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DECEMBER 23, 2015 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2

politics \ p4

Deal sealed

BUSiNESS \ p6

innovation \ p7

New Year or bust

education \ p9

art & living \ p10

Seventies Shangri-La

Public broadcaster VRT and the government of Flanders have agreed on a new management charter and budget

Haven’t found a place to celebrate New Year’s Eve yet? Check out our short but sweet list of spots still free in Flanders

The Atomium’s new museum features plastic art and design – in a riot of colours – from the 1960s to today

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Oh, what a year it was

Refugees, radicalism and the Red Devils: Flanders’ 2015 in review Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

We look back at the major events that made the headlines in Flanders and Brussels this year in politics, the arts, religion and more.

he year in Flanders and Brussels was marked in its closing stages by terror lockdown, by radicalisation and by refugee issues. But it was also the year of a world-beating football side, fresh air in the centre of Brussels and new faces in the arts. Join us as we look back on 2015.

Facebook vs Belgium Facebook first made its appearance as a theme of the year

in June, when the Privacy Commission filed suit against the social network over the controversial datr cookie, which tracks your internet behaviour after you’ve visited a Facebook page – or any page with a Facebook Like or Share button. That’s all very well if, like more than a billion people, you’ve signed up to Facebook’s privacy conditions (which you do by having a profile). The Commission was complaining on behalf of non-members – those without Facebook accounts – who get the same cookie without having agreed to anything. Facebook cited security reasons, but in the end was forced to change its ways or face a fine. As the year ends, it’s closed its pages to nonmembers in Belgium, but the issue is not resolved yet.

Welcome to Brussels

If one image represented the year in news, it was that of little Alan Kurdi, who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea as his family tried to escape the war in Syria and washed up on a beach in Turkey. Belgium had its own refugee problem to think of, with newcomers arriving in such numbers they could not be processed, leading to the spontaneous camp in Maximilianpark near North station, soon taken over by the Red Cross and a band of volunteers. Some saw the site as an embarrassment to the image of the Capital of Europe, but it actually functioned rather well. Eventually the refugees were moved to other locations or moved to the WTC building nearby, and the continued on page 5

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS

New S-network stations open Brussels has two more stations in its new S-network, as Schuman opening postponed Alan Hope Follow Alan on Twitter \ @AlanHopeFT

ast week’s scheduled opening of the long-awaited tunnel linking Schuman railway station and the Halle-Vilvoorde line 26 had to be postponed because of delays caused by the heightening of the terror alert in Brussels last month. The tunnel is now expected to open in April. Instead, federal mobility minister Jacqueline Galant, together with her Brussels counterpart Pascal Smet, were present for the open-

ing of two other new stations: Mouterij in Elsene and Tour & Taxis in Molenbeek, adjacent to the Pannenhuis metro station. Both stations form part of the rail authority NMBS’s new urban S-network, part of the planned Regional Express Network known as GEN. Mouterij station, at Kroonlaan and Brouwerijstraat, was built in 2007 but never before used; the Tour & Taxis station,

which is about a kilometre away from the Tour & Taxis site (and the MIVB stop of the same name) was built in 1983 and was used briefly for goods traffic before being closed in 1994. The entire S-network will be fully operational once the Schuman tunnel is opened in April. The service will include direct links to Brussels Airport, Leuven, Mechelen and Liège.

KAA Gent face Wolfsburg , Red Devils face Italy Football fans now know their opponents for next year’s big clashes, with the Belgian national side facing Italy, Ireland and Sweden in the summer’s European Championships, while KAA Gent take on Wolfsburg in the Champions League in February. Gent’s stunning progression from the Champions League group stage has resulted in a second-round tie against German side Wolfsburg. They host the Bundesliga runnersup on 17 February and travel to the Volkswagen Arena for the return leg on 8 March. Although the Red Devils are currently ranked number one in the world by Fifa, they will still be wary against four-time World Cup winners Italy in Lyon on 13 June, scrappy underdogs Ireland in Bordeaux on 18 June and a sturdy Swedish side led by Zlatan

The Red Devils celebrate their win against Italy in a November friendly

Ibrahimovic in Nice on 22 June. In the Europa League, Anderlecht have been drawn against Greek side Olympiakos, with the first

leg at the Constant Vanden Stock stadium on 18 February and the return leg in Athens on 25 February. \ Leo Cendrowicz

Mobility ministers Pascal Smet (centre) and Jacqueline Galant (right) attended the opening of Brussels’ two new train stations

Proximus loses case against mobile phone mast tax Proximus, the state-owned telecommunications company, has lost an appeal to the European Court of Justice regarding a tax on mobile phone masts imposed by the Brussels municipality of Etterbeek and the city of Namur. The ruling that the tax is not in breach of EU law confirms a previous court ruling against mobile operator Base two months ago. The Court was responding to a judicial question from the court of first instance in Brussels, in a case filed by Proximus against the “pylon tax” in Etterbeek. In October, it dealt with a question from the court in Mons in the same manner in a case brought by Base. The decision came as a surprise at the time, as it went against the advice of the EU court’s advocate general, who argued that the tax was indeed in breach of EU law. The tax of up to €8,000 per mast was approved by the Walloon region last year, and it has now been introduced by about half of all Walloon municipalities. Brussels followed suit this year, at a lower rate of about €1,500 a mast. According to Proximus, the millions it pays in taxes represent a severe limit on the funding available for the improvement of communications infrastructure. The latest ruling, the company said, did not mean the end of its battle against the tax. \ AH

Antwerp restaurant The Jane awarded second Michelin star No change at the top, a slight shift in the middle, and 10 new arrivals on the ground floor. Michelin has announced its star ratings for its 2016 edition. The announcement in Ghent last week was postponed from November, following the terrorist attacks in Paris. Flanders’ three-star restaurants – the only three-Michelinstar restaurants in the country – remain the same: Peter Goossens’ Hof Van Cleve in Kruishoutem, Geert Van Hecke’s De Karmeliet in Bruges, and Gert De Mangeleer’s Hertog Jan in Zedelgem, West Flanders. The headline-grabbing news this year was the awarding of a second star for The Jane in Antwerp. The restaurant – owned by chefs Sergio Herman and Nick Bril, both of the former three-star Oud Sluis in the Netherlands – received its first star just seven months after opening last year. In Brussels, the restaurants Sea Grill, Comme Chez Soi, BonBon and Le Chalet de la Fôret held on to their two stars and

Sergio Herman (left) and Nick Bril of The Jane

are joined by La Villa in the Sky on the 25th floor of the IT Tower on Louizalaan, a spin-off from La Villa Lorraine and

