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september 6, 2017 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2

In it to win it

Thanks to victory over Greece at the weekend, Belgium are the first European team to book their place at next year’s World Cup in Russia \2

politics \ p4

BUSiNESS \ p6

innovation \ p7

education \ p9

Valley of the bugs

art & living \ p10

Monumental!

Flanders’ monuments, including some spectacular private homes, are opening up their doors to the public for one day only \ 11

Companies and researchers have combined in the Kempen to create Insect Valley, a buzzing hub of innovation in the industrial use of creepy-crawlies \7

Hearing is believing

Ghent’s classical and world music festival still rocks after 60 years Christophe Verbiest More articles by Christophe \ flanderstoday.eu

You’ll hear jazz, world and electronic music at this year’s Gent Festival van Vlaanderen, on a wide-ranging programme that includes sleeping concerts for babies, a virtual reality orchestra and the world premiere of a piece by US actor John Malkovich.

here will be 60 candles on the Gent Festival van Vlaanderen birthday cake this year. The festival is one of the eight legs of the musical octopus that is the Festival van Vlaanderen. Each leg operates independently and has its own speciality: MA Festival in Bruges focuses on baroque music, Kortrijk is more experimental, Laus Polyphoniae in Antwerp is all about early music, and Mechelen puts vocal music centre stage. “The speciality of the Ghent festival is our broad programming,” says Veerle Simoens. The former cello player joined the festival in 2014 as artistic programmer, taking over the reins as artistic director in 2016. “That breadth is a very conscious choice,” she continues. “We want to combine splendid concerts in Ghent’s cathedral, bringing the big names in classical music to this city, with an openness to other genres and room for experimentation.” The eight festivals are in contact with each other, of course, but they’re not looking for collaborations for the sake of it, Simoens explains. “If one works out, that’s fine. If it doesn’t, that’s also fine. We respect each other’s choices.”

All sorts of music – jazz, electronic, even rock – start from a classical base During the month-long Gent Festival van Vlaanderen, classical music and more will reign in the city. Indeed, classical music is still the backbone of the festival, but you’ll also hear jazz, world and electronic. “How many organisations reach their 60th birthday? The secret to our longevity is our desire to keep evolving and reinventing ourselves,” Simoens says. “The days of concerts only taking place in the usual classical concert halls are over. Thanks to activities like OdeGand and Parklife, we’ve become much more dynamic.” This year will be the 15th edition of OdeGand, conceived as a way of attracting people that the festival would otherwise not reach. It’s a feast of music that focuses on a mix of classical and traditional world music. © Thijs Delanghe

continued on page 5

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS

Flanders goes back to school amid major planned changes Validated tests and reformed support for special educational needs among changes Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

chool gates re-opened last Friday, 1 September, for more than a million pupils in Flanders and Brussels’ Dutchlanguage schools, with the education system undergoing a number of important changes. Schools can now choose which foreign language they teach first to students, from French, German and English. Until now, schools have been obliged to give priority to French. All primary schools must now organise “validated tests” for at least two courses. The

Belgium first European team to secure place in World Cup Belgium beat Greece 2-1 in Athens on Sunday to become the first European team to win a place at next year’s World Cup. A 74th-minute header from Romelu Lukaku secured the Red Devils’ berth with two games to spare, after Jan Vertonghen’s 70th-minute opener was cancelled out by a goal from Greece’s José Carlos Gonçalves Rodrigues. The result gave Belgium an unassailable eight-point lead over Bosnia in Group H. It was their seventh victory in eight Group H matches, making them the sixth team to book their place for the

tests are the same for all Flemish schools and must be taken by all pupils at the end of primary education. The results will give schools information about the extent to which pupils are reaching education goals. From the following school year, schools will have to organise tests for three courses. Until now, five-year-olds have had to be present for a minimum of 220 half-days in pre-school to be allowed to go on to the first year in primary school. This has been raised

finals alongside Brazil, Japan, Iran and Mexico. Russia qualify automatically as hosts. Roberto Martinez’s side have breezed through the qualification process after being drawn in a weak group that includes Cyprus, Estonia and Gibraltar. Earlier last week, Belgium thrashed Gibraltar 9-0 in Liège, with Lukaku and Thomas Meunier both scoring hat-tricks. The team will be hoping to improve on their performance at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Argentina in the quarter-finals. \ Leo Cendrowicz

to 250 half-days. In both primary and secondary education, the support system for children with special needs has been reformed. The new model should help more children from special education to be streamlined into regular education. In many schools, mostly in larger cities, many Muslim children didn’t start school until Monday because Friday was the Feast of the Sacrifice, an official Islamic holiday. (See related story, p4)

Changes on 1 September: hospital insurance, plastic bags A number of changes to regional and federal regulations came into effect on 1 September. One of the most notable is the ban on plastic shopping bags in Brussels. Shops and supermarkets are no longer allowed to pack groceries or other goods into plastic bags in the Brussels-Capital Region, in an effort to encourage the use of more sustainable alternatives. Shops have until November to use up their stocks. The ban also includes plastic bags handed out by non-food retailers, such as clothing shops. An exception is made for fruit and vegetables, as well as foodstuffs that could leak, although those will also be banned as of Septem-

ber 2018. Also as of 1 September, welfare benefits are slightly higher. Those living entirely on benefits get 0.9% more, the equivalent of €8 a month for a single person, €5 for a couple and about €10 for a family of three or more. The minimum pension also went up, as well as unemployment and disability benefits. Hospital insurance policies with DKV, the market leader in Belgium, now cost more – an increase of 5.5% for those who signed up between 2000 and 2015, an average increase of €44 annually for an adult and €14 for a child. New cars will be subjected to more stringent tests on emissions

and fuel consumption, switching from the old NEDC test method to WLTP, which stands for Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure. The Brussels-Capital Region is adopting a measure already used in Flanders that offers green loans for investments in renewable energy, such as solar panels or heat pumps. The interest on the loans ranges from zero to 2%. Finally, self-employed women who give birth no longer have to apply for free service cheques for home help; they will be distributed automatically. Previously, 12.5% of eligible women failed to apply for the cheques. \ AH

Gordel Festival attracts crowds with music and cycling The annual Gordel Festival for walkers and cyclists in the Flemish municipalities surrounding Brussels – known in Dutch as de rand – attracted more visitors than expected at the weekend. As a result of fine weather, some 20,000 people turned out, 4,000 more than last year, according to organisers. The festival was based at the provincial estate in Huizingen, where Udo, Stan Van Samang and others performed. Children’s entertainer Kapitein Winokio was also on hand for the festivities.

The programme included a number of walking routes of up to 37 kilometres, as well as cycling routes of 20km, 40km, 60km and the 100km Gordel Classic. The Classic was split up into groups of up to 125 cyclists, departing at 20-minute intervals, and 625 people took part. One municipality is always selected for special attention by the festival; this year it was Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, which hosted a concert by soul singer Natalia. The festival is the successor to the more politi-

cally oriented Gordel, which was launched in 1981 to emphasise that the towns in de rand – despite being home to a large population of French speakers – were solidly Flemish. The event was seen by opponents as being nationalist and was often plagued by sabotage such as nails being thrown into the path of cyclists and signs being turned in the wrong direction. There were no such incidents reported this year, according to organisers. Meanwhile, Bianca Debaets, secretary

of state in the Brussels regional government, has called for the Gordel festival to be extended with a section passing through Brussels. The division between the periphery and Brussels is not as solid as it used to be, she said. “The periphery is not becoming more French, it’s becoming more international,” she wrote in an opinion piece in De Standaard. “Nearly one in three young families speaks neither Dutch nor French at home.” \ AH

245 ,75 8

533 3,601

tests on animals carried out by Flemish research institutions, including universities, in 2016, according to Flemish minister Ben Weyts, who described the tests as “a necessary evil”

of trains arrived on time – meaning no more than six minutes late – so far this year, according to rail authority NMBS. That’s slightly down from 90.2% over the same period last year

candidates for the second entrance exam to get into medical or dental studies at one of Flanders’ universities. The first exam had 5,030 candidates, of whom 752 were successful

of people over the age of 60 in Flanders and Brussels are at risk of social isolation, according to research carried out at the Free University of Brussels (VUB)

objects retrieved from metro tracks by Brussels transport authority MIVB this year, mainly mobile phones, toys, wallets, school bags and jackets

september 6, 2017

WEEK in brief About 150 people held a peaceful march in the Antwerp district of Borgerhout on Sunday in support of their neighbourhood and in protest, they said, at comments made by mayor Bart De Wever and impressions given in the media. The demonstration followed an incident in which two police officers were injured by a crowd of young people when they were trying to restrain a driver who had crashed her car. Organisers said on their Facebook page that they were concerned about both the mayor and the media “stigmatising whole groups of the population”. Flemish doctor Marleen Temmerman, a former federal senator and current head of the department of gynaecology and obstetrics at the Aga Khan University in Nairobi, is in the running to become the head of the United Nations Population Fund, which works on reproductive health services. Temmerman is one of the world’s foremost campaigners for reproductive rights around the world. According to reports, there are about 30 candidates for the job. Children from more prosperous families in Flanders score better at school, according to research by professors at the universities of Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve. Children from the highest socioeconomic class have a 79% chance of being placed in the general education track, as opposed to the technical and professional streams, while among children from a lower class, the chances drop to 22%. Anyone planning home improvements can expect delays of up to six weeks and higher costs because of a shortage of insulation materials, the construction industry federation Bouwunie said. MDI, a key component of rigid insulation panels is produced mainly in Germany, where a major supplier has encountered production problems, cutting supplies across Europe.

face of flanders The government of Flanders has announced plans to build a new building for administrative staff in the North Station area of Brussels. The building, which is scheduled for completion in 2023, would provide 67,000 square metres of space and be one of the biggest construction projects in the capital in recent years. The most popular names for new babies in Flanders in 2016 were Lucas and Mila, scoring 369 and 355 times respectively. In second place came Finn and Emma, followed by Louis and Olivia. In Brussels, the names Adam, Mohamed and Gabriel led for boys, and Lina, Sofia and Nour for girls. The rail union ACOD Spoor has called on its members to take part in a 24-hour strike on 10 October, as part of what it called a reaction of the whole public sector to government policy. The union’s postal division announced a strike for the same day. Both telecommunications minister Alexander De Croo and state enterprise minister François Bellot said the strike announcements were “unacceptable”. The Hertoginnedal castle in Oudergem, where federal politicians often meet for lengthy negotiations, will be open to the public on 9 September from 10.00 to 18.00. The opening, with concerts by a local choir and music academy students, marks a triple anniversary: the centenary of the restoration of the chapel, the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, negotiated in the castle, and the centenary of a charity event for war orphans. \ hertoginnedal.be Blankenberge was the most popular coastal city for apartment buyers in the last year to the end of June. Compared to last year, the town saw an increase of 12.3% in the number of real estate transactions. The average price of an apart-

ment in the first half of the period was €273,000. A job advert featuring a Muslim woman wearing a headscarf was deleted from Twitter last week, leading to criticism that the government had responded inappropriately to hateful messages. The photograph was used in an ad about job opportunities with the government and was deleted from Twitter on the order of administrative affairs minister Liesbeth Homans. Homans said that not all jobs allow the wearing of a headscarf and that the ad could “create false expectations”. The woman in the photo works for the employment and training agency VDAB. The annual Waregem Koerse horseracing event has come in for criticism following the latest edition, in which five horses were injured and one had to be put down. The injuries occurred during a steeplechase event, where horses have to jump over hedges. Michel Vandenbosch, chair of animal rights organisation Gaia, said the result was “an unacceptably high toll”. Kardinaal Mercierstraat, near Central station in Brussels, is closed to traffic after a 4x6 metre sinkhole opened up in the road surface last week. The cause of the sinkhole is not yet known, but may be linked to heavy rainfall on Wednesday. The street is well known as the place where tour coaches pick up passengers. The Brussels-Capital Region’s road toll on vehicles heavier than 3.5 tonnes has raised only €8.3 million of an expected €22.6 million, according to an initial evaluation. The system was introduced in all three regions in April 2016. According to the road haulage federation UPTR, the government is making more from fines from trucks without the required On-Board Unit to measure the kilometres travelled than from the toll itself.

