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may 27, 2015 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ rEad morE at www.flandErstoday.Eu currEnt affairs \ P2

Politics \ P4

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Ghent for the win

innovation \ P7

Chill, baby

Antwerp bicycle manufacturer Chillafish is breaking into Japan with a cute contest

For the first time in their 115-year history, KAA Gent have won the Belgian league championship \2

Education \ P9

art & living \ P10

“it’s a part of us”

Bruges Snapshot exhibition series showcases the city’s relatively new Nepalese community

Let’s Zeppelin

\ 14

ghent arts centre creates a community project from a mere footnote of history toon lambrechts more articles by Toon \ flanderstoday.eu

One hundred years ago, a German zeppelin fell from the sky in Ghent. It made for no more than footnote in the history of the First World War, but for the Ghent socioartistic theatre group De Vieze Gasten, it was the perfect foundation for a new neighbourhood project that focuses on conflicts small and big – and on Led Zeppelin.

“S

ee that big zeppelin over there?” Kato, Helen and Simon ask me. All of them are fifth-year students at Ghent primary school De Oogappel, and they’re pointing toward a round structure fashioned from willow branches that a couple of workers are unloading from a truck. “We made

it. Later on, we will march in a procession with our zeppelin to the Brugse Poort while we sing.” The children seem to be having a blast. And why wouldn’t they? The sun is out in full force, and marching through the Brugse Poort has got to be more fun than sitting inside a classroom. But why the zeppelin? “It’s about an airplane from the past,” one of them ventures. “No, it’s about anything that flies,” someone else interjects. “No, about the war,” a third says. They’re all right. Their project, Let’s Zeppelin, is based on the events of 7 June, 1915, when a battle took place in the skies above Ghent’s Brugse Poort neighbourhood. It was the very first German zeppelin successfully shot down in

the war. This project brings a larger-than-life war down to neighbourhood size. While these three pupils clearly don’t see eye to eye on the why of the project, they all agree it was great fun. “For about a month, we worked on this project in school,” they explain. “All the classes participated. For a full week, we crafted things like costumes and flags, and we learned the songs you’ll hear soon.” Some 100 children have gathered at Segers Park, the heart of the Brugse Poort, a working-class neighbourhood in Ghent. They are all wearing elaborate outfits. Some children look like small, noisy aircrafts, complete with propellers on their heads. Others are dressed in black and sportcontinued on page 5

\ CURRenT aFFaIRs

Historic victory for KAA Gent 2-0 win over standard liège gives club their first national title in 115 years leo cendrowicz more articles by leo \ flanderstoday.eu

AA Gent sealed their first ever Belgian league title last Thursday, with a 2-0 home win over Standard Liège in their penultimate playoff game that ended a 115-year wait for the East Flanders club. Sven Kums opened the scoring in the 18th minute before Renato Neto added a second from the penalty spot in the 50th, giving the Buffaloes an unassailable five-point lead over second-placed Club Brugge. The Ghelamco Arena was filled to its 20,000 capacity as Gent fans witnessed the historic moment,

with many wearing the club’s trademark blue-and-white feather headdress. The victory, which guarantees Gent a place in next season’s Champions League, is a remarkable turnaround for a club often seen as being far behind the more established powers in Belgian football. Although they have won three Belgian Cups and reached the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup in 1992, they have never won the league. “I go to all their matches, but I am seldom so nervous,” laughed Ghent mayor Daniel

Termont, who flew in from a meeting in Berlin just in time to catch the match. “We have earned this.” Termont also mentioned that more and more locals were coming to matches since the opening of the new stadium in 2013. KAA Gent was a founding member of the Belgian league in 1900, but its origins as a hockey and athletics association dates back to 1864. © Dursun aydemir/BelGa

500 pre-paid Bpost credit cards hacked Police are investigating at least 500 cases of fraud using pre-paid credit cards issued by Bpost bank. The exact extent of the fraud is not yet known, but victims will be reimbursed, the company has announced. Pre-paid credit cards are not linked to a bank account and are only credited with sums of money transferred onto the card by the owner, which can then be used to make purchases where a credit card is required,

such as online. Each card has a limit of €8,000. “Pre-paid credit cards have to be loaded with a sum of money,” explained Isabelle Marchand of Febelfin, the Belgian federation for the financial sector. “In other ways, they are the same as ordinary credit cards. The retailer has no idea they are pre-paid. As far as security is concerned, the same standards apply.” The mechanism used by the thieves to hack the cards has not been revealed, and some

cardholders may still not be aware they have been robbed, police said. Cardholders suspected of being victims will be contacted to find out if they loaned their cards to third parties or were themselves responsible for suspect purchases. A spokesperson for Bpost said they were not the only institution affected. “It’s not possible that only Bpost clients were victims,” he said. “Fraud like this is carried out on all

sorts of cards. This case is a problem for all financial institutions who issue credit cards, not Bpost bank alone.” In related news, there were 63 cases of internet banking fraud for a value of €173,000 in the first quarter of 2015, fewer than one a day and a continuation of the downward trend since 2013. \ AH

Ghent alderman expresses shock at child labour revelation

Second pupil diagnosed with TB after schoolgirl dies

Filip Watteeuw, Ghent alderman for public works and mobility, said he can “no longer look in the same way at the squares” that have been paved with cobblestones linked to child labour in India. According to an investigative report in De Standaard newspaper, released at the weekend, many squares across Flanders are paved with such stones, including Ghent’s most central squares, recently repaved in a major development project. De Standaard reported the widespread use of kandla grey cobblestones from Budhpura in northern India, where almost all the local people work in stonecutting, including 1,300 children under 14 who do not go to school. Others work in the quarries after school to supplement their family’s income. Ghent’s development of its city centre, which began in 2009 and is still underway, included repaving Korenmarkt and Emile Braunplein, using the stones from India. “I’m not having it,” Watteeuw commented. “Certainly not in a city like Ghent, where working conditions have historically been of great importance. In future we will look into these cases more carefully. I don’t want this to happen again.” The third and final phase of Ghent’s project includes

A 14-year-old girl attending the Sint-Paulus secondary school in Herzele, East Flanders, has died after being diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). Another student has also been diagnosed The girl who died had been in the care of Ghent University Hospital for several weeks. “This is an exceptional case,” commented Wouter Arrazola de Oñate of the Flemish Association for Respiratory Health Care and Fighting Tuberculosis. “Many people think TB disappeared long ago, but there are more than 1,000 new cases every year in Belgium. The most recent figures we have concern 2012, when 54 people with TB died – although the cause of death was something else in half of those cases.” According to the government’s health care department, no-one

The opening ceremony of the renovated korenmarkt

repaving Botermarkt and the adjoining Belfortstraat. “I’m going to ask for an investigation of what can possibly be done for the last phase,” Watteeuw said, although he pointed out that the contract was agreed back in 2012. “Apparently the Belgian market looks towards the Indian market often when there are stones to be bought. Price is an important factor in that. In future, the extra cost of honest stones should not be a problem in Ghent.” \ Alan Hope

12kg

of cheese bought in 2014 for every Belgian, according to a study by the Flemish government's agrimarketing agency. More than 99% of households bought cheese regularly

12,000

€1.2 million

people in Flanders caring for a sick or elderly relative, according to figures from welfare minister Jo Vandeurzen. Spouses are carers in 29% of cases, followed by daughters and daughters-in-law

raised by number-plate recognition cameras to catch drivers with no road certificate or tax document. About 18,000 untaxed vehicles are thought to be riding around on Flanders’ roads

aged between four and 18 years has died in the last 10 years, although the disease was fatal for two infants. The girl’s classmates in the third year were given skin tests during the week, a health department spokesperson said, as were members of her family. TB is transmitted via frequent contact with an infected person. Children and young people are less infectious because they cough less hard than adults, Arrazola de Oñate explained, while in 90% of cases, no symptoms of the disease are present. The tests administered in the school turned up one positive result. The boy who tested positive will continue to attend classes. He has been infected but is not himself infectious, explained a health-care department spokesperson. \ AH

increase on last year in the number of people in Belgium having trouble meeting their mortgage payments, amounting to more than 46,000 families. Total arrears now stands at €1.35 billion

officials of the federal finance ministry unable to work because of a computer system glitch that lasted for almost a week. The problem did not affect public services such as Tax-On-Web

may 27, 2015

weeK in brief Baby Q, the elephant calf born at animal park Planckendael last month, has died, the park announced last week. The baby’s mother impeded his efforts to stand in the first hours after the birth and would not let him feed from her. He later developed jaundice, and damage to his liver was irreversible. As his condition continued to worsen, the park vet, in consultation with international experts and Ghent University, took the decision to put him to sleep. Colleagues of the Delhaize employee injured in an acid attack in February have collected €20,000 to help cover her medical and other costs. Marina Tijssen is recovering slowly, although one of her skin grafts has become infected. Workers laying a new gas pipeline for Fluxys between Alveringem in West Flanders and Maldegem, some 75 kilometres away in East Flanders, have so far uncovered more than 10,000 First World War munitions. The area was the centre of fighting for much of the duration of the war, and Fluxys began preparatory digging last June in expectation of uncovering bombs, shells and other munitions. The pipeline should be ready by November. About 15 masked men forced their way into the offices of the federal buildings agency in Brussels and damagedascalemodel of a planned new prison in the north Brussels neighbourhood of Haren – the latest in a series of protests against the prison by locals. Earlier, the home of Brussels region’s minister-president Rudi Vervoort and that of a member of the prison project group were spray-painted with anti-prison slogans. A group of protesters is currently occupying the site of the prison. Roadside cameras with automatic number plate recogni-

faCe of flanders tion are unable to read personalised licence plates, interior minister Jan Jambon told parliament last week. The cameras are used to track vehicles for which there are no records that tax has been paid. They are programmed to recognise standard plates from Belgium and some other European countries but are unable to read the 10,000 or so personalised plates currently on the roads. The house in which Flemish author Jef Geeraerts lived until his death on 12 May has been sealed by his children, while lawyers attempt to ascertain who owns the house and its contents. According to some family members, the house was in the name of his wife, Eleonore Vigenon, who died in 2008; the house was originally the property of her first husband. However, writer Erwin Mortier has claimed that he and his partner bought the house several years ago and allowed Geeraerts to continue living there. Retired ticket collectors recalled by the rail authority NMBS to cover for colleagues’ holidays will work for a maximum of four months, federal mobility minister Jacqueline Galant told the federal parliament’s infrastructure committee. Earlier in the year, NMBS said it would take on 360 retired inspectors for holiday coverage; 160 of those vacancies are still to be filled. Erik Jacquemyn, the CEO of the hands-on science centre Technopolis in Mechelen, will remain in his post and be subject to an evaluation within six months, Flemish innovation minister Philippe Muyters said. Jacquemyn has been the subject of controversy since an audit led to Muyters stopping the centre’s subsidy. Later the staff advised the minister in a letter to sack him as the only way to restore order. Muyters’ staff found no evidence of serious fault.

