or centuries ago, she says, children deal with the same issues when they are growing up. “I’ve always been fascinated by history – not just the facts, but the stories of the people and how they lived. I remember when I had my first period I started wondering how girls dealt with that in the past, something I eventually depicted in my novel Papinette.”

As a foster mother, Dieltiens is fascinated by the question of what happens if a child can’t grow up with their own family. “I know the world of a child who can’t grow up with its parents. I’ve seen first-hand how genetics works, and you have to respect that,” she says. “Usually the children in foster care are from troubled homes, and that scars them. It also has an influence on your own family. It broadened the horizon of our own kids, too.”

She’s always been fascinated by refugees and their lives, she says, pointing out that Belgium gave shelter to 5,000 children during the Spanish civil war. Even in the smallest towns, there were refugees, who would be known as “children of the war”.

Kortgeknipt, while harrowing, is full of colourful metaphors and filmic scenes, in which Dieltiens captures the essence of these young survivors and their will to survive.

Kortgeknipt ( Dutch by Vrijdag

) is published in

\ AGENDA

JUNE 28, 2017

Laugh, and the world laughs with you

CONCERT

Art is Comic Until 31 December

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russels urban art museum Mima is working to elicit laughs in its third exhibition since opening last year. Young local and international artists, including Joan Cornellà, HuskMitNavn, Jean Jullien and Brecht Vandenbroucke fill the museum’s four floors with anything from giant ceramic vases to an Iron Maiden-illustrated armchair.

“After all the terrorist attacks, we wanted to stage a show suitable for the whole family. Humour is the driving force,” explains Raphaël Cruyt, the curator of Art is Comic in collaboration with Antwerp-based Vandenbroucke. “That’s why there’s not much abstract art here.”

Antwerp

Mima, Brussels

mimamuseum.be

HuskMitNavn, whose simple line drawings recall the work of American artist and social activist Keith Haring, agrees: “I want to do things people can understand.”

The exhibition’s messages are indeed clear. Through satirical illustrations and “Foosball” – a colossal football player facing 200 mini players – Vandenbroucke shows society’s inequalities, denouncing companies like Apple and Vevo.

“I just don’t like how big corporations invade our privacy and treat people like numbers,” he says. “I don’t care if people think it’s pretentious; if I don’t do it, maybe nobody else will.”

The omnipresence of digitisation

is addressed throughout the show and is, in fact, also reflected in the artists’ popularity on social media.

Cornellà’s blackly comic, sometimes X-rated, work (pictured) attracts 4.5 million Facebook followers, more than the Louvre and MoMA combined. “In my

comics and paintings, the characters look artificial and always have a big smile on their faces, even though horrible things happen to them all the time.”

Multidisciplinary artist Jullien, an Instagram star, is more upbeat: “You can actively participate in people’s lives by bringing a little art into their daily environment,” he says. His delightful, full-sized metal people standing against mirrored walls explains this perfectly.

Cruyt agrees, pointing to the pink man attached to the building taking a selfie. “If you laugh during your visit, we will be delighted,” he says. “Art is good for your physical health.” \ Liz Newmark

VISUAL ARTS

EVENT

Walther Vanbeselaere: Collector for the State

The Golden Cabinet Closing Party

2 July to 1 October

Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Sint-Martens-Latem

1-2 July

museumdd.be

This summer exhibition celebrates one of 20th-century Modernism’s most influential Flemish boosters. In the decades following the Second World War, when the new style was blossoming on both sides of the Atlantic, Walther Vanbeselaere acquired a formidable collection for the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. In the process, he

inspired institutions and private collectors across the region. For Collector for the State, Museum DD has brought together works

by Vanbeselaere’s favourite artists, from locals like Rik Wouters to international luminaries like Edgar Degas. It opens with a festive outdoor barbecue on the banks of the Leie river. \ Georgio Valentino

Rockox House, Antwerp kmska.be

Cinematek Summer Music Festival

Het Theaterfestival

2 July to 30 August With a cheeky title referring to Flanders’ prolific music festival season, Brussels’ film museum Cinematek presents a summerlong programme of concert films, rock operas and music documentaries created by some of the genre’s biggest directors. It opens appropriately enough with a film about the quintessential summer music festival, namely Michael Wadleigh’s iconic 1970 documentary Woodstock (pictured).

Nearly 30 films more are on the programme, including DA Pennebaker’s mythic Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Wim Wenders’ Buena Vista Social Club and Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense. \ GV

Cinematek, Brussels cinematek.be

31 August to 10 September The stage tends to dry up as locals favour outdoor pursuits in the summer, but this annual festival of Dutch-language theatre bridges the lean period between seasons.

A jury selects the highlights from the previous season’s Flemish and Dutch stage productions and brings them back for an encore.

The programme boasts more than

Brussels Benjamin Biolay: The French pop-rock musician returns to Brussels to present his new album Volver. 29 June 20.00, Ancienne Belgique, Anspachlaan 110 \ abconcerts.be

VISUAL ARTS Brussels Asterix in Belgium: Interactive exhibition based on the well-loved comic strip invites youngsters to learn about history and culture. Until 3 September, Belgian Comics Art Museum, Zandstraat 20

Ghent Ave Luïa: Quite possibly Flanders’ most unique museum, Dr Guislain presents an exhibition of original art inspired

by Catholic imagery. The works were created in Wallonia’s Grand Atelier “S” – a laboratory of outsider art. Until 15 October, Museum Dr Guislain, Jozef Guislainstraat 43 \ museumdrguislain.be

PARTY Across Flanders

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PERFORMANCE

\ oltrivierenhof.be

\ comicscenter.net

In 2013, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp closed for renovation and began staging temporary exhibitions under the moniker “Golden Cabinet” in the luxurious residence of 17th-century Antwerp mayor Nicolaas Rockox. But all good things must end. The current temporary exhibition, devoted to 16th-century landscape painters, is the last before the Rockox House, too, closes for renovations.