OFFSIDE Occupy Ekeren In Antwerp, an entire street is in open revolt. Jozef Ickxstraat in the district of Ekeren was the scene of roadworks from the end of March to the end of June this year, during which time residents could not park their cars in the street. Further up, where the street becomes Marcel de Baeckerstraat, there are wide grass verges. So the residents parked their cars there during the works, seemingly without incident. But in early June, Kurt Verhaegen found a fine in his mailbox for €110 for illegal parking. It was to be the first of 10 such fines he’s received. Up and down the street, the story was the same: four fines here, three there – a total of 52 so far, for a grand total of €5,720. The district explained that in the case of municipal administrative fines, or the dreaded GAS fines, as they’re known, the courts are not involved. This is why tickets

Michael Borremans It’s hard to remember a time when Flemish painter Michael Borremans wasn’t one of the hottest properties in art, but he’s certainly cooking at the moment. This week, he opens his sixth exhibition of new work at the Zeno X Gallery in Antwerp. In the New Year his work will be on show in Hong Kong, and early next year, he’ll be one of the names at the Biennale of Sydney. Borremans, 54, was born in Geraardsbergen, East Flanders, and now lives and works in Ghent. He originally studied photography, turning later to drawing and painting. Even now, his work retains an almost photographic realism, and he regularly uses old photographs as a source of inspiration. It took him years to become an overnight success, which he also put to use teaching art in Ghent. Then he was introduced to the influential curator Jan Hoet, founder of Ghent’s contemporary art museum Smak and often referred to in his lifetime as kunstpaus, or Art Pope. Hoet put Borremans in touch with Zeno X, and the rest is history. Stick a pin in a map, and the chances are Borremans has exhibited there: Basel, San Sebastian, Denver, New York,

zeno-x.com

Helsinki, Berlin. His work also hangs, since 2010, in the royal palace in Brussels, a commission by Queen Paola which shows a series of palace servants in livery, each time with something askew. The new works, meanwhile, have his trademark strangeness about them, but are darker than usual. The show involved 16 modestly sized works on wood or cardboard, with figures against a neutral background. Naked children smeared with blood, one gripping a severed adult hand; two women, Amy and Poppy by name, dressed in goldcoloured suits that enclose their faces; two men, their faces also masked, handling what might be more severed limbs; a stepladder draped in cloth with the enigmatic title “Mercy”. The children are influenced by a painting by Goya, he told De Standaard. “I found the contrast between innocence and violence in one image interesting. It’s a bit shocking, but also very beautiful.” His work, he explains, is an effort to create “a portrait of the human condition – but in the context of today”. The exhibition at Zeno X Gallery runs until 14 October. \ Alan Hope

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

were not handed out on the spot, which might have given residents some warning that something was up. Instead, they are considering civil disobedience. “I won’t pay; I’d rather take it to court,” said one woman. “Hopefully along with the rest of the street.” “I have no plans to pay,” said another man, who said he was ready to go to prison if needed. \ AH

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 Daan Bauwens, Rebecca Benoot, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Sarah Crew, Emma Davis, Paula Dear, Mari Eccles, Andy Furniere, Diana Goodwin, Clodagh Kinsella, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Sarah Schug, Dan Smith, Senne Starckx, Linda Thompson, Christophe Verbiest, Denzil Walton General manager Hans De Loore Publisher Mediahuis NV

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

\ POLITICS

Military to stay on streets until at least 2020, army says Unions concerned training programmes could be cut to focus on patrols Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

ilitary patrols will remain in the streets and stations of Brussels until at least 2020, according to the army general-major Marc Thys, interviewed in De Standaard. Training for new recruits will be adapted, he said. Unions responded by demanding more information, concerned about the pressure being put on military personnel. The discussion arose following an incident in which a man pulled a knife on three patrolling soldiers in Brussels last month. One soldier was injured and the man was shot dead. There is no likelihood of the terrorist threat

being reduced in the near future, according to the army. That would mean cuts in training programmes that focus on duties or defence skills other than patrolling the streets. “It’s about time measures were taken,” said Yves Huwart of the ACMP union, pointing out that troops are already overworked by security duties. “But we are afraid that this, with a steadily shrinking army, offers no solution for the long term.” Edwin Lauwereins of the VSOA union agreed. “The government must come up with a structural solution,” he said. “That

could include the creation of a security corps to take over guard duty. The first

hiring process was supposed to take place at the beginning of this year.” The new corps would be charged with security at Brussels Airport, nuclear sites, international institutions and government buildings. “We risk losing our skills if we can’t exercise them,” said Walter Van den Broeck of ACV. “That’s not good for the defence ministry. Overseas operations ought to be the core business of defence. I hope our expertise in that area doesn’t disappear.”

Antwerp collaborative education project looks to the future

Government of Flanders files suit as civil party in fipronil in eggs case

The city councillor in charge of education in Antwerp has called on education and social partners to work together on a master plan for the city’s schools. Last Friday, the first day of the new school year, Claude Marinower called for support for Antwerpen Onderwijshoofdstad (Antwerp Education Capital), a pioneering project that he hopes will help develop action plans to be realised by 2028. Scientists, citizens, schools, parents, university colleges and entrepreneurs will map the main challenges for the education system and put forward priorities that look beyond the current government term. An external co-ordinator will streamline the process. Marinower’s department is investing €100,000 in the project. After four months of discussions, action plans for the coming years should be in a position to start. Marinower hopes to see initiatives to reduce the number of children leaving school early, increase toddler participation,

The government of Flanders has filed suit as a civil party in the investigation into the fipronil affair, which has affected the safety of eggs. The news was announced by agriculture minister Joke Schauvliege at a meeting in the Flemish parliament. The federal government has already filed suit as a civil party – a situation in Belgium where all criminal proceedings are in the name of the state, and where civil parties can join themselves to that same case. The Flemish parliament has been gathering information, mainly in its agriculture committee, about the contamination of eggs by fipronil, an insecticide banned in poultry farming. The now Europe-wide problem has been traced back to a Dutch pest control firm, which distributed a legal insecticide mixed with fipronil. The firm received its insecticide from a supplier in Antwerp province. It is unclear where the mixing of the two pesticides took

deal with the threat of a teacher shortage and expand the dual-learning system. “There are students of more than 175 nationalities in Antwerp schools, making our city the most diverse in Flanders,” Marinower said. “Forty percent of all students have a disadvantaged social-economic background, twice the Flemish average.” Antwerp also has many children leaving school early and a high turnover of teachers: 40% of teachers leave education in the city within five years. \ Andy Furniere

Mayor of Ghent returns to work after speedy recovery from heart surgery Ghent mayor Daniël Termont will return to work on 7 September after a convalescence period that followed a serious heart operation in July. His first official duty on returning to work will be attending the opening a new fire station in nearby Melle. Termont, 64, underwent a bypass operation and was signed off work for three months. But, according to a city spokesperson, his recovery has been speedier than expected, and he is fit to return to city hall. “As chair of the Ghent Centre fire service zone, he will give a speech at the opening of the new fire station,” the spokesperson said. Termont has been seen at a number of events in recent weeks, including at a KAA Gent football match and at the wedding of city councillor Christophe Peeters. Doctors had advised him not to return to work too soon. This is not the first health crisis the mayor has experienced. In 2015, he was diagnosed

with colon cancer and underwent a course of chemotherapy. The new fire station in Melle, meanwhile, replaces two older stations, in Melle and Gentbrugge, and is constructed according to passive building norms. It will house a permanent brigade of 20 officers as well as a volunteer detail. \ AH

place. Both firms are under investigation. Last month, the federal food safety agency FAVV ordered the withdrawal of certain categories of eggs from the market. Supermarket chains went even further, withdrawing eggs that FAVV said were safe. As a result, the local egg market collapsed. According to Schauvliege, 14 of the 87 poultry farms suspected of being tainted by the insecticide have been shut down. No other country has imposed a ban on the import of Belgian eggs, she said. The Flemish food marketing agency Vlam plans a campaign to revive consumer confidence in the industry. The government of Flanders, meanwhile, is considering compensation for egg producers affected by the drop-off in consumption through no fault of their own. According to Schauvliege, “those who are guilty should foot the bill”. \ AH

200 expert recruits will make up Belgium’s ‘cyber army’ The Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) plans to hire 200 additional computer experts to reinforce the 92 staff already working at the headquarters in the Brussels municipality of Evere. The centre has already advertised 30 new posts, federal defence minister Steven Vandeput has confirmed. The CCB is the country’s first line of defence against cyber-attacks. It is first in line to defend military targets, including communications networks and weapons systems. The centre is also on hand to fight attacks on other targets, including economic installations. According to reports, CCB will not be solely defensive but will also have the resources to aggressively fight cyberattacks. Vandeput is also minister for the civil service, and has brought in the federal recruitment agency Selor to find the necessary computer experts. They will include people with hacking experience, with some flexibility in tradi-

tionally recognised qualifications. “The defence ministry will give priority to profiles of those with technical knowledge that is immediately applicable,” he said. “People who can develop into specialists with training and on-the-job experience.” \ AH