The trial began in Brussels last week of 11 people accused of being responsible for the in-cell death of 26-year-old Jonathan Jacob in Mortsel in 2010. Jacob was brought to a psychiatric hospital in Boechout in a severely agitated state and was denied admission. He was then taken to a police cell in Mortsel, where a doctor was called to give him a sedative, accompanied by members of a special intervention squad who violently wrestled Jacob to the floor, kneeling on him. He died soon after. The eight officers are charged with manslaughter and could face 10 years. The local police commissioner, as well as the director and psychiatrist of the psychiatric centre, are also facing charges. A moth normally found only in Africa and southern Europe and considered extremely dangerous to corn and other crops has been spotted in Flanders for the first time ever, Natuurpunt reported last week. The Sesamia nonagrioides, known in English as the Mediterranean corn borer or West African pink borer, was seen by a volunteer in Nieuwrode, Flemish Brabant. The moth bores into corn stalks to lay eggs, and the emerging larvae then eat the plant from the inside out. The moth would be unable to survive the Belgian winter. How it came to be in Flanders is not clear. The Ultime Hallucinatie, the Art Nouveau cafe on Koningsstraat in Brussels, is looking for a new owner, as the current one announced he could no longer combine running the bar-restaurant with his responsibilities as alderman for youth and sport in Schaarbeek. Sait Köse bought the café in 2012 after it was threatened with closure and has been running it since. The price of the rental contract is €900,000, plus a monthly rent of €10,000.

to co-operate in managing the grazing of the banks. At the same time, it was decided that grazing sheep did not really fit in with the aim of attracting walkers and cyclists to the area. But the loss of the sheep turned out to be a blow to the whole idyllic picture of the area. Local politicians staged a humorous protest, and questions were raised in the provincial council. Then W&Z discovered it had made an accounting error: lawnmowers were less efficient and more expensive than they had reckoned as a means of keeping the grass

anna rune In the last two weeks we’ve seen the effects of the free movement of performers in the EU. First an Italian male pole-dancer won Belgium’s Got Talent. Now the best singer-songwriter in the Netherlands is a young lady from Sint-Niklaas in East Flanders. Anna Rune is the stage name of 21-year-old Anna De Volder, born in Sint-Niklaas but resident now as a student in Rotterdam, where she also makes music with a seven-piece band. She was classically trained, and it’s there in her music: her songs are dramatic, with something of the opera and something of the musical, the melodies and the voice reminiscent of Regina Spector. Her winning number in the show De Beste Singer-Songwriter van Nederland is in English and called “That’s Life”. It’s a song dedicated to her mother, she said. During the show’s run, she sang it alone at the keyboard, adding her own percussion; for the final, the song was in its Sunday best, with a full backing band. “We got musicians to work with,” she explained. “I

soundcloud.com/annarunE

wrote some different arrangements for the musicians, who really helped me a lot.” She’s not only the first Fleming to win, she’s also the first woman to win the show, now in its fourth season. The choice of her over four male finalists was that of the show’s originator, radio personality Giel Beelen, and his jury of experts. “It’s a seriously impressive song,” said jury member Jaqueline Govaert. “You have a very natural charisma. You know that all our eyes are on you, yet you sit there as if you had done this for 100 years. That is something to nurture.” “I can hardly believe I’ve won,” Rune said. “Next month I’m performing at Pinkpop. I think I’m going to have to call the band together to get them to come quick and start rehearsing.” As well as that Dutch pop music festival, the prizes for winning the competition include festival slots at Sziget in Hungary, The Brave in Amsterdam, deBeschaving in Utrecht, Songbird in Rotterdam and Live at Amsterdamse Bos. \ Alan Hope

flanders today, a weekly English-language newspaper, is an initiative of the flemish region and is financially supported by the flemish authorities.

offside the return of the sheep

The Damse Vaart – that arrowstraight, tree-lined stretch of canal running through the little town of Damme, between Bruges and the coast – is one of Flanders’ most picturesque spots, but many of you have probably been wondering if it might not be prettier still if only there were some sheep grazing on the banks. There used to be, until January this year, when the sheep disappeared because of a dispute between the province of West Flanders and the Flemish government’s waterways agency W&Z. The latter no longer had the time or resources, it said,

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.

on the banks of the Vaart under control. The agency was prepared, it announced, to meet half of the cost of bringing the sheep back, to a maximum of €22,500 a year. The province and the agency have now started the procedures to bring the sheep back. \ AH

Editor Lisa Bradshaw dEPuty Editor Sally Tipper contriButing Editor Alan Hope suB Editor Linda A Thompson agEnda Robyn Boyle, Georgio Valentino art dirEctor Paul Van Dooren PrEPrEss Corelio AdPro contriButors Rebecca Benoot, Bartosz Brzezi´nski, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Katy Desmond, Andy Furniere, Diana Goodwin, Julie Kavanagh, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Katrien Lindemans, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Daniel Shamaun, Senne Starckx, Christophe Verbiest, Débora Votquenne, Denzil Walton gEnEral managEr Hans De Loore PuBlishEr Corelio Publishing NV

Editorial addrEss Gossetlaan 30 - 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden tel 02 373 99 09 editorial@flanderstoday.eu suBscriPtions tel 03 560 17 49 subscriptions@flanderstoday.eu or order online at www.flanderstoday.eu advErtising 02 373 83 57 advertising@flanderstoday.eu vErantwoordElijkE uitgEvEr Hans De Loore

\ POlITICs

5th ColuMn Big in Japan

Before the 2014 elections, some observers foresaw months of bickering about institutional and language issues. Surely, with the nationalist N-VA destined for the biggest electoral victory in recent times, an institutional big bang would follow? There was no big bang, but a French speaker became prime minister: the amiable Charles Michel (MR). N-VA, delighted to find Michel on the same wavelength, promised to drop its demands for a new state reform. Social and economic issues would be the focus of the new federal government, rather than discussions about which government level should be responsible for what. And so they have. N-VA’s clear dominance and its president Bart De Wever’s authority have stood in the way of any internal dissent so far. The institutional is gone from the political debate. Last week, Liesbeth Homans (N-VA), vice-minister-president in the Flemish government, lashed out at the federal government for the economic mission to Japan by Michel and vice-prime minister Kris Peeters (CD&V). The trip was quite a jolly affair, with Michel and Peeters serving fries and playing a game of football with a Japanese robot. The prime minister and Peeters were in good spirits, and there was no sign of the squabbling that has beset the federal government in recent months. The icing on the cake was to be the announcement of the Japanese investment in Zwijndrecht, the Antwerp harbour area, worth €350 million. It wasn’t Michel and Peeters who broke the news, though, as Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois (N-VA) beat them to it. A minor incident, but it is based on Homans’ bone of contention: Michel and Peeters were out of line, she said, as the regions are solely responsible for foreign trade and investment, and Flanders’ representatives in Japan were not involved in the preparation of the mission. In a letter to Michel, Bourgeois, too, called the mission “harmful for Flanders and not to be repeated”. “Bonkers,” Michel reacted to the criticism. Peeters also refuted the accusations. Homans is not the first to criticise foreign missions for an alleged “breach of competences,” though. In the previous term, federal foreign affairs minister Didier Reynders (MR) was roasted for the same reasons. The one pointing the finger then? The then minister-president Kris Peeters. \ Anja Otte

Muyters reveals project to put 6,000 youngsters to work

individualised employment plans feature training and work placements alan hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

lemish labour minister Philippe Muyters has announced 17 new projects designed to propel young people with no academic qualifications into work. The latest round of Wij! projects should provide 6,242 young people with employment. The Wij! (We!) system (which stands for Werkinleving voor Jongeren, or work immersion for young people) involves the creation of a tailormadeemploymentplan.Overayearto18months, the system offers formal training, short periods of working with businesses and other measures designed to increase the young person’s skills. Muyters’ labour department is funding 60% of the €10.8 million total cost. The European Social Fund has contributed €2.9 million.

The new round is aimed at more than 6,000 young people, twice as many as were covered in the previous round. “The previous round was limited to the 13 central towns and cities,

Bourgeois presents business stimulation plan to BritCham Flanders’ minister-president, Geert Bourgeois, spoke to members of the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium last week about how the region’s new government programme will make Flanders more appealing to businesses. Bourgeois noted three major elements of the programme: simplification of procedures; a five-year, €500 million innovation plan; and stimulation of research and development. The government is particularly focused on supporting the Leuven nanotechnology research centre Imec, the life sciences research institute VIB and the digital research centre iMinds, both in Ghent, and the Flemish Institute for Technical Research Vito, based in Mol. The minister also praised the efforts of the federal government in seeking to reduce the tax burden on labour. Asked about his administration’s position on TTIP, the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership under negotiation between Europe and the US, he said that he fully supported the initiative, noting that “Flanders is a very open economy and a trans-Atlantic agreement can only help Flemish businesses find new opportunities worldwide. It is an opportunity for Europe and the US, representing 60% of world trade, to set standards for the world”. UK ambassador Alison Rose, also present, noted that Flanders was the UK’s fourth largest trading partner in Europe. \ John Stuyk

but this time we’re broadening out to cover all of Flanders,” Muyters explained. “It’s not logical to leave a successful instrument like this with blind spots. Every young person has the right to support.” Muyters’ other portfolio, sport, is also included as an aspect of the Wij! project. “Sport is more than just movement,” he said. “Sport teaches you things that come in handy in a job. You learn about winning and losing, you learn discipline, arriving on time and leaving with permission. You learn about co-operation, looking at the longer term and so much more. I’m convinced that through sport, young people can pick up skills that make them stronger on the job market.”