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students in six cities took part in the recent Bloedserieus blood donation action by the Red Cross in Flanders. The campaign, in its 25th year, takes place twice annually

chef Alexandre Dionisio. Elsewhere in Flanders, all two-star restaurants held on to their stars. All four of last year’s one-star restaurants in Ghent have kept their star: Vrijmoed, run by Peter Goossens’ former sous-chef; Horseele; Van den Bon; and Publiek, the latest venture from Flemish Foodie Olly Ceulenaere. Arriving on the star scene for the first time are Bistrot du Nord in Antwerp, Alexandre in Brussels, d’Essensi in Schilde, Alain Bianchin in Jezus-Eik and Danny in Maasmechelen. Two restaurants lost their star: Va Doux Vent in Brussels and Lijsterbes in Berlare, East Flanders. And in Hasselt, Giovanni Oosters of restaurant Vous Lé Vous lost his star as a result of the restaurant’s limited opening hours. West Flanders, meanwhile, has 32 stars spread over 23 restaurants – not only the most starred province in Belgium but one of most densely starred regions per capita worldwide. \ AH

budget for the renovation of the Leopold II tunnel in Brussels, which will start in 2018 and last a minimum of three years. The 2.5km tunnel will only close at night and during weekends

of business owners in Brussels are women, according to the newly published enterprise barometer from Women in Business. The number has, however, increased by one-third since 2004

3,295

for 100g of the new hop-shoot harvest, paid at auction last week in Roeselare. The shoots, considered a delicacy, were bought by Tino’s Fruit, which supplies Antwerp restaurant The Jane

calls per hour to the information number 1771 set up by the home affairs ministry during the heightened terror alert. Calls have since gone down to around 10 a day

DECEMBER 23, 2015

WEEK in brief Red Devils star Kevin De Bruyne was named Belgian Sportsman of the Year on Saturday, recognising his huge contribution to English Premier League champions Manchester City following his €74 million transfer last August from Wolfsburg. World lightweight boxing champion Delfine Persoon took the women’s title. Cyclist Tiesj Benoot was named best new hope and, despite losing their Davis Cup final to Britain, the Belgian men’s tennis squad was named team of the year. Flemish public transport authority De Lijn will operate night buses on 125 routes on New Year’s Eve, with free travel in some areas – including Bruges and Ghent – thanks to the contribution of municipalities. A special €3 ticket in other areas offers unlimited travel from 18.00 and all day on New Year’s Day. In Brussels, the metro will run until 2.00, while the Noctis night bus service runs until 5.30. Travel is free after midnight. Some bus lines will terminate at Central Station or Anneessens. Rail unions and management have asked federal labour minister Kris Peeters to bring in an arbitrator in the dispute between the two sides, which threatens to turn into five days of strikes next month. They have been unable to reach agreement over productivity measures proposed by the NMBS, which involve additional hours but no additional pay. Peeters said he will first consult with the prime minister and the federal mobility minister. Ghent mayor Daniël Termont has fully recovered from the colon cancer for which he underwent an operation in June, he announced at his weekly press conference last Friday. The cancer had not spread, but Termont still had to undergo a preventive course of chemotherapy lasting 24 weeks. He will now be tested every three months.

face of flanders The federal government will in future advertise job vacancies not only for M/V but also for X, to make it clear the job is open to transgendered or non-gendered applicants. The X signifies, equal rights minister Elke Sleurs said, that posts are open to people of any gender or orientation or none. The government of Flanders earlier this year tackled the issue by removing any reference to gender whatsoever.

agency to dump polluted silt in a former clay quarry, despite having no licence. The quarry, owned by the Vande Moortel brickworks in Oudenaarde, has been paid €1 million a year since 2010 to take the polluted silt. Public works minister Ben Weyts said that the contract was “a strange and unpleasant legacy of the past”. The government will investigate whether the fees paid to date can be recouped.

Buskers in Ghent will no longer have to pay a €15 tax for street performances, the city council has announced. They will still have to obtain a licence. Other conditions include groups of no more than 10 musicians, a maximum of one hour at any location, battery-operated amplifiers only and a 21.00 curfew on all music.

The dunnock, or hedge sparrow (Prunella modularis), has been named Bird of the Year for 2016 by a poll organised by the bird protection organisation Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen. The hedge sparrow takes its name from its propensity to stay in cover as it hunts insects in hedgerows and gardens. The organisation proposed a shortlist of 12 species for the poll, in which a total of 3,206 people voted. Prunella received 732 votes, far ahead of the lapwing or plover in second place.

Nadia Sminate, 34, has become the first mayor of Moroccan origin of a Flemish municipality, succeeding Jozef De Borger as mayor of Londerzeel, Flemish Brabant. Sminate’s mother is Flemish and her father came to Belgium as a 19-year-old from Morocco. A member of N-VA, she has sat on the Londerzeel city council since 2006 and in the Flemish parliament since the 2014 elections. She replaces De Borger under an agreement made after the municipal elections in 2012. Lotus Bakeries, based in Lembeke, East Flanders, has taken over the UK’s Urban Fresh Foods, which makes snacks based on fruit and natural ingredients. The company invested in Natural Balance Foods in the summer, and the Urban Fresh acquisition is in response to the growing trend for more healthy snack alternatives, CEO Jan Boone said. The government of Flanders has cancelled a contract that allowed the Waterways and Sea Canal

OFFSIDE Every little helps If you were looking around in this season of goodwill for an act of selfless charity, you wouldn’t necessarily look towards the rail unions, who have announced five days of strikes in January. January is also exam time for universities and colleges, and some of those exams will take place on strike days. How are the students to get to school on time? Well, fellow students in Ghent, Leuven, Antwerp and Brussels who live in digs on or by the university have offered to open up their rooms for their classmates to crash. They’re members of Comac, the youth wing of the socialist workers’ party PVDA, who take “from each

The municipality of Dilbeek in Flemish Brabant has been choosen as Youth Municipality of the year for 2015-2016, youth minister Sven Gatz has announced. The prize, with a cash value of €20,000, is intended to encourage existing municipal initiatives for young people, as well as inspire new programmes. The jury praised Dilbeek’s strong vision and effective communication. Landen, Leuven and Wuustwezel were also shortlisted. A court in Antwerp has fined the two directors of United Business Schools of Belgium (UBSB) €1,650 each, after they were found issuing Bachelor and Master’s degrees to students despite not being accredited. UBSB has been active in Belgium since 2007, with campuses in Antwerp and Brussels, as well as operations in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Japan.