\ COVER STORY

september 6, 2017

Hearing is believing

Gent Festival van Vlaanderen promises musical surprises around every corner GENTFESTIVAL.BE

continued from page 1

OdeGand runs for a whole day, featuring some 15 groups playing concerts, each lasting just 45 minutes. Visitors have a pass that gets them into any concert they choose, with concerts spread across the city centre. There are also free outdoor concerts throughout the day. Simoens: “Most of the visitors wander through the city with one goal: to be surprised by music they’ve never heard.” Then there’s KidsOdeGand, a week later. It’s split up into four smaller concerts, each aimed at a specific age group. “We want to make it like ‘my first festival’,” Simoens explains. Even the youngest, up to 18 months, have their own event, a “sleeping concert” called Ninnananna. “And it works,” she says. “The babies and even their parents settle down and some fall asleep. It’s a combination of Bach, Beethoven, Satie and the minimal music of Steve Reich, made into a soundscape, with piano and electronics.” Parklife, meanwhile, started two years ago. It’s a free event aimed at families and held in Parkbos, a green space on the south side of the city. “You can enjoy a day full of music in a relaxed atmosphere,” says Simoens. “I can’t think of anything nicer than parents and children enjoying music together.” Last year saw the creation of the latest branch on the festival tree: Artbeat. “The idea is to prove that all sorts of music – jazz, electronic, even rock – start from a classical base,” explains Simoens. One of the most striking names on the Artbeat bill is Flemish musician Mauro Pawlowski, ex-dEUS and certified jack-of-all-trades, who’ll be teaming up with a brass band. Even more surprising is the concert by Ghent rock musician Sioen. “For the first time, he’s swapping his piano for a harpsichord, something that to many ears is a dull instrument,” says Simoens. “Combining the instrument with samples and electronics, Sioen will prove them wrong.” Painter Koen Van den Broek will project visuals during the performance. Elsewhere, actor John Malkovich will present the world premiere of his piece The Music Critic. Simoens: “I’m very proud this has worked out well. Throughout their life, every musician or composer has at one point been panned. Malkovich has constructed this piece using those quotes, some of which now sound hilarious.” He will be accompanied by a musical ensemble. For Simoens, the 60th anniversary is a moment to look into the future, hence the festival’s tagline this year, Flash Forward. “The programme has three cornerstones,” she says. “The first is youth: We want to

The OdeGand festivities on 16 September end with a spectacular fireworks display; Ghent hosts the world premiere of John Malkovich’s The Music Critic

give plenty of opportunity to new talents. And of course, we’re also trying to build up a younger audience.” One of the young names on the programme is Victor Julien-Laferrière, the French cellist who won the first Queen Elisabeth Competition this year. Does Simoens, a cellist herself, see it as a matter of honour to have the first winner of the competition play at the festival? She smiles. “I followed the competition closely. He richly deserved to win, so it seemed logical to have him at the festival.” Julien-Laferrière is performing with the Chineke! Orchestra, Europe’s first professional ethnic minority orchestra. Its musicians are members of European, American and African professional orchestras, and their presence at the festival ties in with Simoens’ second cornerstone: diversity. “In terms of diversity, the classical music world, unlike, say, the dance world, still has a long way to go. What you see on stage at a classical concert is hardly a reflection of our society.” But the need for diversity isn’t limited to what happens on the stage. It also applies to the audience. “It’s a big concern of mine,” admits Simoens. “The classical world is very aware of this problem,

10 September to 9 October

but it’s a difficult exercise. This year we’ve invited Tunisian oud player Anoaur Brahem. I think musically, no one combines the West and the Arabic world better, and I hope that mix will be reflected in the

audience.” Technology is the third of her cornerstones: “Technology always is, and the arts in general are, one step ahead of the rest of society.” And how do technology and arts influence each other? In the creation of a new instrument, for instance. A few years ago, Argentine pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim asked Flemish piano maker Chris Maene to build him a new type of piano. Maene developed a straightstrung grand piano – in simple

Across Ghent

terms, a cross between a modern and a historical piano. Now, Maene’s piano workshop has taken it one step further with the Chris Maene Concert Grand. Simoens has asked three completely different types of players to each play a concert on the new piano. But the most striking technological innovation comes from the Flemish companies Evil Penguin and Crossing Zebra. Simoens: “Together they have developed the knowhow to record an orchestra in 360 degrees, both sound and vision. When you put on a headset playing such a recording you become, as it were, one of the musicians.”

Virtually sitting between the orchestra members isn’t revolutionary, but this time around you become a musician. Just by moving your head you take the position of one of the musicians. Violin, tuba or triangle, you name it. “You have their perspective, both aural and visual. You hear what the specific musicians hear.” Since this is a performance that’s been recorded, you could always put on a virtual reality headset at home and experience the same effect. But during the festival, people are invited to a concert hall to live the experience together. Hearing and seeing is believing.

Director’s choice We asked Simoens to name three activities she’s really looking forward to at this year’s Gent Festival of Flanders. This is, of course, a bit like asking a parent to name their favourite child. But skipping the most obvious highlights, this is her selection.

Celebratory

Artbeat “It’s the experimental heart of the festival. It’s important that the festival keeps supporting new creations.” 6 October 19.30, Eskimofabriek European Chamber Music Academy “It’s a school based in

Vienna that has a local partner in

concert “It lots of European countries. Until

combines the three cornerstones. The young Anneleen Lenaerts is a local hero since she became the harpist in the Wiener Philharmoniker, and an electric guitarist will get cracking with Bach.” 18 September 20.30, Sint-Baaf ’s cathedral

now, Belgium hasn’t had one. I’m proud to say that we, with Bijloke and Hogeschool Gent, are now their Belgian partner.” 14 September 20.00, Bijloke

\ BUSINESS

week in business Interim Jobfixers A new player on the temporary work market launched last week with 21 offices, mainly in East and West Flanders. Founders Philip Cracco and Lieven Bonamie were instrumental in setting up Accent Interim in 1995. The new company expects to operate 120 outlets by 2020.

Cinema Kinepolis The Ghent-based operator of multiplex cinemas, with 48 locations in seven European countries, has plans to double in size in the near future, following the same rate of growth over the last three years.

Dredging Deme The Antwerp-based dredging group has signed two contracts worth €170 million in total to recondition the access channel to the port of Doha to allow the passage of larger ships and to redevelop land in the port of Singapore area.

DIY Gamma The Irish-owned chain of home improvement stores, with 86 outlets and 1,000 employees in Belgium is said to be for sale for up to €150 million.

Chocolate Godiva The Brussels-based chocolatier, owned by Turkey’s Yildiz Holding group, could be floated on the London stock market as part of the parent company’s decision to refinance its debts. With 600 stores in 100 countries, Godiva was acquired by Yildiz from Campbell Soup in the US for $850 million in 2007.

Plastics JBF The production unit of PET plastics in Laakdal, Antwerp province, owned by India’s JBF Industries and inaugurated barely three years ago, is said to be for sale for €250 million. The move is part of the parent company’s restructuring of its debts.

Ports Zeebrugge The port of Zeebrugge is seeking up to 1,000 new staff to meet growing traffic in containers, logistic activities and energy from offshore wind farms and gas supplies.

€10m for must-see tourist sites Tourism minister sets aside funds for unique attractions Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

landers is to invest just under €10 million in six tourist attractions considered unique to the region, to make them more appealing to international visitors. “We aim to attract visitors from across the world with special experiences,” tourism minister Ben Weyts said. “These are the attractions you simply have to see.” The biggest single investment is €3.5 million, which goes to the be-Mine site in Beringen, Limburg, where an authentic mining experience has been created for visitors with three routes based on mining shifts. The original elevator building will become a visitor centre. The Sonian Forest receives €2.9 million, which will be used to turn the forest’s Groenendaal entry point in Hoeilaart into a visitor centre,

with a treetop route and a new technology experience.

An extra €1.3 million is earmarked for the continuing renovation of the Gruuthuse Museum in Bruges. The museum is scheduled to re-open next year after renovations. The new funding will add a visitor pavilion to the site and help renovate the square (pictured). Another €1.3 million goes to the Ursuline Institute in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, a former convent and girls’ school, part of which still serves as a school. The funding will be used for new multimedia and tourist infrastructure, including parking, disabled access and a shop. “We’re aiming high,” Weyts said. “We looked for unique projects, and we’ve found them. Foreign visitors will be able to experience the real Flanders, and the Flemish themselves will be surprised at what we have to offer.”

Luxury apartments for under-32s Unizo director leaves for criticised for age discrimination financial sector federation Plans for a luxury apartment building in Hasselt open only to people under 32 have come in for widespread criticism. Unia, the federal agency for equal opportunities, has called the project discriminatory. The Kapertoren, planned by property developer Kolmont, has the backing of Hasselt’s city council. The idea is to create a dynamic living environment for students and other young people. People over 32 may buy an apartment in the building but would have to rent it to someone younger. The city hopes that the project will help convince young people graduating from Hasselt University to stay in the city by making it easier for them to find a place to live. “This is truly unique,” said Els Keytsman, director of Unia. “We have no knowledge of any similar measure in the country.” There is nothing wrong with find-

ing ways to encourage younger people to buy or rent property, she said. “But introducing this age limit is inappropriate because it is age discrimination.” The building is intended to include day care, a fitness room, a bar and a repair cafe. “We want to give young people the opportunity to buy an affordable new apartment in the city,” Michel Verhoeven of Kolmont said. “Many young people would like to remain living in the university area after their studies, but soon realise it’s not as easy as they thought. We’d like to give them that chance.” Flemish tenants’ rights association Huurdersbond agreed in principle that the age limit was discriminatory but said they were not currently considering legal action. “We hope they will see for themselves that they’re on the wrong track,” said a spokesperson. \ AH

Brussels tourism sector looks back on successful summer The tourism sector in Brussels is looking back on a successful summer, according to the local hotel association. Hotels reported average occupancy rates of 70%, while museums and other attractions also saw strong visitor numbers. The industry is coming back from a disastrous 2016, when it suffered serious losses because of the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels. This year, figures for July and August were back at 2015 levels. That year was a record in some respects, according to Rodolphe Van Weyenbergh of the Brussels Hotel Association. “We’ve seen tourists making their way back to Brussels since the start of the year, slowly but surely,” he said. “The trend continued into

the summer.” Tourist attractions and museums also saw an increase in visitors. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts welcomed 43% more visitors than last year – 77,000 in the two summer months. Mini-Europe (pictured) saw an increase of 31% on last year, mainly tourists from India, Spain and Germany. And the museums in Jubelpark passed even 2015 numbers, with 4,000 more visitors than that year. \ AH