VGC ups summertime playgrounds to cope with demand The Flemish Community Commission (VGC), which looks after Flemish affairs in the Brussels-Capital Region, is increasing the number of organised playgrounds this summer from eight to 18 to cope with the overwhelming demand, commission chair Guy Vanhengel has announced. The playgrounds are a form of organised daycare for children during school holidays, mainly those of pre-school and primary school age in the Dutchspeaking school sector. In recent years, the number had been declining, with schools less likely to allow the use of their facilities for fear of damages, explained Vanhengel. With the most recent elections, responsibility for the playgrounds moved from the department for youth to the education department, and Vanhengel said he used the occasion to strengthen the bond with schools. From now on, the schools will organise the playground care, with one of their own teachers in charge. They are permit-

ted to offer priority to their own pupils. At the same time, more attention will be paid to the use of Dutch as a common language during playground activities, just as it is during normal school activities. As a result of the new rules, the number of available sites has increased from a low point of eight last year to 18 this summer, spread across 11 communes in the capital. At the peak of activity, the playgrounds will be looking after 1,060 children, compared to 560 last year. Priority reservations are already in; booking is now open to everyone. \ AH

Flemish parties pass measures to combat radicalisation All of Flanders’ political parties, with the exception of Vlaams Belang, have approved a package of measures aimed at tackling radicalisation in the region. The 55 measures, developed by a special committee, include an increase in the number of recognised mosques, a 24-hour advice line, the creation of a positive framework for Muslim youth and local intervention teams. The government warned that additional funding would be necessary to implement the full package of measures but has not gone into details. Integration minister Liesbeth Homans has already approved half a million euros for projects, but, according to committee member Elisabeth Meuleman of Groen, “we’ll need at least 10 times that. A city like Vilvoorde alone needs €2.2 million”. In related news, Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever has warned of the rise of new organisations created to fill the gap left by Sharia4Belgium, which found

From left: elisabeth meuleman (Groen), ward kennes (CD&V), nadia sminate (n-Va) and Caroline Gennez (sP.a) introduce the package of measures in the Flemish parliament

many members jailed recently in the city’s biggest terrorism trial. “We are seeing other organisations in Antwerp that use the same methods,” De Wever said,

“that also hand out flyers in public and that try to recruit followers of an extremist radical Islam, just as Sharia4Belgium did.” Antwerp police are currently investigating a group called Way of Life. “In recent weeks, we have noticed new initiatives to spread propaganda under the guise of religious instruction,” police spokesperson Veerle De Vries told VTM news. “We have learned the lessons of the past and are following the case closely, together with various partners, to ensure things do not escalate.” Meanwhile in Antwerp, seven young women who were members of Sharia4Belgium were found guilty of belonging to a terrorist group. Four of them were absent from the trial, having gone to Syria; they were each sentenced to five years in prison in absentia. Three others present in court received lighter sentences. \ AH

\ COVeR sTORy

may 27, 2015

Let’s Zeppelin

art, technology and the science of flight all explored in community project continued from page 1

dEviEzEgastEn.org

ing multi-coloured zeppelins. Lien Rondu teaches the fifth and sixth year at De Oogappel. “Let’s Zeppelin is actually a project launched by the socio-artistic group De Vieze Gasten. Our school joined in,” she explains. “The creative side of the project – the costumes, the percussion, the zeppelins, basically everything you see here today – we have worked on with all ages mixed together, an approach that we consider very important in our school.” Rondu’s students worked on a project on the First World War last year, in honour of the centenary, but, she says, they took everything a little bit further this time. “We focused on everything that has to do with flying and the technology behind it,” she explains. “We made propellers and parachutes, and tested them as a technology lesson. This kind of project gives classes the opportunity to put their own stamp on it.”

Coming together

I’m at the Let’s Zeppelin parade, the official start of the three-week project. Under the curious looks of passers-by, the parade winds its way through the streets of Brugse Poort. The march is fronted by a group carrying a banner with the slogan “Let’s Zeppelin”. Then the airship itself snakes through, fashioned out of willow branches and covered with colourful ribbons, followed by a percussionist group. A couple of teachers make a valiant effort to get the children to sing the songs they learned in class, with, let’s say, mixed results. Once at Pierkespark, located right in front of De Vieze Gasten theatre, the children are welcomed by other students and a group of parents. The airship isn’t the only flying structure at the park. Overhead, three other airships are floating in the skies, including one made by a thrift shop. As the children start singing, their airship is parked next to its colleagues. Rudy De Niel, a fourth-grade teacher at De Oogappel, is the choirmaster for the hour. Dressed in a colourful outfit, he conducts the band. Every now and then, you can hear Led Zeppelin tunes between the children’s songs. It’s not the first time his school has collaborated with De Vieze Gasten. “We often choose to work on projects, although this approach asks a lot from us teachers,” he says. “Our intention was to create a comprehensive project that could be used in all the subjects we teach.” Before the Easter holidays, he continues, “we worked on the topic of the First World War with our students. The children wrote texts and poems on war and peace. But we also focused on art and technology, and flying itself.” The teachers organised creative workshops with the aim of breaking down age barriers between the different classes. “You can see the results all around you,” De Niel says. “Also, we made the big zeppelin, albeit with some outside help.” De Niel mostly worked on the music for the parade these last few weeks, and he explains that, though the school had a brass band, it didn’t rehearse often. “This parade was the ideal opportunity to breathe life back into our music group. We wrote the songs together, especially for today. A very inspiring project, and a lot of fun – just ask

The Ghent project encourages Bruges Poort residents to consider all manner of conflict through theatre, music and art

the kids.” Suza, Jan and Sabine, in their sixth and final year at De Oogappel, do indeed all agree with De Niel. “One hundred years ago, there was a zeppelin that crashed here,” one of them tells me. “We commemorate this event today,” another adds. “Our outfits have a sinister look because it was war at that time.” “But it was not all war and conflict,” the third interjects. “In our class we worked on

This story had an immediate appeal to the imagination flying more.” The teens point out that they also visited an Antwerp exhibition about Flemish artist Panamarenko, famous for his airship constructions. “That was very nice; we learned a lot,” one of them explains. “In addition to the costumes and everything, we also created a blog about the project.” The Let’s Zeppelin project has its roots in the night of 7 June, 1915, in the skies above Brugse Poort. It all began when a British pilot spotted three German zeppelins on a return flight from a mission in England to Gontrode, a small village just outside Ghent, which had an airport at the time.

British planes pursued the zeppelin above Ghent, bombed it above the Bruges Poort area and watched it crash in the nearby Sint-Amandsberg district. The zeppelin was shot down by Reginald Warneford, a famous British pilot. It was the first zeppelin to be shot down during the war, but, unfortunately, Warneford wasn’t able to enjoy his victory very long. Barely 10 days later, he died in a plane crash. As a tribute, a street in Ghent was later named after him, while the German crew that manned the zeppelin were buried in the city’s Western Cemetery. Still, the story of the Ghent zeppelin was just a stepping stone to build their project around, explains Mark Jeanty of De Vieze Gasten. “The actual historical facts are less important to us. Rather, we seek to understand what war and conflict mean to this neighbourhood. How is this dealt with? We have been looking at both large and small conflicts in the world.” The Let’s Zeppelin programme includes a play based on diaries from the First World War, but also a fair featuring local artists with Iraqi and Syrian roots. But smaller, neighbourhood conflicts such as nighttime noise are also addressed. De Vieze Gasten looked for relics of the war in the area, but they found few historical leftovers, aside from the zeppelin tale. “But this story had an immediate appeal to the imagination, so we used the airship as a form for our project,” Jeanty says, adding that various groups and schools made big and small zeppelins, while others wrote stories and plays. “Everyone was invited

until 6 june

an illustration recreating the dramatic explosion of the zeppelin over Ghent

to participate, which led to a very diverse result.” De Vieze Gasten has previously staged neighbourhood projects like Let’s Zeppelin. The group is, in fact, known for its participative projects. “We have a lot of experience in how to involve individuals,” notes Jeanty. “This time, it was more of a thing for groups to work on, which is logical if you see how much work was put into the airships.” Jeanty says their closing event will also be one to look forward to. “On 6 June, we conclude with an artists’ market. And yes, there will be a Led Zeppelin cover band.” In and around Pierkespark, Ghent

\ BUsIness

weeK in business automation egemin The Antwerp-based company, owned by the local AVH holding group, has sold its handling automation activities to the German Kion Group for €72 million.

Banking nagelmaekers

The Dutch Delta Lloyd banking and insurance group, acquired by the Chinese Anbang financial services group last year, has plans to revive the local Nagelmaekers private and investment bank. The name had been dropped in 2005 by Delta Lloyd.

Biotech Galapagos

The Mechelen-based biotech group raised $317 (€285) million of new funds last week through its listing on the Nasdaq in New York.

mining nyrstar

The Brussels-based nonferrous metals group has signed an option to sell its Coricancha mine in Peru to the Canadian Great Panther Silver company.

Plastics solvay

The Brussels chemical company is building the first all-plastic car engine. The firm’s speciality polymers division expects to have the engine ready by 2016 to equip a car to run the Lime Rock Park race in the US. The engine is expected to be up to 40% lighter than current equipment.

scrap aIm

The Canadian American Iron and Metal company is building its first scrap metal recycling unit in Europe in Ostend. The company has acquired some 32,000 square metres of land in the city’s inner port area with an option for a further 30,000 and is investing €12 million in the project.

supermarkets Delhaize

The country’s second largest supermarket, in talks with the Dutch Albert Heijn over a possible merger, plans to invest €800 million over the next three years to renovate its stores.

Transport Flixbus

The German coach company has launched long-haul connections from Brussels and Antwerp to Paris and Amsterdam for as little as €8 one way. The company expects to make Brussels a hub for its operations, connecting with up to 10 other destinations by the end of June.

Lorry road fees announced

tariffs for trucks hauling goods on flemish roads to start next year alan hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

he truck driving industry has warned of “negative economic consequences” arising from the introduction of a road toll. Flemish mobility minister Ben Weyts announced the tariffs to begin in April 2016. Every truck using Flanders’ roads will pay a toll of between €0.07 and €0.20 per kilometre, depending on the type, weight and emissions level of the vehicle. The heaviest and most polluting trucks, for instance, would pay €8 for a journey from Brussels to Antwerp. A lighter, more environmentally friendly truck would pay €2.96 for the same trip. “The whole world rides over Flemish roads, but, until now, only the Flemish paid,” said Weyts. “That’s about to change.” The income from the toll, he said, would be an estimated €310 million a year. “The measure will

encourage the greening of our haulage industry, and the income will allow us to invest more in our roads network.” Three organisations representing the local haulagesector(Febetra,Transport&LogistiekVlaanderen and UPTR) welcomed the announcement

of compensation for industry but said they would not be sufficient to balance the damage caused by the toll. As compensation for the toll, weight certificates are no longer required, while road tax is reduced to the lowest level permitted by the EU – and removed altogether for the smallest lorries. Transport companies will be able to deduct the toll for company and even personal tax purposes. And the government is adding €100 million to its budget for road infrastructure, an increase of 30%. Weyts also responded to a long-standing complaint by removing the exemption on road tolls for tractors that are not exclusively used for agricultural purposes. According to the industry, tractors are steadily taking over haulage work because of a variety of exemptions.

Ryanair loses battle against Brussels Airlines state aid

Bpost sole candidate for newspaper delivery contract

The €19.7 million paid by the federal government to Brussels Airlines, Jetairfly (now known as TUI Airlines) and Thomas Cook does not constitute illegal state aid, the commercial court in Brussels has ruled, rejecting a complaint brought by Ryanair. The subsidy was intended, according to the government, to compensate the three airlines for the cost of using Brussels Airport and was restricted to those airlines established in Belgium, carrying more than 400,000 passengers a year and paying social security here. Ryanair now also operates out of Zaventem, but is incorporated in Ireland; it pays social security at the lower Irish rate.