No more Flanders Today? Don’t be silly, of course there will be more Flanders Today! But for two weeks, you won’t be seeing us in your postbox. Delivery resumes on 13 January. © Ingimage

according to his means” seriously. Some rail employees, meanwhile, have opened a Facebook page where strikers with cars will be available to transport stranded students to their exams. The page was set up, organisers explain, “because we’re not the scum that some people would have you believe us to be.” So noted. \ AH

In the meantime, you’ll find the latest headlines on our website and apps for phones and tablets.

Happy holidays from the staff at Flanders Today!

Tom Waes The first time he appeared on the celebrity quiz show De slimste mens ter wereld, Tom Waes survived for only two appearances before being eliminated. That season was won by the VRT journalist Linda De Win. Five years later, and Waes was in the final, the leading scorer to date with a record-equalling 11 appearances, and he was facing two VRT journalists – Kobe Ilsen of Volt and Danira Boukhriss Terkessidis of Koppen XL. And this time he was victorious, the first candidate in the show’s history to come back and win. Waes was born in Antwerp in 1968 and studied German languages before taking a diving course in Scotland and working for seven years as a diver off North Sea oil platforms. It was an early sign of his taste for adventure. Waes is now famous for his derring-do: on the day after his Slimste mens win was broadcast, he was already off filming a new series of his travel show Reizen Waes (Traveling Waes) in the jungle of Bangladesh. That spirit has also seen him take on the Marathon des Sables, a 250k race through

the desert of Morocco over six days. He holds the Belgian record for ski-jumping and for a time held the pizza-eating speed record. In 2014, he represented VRT in the programme Wauters vs Waes, in challenges chosen by viewers against singing star Koen Wauters (representing VTM). There was sauna endurance, the Bordeaux-Paris cycle race on antique bikes, cliff diving and a modern pentathlon (in which he sustained bruised ribs, torn stomach muscles and two kicks from his horse). Waes is, you might not be surprised to learn, fiercely competitive. He turned up for the entire final week of De slimste mens to get back into the zone, even though he wasn’t scheduled to appear until the last episode. “Tom Waes has the willpower of a top athlete, without being one,” sports doctor Peter Hespel, who trained him for the Marathon des Sables, told De Standaard. “He could never get over the fact that he was out so early five years ago,” said his partner, Mieke Morel. “That was not going to happen twice.” \ Alan Hope

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

Editor Lisa Bradshaw DEPUTY Editor Sally Tipper CONTRIBUTING Editor Alan Hope sub Editor Linda A Thompson Agenda Robyn Boyle, Georgio Valentino Art director Paul Van Dooren Prepress Mediahuis AdPro Contributors Rebecca Benoot, Bartosz Brzezi´nski, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Katy Desmond, Andy Furniere, Diana Goodwin, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Katrien Lindemans, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Senne Starckx, Christophe Verbiest, Denzil Walton General manager Hans De Loore Publisher Mediahuis NV

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\ POLITICS

5TH COLUMN The price we pay

Three teenagers were killed last week, all of them on their bikes on their way home. All three were run over by a car or a truck. In two cases, the drivers fled the scene. One was found the next morning after he had left for work, as if nothing happened. The other turned himself in. Both of them had been speeding when the accident happened, and both were intoxicated. The week before Christmas brings home a sad truth: Flanders has a poor record when it comes to road safety, with more than 300 road deaths annually. One reason is the population’s tolerance for unsafe driving. Drink driving is often seen as a minor offence. Rather than stop their friends from getting into a car after they have had one too many, party revellers often warn each other about police checks so that they can avoid them. Speeding, too, is almost like a birth right, with tickets seen as a violation, rather than a safeguard. Flemish politicians are aware of the problem, but they find it hard to fight this general status quo. Federal mobility minister Jacqueline Galant (MR) seemed to actually admit that she was at her wits’ end when she invited the public to submit suggestions to improve road safety. A conference she held on the subject, in the very week the teenagers died on their bikes, has produced a list of 15 recommendations. They were greeted with scepticism. One of them, a zero alcohol tolerance for new drivers, was called age discrimination. It was noted that the worst drinking and driving offenders are between 30 and 50 years old. Tragically, almost everyone knows what needs to happen: Increase the chance of getting caught, and make the consequences more severe to avoid recidivism. The solution often proposed is the so-called “penalty points driving licence”: With every offence, points would be subtracted, repeat offences ultimately resulting in a total driving ban. This system is used by several European countries, including the UK, Germany the Netherlands, as well as in several US states. In Belgium, the idea was first introduced 25 years ago by former prime minister JeanLuc Dehaene. It has yet to materialise. Three more teenagers’ lives cut short simply cycling home is the price we pay. \ Anja Otte

Geert Bourgeois meets with Scotland’s first minister

Flemish minister-president discusses EU membership with Nicola Sturgeon Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

lemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois made a two-day visit to Scotland last week that included a meeting with first minister Nicola Sturgeon as well as contacts with other important partners. The Flemish delegation visited Rosyth in Fife, at one end of an important goods sea route from Zeebrugge and subject of a €6 million investment by shipping company DFDS Seaways and Forth Ports. The delegation also learned of test sites in the open sea off Orkney focused on developing technology to harness energy from waves. Ostend company Laminaria is also working on such technology. Flanders and Scotland have a relationship that goes back a millennium – as shown by the prev-

alence in Scotland of the surname Fleming – and next year an exhibition of the Flemish masters Rubens, Jordaens and Van Dyck in the Scottish National Gallery will be accompanied by an international conference on Scotland and the Flemish People. The general representation of the government of Flanders in the UK is co-organising both events. Talks with Sturgeon touched on the upcoming referendum on the UK’s membership in the European Union; her party, the SNP, is in favour of membership. Sturgeon, whose party enjoyed a landslide victory in Scotland in the general election this year, will also be defending her position in the Scottish parliament in May. Should she be re-elected as expected, she

Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois and Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon

promised to pay a return visit to Flanders next year.