The director of Unizo, the organisation that represents the selfemployed in Flanders, has announced that he will be leaving at the end of the month to take up the post of CEO at Febelfin, which represents the financial sector. Karel Van Eetvelt (pictured), who has been at the head of Unizo since 2004, is replacing Michel Vermaerke at Febelfin, which represents the interests of the financial sector in policymaking at national and European levels. In his time at Unizo, Van Eetvelt has become the public face of the organisation, raising its profile in the media and in the public eye. He joined Unizo, made up of small businesses across the region, after a career at the construction industry federation Bouwunie. His predecessor was Kris Peeters, who had then been tapped by incom-

ing Flemish minister-president Yves Leterme to join his regional government. Unizo is now faced with the task of replacing the media-savvy Van Eetvelt, who has transformed the organisation from a small-business advice bureau to a movement that is consulted on every issue of concern to enterprise in Flanders. Sector federations linked to Unizo, as well as local representations, will be consulted on possible successors. \ AH

New app to help empty port containers get back to their owners An Antwerp start-up, working with the city’s mobility platform Slim naar Antwerpen, has launched an app to help manage the transport of empty cargo containers. Avantida aims to develop transport apps that help save costly kilometres and harmful carbon dioxide emissions. DepotX is designed to help transport companies select the best option for the return of containers that have been used for transporting freight. In some cases, that means going back to the port area. In others, a more convenient pick-up point will be a better option. DepotX also helps users choose transport routes during times least likely to cause unnecessary emissions or road congestion. Because of a €50,000 contribution from the city of Antwerp, the

app also offers a discount of 30% on its fees, up to a value of €30, for any return transport that avoids certain areas of Antwerp, including the busy ring road. The target is to keep up to 5,000 empty containers away from the city’s roads. “Through this initiative, we are extending our offer of smart mobility services in order to achieve a sustainable reduction in congestion and a structural change in behaviour,” said Koen Kennis, city councillor for mobility. \ AH

\ INNOVATION

september 6, 2017

Bugs are the buzz

week in innovation

Scientists look to insects for answers to humanity’s problems Denzil Walton Follow Denzil on Twitter \ @AllWriteDenz

facebook.com/Kempeninsectcluster insectpilotplant.be

Insects hold the key to waste clean-up and food security, according to Kempen Insect Valley, a new co-operative in Antwerp province that unites researchers, universities and business.

ccording to scientists, insects are the future – not only as food for people, but also as a sustainable source of raw materials. They have the potential to form the basis of a new sustainable value chain and could play a key role in the transition to a bio-based global economy. These are big claims, but insects do have a number of odds in their favour. They emit virtually no greenhouse gases. They require little water and space. And they can be fed with all sorts of organic waste, converting it efficiently into high-quality raw materials, like proteins, fats and chitin. Chitin is the primary component of exoskeletons. These sustainable materials can be used in the food and feed sector and have multiple industrial applications, such as the manufacture of drugs. But, while the potential of insects has been recognised for some time, their immediate appli-

Insects are good not just for eating but for industrial processes and the manufacture of drugs

quently develop new products and services together,” explains Renilde Craps, director of Voka Kempen. “We are convinced that insects have the potential to form the basis for a new value chain, and we want to be ready to move to such a new bio-based economy.” Millibeter has already gained experience with the cultivation of the black soldier fly, to convert waste and manure into raw materials for the chemical industry and for animal feeds. “We are hatching one million black soldier

We are hatching one million larvae a week cation on an industrial scale has been slow. Now it looks set to accelerate, with the creation of the Kempen Insect Valley, officially launched last week and supported by the European Regional Development Fund. The Valley covers two separate but linked projects. The first, the Kempen Insect Cluster, is a project headed by the Kempen Chamber of Commerce (Voka), the Belgian Insect Industry Federation and insect-breeding company Millibeter. “The Cluster is an open co-creation platform where companies can test the potential of using insects for the bioconversion of waste, and conse-

Grub’s up: The black soldier fly’s larvae recycle food waste and make for a nutritious livestock feed

larvae a week,” says Johan Jacobs, the company’s CEO. “The larvae are fed with residual waste before becoming sustainable food for cows, chickens and fish. We are also extracting fats from the larvae as a basis for making soap.” Running in parallel to the Cluster is the Insect Pilot Plant, a collaboration between the Geel campus of the University of Leuven, Thomas More University College in

Kempen, and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Vito). “We have reared, harvested and processed insects on a laboratory scale,” says Dr Mik Van Der Borght, project co-ordinator of the Insect Pilot Plant, “but there is a clear need for a pilot plant as an intermediate step towards industrial production.” The pilot plant, he continues, “will process insects to produce highquality raw materials as a step towards industrial production”. While the pilot project will process “tens of kilograms” a day, he says, a larger dedicated plant could eventually process up to one tonne of insects a day. “The intention of the pilot project is to show the market that scaling up is possible and that they can begin to realise the valuable potential of insects.” The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) may look like an overgrown housefly, but it couldn’t be more different. Indigenous to the Americas, this insect does not enter houses, does not bite or sting, does not eat waste, does not regurgitate on food and is not associated in any way with the transmission of disease. In other words, it’s a totally harmless fly. The winged adults only live for a few days, to mate and lay their eggs, which hatch into larvae. And this is when scientists suddenly become very interested. Black soldier larvae can live for several weeks, and during that time they consume huge quantities of food waste or animal manure. One square metre of larvae can get through about 15 kilograms of food or manure a day. What’s more, they devour this waste quickly, before anaerobic bacteria get a chance to

transform the waste into methane. Also, they prevent the huge release of CO2 into the environment that bacteria would generate if the waste were composted or dumped in landfills. That’s not all. These fat grubs contain 42% protein and 35% fat as well as amino acids and minerals. This makes them highly suitable for livestock feed. As a component of a complete diet, black soldier larvae have been found to support growth in chicks and are suitable as a replacement for soybean meal in poultry feed. Since chickens need protein, minerals and vitamins in their diet, insects in general – and black soldier larvae in particular – have the potential to supplement that component of their dietary requirements in a sustainable and cost-effective way. They have also been found to be an excellent food for fish. And they could be part of a solution to feeding a growing human population too. By 2050 there are likely to be nine billion people on the planet. It’s been estimated that to feed everyone – and there are already one billion malnourished people – current food production will need to almost double. However, new agricultural land is scarce, oceans are already overfished, and climate change and water shortages are likely to significantly affect food production. New ways of growing food need to be found. Insects already form part of the traditional diet of at least two billion people. More than 1,900 species are used as food, including beetles, caterpillars, ants, grasshoppers, locusts and crickets. They are a highly nutritious and healthy food source with high fat, protein, vitamin, fibre and mineral content. The composition of unsaturated omega-3 and six fatty acids in mealworms, for example, is comparable with that in fish, and the protein, vitamin and mineral content of mealworms is similar to that in fish and meat. Insects are often consumed whole but can also be processed into grains or paste. Gathering and farming insects can offer employment and income, either at the household level or in larger, industrial-scale operations. However, regulations governing insects as food and feed sources still need to be created or finetuned. Initiatives like the Kempen Insect Valley, the organisers say, can play a major role in Flanders and beyond to help overcome the existing challenges and bottlenecks, enabling the huge potential of insects in enhancing global food security to be fully realised.

Imec makes breakthrough in thin solar cells

A European project led by Leuven’s nanotech research centre imec has reached a breakthrough in the development of whisper thin solar cells. Scientists involved in the EU-funded PhotoNVoltaics project co-ordinated by imec have developed a crystalline silicon cell that is just 830 nanometres thick. This breakthrough should open doors to scaling down solar cells from the micro to the nano scale. The findings, published in the journal Nano Futures, should lead to new applications for crystalline silicon cells. The solar cells are capable of absorbing much more light without affecting the efficiency of the power supply, making them useful and more cost-effective in numerous applications, including windows and skylights.

Start-up invents new waste water filter A consortium of Flemish investment funds has joined Dow Chemical Company to support Blue Foot Membranes (BFM), a spin-off of Flanders’ institute for technological research, Vito. The start-up has developed an innovative membrane that enables faster, cheaper and more efficient treatment of waste water. BFM produces and markets the patented Integrated Permeate Channel (IPC) technology used in membrane bioreactors for the treatment of industrial and municipal waste water. The BFM team is convinced that IPC membranes are a game changer for industrial as well as domestic wastewater treatment plants, as they lower the cost of membrane bioreactor systems through a reduced carbon footprint and energy consumption.

Algorithm detects train position without GPS Manufacturing research and innovation centre Flanders Make has co-operated with the West Flemish on-board communications systems company Televic Rail to create a positioning system for trains that works even in the absence of a GPS signal. When GPS fails, such as when the train enters a tunnel or a valley, “dead reckoning” navigation calculates the current position of a train based on its previous position, speed and acceleration. Flanders Make and Televic Rail have developed a dead reckoning algorithm able to fuse GPS data with these parameters, providing an estimation of the train’s position that is accurate to within five metres, even when the GPS data is missing for as long as two minutes. \ Denzil Walton

Ready for school?

RENEW YOUR SCHOOL SEASON TICKET AT HOME ON GOEASY.STIB.BE, THATâ€™S EASY! 18 YEARS OR OLDER? SEND US FIRST YOUR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE VIA SCHOOL.STIB.BE

\ EDUCATION

september 6, 2017

Real world experience

week in education

Teaching students tutor disadvantaged pupils as part of funding boost Mari Eccles More articles by Mari \ flanderstoday.eu

ast month, Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits announced a slew of extra funding for projects that help disadvantaged pupils. More than €4 million, she said, will be rolled out over the next two and a half years. With backing from coalition partners, Crevits (CD&V) has put the issue at the forefront of her budget concerns. The cross-party support is a surprising move in the right direction, she said, as it has not always been supported by N-VA, who felt that education funds were being misspent. The vast majority of the money will go to the pupil support agencies CLBs, organisations that offer counselling services and preventative health care for youngsters from vulnerable backgrounds. Under the current guidelines, the vulnerable backgrounds include children who don’t speak Dutch at home, who come from families living on low incomes and whose parents haven’t completed school themselves. In recent years, the CLB tasks have multiplied, and there are now 72 centres across Flanders, with 3,000 staff members. Crevits wants to widen their reach even further. Under the current system, CLBs that support pupils who attend technical or vocational schools receive more funding than those that support youngsters in general

education. This will soon change, Crevits said, as the latter group will also receive a financial boost. The extra cash will go towards hiring more staff and comes as part of a wider overhaul of the system, which will see at least one centre in each province remain open during school holidays. There will also be a greater focus on collaboration with schools. The funds given to the CLBs will go towards more preventative care, while the rest of the available grant will be given to programmes that help students who are already struggling at school. The remaining €110,000 will fund schemes that partner vulnerable children with university students who are training to become teachers. There are currently seven such tutoring programmes in Flanders, providing assistance to 2,100 primary and secondary school children. The programmes also support parents, showing them how to help with homework and how to create a good learning environment at home. Like the children who use the CLBs, many of the youngsters who benefit from these programmes don’t come from a Dutch-speaking home and have parents who have struggled financially. The tutoring programmes are usually attached to universities and university colleges. The student tutoring programme at

Artevelde University College, in Ghent, for example, will receive €20,000. According to tutoring co-ordinator Corry Hermans, the programme pairs pupils and student teachers for one-to-one guidance to address the pupils’ specific educational needs. The student teachers also visit the children’s homes to help parents create a positive learning environment. Those involved are keen to stress that the teachers-in-training gain as much from the experience as the pupils. Hilde Meysman, Artevelde University College’s educational director, says that “the student teachers come directly into contact with home situations that they are not familiar with”. Under the university college’s guidance, she continues, “they learn to assess these situations more accu-

rately and take this experience into their teaching later on”. The schools also benefit from the collaboration, adds Hermans: “The tutoring programme creates room for interaction between learning at home and learning at school. The project aims for an open communication between all those involved.” According to Crevits, this is what makes the tutoring programmes so vital. “The social commitment of the student teachers makes these projects even more powerful,” she says. “They’re provided with learning experiences, and become more familiar with issues of poverty and diversity.” The funding for the tutoring projects will be rolled out this school year. The €4 million for the CLBs will be provided starting next year.