Bpost, the majority state-owned Belgian postal service, is the only candidate to apply to run the national distribution of newspapers and magazines, the post and telecommunications regulator BIPT has announced. BIPT compiled a short list of three candidates in February and invited them to submit bids. Two of them, logistics and marketing company BD Group and AMP, which delivers newspapers to retail outlets, declined to submit a bid. BD Group said they were unable to concentrate on the “thorough preparation and implementation of this dossier”. AMP, which announced only shortly before the deadline that it would not bid, said

Under the arrangement, the three airlines are exempted from paying Brussels Airport’s security tax. Ryanair complained that the subsidy constituted a state aid to industry, which is illegal under EU rules (except under very strict conditions). Ryanair also has an action under way before the Council of State and an investigation pending with the European Commission. In a statement issued after the decision, the company said the Brussels court’s ruling would have no effect on the European investigation. If the EU should find the state aid to be illegal, Ryanair will take steps to obtain damages, it said. \ AH

it was unable to “put our current activities in the deep-freeze to work on the newspaper contract”. The company will instead continue working on its strategic plan to diversify its activities, including the pick-up/drop-off service Kariboo. Bpost operates the current system, which is worth €270 million a year to deliver newspapers and magazines by 7.30 every morning. The new contract was ordered by the EU Commission now that Bpost is partly privatised and runs for five years from 1 January, 2016. According to Bpost, 3,000 jobs depend on the company retaining the contract. \ AH

Alken-Maes unions threaten strikes in face of intimidation

Brussels is third-richest region in European Union

Unions at Alken-Maes, Belgium’s second-largest brewery, have complained of a “reign of terror” being waged by management in negotiations over working conditions and threatened possible industrial action. Management, meanwhile, denied the charge and said they were open to “constructive dialogue”. According to the union LBC-NVK, management is demanding a great deal of flexibility from employees, in light of the current troubles of the beer market. Alken-Maes, which is owned by Heineken, is still largely dependent on pils (Maes Pils and Cristal), a sector of the beer market in decline in Belgium, as consumers turn more towards speciality beers, while reducing their consumption overall. A spokesperson said the company had abandoned talks and was now attempting to intimidate workers into accepting its terms, includ-

Brussels was the third-richest region in the European Union in 2013, with a GDP 207% higher than the average for the 28 member states. London came top of the list, with GDP 325% higher, followed by Luxembourg at 258%. In a footnote to the results, Eurostat – the EU’s statistical service – points out that some regions’ figures are strongly affected by commuting patterns, with commuters helping to push the results to a level that the residents of the region alone would be unable to reach. This is the case with Brussels, which attracts large numbers of people daily from both Flanders and Wallonia. The opposite effect is felt in the regions where commuters live but do not work. Brussels is followed in the rankings by Hamburg in Germany and Groningen in the Netherlands. The poorest region is the French over-

ing the loss of nine vacation days a year. “Making employees afraid, putting them under pressure and approaching them one by one – these are things we cannot accept,” said the union spokesperson. “Social negotiations have to be respected; otherwise a consensus can never be reached.” Union representatives will meet in the coming days to consider the company’s position. “Industrial action can certainly not be ruled out,” the spokesperson said. The company confirmed that talks were under way to bring the working conditions of some 40 employees at the Alken brewery in Limburg into line with employees in the rest of the group. That would involve cutting the working week by half an hour without loss of pay, but also scrapping nine days from vacation and compensation days. \ AH

seas department of Mayotte, an island between the African continent and Madagascar, where the GDP per capita is only 27% of the European average. The other 19 of the 20 poorest regions are all in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Poland. Belgium as a whole scores 119% on the scale. Antwerp is the leading province on 140%, followed by Flemish Brabant (126%), West Flanders (114%) and East Flanders (109%). Limburg is Flanders’ only province below the EU average, on 99%. \ AH

\ InnOVaTIOn

may 27, 2015

Striking a balance

weeK in innovation

antwerp company chillafish’ balance bike concept embraced abroad débora votquenne more articles by Débora \ flanderstoday.eu

n Flanders, most people are used to seeing small children speeding around on balance bikes, but that doesn’t seem to be the case elsewhere in the world. That’s changing, though, thanks in part to Antwerp company Chillafish.

The balance bike helps children develop their balancing skills from a very young age Balance bikes – bikes for kids without pedals or training wheels – are popular for children aged between one and three who are too small to ride a real bike but too ambitious to just walk alongside mum or dad. In

Chillafish terminology, they’re known as Bunzis. Kaat Schellen is in charge of social media and marketing for the young, innovative company. “Chillafish was established in 2011, and we launched our first products mid-2012,” she explains. “Since then, things have gone really fast for us. We’re now available in more than 45 countries.” She believes the secret of their success lies in their values. “Chillafish is about what we call our ‘HAPI’ values,” she says. “It stands for Happiness: It has to be fun. Affordable: It has to be accessible for a large audience. Pure: We leave out all the frills and focus only on what matters. And innovation, in all its forms.” The balance bike is well integrated in Flanders, she says. “People here have known it for some years now, and many parents are convinced of the advantages it offers when it comes to teaching small children to ride a bike.” But that’s not the case in countries such as the US or Japan. “They’re still getting used to the idea that it’s better to learn to ride on a balance bike than on a normal bike with training wheels. The balance bike helps small children develop their balancing skills

chillafish.com

from a very young age.” For the smallest toddlers, Chillafish has the Quadie, a little four-wheeler. But once they get past the age of one, many want to be challenged just a little more, so for them the company developed the Bunzi, which is suitable for kids up to three. The innovative part about the Bunzi is that it’s adjustable: It can be used as a tricycle or as a balance bike, depending on the child’s development. A quick adjustment of the bike means parents don’t have to buy two models in such a short space of time. At the same time, the child is being encouraged to develop further. “The Bunzi perfectly represents our values: It’s affordable, innovative and fun all at once,” says Schellen. Chillafish is now working on breaking into Japan through a partnership with toy retailer Toys’R’Us. “From the very beginning, we wanted to work with them,” says Schellen. “They’re a big retailer in the US as well as in Japan,

and those are two markets where the balance bike hasn’t been properly introduced yet. When we asked them to be our partner, they immediately agreed.” Their Artist of Tomorrow competition for children in Japan will see one young artist’s design applied to the frame of the Bunzi, while their limited-edition Fabulously Artistic Designs bikes in Flanders will feature the work of local illustrators, like Tim Van den Broeck and Musketon.

stefaan Vaes wins Belgian nobel prize

Mathematician Stefaan Vaes of the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) has won the Francqui Prize, known as the Belgian Nobel prize. The 39-year-old was rewarded for his research on the Von Neumann algebras, mathematical structures that originated from quantum mechanics. According to the jury, which included two Nobel prize winners, Vaes has improved on all existing techniques in his research area and inspired a generation of young mathematicians across the world. The jury also praised him for making maths more popular and giving youngsters a better insight into its applications, such as the search algorithms behind Google.

Talking forest teaches kids about environment In Melle, near Ghent, a “talking forest” has opened in the Aelmoeseneie woodlands area. Using digital applications, the forest teaches students about the role of trees as regulators of the environment. Several trees have been equipped with sensors that take measurements including the daily shrinking and swelling of the trunk and the development of the trees during the growing season. Another sensor measures the upward stream of moisture in a tree. Students from primary and secondary schools are being invited to the forest to “listen” to the trees. The forest is open to the public, and the measurements can also be followed online. \ aelmoeseneiebos.ugent.be

Insecticides found in Flemish waterways

Q&a University of Ghent engineer Joachim Vanwalleghem is the brains behind a new spin-off that aims to push bike development in Flanders forward with scientific expertise. What will your company do exactly? The aim of the spin-off is to support the bicycle development of small and large scale manufacturers in Belgium and other countries in Europe. We will be an independent test and knowledge centre for bicycle development, testing and research. We will not design or manufacture bicycles, but we aim to co-operate with other parties working in these areas. Can racing bikes still be improved at this point? Since the beginning of the 20th century, bicycles have evolved from a simple means of transportation to a high-end sports application. That’s the result of many years

of trial and error, combined with a radical technological evolution in material selection, production and assembling techniques. That’s how bicycles for sports applications became subdivided into different categories – race, mountain bike, time trial, etc. Recent evolutions in bicycle devel-

opment focus on each discipline separately, as each one has its own requirements in terms of stability, comfort, sturdiness and aerodynamics. Our work starts here, by carefully studying and trying to improve these separate bicycle properties, and fulfil the needs of the cyclist in the process. What aspects are you focusing on? Besides aerodynamics research, which is most relevant for time trial applications, the performance of the bicycle is determined by the static and dynamic properties of its components. For example, by using carbon composite materials to build bicycle frames and front forks, bicycles have become lighter and stronger. This is of great interest to professional – and these days also amateur – cyclists because it reduces the effort they need to

make for forward propulsion. But it’s not just weight that matters; the frame should also be durable, comfortable to ride and impact resistant. This is all provided by our “experimental test platform”, where test setups and evaluation techniques are implemented. What exactly is this experimental test platform? The test platform supports bicycle manufacturers at several stages in the value chain, from product prototyping to the end user. For example, mechanical tests on bicycle frames or front forks determine the strength, the impact resistance and the durability. These tests can be implemented in the design phase to let the designer determine whether the frame or front fork properties meet the design specifications. \ Interview by Senne Starckx

Neonicotinoids, the collective term for insecticides utilising nicotine substances and known to destroy bee populations, have been found in 90% of waterways recently tested in Flanders, according to the Flemish Environment Agency. Neonicotinoids are controversial because they cause mass bee deaths and also threaten birds, fish and mammals. Several scientists and nature associations are demanding a total ban on the substances in Europe. Three insecticides were found in, respectively, 90%, 44% and 26% of the waters measured. Even early in the year, when the use of the products is prohibited, there was an excessive concentration of two of the three. One of the most polluted is the Zouw stream near Riemst in Limburg. \ Andy Furniere

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\ eDUCaTIOn

may 27, 2015

Looking east

weeK in eduCation

flanders’ education minister strengthens ties with german-speakers Bartosz Brzezinski more articles by Bartosz \ flanderstoday.eu

he German-speaking Community in Belgium might just have the right tools to solve the problem of youth unemployment in Flanders. That’s what Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits is hoping for as she seeks to strengthen the educational co-operation between the two communities. At a recent meeting with her German Community counterpart, Harald Möllers, Crevits outlined a plan that would improve the exchange of information between the two cabinets and facilitate reforms to secondary education over the next two years. The co-operation builds on an agreement from 2001 that focuses on policy harmonisation and recognition of foreign diplomas and certificates. Now the minister plans to take a closer look at the German-speaking community’s Learn and Work programme, which combines courses with work experience. “Ninety percent of young people who take part in this initiative find jobs within six weeks of completing the programme,” she says. “That’s something we can draw inspiration from.”