VRT and government agree to new management terms The government of Flanders has agreed to new management and labour terms for VRT for the period 2016 to 2020. The terms make up the document that sets out the public broadcaster’s goals and responsibilities. The agreement aims to make the VRT into a “future-oriented and leading” public broadcaster over the next five years. VRT’s main goal is a focus on information, culture and education, with a reinforcement of its digital products. One notable point is the increased share of the budget – 15% rising to 18.25% – reserved for programmes made by outside production houses. “Negotiations with VRT over a new management agreement went very smoothly,” said media minister

Sven Gatz. “The Flemish government, management and the board of directors have decided to build the VRT into a modern, futureoriented public broadcaster that will work to strengthen the media sector by investing more in, and working more closely with, external production houses and media organisations.” Among the details of the agreement are an increased online presence, including the means to watch programmes online by 2017. Deredactie.be will make way for the news channel vrtnieuws. be, and the existing TV and radio channels will remain, with the move to digital radio accompanied by the maintenance of FM broadcasting. There will also be a ceiling of

€72.8 million on advertising and sponsoring income, €2 million more than at present. VRT will receive €270 million next year, rising to €275 million in 2020. That compares to the €317 million it would have received if the previous agreement had been prolonged. “The public broadcaster will be called on to make a serious budgetary effort,” said VRT board chair Luc Van den Brande. “In return, it can count on a guaranteed multiyear financing. That stability is absolutely essential in a period in which the VRT has to implement the transformation to a new future strategy.” VRT, he said, has to carry on reaching all of Flanders, with the right selection of programming on all platforms. \ AH

zones through a communications system, something that does not currently exist. Belgium is already rolling out a passenger-name record system, and the EU is following, after years of deadlock on the matter. Jambon said that Belgium is planning to ban the use of anonymous prepaid phone cards, as terrorists use them to avoid law-enforcement tracking. However, his “biggest challenge,” he said, was to ensure the safety of citizens and businesses, as “confidence is needed to work, to invest and to consume”. But he said that’s increasingly a shared responsibility between governments, citizens and businesses. He asked the businesspeople and diplomats present to help send out the message that “normal life can continue in this country and in Brussels”.

Flemish mobility minister Ben Weyts has spoken out against federal mobility minister Jacqueline Galant’s proposal to lower the blood-alcohol limit for newly licensed drivers to 0.2mg, introducing an effective zero tolerance. Galant intends to introduce the new limit in mid-2016 in response to figures showing that drivers aged 18 to 25 are eight times more likely to have a serious accident than older drivers. They are also more susceptible to alcohol in the blood. An age limit on alcohol levels could be in breach of discrimination laws, however, so the measure would apply to anyone possessing a driving licence for less than three years. The current limit of 0.5mg allows the consumption of one or possibly two (depending on the individual) beers with lower alcohol contents. A level of 0.2 would be exceeded by even one glass. Weyts argues that a driving licence with a penalty points system would be more effective in combating drink-driving. Galant’s proposal, he says, targets younger drivers, while the biggest risk group is those aged 35 to 50. The points system would be consistent: the same rules and penalties for all drivers for the same offence. “Tough but fair for everyone,” he said.

\ Teri Schultz

\ AH

Jambon asks crowd at BritCham to do business in Belgium “with confidence” Federal interior minister Jan Jambon spoke to members of the British Chamber of Commerce last week as part of the Ambassador Hosts series of speeches in English. “Unfortunately, 2015 will be remembered in Belgium as a year of almost continuous threats of terrorism,” he said. Jambon (pictured) recalled how the year started, with the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris and the break-up of an Islamist terror cell in Verviers in which radicalised Belgians were plotting to kill police. Then last month came the attacks in Paris, which the French government said were commanded by the Islamic State in Syria but organised in Belgium. That last point, the accusation that Brussels’ Molenbeek neighbourhood is an incubator of radicalism, is a view Jambon believes the government should have done

more to combat. “You can’t deny it, there is a link,” he acknowledged, but as for being the planning hub for Paris, “up to now, we don’t have any proof of that.” Jambon noted that events have spurred numerous security upgrades this year, with both the Belgian government and the European Union passing new measures. He is working to see through a reorganisation of Brussels’ police zones, which will range from refocusing tasks to connecting the

Concerns over zero tolerance blood-alcohol for young drivers

\ COVER STORY

DECEMBER 23, 2015

Oh, what a year it was The year in review: Facebook, asylum-seekers and Sidi Larbi continued from page 1

problem disappeared from view. At the end of the year, however, the people were still coming, and still camping out, this time in an empty office building.

All eyes on Molenbeek The discovery that three of the terrorists involved in the 13 November attacks on Paris came from Molenbeek, as pointed out by prime minister Charles Michel, was picked up by the international media, which immediately condemned the district and, by extension, Brussels. At the same time, the government set up a database of the names of Syria fighters, prepared legislation to deal with them on their return and reinforced programmes in vulnerable areas to identify those at risk and turn them off the path towards radicalisation. The work may never be over, but it’s under way.

Three’s new company K3 is no more – long live K3! The original singing trio, plucked from obscurity by media company Studio 100 and turned into a multimedia phenomenon with huge appeal to pre-pubescent girls, had been going for 17 years and decided it was time to retire. The group would disband, but the money train would continue down the track with the new K3, chosen via a televised talent competition, naturally. The three new members – Marthe, Hanne and Klaasje – are now on a joint farewell/inaugural tour with the original K3 in Flanders and the Netherlands.

All’s fair in love and war Black, the film event of the year, is a Romeo and Juliet tale of teenagers from rival gangs in Brussels who fall in love – with dramatic consequences. The film was directed by Adil El Arbi – last year’s winner of the wildly popular TV quiz show De slimste mens ter wereld – and Bilall Fallah and was based on books by Flemish young adult author Dirk Bracke. Martha Canga Antonio, who plays the lead character Mavela, has attracted much attention, winning Best Actress at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn last month, among other honours (see p13).

Cultural saviour Dancer and choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui has a long and distinguished record, not least the Olivier Award he won last year

Clockwise from left: KAA Gent won their first national title this year and had another emotional night in December when they reached the knock-out round of the Champions League; Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui became the artistic director of Royal Ballet of Flanders, to everyone’s relief; the military base Kwartier Westakkers in Sint-Niklaas, a temporary home to asylum-seekers

and his appointment in February as the new artistic director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders. The latter came as doubly good news: A contemporary choreographer, he was a bold and exciting choice, and he was replacing Assis Carreiro, an administrator with no dance background who had lost the confidence of dancers and board alike. His first piece for the Royal Ballet, Fall, was part of a group of shorter works that made up the season premiere. Audiences and critics alike were delighted.

Walk this way Brussels-City council ended last year with a hotly contested proposal to build an underground car park under the historic Vossenplein in the Marollen district, home of the famous flea market. The plan was scrapped in a wave of public protest. The council ends this year with another controversial proposal on its plate: the pedestrian zone that took over the central avenues from De Brouckère to Fontainas in June for a test period of eight months. Residents have had a love/hate relationship

with the zone, which has been characterised by drunks, beggars and litter, particularly after dark. Businesses in the zone complain they’re on the brink of bankruptcy. The review is expected in February, but no-one seriously expects that the zone will disappear.