But it’s going out with a bang. The pair of museums is closing out the series with a weekend of lectures, debates and family workshops as well as live renaissance music and happy hour drinks. Entry is free.

FILM

Kurt Vile and the Violators + Mauro Pawlowski: American grunge singer Kurt Vile and band join forces with Flemish rock veteran Mauro for a guitar-heavy double feature. One of many summer concerts at Antwerp’s openair theatre. 4 July 19.00, Openluchttheater Rivierenhof, Turnhoutsebaan 246

get tic

kets n ow

Across Brussels theaterfestival.be

20 productions from the likes of Abbatoir Fermé and Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, not to mention lectures, workshops and parties.

Kaaitheater is the festival hub, but there are also performances at venues across the capital. Tickets to the more popular shows sell out early, so buy now. \ GV

The Sorry Party: Situationist-inspired arts organisation Sorry Sorry Sorry unveils its new summer party concept with a weekend tour of the Flemish underground. Revellers can enjoy food, drink, motivational speakers, yoga and various psychedelic multimedia interventions in Antwerp, Brussels or Ghent 29 June to 1 July, Belly (Antwerp), Tenace (Brussels), In De Ruimte (Ghent) \ sorrysorrysorry.org

FESTIVAL Izegem Izegem World Festival: The world’s finest folk traditions come together for this festival of music and dance. Performances by troupes from Argentina, Bulgaria, Turkey and other countries require a ticket, but the outdoor market and other activities are free. 29 June to 4 July, CC De Leest, SintJorisstraat 62 \ wereldfestivalizegem.be

© Kurt Van der Elst

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\ BACKPAGE

JUNE 28, 2017

Talking Dutch Not my type

In response to: Our days are numbered: Flanders Today contract cancelled Pierre Lemair: This is a real shame, your newsletter and website have been the best way to keep up to date with what is happening in Belgium.

Derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

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as the time come to dump the azerty keyboard for good? Some people like it; others are driven mad by it. But you don’t have much choice when it comes to buying a computer in Belgium.

It’s all to do with language, De Morgen explained in a recent article. Het azertytoetsenbord is begin twintigste eeuw ontworpen – The azerty keyboard was developed at the beginning of the 20th century om makkelijker Frans te schrijven – to make it easier to type French, met eigen toetsen voor veelgebruikte accentletters zoals à , ç, Ê, è en Ú – with special keys for frequently used accented letters such as à , ç, Ê, è and Ú.

But why do people in Flanders have to use a keyboard adapted for French when their language is Dutch? Bij ons kwam het er – It was introduced in our country omdat Frans lang de belangrijkste administratieve taal was – because for a long time French was the most-used administrative language.

And so the situation is a completely unique. Daardoor leeft in BelgiÍ de enige niet- Franstalige taalgroep – It means that Belgium has the only non-French language group die met het azertyklavier werkt – that uses the azerty keyboard: de Vlamingen – the Flemish.

It’s generally only France that insists on using the azerty keyboard. The French-speaking Swiss, for instance, are happy to type away on qwerty keyboards.

But lately, even the French are starting to complain about azerty. Je kunt er geen correct Frans mee schrijven – You can’t write correct French with them, noted the French minister of culture recently.

Some serious French organisations have now turned their minds to the issue. Een onderzoek van De Algemene Delegatie van de Franse Taal – A study by The

VoiceS of flanders today

In response to: ‘Beer train’ to replace thousands of lorries and help cut CO2 Scott Teddybear Bacon: A beery good idea.

Š Ingimage

General Delegation of the French Language had namelijk uitgewezen dat een azertytoestenbord toch te veel gebreken heeft – pointed out in fact that an azerty keyboard actually has too many flaws om er vlotjes en juist Frans mee te schrijven – to enable people to write fluent and correct French zonder al te veel vingergymnastiek – without an enormous amount of finger gymnastics.

It has been estimated that average azerty users move their fingers 25 kilometres during an average day of typing, whereas a better design of keyboard could reduce that to just two kilometres.

Now the French are thinking it’s time for a change: moet het azertytoetsenbord worden verbeterd – should the azerty keyboard be improved of vervangen door een handiger versie – or replaced with a better version of keyboard?

And where does that leave us? Kiezen de Fransen voor de tweede optie – If the French choose the second option, dan blijft ons land het laatste dat met azertytoetsenborden werkt – then our country would be the last to use an azerty keyboard.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

In response to: Friet culture could be at risk if Europe passes fried food regulation Deniz Bezci: I’m not ready for this to happen đ&#x;˜Š I love frietkots

Claire @ClaireHac There’s a noticeable smell of hops coming from the direction of the Nunnery!! Now, as sentences go, that’s a good’un!! #Bruges

Wim A. Christiaens @WimAChristiaens What to do? Still the question all morning and part of the afternoon #Ghent #philosophy

Katrien Rycken @KatrienRycken Over 600 kids from all over #Leuven have come to celebrate our European recognition!

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