From left: Hilde Crevits, Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois, German Community ministerpresident Oliver Paasch and Harald möllers

Based on the German model of dual learning, students receive technical training at local companies that counts as an integral part of their curriculum. Close to 1,000 German-speaking Belgian students and more than 300 companies are involved. “I would like to find out what kind of practical skills and qualifications the programme gives young people to prepare them for entry into the labour market,” Crevits says. As part of the Learn and Work programme, the German-speaking community also organises an orientation week to help students choose a technical profession

that feels right for them. Around the Easter holidays, pupils visit prospective employers and learn about different positions and the responsibilities they entail. “It’s an interesting concept,” says Crevits. “There’s even a Girls Day, focusing on opportunities for female students.” A similar initiative already exists in Flanders but has not proven very popular with students. Last year, Flanders Today reported that the number of Flemish pupils involved in the Learn and Work programme had dropped to about 3,000 from 7,000 a decade ago. Crevits says the co-operation

agreement will help her draw lessons from the more successful experience of the German-speaking community. She will now visit the German Community with work minister Philippe Muyters to see what the programme looks like in practice. Their primary focus will be on finding out what criteria companies must meet to participate. According to Crevits, this is the first step in making the Learn and Work programme into a system with actual benefits for students. The co-operation will also seek to provide aspiring German-speaking teachers with internship opportunities in Flanders. Möllers says his administration wants to establish common school evaluations and will closely observe the upcoming reforms to secondary education in Flanders to see if they would be appropriate for his Community. Both ministers say they are pleased to continue working together. “It is in our joint interest to ensure that young people have easier access to higher education and better employment opportunities in the future,” Crevits says. “The renewed co-operation moves us further in that direction.”

School director from Lier is Klasse’s Teacher of the Year Mireille Van Craenenbroeck, director of the Sint-Ursula lyceum in Lier, Antwerp province, has won the annual Teacher of the Year award organised by multimedia education platform Klasse. This year’s election put school directors in the spotlight. Van Craenenbroeck (pictured) was chosen from 900 nominations and was described as “a motivator, intelligent communicator and a leader with vision”. She has been

director of the lyceum since 2006, having previously taught chemistry there. She is also a former pupil of the school. “Mireilleseesthecompletepictureof the school organisation and focuses on shared leadership,” according to her nomination dossier. “The whole team receives responsibilities, according to their own talents.” The nomination also describes how she got students involved in brainstorming around the school’s poli-

cies and her attention to teachers’ and students’ welfare. “My task is to make teachers and students enthusiastic about new projects,” Van Craenenbroeck said. “It’s really nice then if you have people who put their shoulders under such projects. All that has to be done then is to support that and applaud it.” “Today, we don’t just put the spotlight on one director, but on all directors,” said Flemish education

minister Hilde Crevits. “I see a lot of passion, commitment and sincere concern about their schools, teams and students. They are the driving force behind a good school.” \ Andy Furniere

Q&a School teacher Steven De Clercq recently completed his Master’s thesis on why teachers leave Antwerp-based positions. One of his surprising findings was that multicultural classes are often the breaking point Is Antwerp different from other Flemish cities? Practical factors were mentioned a lot by respondents. Issues such as a lack of parking, poor public transport links and a lack of quiet, pollution-free green spaces where teachers can take their classes were major concerns. But the major tipping point was the multicultural make-up of Antwerp classes. Why are multicultural classes so difficult? Many of Antwerp’s teachers come from smaller towns where the

population is more homogenous. So they start with a low level of familiarity with other cultures. Compounding this is the fact that most teacher-training courses only deal with other cultures in a cursory way. Is the situation improving? Since the CAR system was implemented in 2011, things have become worse. Under this system, schools have less control over the students they admit. As a result, some schools have gone from having almost no students from other cultures to classes where

more than 50% of students have a non-Flemish cultural background. This has put enormous pressure on teachers. Is there a need for teachers from other cultures? Definitely! These teachers have a better understanding of the difficulties students face at home and can act as a vital link between the school and these communities. Multicultural issues need to be

addressed throughout the entire teacher-training programme and not dealt with as an isolated topic. For practising teachers, there needs to be more support from experienced colleagues. Unfortunately, economic cutbacks have stopped funding for formal mentor projects. However, I’m pleased to see that in many schools this is continuing on an informal basis. What advice would you give to teachers struggling with this issue? Follow me for a week in my class! When you have respect for these students, they respect you. Give them confidence that they can achieve, and in return they will work hard and show results. \ Interview by Dan Smith

VUB awards honorary doctorate to Patrick stewart

British actor Sir Patrick Stewart will receive an honorary doctorate from the Free University of Brussels (VUB) this month. Stewart is famous for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the science fiction series Star Trek: The Next Generation and was recommended by the faculty of engineering sciences and the consulting body of the exact sciences department. They said that the series, and especially Stewart, had provided inspiration to future engineers, scientists and researchers. Star Trek had an immense impact on youngsters worldwide, they said, in terms of studying science, technology, engineering and maths.

Benelux approves recognition of degrees An agreement signed last week by Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits and her counterparts in the rest of the Benelux means that qualifications endowed by Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg will now be automatically recognised in all three countries. The agreement puts an end to complicated and time-consuming recognition procedures, which took up to four months and cost €200. It is a first in the EU, which aspires to become a single higher education region. The ministers who signed the agreement emphasised that trust, based on common quality standards, should be the basis for further progress on the issue.

Flemish students can study in German Nearly 1,500 pupils in 18 Flemish schools can follow a number of subjects in French, English and German from September. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) aims to improve the pupils’ language skills by teaching subjects such as mathematics, economics or biology in another language. CLIL courses have the same educational targets as if the subjects were taught in Dutch. At the beginning of the 2014-15 academic year, 24 schools started teaching subjects in French or English. This year German is being added to the mix. “Strong language skills and knowledge are an asset on the labour market,” said education minister Hilde Crevits.

\ lIVInG

weeK in aCtivities Public Park Day A celebration of Flanders’ open spaces and natural environment, with events and activities in every province. The theme for 2015 is “Nature seasons your neighbourhood”, with a focus on edible plants. 31 May; various locations: free \ www.dagvanhetpark.be

Railroad Bikes at Twilight Gather your friends and family for a unique outdoor experience: riding along an old railroad track on a bike for 12 ( four pedallers and eight passengers). Registration required. 30 May, 19.00-22.00 (also on 27 June, 25 July, 22 August); Kapellen Military Camp, Fortsteenweg 37, Kapellen (Antwerp province); €10-€15 \ www.provincieantwerpen.be

molenberg Distillery Festival Molenberg makes whisky from the mash generated by the brewing of Gouden Carolus beer. Guided distillery tours, whisky tastings, local specialities market, live music, kids’ entertainment, BBQ and more. 30 & 31 May; Stokerij De Molenberg, Klaterstraat 1, Willebroek; free \ www.stokerijdemolenberg.be

live in Hasselt Simultaneous performances to suit every taste, from jazz to rock to classical, in cafes and restaurants throughout the city. Pick one venue and settle in, or wander from place to place. 30 May, 21.00-1.30 and 31 May, 16.00-22.00; across Hasselt; free \ www.liveinhasselt.be

leuven world Festival An outdoor cultural festival with a conscience: “Less inequality, more development” is this year’s theme. World music, international food stalls, NGO information stands, creative workshops for kids and adults. 30 May, 13.00; De Bruul Park, Raoul Claesstraat, Leuven; free \ www.wereldfeest.be

Bokkerieje Bike Tour 25th annual bordercrossing (BE-NL) bike ride through the beautiful Meuse river valley in Limburg. Start at any of the six participating towns and choose your own route between 25 and 86km. Along the way, rest stops offer live music, food and drink. 31 May, register between 8.00 and 15.00; Limburg; €3 \ www.bokkerieje.org

\ 10

The ascent of mankind

new Brussels museum collection brings together all human life alan hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

naturalsciEncEs.BE

“A

ll living things continuously transform and evolve. As does humankind,” proclaims a text on the wall of the Museum for Natural Sciences in Brussels. It’s one of the fundamental tenets of science, and the basis of all biology. You wouldn’t think it could be controversial in this third millennium, but it has turned out to be. The statement can be read in the new Gallery of Humankind, which has made its home in the lower floor of the museum, next to the hall used for temporary exhibitions for children. The Gallery looks at the evolution of the ancestors of Man, from Sahelanthropus tchadensis about 6.8 million years ago to the appearance on the scene, in Ethiopia, of Homo sapiens about 200,000 years ago. The exhibit does not go into great detail about anything that happened before Homo habilis, such as tracing our evolution back to a common ancestor with the primates. All the ancestors on show here are recognisably humanoid, their likenesses formed of a build-up of thin wooden plates. Yet Brussels Airlines refused any advertising for the Gallery in its in-flight magazine, on the grounds that it might offend those whose religious beliefs reject evolution. The airline also refused the ad, it said, because it showed some nakedness. This doesn’t seem to be stopping parents, fortunately, from taking their children to see the new Gallery, and the kids are happily running around amid the museum’s new humanoids, which are indeed naked and anatomically correct – no surprise for a science

The new Gallery of Humankind is suitable for children but also challenges the knowledge of adult visitors

museum. The Natural Sciences Museum has much expertise in staging exhibits that are approachable for children while still extremely interest-

ing for teenagers and adults. For at least 15 years, they’ve been putting on exhibitions for children good enough to challenge the knowledge of accompanying parents.

And with the renovation of the dinosaur hall more recently, as well as the creation of the Gallery of Evolution on the top floor, the museum has been brought firmly into the 21st century. The Gallery of Humankind, like all exhibitions, contains educational material: a timeline of human evolution on the wall (which you’ll need to keep referring back to); archaeological material like skulls, skeletons and artefacts, all with explanatory texts; videos and hands-on games such as the row of skulls which, when turned upside down, will pour out their brain capacity to show which was most “developed”. Some things are gruesome, like an arm flayed to the shoulder to show the muscular system, or a row of foetuses in jars of formaldehyde. Others are extremely clever, such as the metal constructions showing how the various joints of the body work, or the game where you have to match skulls with the impressions of their teeth. I could have done without the sections dealing with the growth of the embryo or the changes that come about at puberty – not because they’re not fascinating topics for children to learn about, but because they have nothing to do with the main topic of the Gallery, and somewhat dilute its impact. The evolution of a lifeform is not the same as the development of a person from embryo to adult, and it could be misleading to place the two processes side-by-side. The museum’s educational service also organises workshops and tours for schools, but if that’s not on the immediate agenda, the exhibit is certainly not to be missed.

bite Pop-up city farms This week, Mechelen’s Grote Markt will become one big farm. The pop-up event is an initiative of Groene Kring, an association of young farmers in Flanders, which regularly organises pop-up city farms. For this edition, the young farmers will get local children involved and introduce them to the world of modern farming. The children can pet animals and see farm machinery up-close (and even get behind the wheel of a tractor), all while licking from a cone of farm-fresh ice cream. They can also get their hands dirty planting sunflower seeds. Getting kids acquainted with the agriculture sector is just one goal of the event. The Groene Kring also

uses its pop-up farms to spread a wider message: Consumers need to be aware of the true cost of farmed products. That’s why the pop-up farm market sells its wares at the same rock-bottom prices they receive for them.