Sacrificial rights Every year during the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha – Feast of the Sacrifice – many Muslims buy a sheep to be slaughtered in ritual fashion, by slitting the throat. In Flanders, however, it’s now illegal to slaughter an animal without first stunning it except in officially licensed slaughterhouses. Ritual slaughter does not allow stunning. This year, animal welfare minister Ben Weyts declared that halal slaughter would only be permitted in the licensed slaughterhouses and not in the temporary facilities set up every year during Eid to handle demand. A group of Muslim organisations took the case to court to try to get the stunning ban lifted temporarily. They lost, so the Muslim advisory body the Council of Theologians told Muslims that they

could be excused from their duty of sacrifice this year, in the hope of finding a solution by next year.

Red Devils rampant The national football team, the Red Devils, had the best year of their lives, ending 2015 at the top of the Fifa rankings. The side attained the position in October, thanks to a complicated calculus that involved Ireland beating Germany and Ecuador defeating then-leaders Argentina. The side also qualified for Euro 2016 at the top of their group, but when the draw for that competition was made last week, faces fell somewhat: Belgium were drawn against Ireland, Italy and Sweden. Belgium beat Italy in a friendly in November, and the Italian manager has said that Belgium are among the favourites to win the tournament, but Italy are world-beaters, and both Sweden and Ireland are capable of surprises.

Spiritual leadership Jozef De Kesel was appointed by Rome as the new archbishop of Belgium to replace the retiring André Léonard. Moderate and soft-spoken, the former bishop of Bruges is unlikely to make the sort of controversial, socially conservative statements for which Léonard was known, while being more moderate than the progressive Antwerp bishop Johan Bonny, who many thought would get the post. In other words, he is likely the perfect man for the job, under Pope Francis, who also speaks softly but carries a big doctrinal stick. De Kesel officiated at his first Mass as archbishop in the Brussels Cathedral last week. The Catholic church, he said, “must address the major challenges facing society”, referring to samesex marriage, reproductive rights and divorce. Whether that means a shift of position on any of those subjects, God alone knows.

Photo credits, cover: Refugees, Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto/Corbis; French Embassy, Gong Bing/Xinhua Press/Corbis; Red Devils: Albert Gea/Reuters/ Corbis; Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Patrick De Rool/ImageDesk; Eid, Sander de Wilde/Corbis; Pedestrian zone, Bruno Fahy/Belga

\ BUSINESS

week in business Distribution Nike The US sportswear corporation, with four distribution centres in Flanders, is seeking an additional 540 employees to cope with demand. The company, which opened its first operation in Flanders in 1994 with some 200 workers, will employ more than 2,900 people in the region by next year.

Energy Eneco The Dutch energy group has announced plans to start retailing the Tesla Powerwall home batteries on the Belgian market from early next year. The company expects to attract some of the 340,000 households equipped with solar panels to help them stock excess energy for use at night.

Fish farms INVE Aquaculture The Dendermonde-based producer of fish food and developer of fish and shrimp farms worldwide has been acquired by the UK’s Benchmark Holding group, specialised in animal feed, for €310 million. INVE was founded in the 1980s as a spin-off of Ghent University.

Investments Gimv The Flemish government’s regional development fund has acquired a leading stake in the Benedenti chain of dentistry practices.

Picanol and Tessenderlo merge

Flemish textile machines manufacturer and chemicals company join forces Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

he Brussels-based chemicals group Tessenderlo and weaving machine manufacturer Picanol of Ypres have agreed to merge into a single industrial group operating in more than 100 countries. The new Picanol Tessenderlo Group will be active in four areas: Agro-industrial, bio-valorisation, industrial solutions and machines and technology. Tessenderlo has called an extraordinary general meeting to propose an issue of more than 25 million shares at €31.50 in exchange for Picanol shares, which puts a value on Picanol of €811.6 million. The new group will have sales of about €2 billion and employ 7,000 people worldwide.

“Bright future”: Picanol CEO Luc Tack

The merger will not affect jobs, the two companies said.

Code of conduct for fitness centres approved

Flemish fishing industry satisfied with new quotas

Fitness centres will no longer be able to prolong a customer’s subscription without explicit permission, and a customer will be able to cancel a contract without penalty on the advice of a doctor, according to a new code of conduct. The code was approved by sector organisations and consumer affairs minister Kris Peeters. The new code also does away with the one-year minimum contract, leaving room for shorter-term or monthly contracts, as well as fixed-term contracts. It will be up to customers to decide whether to pay by bank transfer or standing order, and centres must provide a detailed list of fees. The industry will set up a complaints commission to deal with disputes. “The consumer can only benefit from this,” Peeters said. “More transparent contracts and prices and an easier way of ending a contract for medical reasons.” The code would also benefit fair competition and give a boost to the image of the industry, he said. \ AH

The Flemish fishing industry has said it is satisfied with the outcome of a meeting of EU fisheries ministers that took place in Brussels last week. The industry in Flanders came away with an increase in the total allowable catch (TAC) of their main species. The TAC for sole in the North Sea is increased by 10%. However, the quota for the fishing grounds in the Channel west of the DoverCalais line is cut by the same proportion. And Flanders’ small quota for the Irish Sea is cut in half. Sole accounts for the biggest catch for Flemish fishing boats, making up 40-50% of income. The TACs for cod go up 15% and for skate by 4.5%. “The positive result for us is the maintenance of the fishing stocks, now confirmed scientifically,” said Urbain Wintein of Rederscentrale, the fishing industry federation. “For the western sole stocks, there is still some difference between the official figures and what Flemish boats are experiencing at sea.” Rederscentrale has prepared a

Pharma Galapagos The Mechelen producer of biotech drugs has signed a $725 million agreement with the US Gilead Sciences company to share its research into rheumatism and Crohn’s disease. The deal includes possible further payments that could push the total deal to some $2 billion.

Restaurants Lunch Garden The Brussels-based chain of 72 self-service restaurants has been acquired by the UK-based Bregal Freshstream investment fund, related to the Dutch family that owns the C&A retail chain.

Supermarkets Albert Heijn The Dutch supermarket, part of the Ahold group, plans to open outlets in Wemmel and Zellik, just outside of Brussels. The move comes as a surprise as the new stores will be in direct competition with nearby Delhaize supermarkets, which are also part of Ahold since last year’s merger.

Picanol already owns 27.6% of Tessenderlo, a stake acquired in 2013. CEO Luc Tack helped turn Picanol around after taking over seven years ago, and he will carry on as CEO of the new group. Tack owns 90% of Picanol. Unusually, news of the merger was met with a statement from Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois. “Entrepreneurs like Luc Tack show that industry has a bright future in Flanders,” Bourgeois said. “The four sectors are clear choices for the future, and that’s thanks to a combination of strong enterprise, sustainable growth, a workforce of 7,000 and a great deal of investment in research and development and innovation.”