Ghent non-profit helps deaf children in Tanzania into school klimvis.be

Schools to incorporate lessons on critical thinking and debate Starting next year, students across Flanders will learn how to think critically as part of the official curriculum of one of the region’s educational networks. Raymonda Verdyck, head of Flanders’ community education network GO!, has announced that “citizenship” is to become a compulsory subject in schools belonging to the network in 2018. The aim of the lessons, which will take up one or two hours a week in the curriculum, is to teach pupils how to consider topics thoughtfully, how to form an opinion and how to debate. “Our students definitely want this,” Verdyck told VRT. A pilot project

starts next month in 10 schools, she said, and the subject will be introduced in all schools from next year. She added that the lessons were not meant to replace topics usually covered in religion or ethics. The curriculum adjustment appears to have been partly inspired by the findings of Vlaamse Scholierenkoepel, which represents the interests of the region’s secondary school students. A recent survey of pupils included subjects they wanted to see incorporated in school, and citizenship – learning about politics, economics and the world around them – came at the top of the list. \ Linda A Thompson

A new non-profit established by four young people from Ghent aims to offer accessible education to deaf children in developing countries. Klimvis is focusing on Tanzania first and plans to start its first project in January. Only 3% of deaf children in Tanzania go to school, with the vast majority growing up isolated in a family of hearing people who don’t know sign language. To improve these children’s situation, Klimvis is starting its first project in Kigoma in the west of the country. Two of the founders, Ellen Heymans and Jan Jaeken, are currently in Tanzania for 10 weeks to prepare the project with the local community. “A project is only sustainable if you have locals who also want to support it,” Heymans told De Morgen. Heymans previously lived in Kigoma for eight months to create a dictionary for the local sign language with the local deaf community. Towards the end of the year, she

UGent wins Innovation prize Ghent University has won the Institutional Award for Innovation in Internationalisation for its approach in removing geographic borders to higher education for students across Europe. The award spotlights universities that have taken an innovative approach to internationalising higher education and is given out by the European Association for International Education, an Amsterdam-based nonprofit that aims to advance international higher education. UGent’s involvement in the development of the European credit transfer system was noted by the awards jury, as was the establishment of a slew of international master’s degrees jointly awarded by UGent and universities abroad. In a statement, the university noted that 22% of its students have spent time studying abroad by the time they graduate.

Job Student of the Year gets extra month’s salary Julie De Bleser has been named the hardest-working job student in Flanders by human resources group ADMB and Unizo, the organisation that represents the self-employed. The 27-year-old has worked for 18 months at Café Crème, an ice cream and coffee food truck company based in Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders. De Bleser, a fashion design student, will be rewarded with a month’s salary of €1,250 as part of her Job Student of the Year title. This year marks the 12th time ADMB and Unizo have awarded the title, which aims to emphasise the importance of job students to small businesses.

More people combining higher education with jobs

and Jaeken will return to Flanders to discuss their findings with their fellow team members, one of whom is deaf. “It was important for us to involve someone who knows how it feels to fight for a basic right like accessible education,” Heymans said. Klimvis receives assistance from the 4de Pijler (Fourth Pillar) support point of Belgian aid charity 11.11.11. \ Andy Furniere

The number of people returning to higher education for a career switch or upgrade has increased by 20% in seven years. According to figures from the Flemish education department, some 8,000 “work students” pursued degrees at local universities and university colleges during the previous academic year. Such students pursue higher education studies while also working full-time jobs and are entitled to certain accommodations such as adjusted exam periods and curricula. Most of these work students are people in their 30s who have already obtained prior degrees. \ Linda A Thompson

\ LIVING

week in activities Eat! Brussels Drink! Bordeaux The culinary festival is back in the park across from the Royal Palace. Winemakers from France’s Bordeaux region will be on hand to promote their wares. Buy a Wine Pass for nine tastings, a souvenir glass, plus a seat in one of the wine school sessions. Top Brussels chefs will be serving up gastronomic treats. 7-10 September 12.00-23.00, Warandepark, Brussels; free entry \ eatbrussels.be

Limburg 4-Day bike ride Over the course of four days, three routes of varying lengths take you through a different part of the province. You can participate for one, two, three or all four days. On Saturday there’s a ride that follows the route of the Amstel Gold Tour, and on Sunday there’s a route just for mountain bikes. 7-10 September, Kinderboederij, Domein Pietersheim, Lanaken; €4/day \ limburgfietsvierdaagse.be

Scottish Weekend A celebration of all things Scottish: bagpipes, Highland dancing, shepherding demonstrations, Celtic folk music, Highland games, a market and more. Don’t miss the Belgian Pipe Band Competition, one of the highlights of the weekend, and special guests The Welsh Guards. 8-10 September, Alden Biesen, Kasteelstraat 6, Bilzen; €13-€20 \ schotsweekend.be

XL 10-mile run Choose a five- or 10-mile course for this fun run in the heart of Brussels. The route starts and ends near the European Parliament and circles the scenic ponds of Elsene. There’s also a one-mile run for kids aged four to 12. Register online or on site. 10 September 9.00-13.00, Esplanade Solidarnosc 1980, Brussels; €8-€20 \ sport.be

Register for Silent City On 14 October, there will be a ceremony at Tyne Cot Cemetery to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele. Volunteers are needed to illuminate the graves during the ceremony, which includes a sound and light show, music and stories. \ passchendaele2017.org

\ 10

‘Buildings never stand alone’ Inaugural Festival of Architecture puts focus on Antwerp Diana Goodwin Follow Diana on Twitter \ @basedinbelgium

FESTIVALVANDEARCHITECTUUR.BE

rchitecture is more than just building things. That’s the simple yet ambitious idea behind the new Festival of Architecture, which kicks off next week. The new festival expands upon the previous Day of Architecture, during which new and innovative buildings across Flanders opened their doors to the public. To broaden the scope of that oneday event, the festival now encompasses 10 days of lectures, activities, guided tours and workshops around architecture and its related disciplines. That includes urban planning, sustainability, community and cultural heritage. On the one hand, the festival aims to engage a wide audience with architecture and the people and ideas behind it. On the other, it gives professionals, specialists and architecture buffs a chance to dig deeper into the issues facing contemporary designers and builders. “Buildings”, as the festival’s website says, “never stand alone” – literally or figuratively. They take form in relation to their environment and become a meeting point between designers, residents and passersby. They exist in relation to the past, present and future, and they interact with public spaces and existing infrastructure. Many of the festival’s events investigate this complex relationship between architecture and its surroundings. For example, a lecture series called Raakvlakken (Interfaces) invites an international array of architects and scholars to explore topics such as human migration and its effect on urban planning. Each edition of the biennial festival

DeSingel – itself an architectural gem – hosts the festival’s opening and closing events

will focus on a different city in Flanders. This year it’s Antwerp, with cultural centre deSingel serving as the hub. This is where the opening and closing events take place, each with a varied programme of activities, workshops and entertainment. One of the highlights of the festival is a series of events around the future of Linkeroever, the area across the Scheldt river that was added to the city of Antwerp in 1923. It was developed along modernist lines in the 1930s and saw one highrise apartment tower after another go up in the middle decades of the 20th century. This year, Antwerp’s city planning office held a competition to solicit ideas for the future of Linkeroever. The 14 winning entries will be

exhibited at deSingel, and a symposium with local and international experts will address the challenges facing the district. Embedded in the programme is a revamped Day of Architecture, on 10 September, when many private buildings will again be open to the public. This coincides with Open Monument Day (see facing page), and the two events have joined forces to showcase the buildings that combine the best of contemporary architecture with the preservation of heritage sites in Flanders. Among the featured buildings are a military hospital in Ostend that’s been converted into housing and

8-17 September

a Jesuit church in Lier that’s now a concert hall. Similarly, the other buildings selected for the Day of Architecture are all across Flanders and Brussels. They include private homes, schools and offices, as well as unexpected and unusual structures. In Maasmechelen, for instance, a mirrored box topped with transparent domes houses an ecological research station. The Festival of Architecture promises to reveal the creativity and inventiveness behind today’s buildings and to engage the public in an ongoing debate over what it means to build – and to build for – the future of Flanders.