“Our goal is to make consumers aware of the increasingly low prices we get for our products,” says Groene Kring chair Alexander Maenhoudt, “despite our many efforts in terms of quality, traceability, animal welfare and environment. The only thing we ask is an honest return on these investments and a decent income.” An edition of the farm last year in Roeselare saw that city’s Grote Markt filled with straw and tractors and children milking cows and stroking rabbits. While the low prices (€0.12 for a kilo of onions, €0.17 for leeks, €0.30 for Brussels sprouts) attracted many buyers, the association hopes the action also opened a few eyes.

Maenhoudt says we can all do our part to ensure that farmers receive a fair price, “by simply avoiding shopping in supermarkets that claim to have the lowest prices. That way, you know you’re paying for the added value of our quality products”. Of course, politicians also have a crucial role to play, he adds. “They must take responsibility for the consequences of the price crisis that currently dominates the agricultural and horticultural sectors. Governments at various levels should set the necessary market measures, and international trade agreements need to work towards the creation of a level playing field.”

\ Robyn Boyle

may 27, 2015

Hoste with the most

Bruges gallery brings art closer to schoolchildren and residents closer to artists Bartosz Brzezinski more articles by Bartosz \ flanderstoday.eu

hostEarts.com

ruges certainly knows how to make use of its historical heritage, drawing four million tourists every year. But when Caroline Hoste opened her art gallery just outside the busy centre, it wasn’t the city’s past that interested her. Instead, the art agent, who grew up in Waregem, West Flanders, sought to create a space where contemporary artists could live, work and engage with the local community. Six months after the grand opening, a conversation with one of the visiting tourists turned her attention to the needs of the city’s youngest residents. Now, when she’s not travelling to sell art or set up exhibitions across southern Europe, Hoste is busy establishing a unique art education programme in Bruges. Hoste Art Residence opened in 2013. On the ground level of the white 19th-century building are exhibition rooms, a work studio, kitchen and main hall with doors leading to a sculpture garden. Until the end of June, the gallery is showcasing Flemish illustrators, so the walls are decorated with artwork by the likes of Randall Casaer, Sebastiaan Van Doninck, Jelle Kindt, Klaas Verplancke and his niece Astrid Verplancke. Upstairs are seven bedrooms for the artists and some additional display space. A wooden door leading to the attic has a sign on it reading “Silence, work in progress!”, spray-painted by the French street artist Mr OneTeas when he stayed here last year. “It’s a joke,” smiles Hoste. “That’s just the kind of artist he is – very young and very driven. We have a family-like atmosphere here.” In the days before exhibitions open, Hoste invites the public to join the artists as they explain the

artist in residence Zivo at work in Hoste

concepts and inspiration behind their work. At opening receptions, she provides live music and food, and there is poetry reading by the unofficial poet of Bruges, Marcus

though each artwork comes with a price tag, Hoste says her focus right now isn’t on the money. “I’m not here only to sell art. Everyone is more than welcome to just

Art is a social medium, and it should bring people together Cumberlege. “You can even join the artists in their work,” Hoste says. “At the last reception, adults and children painted with the illustrator Sebastiaan Van Doninck.” All the exhibitions are free and open to the public. And even

come in, check out what’s new and talk to each other. Art is a social medium, and it should bring people together.” One such casual encounter provided Hoste with a new direction for her art residence. When the Dutch coach Gladys Roberts

from the Quality Youth organisation visited in 2014, the two women struck up a conversation. “She told me about the youth programme she runs in Rotterdam,” Hoste says. “She organises sport, science and art projects for the local kids, so they can develop into capable and independentthinking adults. I immediately thought that I wanted to establish something similar in Bruges.” So since January, she has been hosting free weekly workshops for children aged eight and up that combine lectures on art history with painting and leisure. Teachers from local schools take part as well. Various artists and styles are highlighted, from Rembrandt and Van Gogh to Picasso and Andy

Warhol. The idea, Hoste says, is to provide children with creative freedom and enable them to develop their own style and sense of confidence. “Sometimes adults don’t understand that very well; they say, ‘Oh, you can’t make money with art.’ But art provides children with new directions in life. It increases their skillsets and helps them with job prospects later on.” In the future, Hoste plans to launch an academy to train local teachers and youth coaches in art education. The weekly workshops at the residence serve as a testing ground for that project. One of the unique things about the methodology established by Roberts is that children have a chance to immerse themselves in their community. During architecture classes, for example, they learn about the qualities of building materials and the characteristics of various architectural styles, and then take field trips around their neighbourhoods, linking theory to practice. “Eventually, we want to bring children from the Netherlands to Bruges and give them architectural lessons and guided tours,” Hoste explains. “And we will also organise an exchange in the other direction, so our children can be exposed to art in Rotterdam.” The youth programme run by Hoste is already proving successful. From the evaluation forms she receives, it’s evident that both teachers and children share the enthusiasm for the workshops. Word is spreading, too. “I already have requests for co-operation from places as far away as Texas; but we’re not quite ready yet,” she says. “There is still a long road ahead of us, and we are only at the beginning.”

Off the beaten pavement: Brussels’ hidden terraces Residents of Flanders often think of Brussels as a concrete jungle and don’t consider it when making plans to spend a little time outdoors. Combining our love for eating with the search for a little tranquillity, we sought out some of the capital’s nicest behind-thescenes terraces. You can’t see them from the street, which makes them lovely spots to linger over your meal. Kamilou, Mundo B Kamilou is the restaurant on the ground floor of Mundo B, an ecological building found near Naamsepoort that is home to dozens of environmental NGOs. Open only for lunch, Kamilou gets busy, as much for its inventive organic food and drink as for

Vert de Gris Inside and out, Vert de Gris manages to marry elegance with comfort in this grand old house. While the interior is lavishly decorated with bold colours and baroque chandeliers, out back, simple wooden tables and chairs fill a large, tree-shaded garden. A lovely spot to lunch. These days, the French restaurant has become a Brussels staple, with a loyal crowd of tourist and locals. Cellebroersstraat 63, city centre its enormous back garden with plentiful tables, which sees the sun all afternoon long. Edinburgstraat 26, Elsene

Aglio e Olio You can’t do much better on a spring evening than enjoy the authentic Italian cooking of Aglio e Olio. The food is solid Italian standbys – pastas, pizzas, some well-grilled meats

– but it’s worth the trip just for the stunning back garden. Ambiance is everything at this familyjointinElsene.Staylongenoughandby the end of the evening you’ll likely be sipping vino rosso with your neighbouring tables. Vleurgatsesteenweg 25, Elsene L’Hirondelle d’Or With €5 and €7 daily specials, you can’t beat the prices at L’Hirondelle d’Or, one of many Asian-fusion restaurants to choose from in the Kastelein neighbourhood. The only thing that makes it better is its enormous back garden (pictured). With its odd-looking tree and ivy creeping over the painted brick walls, it’s a charming spot for some grub and a beer. Baljuwstraat 34, Elsene \ Katy Desmond

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WE TAKE YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR BUDGET UNDER OUR WING. Enjoy special discounts and free services for your whole family. Your family boards first and sits together on board. Kids under the age of 12 receive discounts* and everyone is entitled to 12kg of hand baggage.

brusselsairlines.com/family * Conditions: see website.

or your travel agency.

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may 27, 2015

A matter of life and death

lara taveirne explores mysterious true story of suicide pact in debut novel rebecca Benoot more articles by Rebecca \ flanderstoday.eu

n 2005, two teenage girls jumped off the Cap Blanc Nez cliffs near Calais. One of the bodies was eventually recovered; the other girl remains missing to this day. These were the dramatic events that inspired Bruges native and theatre director Lara Taveirne to write her first novel, De kinderen van Calais (The Children of Calais), which was nominated last year for the Bronze Owl, awarded to the best Dutch-language debut novel. Back when she was a student in Germanic languages at Ghent University, Taveirne read an article about the girls in the Flemish daily De Morgen. “I was touched by the story because when I was 15, I stood on those cliffs with my best friend, looking down,” she says. “In my case, it was more of an act of rebellion during a school trip because they forbade us to go near the edge.”

away to focus on her other passion – theatre. Taveirne writes and directs plays for youngsters, and gives theatre workshops. When publisher Manteau came knocking on her door however, she felt she had matured enough to finish her book. “I didn’t want to write a novel that resulted in that fateful leap of those two girls, but one that used it as a starting point,” she explains. “When facing death, one of them chooses life.” Though inspired by a true event, the novel is, she assures, “a complete work of fiction”. The novel tells the story of what happens after two best friends, Lilith and Violaine, decide to jump off the cliff. Only one of them ultimately goes through with it. Lilith finds herself frozen at the edge, paralysed by the secrets that have recently tainted their supposedly unbreakable bond. De kinderen van Calais explores

I wanted to write about generations, how trauma can be passed down from one generation to the next Reading the article, Taveirne (pictured) was able to imagine the scene clearly. “But it was the last sentence that really got to me. It said that the parents of the girl whose body was never found hoped she was still alive somewhere.” In De kinderen van Calais, the 32-year-old envisions what happened to the other girl. She got to work on the novel, but eventually put the manuscript

the aftermath of that day and its impact on their loved ones – on narrator Violaine’s daughter, Vieux-Rose, particularly. Set in 1976, the novel gave Taveirne the opportunity to write about girls and their mothers, and even their children. “I wanted to write about generations, how trauma can be passed down from one generation to the next and influence the lives of all those involved,” she explains. The relationships between the

characters, and in particular the two friends, lie at the heart of this rich novel that cunningly walks a thin line between sentimental and serene. “I believe we are all in search of someone who completes us, someone to lose ourselves in – just like the two girls initially do,” she says. “I think we are all trying to find

that connection with someone who truly gets us. That connection is our driving force, and it’s why love is such a vital part of this novel. When that connection falls apart, the survivor tries to fill this gap with others.” Taveirne admits that the theatre director in her still prevails, and the novel is packed with meta-

phors – often whimsical. “In theatre, it’s the scene that’s predominant. The text takes second place, so imagery is very important to me. When writing a novel, it should probably be the other way round,” she laughs. Indeed, Taveirne conjures lush scenery and imagery to the extent that it can be over the top, though that’s a quibble considering the mood she succeeds in creating. By focusing on women in various stages of life, De kinderen van Calais examines what it’s like to be a woman. Love, relationships and the female experience, in fact, have always been key elements in Taveirne’s work. She’s a brutally honest author who depicts both the grit and glamour behind her characters’ dresses and lipstick. The writer still sees a lot of lines seldom crossed in narratives that centre on womanhood. “Take menstruating for example – it’s such a vital part of a woman’s life and literally life-changing when it occurs for the first time. Yet people almost never talk about it, let alone write about it,” she says. “Female sensitivity is something I hold dear, so I think it is important to write about.” De kinderen van Calais is a tragic and truthful tale about growing up, the consequences of our actions and the longing buried deep inside us. Its women-centric perspective creates an unparalleled vulnerability that feels both refreshing and candid, like an injection of life Flemish literature sorely needs. De kinderen van Calais () is published in Dutch by Manteau. Taveirne’s second novel, Hotel zonder sterren (No-star Hotel) is due to appear later this year