Supermarkets promise price support for pig farmers The country’s three largest supermarket chains – Colruyt, Delhaize and Carrefour – have agreed to pay a supplement to local farmers of 10 to 18 cents a kilo for pork, as a means of supporting the industry through tough times of low market prices. The promise is the outcome of a long series of talks following an agreement in August to pay farmers a supplement of €24 million. Delhaize will pay an extra 18 cents a kilo, or about €1 per pig, on top of the €2 extra the chain has been paying since July, a spokesperson said. “The extra payment will be made as long as prices remain at such a historically low level.” The full weight of the payment would not be passed on to customers, the spokesperson said. Carrefour will pay the equivalent of 10 cents a kilo more for a limited period. How much of that will be

passed on in prices depends on the market. Colruyt also pays 10 cents more, for a period of two months. “We have a system that allows us to trace which farmer the meat comes from, in what form, whether it’s fresh, processed or charcuterie,” said Colruyt spokesperson Jan Derom. “We will pay the farmer directly.” The chain would not pass the supplement on to the shopper, he said. Following the pledges made by the major supermarkets, farming organisations Boerenbond and ABS will now approach other sectors in the chain – slaughterhouses and meat processors – to lobby them to pay a contribution to the farmers’ support fund. They also intend to publish the results of their appeal: “The consumer has a right to know who is as sustainable as they claim to be,” said Boerenbond spokesperson Pieter Verhelst. \ AH

proposal with colleagues from the UK and France to deal with the differences in evidence, but that was not taken into account by the ministers. Fishing quotas are dealt out on a national basis, but Belgium’s is entirely taken up by Flanders. The industry consists of 67 boats, operating out of Ostend, Zeebrugge and Nieuwpoort. \ AH

Port of Antwerp celebrates record year in tonnes of cargo The port of Antwerp will by the end of the year have handled more than 200 million tonnes of cargo for the first time in its history, the Port Authority has announced. The port will also have broken the record of nine million standard containers handled. Last week in the city’s MAS museum, port director Eddy Bruyninckx and port alderman Marc Van Peel presented details of the historic trading milestone, together with a sketch of the future. Later in the week, employees in the port received a gift from the Port Authority to thank them for “their efforts in building the port into a world class platform”. Representatives of the port travelled to 40 locations in the wider port area, on both banks of the river. The Port Authority also announced the end of an alliance with Essar Port Limited (EOL), a subsidiary of the Indian Essar Group, with a substantial return for the Authority. The alliance dates back to 2012, when Port of Antwerp International (PAI), the Port Authority’s consulting and investment agency, invested €25 million, including €5 million provided by the Flemish investment agency GIMV. The alliance is now terminated, with a return for PAI of €6.8 million on top of its initial investment. According to Van Peel, the partnership has also helped solidify relations between Antwerp and India. \ AH

\ INNOVATION

DECEMBER 23, 2015

Climate in flux

week in innovation Newborns show lower levels of toxins

Antwerp researchers measure “carbon flux” for European project Ian Mundell More articles by Ian \ flanderstoday.eu

ICOS-BELGIUM.BE

he climate change agreement concluded in Paris earlier this month was headline news around the world. Much less will be written about the construction of a small tower in the Hoge Kempen National Park in Limburg, but it is part of the same story. The tower belongs to a new research station designed to collect data on how the gases that cause climate change move between the atmosphere and the plants and soil in the ecosystem. It is one of 35 such stations across Europe in the Integrated Carbon Observation System (Icos), which was formally launched in November. Icos will provide long-term data on how greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide circulate in Europe’s environment. It will also assess exchanges with the oceans and the air over adjacent land masses, giving a picture for Europe as a whole. This information on the “carbon flux” in Europe will inform predictions about climate change and help governments check that efforts to control it, such as those agreed in Paris, are working. “These people need reliable data, and that is what we are going to provide,” says Reinhart Ceulemans, professor of ecology at Antwerp University (UAntwerp) and the national co-ordinator for Icos in Belgium. Icos is a European research project that brings together monitoring stations and scientists in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Finland, with Switzerland participating as an observer. Other countries are expected to join in due course. The system will operate for at least 20 years, long enough to pick up natural variations in the carbon flux. “An extremely hot and dry year will result in different fluxes than, for example, a wetter or more humid year,” Ceulemans explains. “If you monitor over the longer term, you can see patterns in changes over this period.” It’s also important that everyone measure carbon flux in the same way. “We use the same instruments, the same technology, the same analysis.” The 35 monitoring stations have been selected so that all of Europe’s ecosystems are represented. The new station in Hoge Kempen, for example, is being built to provide data on heathland, which otherwise would not have been covered. Care has been taken not to disturb the wildlife in the park. The monitoring equipment is housed in a cabin built partly underground, and the tower has been limited to two to three

More funds for unmet medical needs © Courtesy Icos Belgium

Measuring the change as it happens: members of the local Icos team

metres in height. The station should be operational by February. “We measure wind speed in three directions, we sample and analyse gases, and from these we calculate the flux,” Ceulemans explains. Meanwhile, the growth of vegetation near the station will be measured and plant and soil samples taken for laboratory analysis. There will also be a connection to the University of Hasselt’s Ecotron, an experimental facility

We started in 1996, so we have one of longest track records of flux measurements in Europe being built on the fringes of the park. Flanders has two other ecosystem monitoring stations in Icos, also run by UAntwerp. At Lochristi, near Ghent, the station monitors a short rotation plantation of poplars, with measurements going back to 2010. And at Brasschaat, near Antwerp, monitoring takes place in a Scots pine wood. “We started meas-

uring in 1996, so we have one of longest track records of flux measurements in Europe,” says Ceulemans. The university also plays a role in the thematic hub that collects and analyses data from all the Icos ecosystem monitoring stations. It takes charge of vegetation data, while flux data goes to the University of Tuscia in Viterbo, Italy, and samples for laboratory analysis go to the French National Institute for Agricultural Research in Bordeaux. Some 10 people are working on Icos at UAntwerp, with another 20 people directly involved elsewhere in Flanders. This includes staff at the Flanders Marine Institute, who are taking part in the ocean monitoring side of the project, using the research ship Simon Stevin and a research buoy moored at the Thornton Bank offshore wind farm. Belgium has a further three ecosystem monitoring sites in Wallonia, run by the University of Liège at Gembloux. Being a founder member of Icos is important for the Antwerp group, both as a networking opportunity and for future research. “First of all, we have access to a huge database,” Ceulemans says. “This opens a lot of new avenues for research. Secondly, we can rely on these longterm sites. We can have more PhD and Master’s students on them, and we can involve people that do other research because they will be complementing the flux measurements.”