Across Antwerp

BITE Brussels’ first cheese bar mixes and matches to perfection

FACEBOOK.COM/LAFRUITIEREBRUSSELS

La Fruitière, a cross between a cheese shop and a restaurant, offers a carefully curated selection of Belgian, French, Italian, Swiss and British cheeses. The site in Kolenmarkt in Brussels is run by Véronique Socié and her son Léo. Born in the Jura region of France, Socié grew up in a family where making your own cheese was common. “I’ve always found it magical to see milk turning into cheese,” she says. “In the Jura, you eat cheese at every meal – at breakfast, dinner or in the afternoon.” After a turn promoting Comté cheese in Belgium, Socié attended dairy school, began raising goats and started making her own cheese. “I quickly learned that it’s not magic at all, but very scientific.” At La Fruitière, almost all the cheeses are made from raw milk. “Children who eat non-pasteurised cheeses are less prone to allergies,” Socié explains. “Plus, the taste is better, and the cheeses are full of nutrients.” In her eyes, a good cheese is made with love

and care, not only for the product but also the animals. “A cheese made in the mountains by farmers who love animals and feed them well, and who plunges their arms into the milk fresh from the cow – that cheese will taste better.” In industrial cheesemaking, she continues, “trucks get milk from farms and keep it in tanks for days before it gets heated in the factory and mixed with bacteria made in laboratories”. Socié was voted the best cheesemonger in Belgium last year by the members of the sector’s federation. She can easily recognise even the slightest nuances in texture, colour, taste and smell. She also knows which wine or beer goes best with each cheese. Though it’s sometimes impossible to generalise about taste and texture. “It’s still a thrill to open up a newly arrived Comté, because you never know what it will taste like,” she says. “It depends on what the cow ate, what season it is and so much more.” In addition to the shop and eatery, La Fruitière

Véronique Socié and her son run Brussels’ first cheese bar

also contains several rooms where the cheeses are stored, each with a different temperature and humidity level. While customers are encouraged to eat on the spot, there is no menu. Instead, Socié selects the cheeses, making sure they go well together and offer what she calls an unforgettable experience. “If someone wants to eat a Camembert, but we only received it yesterday, we won’t serve it,” she says. “It needs to mature for a few weeks first.” \ Sarah Schug

september 6, 2017

Behind closed doors

Open Monument Day unlocks secrets of Flanders’ architectural heritage Diana Goodwin More articles by Diana \ flanderstoday.eu

OPENMONUMENTENDAG.BE

his weekend, Open Monument Day will once again give people across Flanders the opportunity to peek inside some of the region’s most historic, beautiful and interesting heritage sites. Now in its 29th year, the event has become the biggest one-day cultural event in Flanders, with close to 1,000 activities in over 200 communities. Last year’s edition drew 40,000 visitors. According to Liesbeth de Maeyer, communications co-ordinator for heritage agency Herita, it’s not difficult to see why. “It’s because people can see inside buildings that they normally can’t visit,” she says. “We try to have a lot of private houses on our programme, and we try to keep them exclusive for that day.” In other words, people are naturally curious about what’s behind closed doors – whether those doors belong to a castle or a neighbour’s house down the street. Another reason she cites is that people are always interested in the history of their area. With so many activities in so many locations, it’s easy to find something close to home. One of the highlights of the programme is the chance to visit the three finalists of the annual Onroerenderfgoedprijs (Monument Prize). This year, the nominees were all privately owned and therefore not accessible to the public, making Open Monument Day a rare opportunity to see them. Boterberg Castle in Kalmthout, Antwerp province, was built in the Flemish Renaissance style in the

Marc Dessauvage’s modernist house in Loppem is one of several private residences open to the public

19th century and is now a shared housing development. A modernist house in Loppem, part of Zedelgem in West Flanders, was built by architect Marc Dessauvage in 1980 as his own residence. The third finalist is a contemporary apartment that incorporates recently discovered elements of a medieval castle in Nevele, East Flanders. It’s not just buildings that are open to the public, however. Historic trains and river barges are also on the programme. In Maldegem, East Flanders, the old train station is now a museum with the largest collection of steam engines in

Flanders, while another former station is now a five-star hotel in Landen, Flemish Brabant, where you can sleep in an actual train car. Those with an interest in watercraft and river transport can visit the Shipping Museum in Dendermonde, East Flanders, or a former barge that’s now a museum in Beernem, West Flanders. In Mechelen, an entire fleet of historic barges that are still in use as private craft will be open to visitors, with their owners on hand to answer questions. And then there’s nature reserves and parks. These range from the landscaped gardens of Beauvoorde

Castle in West Flanders to the unspoiled natural beauty of Molsbroek in Lokeren, East Flanders, to the green spaces of Leuven’s city centre. In most of these places, guided tours are offered throughout the day. In Limburg, Open Monument Day marks the beginning of a photography project linked to both architectural heritage and the First World War. The Royal Institute for Artistic Heritage holds a collection of negatives made by Nazi occupiers during the Great War, show-

10 September

ing the architectural riches of Belgium. Each of the 44 communities that make up Limburg has chosen one negative depicting a building in that community. On Open Monument Day, the 44 photographs will be exhibited in the 44 locations where each was taken. Local photographers are invited to take part in a competition to find 44 new images to be exhibited alongside the German photos in 2018. Participants are urged to document those buildings and monuments that are important to them today and that should be preserved for the future. Finally, Open Monument Day coincides with the Day of Architecture (see story, facing page) this year, and the two events have joined forces to highlight a selection of buildings that combine contemporary design elements with the preservation of architectural heritage. “We want to show how old buildings can have new possibilities,” says de Maeyer. Visitors can tour an old gas factory in Ghent’s northern industrial zone that’s now a lively project with shops, artists’ lofts and apartments. Or a chapel in Sint-Truiden whose ancient stone walls now contain a sleek architectural firm. Everything is free of charge. See the website for a list of familyfriendly activities, as well as activities grouped by theme, category and province.

Across Flanders

Heritage journal and tourism agency employ the help of Old Masters To celebrate its 60th anniversary and foster cultural co-operation throughout the Low Countries, the Flemish-Dutch heritage journal Ons Erfdeel (Our Heritage) has joined forces with the FlemishDutch culture house deBuren in Brussels on a series of lectures. Earlier this year, the series dealt with topics like diplomacy, publishing and journalism. For the upcoming talk at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (KMSKA), Ons Erfdeel and deBuren have invited several high-profile museum directors to discuss the relationship between art and tourism. KMSKA’s director, Manfred Sellink, and Phillip Van den Bossche of Mu.Zee in Ostend will be joined by their counterparts from the Netherlands – Bruges-born Ann Demeester of the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem and American Emilie Gordenker of Mauritshuis in The Hague – to talk about future cultural and economic chal-

lenges. During the lecture, the four directors will discuss the reasons why tourists come to the Low Countries, focusing in particular on the appeal of the Old Masters. The keynote speech will be delivered by Peter De Wilde, CEO of tourism agency Visit Flanders. He says that the lecture complements the region’s latest tourism campaign, which promotes the “ground-breaking craftsmanship” of the Flemish people, including the Old Masters. “Next year, Visit Flanders will focus on the Baroque era and Rubens,” says De Wilde. “In 2019, when the KMSKA reopens, we will remember Breugel 450 years after his death. And in 2020, we’ll focus on the restored Ghent Altarpiece and the Flemish Primitives.” According to De Wilde, the longterm approach was influenced by Visit Flanders’ recent success in promoting the First World

Peter De Wilde, CEO of Visit Flanders

War commemorations. “Before informing the press and possible trade partners and launching the programme, we made sure we had the right investments in the right places.” Since the Old Masters are reminiscent of a time when Flanders was part of the historic region of the Southern Netherlands, Visit Flan-

ders chose to collaborate on the new campaign with its counterpart abroad. “We decided to work with thematic routes.” The Netherlands tourism agency aims to show to foreigners that there is more to see than just

9 September 15.00

ONSERFDEEL.BE

Amsterdam. Flanders, he adds, doesn’t have the same problem of tourists visiting one main city and ignoring the rest, “but our programme will make the Flemish masters more accessible to the general public in some of the less obvious places”. This includes the Bokrijk open air museum in Genk, which will host an exhibition on Bruegel in 2019. In the meantime, the Flemish and Dutch tourism agencies and the national railway companies NMBS and NS are collaborating on a decorative train featuring the Old Masters. When finished, the train will connect Brussels, Antwerp, The Hague and Amsterdam, informing travellers what else is in store for the Flemish-Dutch collaboration. \ Tom Peeters

Leopold De Waelplaats 2, Antwerp

\ 11

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IN A CHANGING WORLD,

\ ARTS

september 6, 2017

Team spirit

week in arts & CULTURE New Antwerp diamond museum opens next spring

Brussels’ KVS theatre: a house of creators in the heart of the city Tom Peeters More articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

KVS.BE

Michael De Cock, who’s about to enter his second season as artistic director of the Royal Flemish Theatre in Brussels, has an eye on expanding his audience.

wo weeks ago, the Rivierenhof open-air theatre in Antwerp staged Malcolm X. An audience of 1,300 people watched the controversial play by Junior Mthombeni, Fikry El Azzouzi and Cesar Janssens in a picturesque setting that during the summer is mainly reserved for rock bands. But for this, the organisers made an exception. The production opened last year’s season at the Royal Flemish Theatre KVS – Michael De Cock’s first season as artistic director – and it’s one he calls “iconic”. So it’s no surprise he mentions it when asked to pick out three productions that illustrate his approach – cross-generational, cross-disciplinary, multicultural and multilingual. Malcolm X will run again at the start of this season. After 10 years in the artistic driving seat of Arsenaal in Mechelen, the Mortsel-born writer, actor and director shifted his professional career to the capital in 2016, where he succeeded Jan Goossens at KVS. He has since gathered together various stage directors, playwrights and others, combining their individual talents with a team spirit. “Often, the best theatre comes from in-house,” he explains. “If you don’t have an ensemble, you risk missing out something essential.” Unlike Goossens, who took a more thematic approach, De Cock’s starting point is an open ensemble of playwrights, performers, directors, choreographers and authors, developing personal work and participating in collaborative efforts. His two other picks illustrate this approach. The acclaimed Para, a monologue about one of the darkest moments in recent Belgian history, was written by Flemish author David Van Reybrouck and performed by Bruno Vanden Broecke, one of the members of the KVS ensemble. In Odysseus: Een zwerver komt thuis (A Wanderer Comes Home), Patrick Lateur’s Dutch-language adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, Vanden Broecke is just one of 24 actors, performing in a theatre marathon that lasted more than 24 hours. According to De Cock, both plays, whether revitalising literary canon or reflecting recent history, brought together people of different backgrounds and generations – something they share with Malcolm X. Apart from a clear vision of where to lead KVS, one of the reasons

Michael De Cock’s ultimate aim is for everyone in the country to visit KVS at least once

De Cock was appointed was his familiarity with themes relevant to modern urban life. As a journalist and a writer, for instance, he exhaustively researched migration, and as a director, he frequently worked with people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. “When Junior Mthombeni and Ikram Aoulad appeared on a stage for the first time, some critics said they weren’t ready yet,” he says. His reaction back then was clear: “Would you say the same if they’d just graduated from theatre school?” In the meantime, Mthombeni has written a number of highly praised productions and is currently preparing a follow-up to Malcolm X – Drarrie in de nacht (Drarrie in the Night) will be staged next year. And Aoulad, who featured in De Cock’s play Rosie & Moussa, has gone on to a successful television career. Key roles in De Cock’s integrated approach are reserved for three local dramatists. Among them are Kristin Rogghe, who co-organising the Rise Up poetry project commemorating the Brussels terrorist attacks of 2016, and Argentinian Gerardo Salinas, the former artistic director of the Mestizo Arts Festival who special-

ises in collaborations with artists who were educated on the street. Another is American Tunde Adefioye, who recently shook up the scene by criticising the Theater Aan Zee programme in Ostend for being too white. “Tunde is very unbiased and specialises in detecting prejudices,” De Cock says, backing his colleague’s critical attitude. “An emancipatory festival such as Theater Aan Zee can afford to show work in progress. There was no reason for not putting more colour on the stage.” By experimenting with the idea of “pay what you want” for selected performances and introducing sliding show times, KVS is also trying to broaden its audience. For De Cock, it’s not a problem that a large part of society might hate theatre, or think it’s for morons. “I think the same about football,” he says. “But it is a problem that there are people who might love theatre but don’t have access to it, simply because they’re in a social class that we’re not reaching. That’s a democratic deficit. It’s not good for the audience, nor for the art, which will ultimately find itself in a ghetto.” According to De Cock, the audience is the theatre’s main stakeholder, and democratisation is essential.