More new fiCtion kameleon (chameleon) Charlotte van den Broeck • arbeiderspers Young poet Charlotte van den Broeck has published a smouldering collection about transience. Whether she focuses on expectations constantly in flux, our place in our own little microcosm or the voyage into adulthood, each poem offers a wonderful exploration, at once poignant and eloquent. Deceptively simple yet multilayered, these poems’ meaning changes from one moment to the next, depending on the reader’s mood or perspective. But the 23-year-old’s vivid imagery and whirlwind sentences are a constant.

vermoorde onschuld

(the murder of innocence) Jo Claes • Houtekiet Seasoned thriller author Jo Claes has come

up with a new puzzle for his literary brainchild, chief inspector Thomas Berg. Lukas Lebowski is a best-selling crime fiction author and playboy. He is revered by thousands of fans and trailed by numerous groupies. But when his number-one fan is found dead in a hotel room, all the evidence points to him. Is one of his groupie’s husbands out to get him? Vermoorde onschuld is a quick, entertaining read.

Passions humaines (human Passions) Erwin Mortier • De Bezige Bij Erwin Mortier was asked to write a play for Antwerp’s Toneelhuis based on the famous and once-scandalous Brussels relief “Passions humaines”. Involving the sculptor, Jef Lambeaux, architect and rival Victor Horta and King Leopold II, the original story behind the artwork is complex, but Mortier takes it a step further by focusing on univer-

sal urges and their power to connect, destroy and even transcend the worlds of art and politics. Both Mortier’s stage and novel adaptation offer a collection of feelings, images and impressions that compete for justice and acknowledgement.

mijn begrafenis (my funeral) Maarten de Saeger • Bries It took illustrator Maarten de Saeger two years to complete his debut graphic novel about Arnon, a recently deceased young man who would have done anything to sleep with a woman. But his theft of someone else’s manuscript to impress a woman ultimately leads to his unexpected demise. In Mijn begrafenis, he looks back on his life in an attempt to figure out what went wrong. De Saeger alternates delicate illustrations with black humour and heightened emotions in this graphic novel that truly gets under your skin.

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weeK in arts & Culture €75,000 stolen from eurorock Police in Limburg are investigating the alleged theft of €75,000 from this month’s Eurorock festival in Neerpelt, Limburg province. Organiser Rudi Donckers was taken to hospital with heart problems on hearing the news and soon underwent surgery. The festival was almost abandoned but continued after some bands agreed to play despite not being paid. Eurorock, a goth and new wave festival, doesn’t pay bands until after they play, which is unusual according to festival organisers. At least one equipment company came forward to say that the festival still owes it €10,000.

saint-Cyr house to become B&B

The new owner of the Art Nouveau Saint-Cyr house on Ambiorix square in Brussels, a protected monument, has applied for a permit to turn it into a luxury bed & breakfast, brusselnieuws.be reports. The cost of renovations is estimated at €1 million. If approved, the conversion work is expected to be complete in 2017.

Choreographer Jan martens wins major Dutch prize Flemish choreographer Jan Martens (pictured) has won Amsterdam’s Charlotte Köhler Prize for performance art. The prize, given out by the Prins Bernhard Culture Fund, will be handed over in July during the city’s Young Talent Awards. Two Charlotte Köhler prizes, worth €30,000 each, are awarded annually, one to someone working in performance arts and one to a visual artist. They are given to artists who are younger than 35. “Martens has once again proven himself to be a very talented choreographer in his most recent work, The Dog Days Are Over,” said the jury. The winner of the visual arts prize is Dutch photographer Jan Hoek.

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Namaste, neighbour

snapshot exhibition puts Bruges’ nepali community in the frame georgio valentino more articles by Georgio \ flanderstoday.eu

BEzoEkErs.BruggE.BE

An exhibition in Bruges turns the lens on the city’s Nepali immigrants, its festivals, its family life – and its grief following two devastating earthquakes.

ruges’Volkskundemuseumis a time capsule. Step through the door of this folk-history museum and you’re transported to 17th-century Flanders. You’ll stroll through a historically accurate classroom, pharmacy, grocery store, confectioner’s workshop and living quarters. The museum even boasts a charming – and fully functional – pub called De Zwarte Kat. It’s not false advertising, either. The cafe is home to a real black cat, who evidently enjoys listening to Jacques Brel and Frank Sinatra. The museum’s Snapshot exhibition series is usually of a piece. Each biannual edition shines a spotlight on different aspects of Bruges’ cultural heritage through photography and period artefacts. The 11th edition, Namaste Bruges, takes an entirely different approach. First, it focuses on contemporary Bruges; second, its subject is one of the city’s newest and fastestgrowing immigrant communities: the Nepalese.

500 strong

“It was time to show the cultural diversity of present-day Bruges,” says exhibition curator Geert Souvereyns. “Our Nepali community is nearly 500 strong and, even while integrating into Flemish society, they maintain strong ties with the traditions of their home country.” Nepali immigration is a recent phenomenon sparked by Nepal’s civil war, which erupted in 1996 and raged for over a decade. Asylumseekers settled all over Belgium but Bruges became a favoured destination thanks to its booming tourist and hospitality industry. At the turn of the millennium, migration was a mere trickle; within a few years there were enough newcomers to organise Bruges’ Everest Nepali Society, headed by Durga Subedi. The society would be the Volkskundemuseum’s natural partner in Namaste Bruges. “Bruges is now a part of us,” Subedi says. “And we are part of Bruges.” The Volkskundemuseum gave the Nepali carte blanche to tell their story. The exhibition features 45 objects that communicate the Nepali immigrant experience: traditional clothes, musical instruments, tools and souvenir photographs from Nepal. Video projections document the community’s numerous festivals in living colour. The most important of these is the

Hindu-Buddhist feast of Dashain, whose social rites are spread out across a fortnight. It is celebrated in Bruges as in Kathmandu, although the change of venue changes everything else about the celebration. “This isn’t an anthropological exhibition,” says Souvereyns. “It’s not about Nepali tradition per se but about how Nepali tradition is maintained and adapted here in Bruges. It’s about a very specific set of people and the ways they handle the tension between integration and tradition.”

“We are so pleased with what Bieke did,” says Subedi. “She spent months getting to know us. She is very patient and subtle. There’s no stage management. She prepares herself, immerses herself in the subject and waits until the right moment presents itself.” Namaste Bruges had been in development for nearly two years by the time the partners began preparing the exhibition space in April. At that moment, on the other side of the world, an unprecedented natural disaster put the whole project

Bruges is now a part of us. And we are part of Bruges This tension is most evident in a series of giant original photographs mounted in the museum courtyard. These were snapped by young Flemish photographer Bieke Depoorter, a rising talent whose work has taken her around the world. A true prodigy, she is the youngest member of the prestigious international photo agency Magnum. For this commission, Depoorter embedded herself in Bruges’ Nepali community to capture moments of intimate family life as well as public ceremony. The most striking aspect of the series is the truly multicultural juxtaposition of visual elements. Colourful Nepali costume and decoration are often framed in contemporary and historically Flemish surroundings. And yet the subjects themselves are entirely at ease and the compositions are as natural as can be.

into perspective – and jeopardy. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed thousands in Nepal on 25 April forced Snapshot organisers to reconsider their timing. Souvereyns deferred to Subedi’s judgment. “When tragedy strikes,” says Subedi, “the Nepalese mourn in private. Many are still mourning. But we knew we had to continue. It was our way of honouring those who lost their lives.” The earthquake didn’t stop the exhibition, but it did prompt a last-minute addition. Artist Jyoti Kisingh created a memorial installation with information, messages of solidarity and drawings by local children. Kisingh’s tribute became the centrepiece of Namaste Bruges and greets visitors at the thresh-

until 18 october

old. The exhibition opening was preceded by a ceremony in honour of the fallen, and the outpouring of grief became a window into the Nepali community. Flemish neighbours showed extraordinary empathy. The success of the inauguration proved that the Nepalese are now an established and respected part of Bruges. Subedi, who was one of the pioneers of Nepali migration to the city, feels vindicated. “I arrived in 2001,” says Subedi. “It was difficult then. People didn’t know who we were or what to expect. And it’s human nature to fear what one doesn’t know. But now all that has changed. This exhibition shows how far we’ve come.” Namaste Bruges rolls on through the summer and into the autumn with plenty of events, including the erection of a giant bamboo swing in the courtyard. This is hardly your average playground equipment. A hallmark of the annual Dashain festival, the Nepali ping stands an imposing eight metres tall and is not recommended for the faint of heart. Before the exhibition wraps in October, the museum will host Flemish school groups learning about cultural diversity. Snapshot organisers and their partners hope the exhibition will make a lasting impression, that visitors will follow the Nepali community out of the museum and into the city. Nepali celebrations like Dashain are always open to all and sundry. After all, we’re neighbours.