Antwerp’s Internet of Things project takes big step forward The City of Antwerp is currently installing LoRa network technology, a huge step in its City of Things project. The project is set to become a frontrunner in the global Internet of Things system, in which objects interact with other objects through both wired and wireless connections. City of Things is a large-scale test environment in which Antwerpenaars will be able to communicate and interact with intelligent devices and sensors. This kind of communication requires the presence of a network adjusted to the limitations of sensors such as the lifespan of batteries. LoRa, short for Long Range Low Power, takes

Newborn babies and over50s in Flanders have lower levels of toxic substances, like cadmium, lead and PCBs, in their bodies than a decade ago, according to a study by the Flemish Policy Research Centre of Environment and Health. In 2013 and 2014, researchers analysed the umbilical cord blood of 281 newborn babies and blood and urine samples of 209 over-50s. Concentrations of cadmium and lead have shown a sharp decrease from 2002 levels, probably because of stricter legislation and awareness campaigns. Thallium and arsenic continue to be found in babies, though the concentrations are low compared with foreign statistics.

into account these limitations. It is currently being installed across Antwerp’s city centre by experts connected to Flanders’ digital research centre iMinds, Antwerp University and ICT specialist Digipolis.

iminds.be

“In the long term, thousands of devices and sensors will be connected through the internet,” said professor Steven Latré of iMinds in a statement. “This will form a unique laboratory to test, evaluate and optimise the use of different communication technologies in a real Internet of Things environment.” By connecting certain city sensors with the LoRa network, researchers will be able to collect intelligent information on what happens in the city. It can, for example, be used to examine the relationship between traffic and air quality. “The information will help to improve life in Antwerp,” said the city’s mayor, Bart De Wever. \ Andy Furniere

At the request of public health minister Maggie De Block, the federal government has raised the annual budget for the Unmet Medical Need procedure from €7 million to €10 million. For certain disorders, like types of multiple sclerosis or pancreatic cancer, there are no efficient treatments available. In such cases, there is a procedure known as Unmet Medical Need, through which patients can get access to new drugs before they are officially available on the market. Eligible treatments are selected on the basis of criteria including the rarity of the condition, therapeutic alternatives and the impact on quality of life or life expectancy. A successful request means up to €20,000 per year in drug costs can be reimbursed.

Labels influence flavour perception Researchers at Ghent University have shown that labels on food significantly influence perception of flavour. The results of their study have been published in the science journal Nutrients. Researchers from the Sensolab, part of the faculty of bioscience engineering, organised an experiment in which 130 people tasted young gouda cheese. Without being aware of it, the participants tasted the same cheese several times, each time with a different label – such as “light” or “reduced salt”. The results showed that the light label, associated with a lower fat content, received much lower scores than the standard variant. Cheese with a claim about reduced salt, however, was considered just as tasty as standard cheese. \ AF

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\ EDUCATION

DECEMBER 23, 2015

Farmers, unite

week in education

Prize-winning Kortrijk students say co-sharing is future of agriculture

Jan Fockedey, a graduate of the University of Leuven, has won the Flemish Thesis Prize with his Master’s thesis on purifying water with membranes made from plastic waste. The Thesis Prize highlights the academic work of young scientists. Fockedey also won the Agoria Prize, given to the best technology thesis in the competition. Fockedey, who studied chemical engineering, used plastic waste to develop a membrane – with pores 1,000 times smaller than a human hair – that can extract viruses and bacteria from polluted water. His invention can be used in industrial applications by both large companies and SMEs. His solution is 30% cheaper to use than existing membranes.

Senne Starckx More articles by Senne \ flanderstoday.eu

id you know that even a fallow acre is still a net producer of carbon dioxide? Combine this with the fact that meat production is a major source of greenhouse gases, and it’s clear that agriculture has a huge responsibility when it comes to fighting global warming and saving the planet. So how can agriculture be decarbonised? That was the question posed in AgriClimat, a competition for Flanders’ students held during the huge international agriculture fair Agribex, which took place earlier this month at Brussels Expo. A jury of five specialists, including science journalist Dirk Draulans, meteorologist David Dehenauw and design engineer Serge de Gheldere, took a closer look at the 18 proposals submitted by student teams from schools all over Flanders. The winning proposal, called CollAgro, was the brainchild of three students from the Kortrijk campus of Vives University College. The three are doing their Bachelor’s in a new discipline, ecotechnology – one that fits perfectly with the prize question. “In this discipline, students learn to see the big picture regarding aspects like energy, agriculture, environment, climate, use of materials and recycling,” says Nele Pinket, head of the ecotechnology Bachelor’s degree. “You could compare our students, once they’ve graduated, with GPs. While individual issues in energy, agriculture and materials are dealt with by more specialised people – the brain and heart surgeons, you could say.” Pinket is convinced that it’s due to this wide range of knowledge that her students won the AgriClimat contest. “The CollAgro project delivers a solution to the various concerns of today’s farmers,” she says. “Waste management, for example, is always a costly business, especially here in Flanders where regulation is very stringent.” And the rising cost of energy is something every farmer worries about, she continues. “Not to mention the large investments in machinery they have to make to stay competitive on the global market.” The students came up with an idea that’s already well-established in business and, to a lesser extent, in accommodation: co-work-

ing and co-housing. In co-working, typically self-employed people share a working environment. This way they can share the costs of necessities like coffee, printers and an internet connection. Co-housing is a less well-known concept, in which people live in their own homes but share expensive items. “I was really struck by this concept when I first heard of it,” says Alan Cespedes Arkush, one of the students behind CollAgro. “Ten families buy one lawnmower collectively, or 10 families buy a lawnmower each. Look how much money can be saved on things we don’t use every day.” And does the concept apply to agricultural equipment, then? “We started our project by brainstorming around some principal climaterelated issues in agriculture,” Cespedes Arkush explains, “and speculating how we could solve them separately. Soon we noticed that we could link most of the solutions to one central concept: a biogas plant.” A biogas plant, of course, isn’t quite the same as a lawnmower. Cespedes Arkush: “That’s true, but in existing plants there’s often insufficient raw material to keep them running, and installing a plant is often too expensive for small farmers. So a collective acquisition

and a collective supply of manure and harvest remainders for the fermentation process seemed a logical solution to us.” Another advantage of collective acquisition, he says, “is that buyers can invest in more sustainable products with a longer lifetime. That also lowers their carbon footprint”. Of course, the collective exploitation of a biogas installation is only possible in compact agricultural clusters, with short distances between the individual farms – otherwise the cost and energy required for transport would be too high. For these dense clusters, the students proposed a system of rotational cultivation. The fertility and productivity of soil increases sharply as alternating crops are used, instead of one monoculture for years. Because each of the farms in a CollAgro cluster has its own specialisation, they can swap their fields among each other. So what did the three students win? “Oh, that’s a bit of a sad story,” says Cespedes Arkush. “Normally Agribex would have arranged a trip for us to the climate conference in Paris. But due to the attacks and the severe security measures, they cancelled it. However, we were told that they’re planning a similar trip to a foreign destination next year instead.”