“But at the same time, the whole sector and society is evolving,” he says. “It’s not only a discussion about ethnicity and budget. We are in the heart of a multilingual and multicultural city. There are a lot of exciting opportunities, and it’s our duty to grab them.” Obviously, this is reflected in the new season, which combines an international perspective with local ambitions. “The strength of Flemish theatre has always been its sovereignty,” De Cock says, adding that KVS is primarily investing in talented stage directors and writers in their 30s and early 40s, such as Sachli Gholamalizad, Valentijn Dhaenens and Mesut Arslan. “The need for young voices to fill our stages is urgent, since a major generation of stage talent that rose to prominence in the 1980s will retire soon,” he says. “It’s our goal to launch a new generation on the national and international scene by making sure their work is seen.” The workload and production values have definitely changed from De Cock’s time in Mechelen. “A production is 50% more expensive here, due to the bigger scale,” he says. As a result, he has to be better prepared and constantly weigh priorities. “Writing articles, books or movies, I never had the feeling I had a method. But I do know that telling stories is what I do, also here.” To explain what he means, he quotes the late Marianne Van Kerkhoven, a highly influential figure in the field of performing arts. “She spoke about minor and major dramatic composition. Individual productions are minor dramaturgy, and it’s my role to provide every single person here with everything they need to create the best possible play. By doing this, again and again, I will try to tell the story of the house itself – the major dramaturgy, the bigger path we have to follow.” The ultimate goal, he says, “is that everyone in this country – half of our visitors don’t live in Brussels – knows KVS and has been here at least once”. In the meantime, he wants to maintain an open dialogue with the city’s population. “It’s my dream that people from the audience, even after seeing a play they didn’t like, would come to me to openly discuss their opinion”. For De Cock it’s all part of the collective experience of theatre. “But we’ve only just begun. You ain’t seen nothing yet.” Malcolm X: 7-14 September, KVS, Brussels; 23 September, CC De Factorij, Zaventem; 29 September, CC De Werf, Aalst

Diva: Antwerp Home of Diamonds is scheduled to open next May on the port city’s Suikerrui and Gildekamersstraat, which both feed onto Grote Markt. The museum and related shops will be located in the buildings that formerly housed the Museum of Folk Art and Ethnography. Diva is an “experience centre” and will open in two phases. On 7 December, the museum shop and a jewellery shop will open on Suikerrui. In May, the full museum will open in the building on Gildekamersstraat. An audio tour will immerse visitors in different scenarios, such as diamond craftsmanship, trade and purchasing habits. \ divaantwerp.be

Flemish DJ gets coveted cover of DJ Mag The dance music scene has long been dominated by men, but Flemish DJ Charlotte De Witte – known as Raving George – has been chosen to grace the cover of British monthly DJ Mag this month. According to De Witte, the magazine’s editor came to one of her shows at Fuse in Brussels after hearing a live set via Facebook. The 25-year-old De Witte played Tomorrowland and Rock Werchter this summer and is about to head out on an international tour of Australia, South America and Asia. Her sudden breakthrough, she told De Standaard, is “a combination of networking, luck and hard work”. \ charlottedewittemusic.com

Eight Flemish authors on ECI longlist Of the 25 names on the longlist for the ECI Literature Prize for the best Dutch-language book of the year, eight are Flemish authors. The nominations include both fiction and nonfiction, and the book has to have been published between July 2016 and July 2017. On the longlist are Stefan Hertmans for De bekeerlinge (The Convert), David Nolens for De waan van Cotard (Cotard’s Delusion), Jeroen Olyslaegers, whose Wil (Will) won Flanders’ Fintro prize earlier this year; Koen Peeters for De mensengenezer (The Healer); Peter Terrin for Yucca; Margo Vanderstraeten for Mazzl tov, Annelies Verbeke for Halleluja and Dimitri Verhulst for Spoo pee doo. The final six nominees will be announced on 13 September, and the winner will be chosen at a ceremony in November. \ eciliteratuurprijs.nl

\ 13

\ ARTS

Sink or swim

Ostend Film Festival showcases the movies to see, by the sea Bjorn Gabriels More articles by Bjorn \ flanderstoday.eu

FILMFESTIVALOOSTENDE.BE

The 11th edition of the Ostend Film Festival opens with a locally set fishing drama and continues with a diverse selection of anticipated premieres and spectacular animation.

est Flemish director Gilles Coulier has been a guest of several editions of the Ostend Film Festival. His well-received short film Mont Blanc was shown on the opening night in 2012, and two years later he was one of the “Youngstars” selected by the master of the festival that year, actor Wim Willaert. Coulier and Willaert know each other well. The actor from nearby Nieuwpoort has been involved in everything Coulier has done so far: his graduation project IJsland (Iceland) at the Sint-Lukas film school in Brussels, his well-travelled shorts Paroles and Mont Blanc, the popular TV series Bevergem. And now his muchanticipated feature debut, Cargo. Coulier is a little nervous a couple of weeks before the festival’s opening night. “Relax, it’ll be all right,” Willaert tells him when I meet both of them in Ostend, where Cargo was shot and where it will have its world premiere. Coulier, born in Bruges but living in Ghent, is on familiar ground. “I shot two of my shorts here, so I do have a connection with the city,” he says. “On one of my visits, I ended up in the fish auction. I immediately felt that this environment perfectly fit the themes I wanted to talk about: fatherhood, traditions and a dysfunctional family.” Cargo tells the story of three brothers from Ostend who are about to lose their elderly father, a fisherman, as well as their family’s fishing business. Without a woman in sight, the brothers are having difficulties keeping their lives afloat. The local fish auction is also in decline, leaving many fishermen no other option than to abandon the tradition in which they’re so firmly rooted. “In Ostend, there are only 10 fishing vessels left, and in my hometown, Nieuwpoort, only two,” says Willaert (pictured above). “It’s really economically run-down. The quay where we filmed Cargo has already been demolished to make place for apartments. It’s so sad.” “The situation is so tragic that it almost becomes beautiful,” adds writer and director Coulier. The social and economic devastation the local fishermen face forms the bedrock of a seemingly unavoidable catastrophe that drags down one generation after another. Even the young son of eldest brother Jean (Sam Louwyck) sees the

\ 14

Cargo tells the story of three brothers from Ostend who are about to lose their elderly father, and the family’s fishing business

disastrous events unfolding before his eyes. Under these dire circumstances, Willaert’s character, Francis, meets an illegal immigrant. He, too, faces an uncertain future. They become lovers, but Francis keeps their relationship in the closet. “Being gay in the circles of doctors and notaries isn’t easy, so you can imagine what it must be like around fishermen,” Willaert says. “Even though there are bound to be gay people among them. Francis’ romance really is like Romeo and Juliet. That true love story is what attracted me to the part.” Francis’ brothers, meanwhile, get caught up with criminals. But, says Coulier, “Cargo isn’t about crime. It’s about there being no alternative when you’re down and out like these fishermen are. These men have a love of the sea, and of everything they stood for all those years. They want to fight off the end of their traditions. They are very stubborn, and I wanted my

characters to be that as well.” Willaert: “As soon as they step ashore, the brothers are all clumsiness, but out on the sea everything is simple. Not easy, but simple. They have an inner urge to be at sea.” The fishermen and the illegal immigrants all hope to find a better future on the sea, even though the future looks pretty grim for all of them. “I’ve tried to add a sparkle of hope to this dark and tragic film,” says Coulier, “both in the relationship Francis has, and the father-son relationship of his older brother.” After a locally set opening film, the festival widens its scope for a look across the borders. Though with its guest country the Netherlands, it doesn’t stray too far. There’s the documentary Het doet zo zeer (It Hurts So Much) by Dutch writer Heleen van Royen, about her mother losing her memory. Other Dutch movies include two featuring Flemish actors: Ben

One shot to see it The Ostend Film Festival has also programmed some films that will most likely not be released in regular cinemas, so this could be your only chance to see them. French art house heavyweight Bruno Dumont weighs in with Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc (2017), a veritable rock opera about the iconic martyr. There are also films at the festival by household names who sadly don’t seem to find their way into cinemas anymore, such as South Korea’s Kim Ki-Duk (The Net), or films that only tour the festival circuit, such as Ma’Rosa by Filipino filmmaker Brilliante Mendoza.

Brand’s debut film, Find This Dumb Little Bitch and Throw Her Into a River, stars Wim Opbrouck, who happens to be the festival’s master of ceremonies this year, while Sam Louwyck of Cargo is part of another debut, the tragicomic road movie Monk by Ties Schenk. There’s also a selection of films that were chosen specifically for their aesthetic quality – the kind of films that beg to be seen in the cinema and not on a TV screen. This Look! competition includes Fortunata (Lucky), Italian director Sergio Castellitto’s tale of a newly divorced working-class mum’s struggle to achieve a simple dream. You’ll find a number of notable Belgian premieres in Ostend as well, including Sofia Coppola’s American Civil War drama The Beguiled, a remake of the 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood as an injured union soldier secretly taken in by residents of a southern girls’ boarding school. Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev’s potent family drama Loveless will also have its premiere, as will a series of action-driven films such as the intense heistgone-wrong Good Time by the American brothers Benny and Josh Safdie. And look out for Detroit by Kathryn Bigelow, about the riots that followed police violence against black residents of Detroit

8-16 September

in the summer of 1967. Another kind of spectacle is offered by the animation feature Loving Vincent, first shot as live action and then hand-painted over frame by frame in oils. It tells the life of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, with a special focus on his death (did he really shoot himself?), in images echoing his expressive painting style. In the build-up to the festival’s award ceremony for Flemish cinema, the Ensors, you can see all the films nominated. Le ciel flamand (Flemish Heaven) by Peter Monsaert and Home by Fien Troch have gathered the most nominations. Other favourites include King of the Belgians (Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth) and Nathalie Teirlinck’s Le passé devant nous (Past Imperfect), last year’s closing film. A week after opening with Cargo, the festival closes with another directorial debut, Alleen Eline (Only Eline) by television writer Hugo Van Laere. In the meantime, visitors will have had the opportunity to revisit Stijn Coninx’s Flemish classic Daens (1991) in a restored version. With a score of other classics such as Chaplin’s The Great Dictator and Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter, there’s plenty more to see, at the sea.