Volkskundemuseum

Balstraat 43, Bruges

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may 27, 2015

Operatic enigma

ConCert

Dido and Aeneas 3 june, 20.00

onductor Vincent Dumestre and his musical theatre company, Le Poème Harmonique, have been leading France’s old-music revival since last millennium. The ensemble may have formed at the tail end of the epoch in 1998, but their repertoire is considerably older. To wit, Dumestre and co specialise in music from the Baroque period. Every performance whisks its audience back to the 16th and 17th centuries, with historically authentic compositions and instruments. Le Poème Harmonique (pictured) typically tackles composers from Dumestre’s native France and Italy,

antwerp Roxette: The Swedish duo that dominated the world pop charts in the 1980s and ’90s with hits like “Listen To Your Heart” and “It Must Have Been Love” celebrate their 30th anniversary with a “best of ” double album and European tour. 29 May, 20.00, Lotto Arena, Schijnpoort 119

Bozar, Brussels Bozar.BE

which was after all the cradle of Renaissance culture. But now, for a special one-night stand in Brussels, the company resuscitates a gem of English opera: Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Purcell created but one opera before his untimely death aged 36. Fortunatelyforus,the17th-century composer was already at the top of his game and gave us perfection in the first try. “This is a masterpiece in every sense of the word,” says Dumestre. “It’s one of the most celebrated of the century and, to be honest, it may be the best written.” The opera, describing an ill-fated romance between a Trojan War

veteran and the Queen of Carthage, is still, in its way, a pop-culture fixture. Its climactic aria “Dido’s Lament” was even performed by the likes of folk-rock singer Jeff Buckley. Yet for all its success, Dido and Aeneas remains an enigma. No original score has survived the centuries and later versions are either incomplete or dubious. Any stage adaptation requires research,

perforManCe

festival

gamelan voices: live ritual #1

flashback festival

29 may, 20.30 Nid & Sancy are trying something new, which is nothing new. The Ghent-based electro-punk duo have always mashed up different musical forms and served their hybrid compositions with a side of performance art. Having already mined various European and American subcultures for inspiration, their side project Gamelan

Vooruit, Ghent vooruit.BE

Voices looks further afield, to the percussion ensembles of Indonesia. Conceptually this inaugural performance is somewhere between rock concert and transcendental meditation: a blend of field recordings (made in Balinese temples with local gamelan players), music and (hopefully) spontaneous crowd synergy. \ GV

fair 31 may, 10.00 In eight years, the Brussels Vinyl Record Fair has grown from a neighbourhood gathering of vinyl enthusiasts into a veritable international convention. The biannual event regularly attracts dozens of dealers, hundreds of serious collectors and over 1,000 casual browsers. They come from Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands and the UK. The Vinyl Record Fair is for purists only; you won’t find any CDs or cassette tapes here. But you will find music of all genres, from blockbuster rock to soul to soundtracks to fantastically obscure niche styles like 1970s Belgian Popcorn music. Look it up. \ GV

28-31 may

róisín murphy Ravenstein Gallery, Brussels BrussElsrEcordfair.com

induction and not a small amount of improvisation. Dumestre has painstakingly plugged the holes with appropriate extracts from other works, giving his version of the opera a consistency that the vagaries of history have denied the original. “It’s a roundabout route,” says Dumestre, “but I think we’ve tapped the spirit of the piece.” \ Georgio Valentino

21 november, 20.00 Irish singer Róisín Murphy rose to fame as half of 1990s trip-hop duo Moloko and cultivated a massively successful solo career after that vehicle’s demise. True, she has been rather quiet of late. The release of this year’s album Hairless Toys caps an eight-year hiatus during which the artist had two children. Murphy’s comeback has been a wild success thus far. Her recent concert at Ancienne Belgique sold out in short order, and this just-announced appearance at Vorst Nationaal is expected to do the same. Murphy promises these performances will be “hot”, “sweaty” and “intense”. \ GV

talK Brussels The Public Space: The Brussels Academy invites renowned international professors to present their ideas and prompt the audience to reflect on the design and use of urban public space (in English). 29 May, 17.30, Beursschouwburg, Auguste Ortsstraat 20 \ kfda.be

Brussels expo flashBackfEstival.BE

Brussels’ Retrorama was already one of Europe’s biggest vintage fairs, but this year the event evolves into full-fledged festival complete with big-name entertainment straight out of a time capsule. In addition to its 17,000 square metres of second-hand merchandise from the 20th century, Flashback features four stages of music, including period headliners like Chris de Burgh and Belgium’s own ’70s-rock superstars Machiavel (pictured) as well as contemporary retro acts like local swing ensemble Midnight Blue Birds. There are also burlesque performances, DIY workshops, dance classes, arcade games, a roller-dance floor, a car show and a kids’ corner. \ GV

ConCert

vinyl record fair

\ livenation.be

fair antwerp Boekenfestijn: Book fair featuring more than a million books in Dutch, French and English, plus board games, puzzles, stationery and more. 28-31 May, Antwerp Expo, Jan van Rijswijcklaan 191 \ boekenfestijn.com

event Ghent 50 years NTGent: Ghent’s city theatre celebrates five decades with surprise acts, music and talks by artistic director Wim Opbrouck and Ghent mayor Daniël Termont. 30 May, 15.00, NTGent, SintBaafsplein 17 \ ntgent.be

get tic kets n ow

Vorst nationaal, Brussels vorst-nationaal.BE

food&drinK Brussels Open Kitchen #36: Food for fertility dinner: This edition of Open Kitchen features talks by three experts and a seven-course menu of dishes prepared with organic, fertility-enhancing ingredients (in English). 6 June, 20.00-23.00, Green Crowding, Blaesstraat 35 \ open-kitchen.eu

Evere Food: Market with strictly artisanal, organic, local and sustainable products, featuring brewers, bakers, beekeepers and chocolatiers, among others. 31 May, 11.00-18.00, Brussels Museum for Mill and Food, Windmolenstraat 21 \ molenevere.be

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\ BaCkPaGe

may 27, 2015

Talking Dutch sorry is far from the hardest word

In response to: Football club KAA Gent win first national title in 115 years Alexandre Raymundo Go Gent!

derek Blyth more articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

hoever coined the phrase “sorry is the hardest word to say” clearly never flicked through a Dutch dictionary. When I was learning the language, the teacher once wrote a single word on the blackboard for us to have a go at saying. Hottentottententententoonstellingsterrein – an exhibition ground for Hottentot tents, in case you were wondering. The entire class gasped at this 41-letter juggernaut of a word. How on earth do we even begin to pronounce it? we asked ourselves. The teacher explained that the Dutch language allows you to build up long words from shorter ones, like adding carriages to a train. So you end up with horrendously tricky words like kindercarnavalsoptochtvoorbereidingswerkzaamheden – which is a committee working on the preparations for a children’s carnival parade. We were introduced to a long list of Dutch compound words that are fiendishly difficult to say, many of them involving insurance policies, like aansprakelijkheidsverzekering – personal responsibility insurance. Imagine the stress involved in trying

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to take out personal liability insurance to cover a children’s carnival procession at a Hottentot tent exhibition. I was reminded of those Hottentot tents recently when I read that the Genootschap Onze Taal – the Association for Our Language – had launched a contest to find the hardest word in the Dutch language. Aanleiding voor de verkiezing was een vergelijkbare inventarisatie in het Engels – The inspiration for the contest was a similar list in English (which apparently offered “Worcestershire” as the hardest word in the English language, at least for foreigners to say, followed by

“specific” and “squirrel”). The Netherlands-based language organisation decided to track down the word that caused the most headaches for Dutch speakers. Bij een inventarisatie via Facebook koos 35 procent van de 2880 deelnemers voor een word – In a Facebook survey of 2,800 participants, 35% chose one word. And here it is. Um, metrologisch. No, meterologisch. Bear with me a moment. Meteo-rol-og-isch. Het woord “Meteorologisch” is voor Nederlandersmoeilijkstuittespreken woord – The word meteorologisch is the hardest word for Dutch people to say. You can say that again. Defibrilleren (defibrillate) came in second place, with 32% of the vote, while the creamy dessert known as bavarois came in third place with 11% of voters finding that a tricky one to pronounce. The list of difficult words also included uil – owl, munitie – munitions, aluminium, cholesterol, identiteit, nieuws and industrieel. Personally, I always have trouble asking for uien – onions. But if I get it wrong, I just say excuseer – sorry. It’s not nearly the hardest word to say.

Tweet us your thoughts @FlandersToday

Poll

a. Sure, switch one of them to another month to spread things out a bit

33% b. Belgium has too many public holidays anyway. We can afford to lose one in May for sure. Maybe one in November, too

17% c. Certainly not. Religious holidays like Ascension and Pentecost can’t just be rearranged

17% d. The concept of collective holidays is medieval. Just give workers another week or two off and leave the government out of it the question. One-third of you are in favour of moving things around to spread the load. One-third of you thought the whole idea of fixed public holidays was outdated and should be thrown open to negotiation between workers and employers.

\ next week's question:

33%

However, there was some support for not rocking the boat. Many of Belgium’s public holidays are fixed by the Catholic calendar, after all. But it’s hard for some – even Catholics – to see why Pentecost, say, should be a reason for a day off work.

A new bus service is offering cheap trips to Amsterdam and Paris (see p6) for as little as €8. Would you give up comfort and speed for such a low fare? Log in to the Flanders Today website at www.flanderstoday.eu and click on VOTE.

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In response to: Talking Dutch: Sorry is far from the hardest word Evelyn Gimoros Acht- nacht-echt it’s difficult for me to pronounce but I’m trying my best

In response to: Yurt offers shelter to expats in search of stability Ansa Norman Palmér No, no, no, tried that in Mongolia. It was a very cold night!

rafaelantonirisarri @blackknoll @matisyahu Ghent is one of my favorite places in Europe. Beautiful city with amazing eats & beers. Enjoy!

The Independent @Independent Watch this granny pull off some incredible moves as she dances to a Brussels beatboxer http://ind.pn/1F1XFXr

Danielle Chantall @danchantall9 Beautiful, Bruges

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the last word

do you agree with Belgian employers that may has too many holidays and that one should be scrapped or moved to another month?

The concentration of public holidays in May, say economists, costs employers in Belgium €510 million, and many would like to see one scrapped – or at least moved to another month. So we put it to you and got a pretty disparate result, with support for every answer to

voiCes of flanders today

king of the road

“I’m very happy and relieved. It’s been months of struggle, but my driving licence is my freedom, and they can’t take it away from me.”

After five months of trials and appeals, a court ruled that 97-yearold Gaston Bruynooghe from Oostduinkerke, West Flanders, was not responsible for an accident that led to him losing his licence

Booths get the boot

“Those things were constantly out of order. One time you’d be cut off in the middle of a conversation, the next you’d be unable to call because the handset was gone. I remember swearing a lot in the phone booth.”

Lawyer Jef Vermassen recalls the public phone booth, as Flanders’ last examples are carted away for good

day of mourning

“Thisisthemostdifficultmoment in the 24 years I’ve worked here.”

Ben Van Dyck, head keeper of the elephant house in Planckendael, was present for the last breath of Baby Q, the elephant born last month who didn’t make it (see p3)

many happy returns

“Everyone always invites all the neighbours. That way you get a lot of presents, but, on the other hand, you have to buy one just about every month. That’s how fast things go here.” Ellen De Winter lives in Alfons Van Zandyckestraat in Deinze, East Flanders, the most fertile street in Flanders, with 31 children and two more on the way

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