Across Ostend

\ AGENDA

september 6, 2017

A musical stroll through the heart of the capital

United Music of Brussels 9 September

Across Brussels

unitedmusicofbrussels.be

ext Saturday marks the second edition of the spectacular United Music of Brussels. The free event invites visitors to explore 16 unique and often unknown venues to see musicians and singers from the Belgian National Orchestra (BNO) and opera house De Munt, as well as several guest artists. The performances range from opera and classical to hip-hop, jazz and tango. The locations are equally diverse. Visitors can enjoy baroque songs in a tattoo shop and the ballads of Jacques Brel in a Christian commune. Among other venues are a bicycle shop, an asylum centre, a brewery and a private art collection. The deliciously varied itinerary has its own map to guide you from the city centre along the canal on to Molenbeek and back.

United Music of Brussels is a collaboration of the orchestra, the opera house and Bozar. “As art institutions, we often operate on an international level, “says BNO director Hans Waege, “and by opening up these venues and offering

free world-class music, we want the people of Brussels to discover what we do and at the same time show how beautiful our city is.” The event will kick off on Saturday afternoon in Molenbeek with the sounds of ritual music by a group from Burundi, followed by Moroccan blues and pop by Mohamed Mesbahi. Opera highlights and tango will feature nearby in La Fonderie, home to the Museum of Industry and Labour. “Molenbeek has a rich history and interesting industrial heritage in need of re-discovery,” says Bozar artistic director Paul Dujardin. The final event of the day is a one-hour concert in the 17th-century Begijnhof church in the city centre by BNO, which will play Mozart, Haydn, Bartok and Beethoven. \ Mieke Kooistra

VISUAL ARTS

FESTIVAL

Extra City Reopening

Marni Jazz Festival

8-11 September

Kunsthal Extra City, Antwerp extracitykunsthal.org

7-16 September

Marni Theater, Brussels theatremarni.com

CONCERT Ghent Tori Amos: The American singer-songwriter, pianist, composer and activist presents her hotly anticipated 15th studio album, Native Invader. 9 September 20.00, Capitole Gent, Graaf van Vlaanderenplein 5 \ capitole-gent.be

FESTIVAL Hasselt Spots Festival: Second edition of the festival that scatters hybrid music/theatre performances in unique locations across the city. 10-24 September, CC Hasselt \ ccha.be

FILM Across Flanders DocPoppies: The series of screenings of contemporary Belgian documentaries features Burning Out by Jérôme le Maire, which addresses career burn-out among doctors and nursing staff. 12 September to 5 December, across Flanders \ docpoppies.be

Antwerp’s politically minded arts centre Extra City comes out of its years-long hibernation following a move to an old washhouse in Berchem, now completely renovated. This festive grand opening weekend includes the inauguration of the group exhibition Extra Citizen, featuring contributions by 14 young European artists. It’s the centrepiece of a series of accompanying performances and discussions with the concept of citizenship front and centre. Extra City curators Antonia Alampi, Iliana Fokianaki and Michiel Vandevelde invite all ages to discover that art is an essential ingredient in civic engagement. \ Georgio Valentino

Each annual edition of the Marni Jazz Festival puts a different instrument in the spotlight. This year is all about drums, with six evenings of percussion-oriented concerts. Opening night sees the premiere of the Rêve d’Eléphant Orchestra’s (pictured) latest work REO Percussions, a tribal drum blowout composed just for Marni.

kets n ow

Ghent Film Festival Opening Night: The 44th edition of the world-renowned film festival kicks off with a red carpet affair featuring Flemish refugee drama Insyriated, with the director and lead actor Hiam Abbass in attendance, followed by a reception. The Kinepolis event is invitation-only, but tickets are on sale for the same programme at Vooruit. 10 October, Vooruit, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 23

VISUAL ARTS

MUSIC FESTIVAL

Design September

Deep in the woods

Brussels celebrates the applied arts with a month-long showcase of established and up-and-coming talent. The highlight of the design season in Belgium, Design September’s programme promises more than 100 design-related activities, from exhibitions to lectures to pop-up stores to parties. Special guests include Limburg design luminary Piet Stockmans and

Ghent

get tic

\ filmfestival.be

EVENT 7-30 September

Other festival premieres include jazz veteran Stéphane Galland’s new world-music outfit The Mystery of Kem and rising young drummer Antoine Pierre’s latest project NextApe. Marni Jazz also boasts a swinging exhibition of jazz-inspired drawings by illustrator Serge Dehaes. \ GV

Across Brussels designseptember.be

young Eindhoven-based Spanish designer Nacho Carbonell. The popular Arts and Crafts tour highlights the capital’s artisan jewellers. Over 20 jewellery workshops open their doors to visitors while the Hotel Be Manos hosts a jewellery exhibition. The Commerce Design Award recognises cuttingedge architecture and interior design in local businesses. \ GV

8-10 September If you haven’t yet dived into the wilderness this summer, this might be your last chance. The small annual festival is located deep in the Flemish Ardennes and can only be found by GPS. Tickets are cheap, but the line-up is grand. For its seventh edition, Deep in the Woods has snagged the multitalented Mauro Pawlowski as artist in residence. Other highlights include Curtis Harding, Waxahatchee and Laura Gibson, as well as Chantal Acda, DAAU and Témé Tan. There is a camping site right next to the festival area and even babysitting for the kids.

Brussels

Flemish Ardennes deepinthewoods.be

Brussels Gallery Weekend: Grand reopening of a new cultural season for the capital’s contemporary art galleries, with shows in more than 40 galleries and non-profit spaces. 7-10 September, across Brussels \ brusselsgalleryweekend.com

FAIR Brussels Wiels Art Book Fair: Art book fair featuring more than 50 artists, publishers and collectors offering their photo books, catalogues, periodicals and other artsy printed matter for sale. Also lectures and other activities. 8-10 September, Wiels, Van Volxemlaan 354 \ wiels.org

\ Daan Bauwens

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\ BACKPAGE

september 6, 2017

Talking Dutch

VoiceS of flanders today

Ghent sets the benchmark Derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

gevelbank.be

t started as a simple bench made with some old wood. Now the gevelbank – a compound word made up of the words “façade” and “bench” – has become a new trend in urban living. The first bench was attached to the front of a house in the Ghent district of Sint-Amandsberg. It was such a success that four friends decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign to launch a company and build more benches. In no time at all, they had raised €11,735. The idea is really simple, reads an article in De Standaard. De gevelbank is zo ontworpen dat je geen vergunning nodig hebt voor de plaatsing – The house bench has been designed so you don’t need a permit to install it. De stalen hengsels zijn inklapbaar – The steel supports can be folded up, zodat mensen met de buggy kunnen passeren – so that someone with a buggy can get past wanneer de bank niet in gebruik is – when the bench is not being used. And then there’s this bit of ingenuity: When the bench is folded up against the side of the house, dient de bank als fietsenstalling – it can be used as a bike stand. The founders believe these plain wood benches could help to make urban life a little less lonely. Gezellige straten – friendly streets, explains the website gevelbank.be. Meer contact onder buren – more contact with your neighbours. Een koffietje in de zon – a little coffee in the sun. Een glimlach van voorbijgangers – a smile from people walking past. Het burencontact dat wij kennen, is vaak vluchtig – The contact we have with our neighbours these days is often fleeting, says co-founder Jesse De Troyer. Zodra we een bank voor onze eigen gevel in elkaar hadden geknutseld, veranderde dat – But that changed as soon

In response to: Baggage handlers strike at Brussels Airport Tony Megyery: So many thousands of peoples’ lives cruelly and vindictively disrupted and on an all too often re-occuring basis. In response to: Brussels-wide ban on plastic bags RoseMary Wicker: I wish they would do that here, there should be no excuse for people to not have already gotten used to cloth bags.

as we had knocked together a bench in front of our own house. Mensen maakten plots tijd voor een praatje – People immediately found time to chat. You might think this sounds like something dreamed up by a hipster designer, but the idea actually goes back centuries. Gevelbank is geen nieuwe idee – The street bench isn’t a new idea, explains De Troyer. Het is de heruitvinding – It’s a reinvention van een bank die we recupereerden – of a bench that we recycled na de afbraak van het oude Bijloke ziekenhuis – after the old Bijloke hospital was torn down. Het concept is ergens verloren gegaan – The idea has been lost along the way, terwijl een stad als Gent met al zijn kleine straatjes, woningen en warme inwoners – whereas a city like Ghent with all its little streets, houses and friendly residents de uitgelezen plek is voor nog meer bruisend buurtleven – is the ideal place for a more lively street life. More than 70 benches have now been installed in Ghent. And it all started with an old bit of wood that no one needed.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Diamonds & Antwerp @Diamond_Antwerp Full house at the Antwerp Diamond Bourse at the start of week 2 of our Antwerp Summer University #ASU_diamond #ASU_17 Join us! Pole Abroad @SabinaSienko Belgium- a tiny place of distinct contrasts ❤ #beveren #flanders #belgium #poleabroad Belgium Trending @Belgolizer ESPN FC | Romelu Lukaku and #Belgium have booked a spot... #WorldCup #Russia Sue @SierraUniEcho 4.9.1944 #British troops liberated #Brussels #OTD #OperationOverlord #LiberationofBelgium #WWII #WW2 HARA1NBE @jrdanvgel Is Antwerp the most continuously cool city on Earth?

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the last word Big Brother

Roughing it

“A computer can’t judge if someone is looking for a job hard enough. That’s a matter for humans.”

“I wanted to find out how badly young people were affected by the pessimism that reigns in our society. But I was pleasantly surprised.”

Caroline Copers of the trade union ABVV on an idea by Flemish employment agency VDAB to track whether unemployed people click on job ads often enough

THAT SINKING FEELING Workers in Brussels inspect a three-metre-deep sinkhole that opened up last week in front of the city’s Central Station. Repair works are expected to take several weeks

Flemish youth minister Sven Gatz went on a walking tour of Corsica with six young people, to find out how they see the world

Raise your glasses

Ticker tech

“It’s not such a bad idea. No matter how serious the economic crisis is, people will always need water.”

“Up until now such a thing has only happened in TV shows, but it’s not unthinkable.”

Stock market specialist Pascal Paepen, as KBC sends a letter to clients advising them to invest in water companies

Professor Rik Willems of Leuven University Hospital, as thousands of patients prepare to have their pacemaker software updated to combat possible hacking

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