Q&A

CFBL.EU

A new study puts local perspective to a staffing problem that dogs IT companies from Silicon Valley to Finland: a lack of diversity. Michèle Mees from the Centre for Balanced Leadership in Merchtem, Flemish Brabant, one of three organisations that conducted the Gender Gap analysis, explains what IT companies stand to gain from improving diversity. What is the situation like in Belgium? There is far from a gender balance in this sector, so we see an underrepresentation of women. This is a big problem because most IT companies are constantly understaffed and looking for new workers. Why is this gender imbalance a problem? Academic studies have consistently shown that gender-balanced teams perform better. ICT and IT are now so integrated into other sectors, into

KU Leuven graduate wins Thesis Prize

all aspects of our lives, that you can’t afford to work with underperforming teams. You need that talent; you need those different angles that men and women provide. How does the study you conducted help address this problem? In the discussion about the underrepresentation of women in ICT, the first thing you often hear is that there are too few girls in IT programmes, in maths and in the other STEM subjects [sciences, technology, engineering]. With this

survey, we wanted to examine if there was a danger of exit in addition to the entry problem. What are women’s experiences of working in this sector? And what did you find? If you look at the general results,

people are satisfied in this sector because it offers flexibility and opportunities. On the other hand, 25% of women compared to 16% of men say they are considering leaving the sector. Moreover, 80% of women feel they have to prove themselves more than their male colleagues, while only 22% of men agree with that statement. This is a blind spot; there is the illusion of equal opportunities, of a level playing field for them. So the message of this study is: Be aware of this. Listen to what women’s experiences are of working in the company. Don’t dismiss it with “Oh, I’m sure it’s not that bad”, and “You shouldn't exaggerate”. Because only by listening can you address this problem.

Places in Dutch-speaking schools for most pupils Of the 2,228 pupils in the Brussels-Capital Region who didn’t find a place at a Dutchspeaking primary school this year, 142 are not registered at any school in Belgium’s public education system. Only 18 of them are older than six and so required to go to school, and it is assumed that they either left the country, entered private education or are receiving lessons at home. The report also showed that 1,428 of the pupils eventually did find a place in Dutchspeaking education, most of them in another school in Brussels and a minority in Flanders. The rest registered at French-speaking schools.

Crevits advises mediation to beat bullying Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits has presented a new user-friendly publication to support schools in dealing with bullying. Peer mediation is one of the main themes in the publication Working Towards a United School Climate. In peer mediation, students are trained to become “conflixers” who mediate conflicts between fellow pupils. The education ministry has signed an agreement with the Flemish secondary school student organisation VSK to encourage youngsters to participate and schools to use the peer mediation method. VSK plans to arrange meetings and organise workshops in schools. The publication also gives information on the causes of bullying , as well as tips on how to prevent bullying. \ Andy Furniere

\ Interview by Linda A Thompson

\ LIVING

week in activities Stella de Dunis A medieval-themed family festival: sword-fighting, storytelling, fire-eaters, troubadours, puppet shows, facepainting, birds of prey. 26 December 14.00-18.00, Abdijmuseum Ten Duinen, Koninklijke Prinslaan 6-8, Koksijde; €7/free for kids 12 and under and anyone in medieval costume \ bezoeker.koksijde.be

Magical winter walk A guided walk through a wintery Antwerp, with Christmas stories and a nip of Elixir d’Anvers to warm the way. Includes an authentic folkloric poesjenellentheater show and a visit to the Neapolitan crèche in the Plantin-Moretus Museum. Until 30 December, Antwerp, reservations required, €12 \ visitantwerpen.be

Café Jardin Winter Edition A varied programme with storytelling, barbecue, live music, knitting workshop, market stalls and more. 27 December 15.00-23.00, CC Oratoriënhof, Mechelsestraat 111, Leuven, free \ cafe-jardin.be

Christmas Walk Annual self-guided walk through fields and woods to four nativity scenes in the Kempen, with a choice of five routes between 8.5 and 20 km in length. Warm drinks and refreshments available along the way. Guided Christmas lights tour on 26 December (€3.50). Until 6 January, Tourism Merksplas, Markt 1, free \ toerismemerksplas.be

Bruxella 1238 Once a month, this archaeological museum under the old Stock Exchange is open to the public. Purchase a ticket for a guided tour in English at the Museum of the City of Brussels on Grote Markt. 6 January (and every first Wednesday) 10.15-11.30, Bruxella 1238, Beursstraat, Brussels, €4 \ museedelavilledebruxelles.be

Bommelsfeesten A traditional folk festival with roots in the Middle Ages, tied to pagan Yule celebrations. Two parades on Saturday and a children’s party on Sunday afternoon (€5/€3 for kids). Crazy Monday costume ball with live music (tickets €17 at the door). 9-11 January, Ronse city centre, free \ ronse.be

Make veggies, not meat

Graanmarkt 13 chef publishes cookbook with veggies in the starring role Rebecca Benoot More articles by Rebecca \ flanderstoday.eu

ocated on a quaint square next to Antwerp’s Stadsschouwburg is Graanmarkt 13, a smart and contemporary restaurant with a casual atmosphere, and a twist. Since opening in 2010, it has been voted the best veggie restaurant in Flanders and one of the top three “vegetable restaurants” in the Benelux by the green version of legendary restaurant guide Gault&Millau. And yet Graanmarkt 13 is not a vegetarian restaurant. During previous stints in kitchens in Italy and France, Nobels mastered the classical restaurant tradition that favours a meatcentric menu, cheese carts, crystal glasses and white tablecloths. But that wasn’t the direction he wanted to go in with his own place. People go to upscale restaurants, he says, “to celebrate birthdays or other special occasions, and I didn’t want to be that kind of restaurant that you associate with events and exclusivity. I want to make fine dining accessible to everyone. It has to be low key and affordable.” The key to combining fine dining with accessible prices, it turns out, is vegetables. This focus is what makes Graanmarkt 13 unique. Where other chefs take meat or fish as their starting point, Nobels adds meat or fish around the veggies. “Lots of people still have prejudices about vegetarian food and see it as alternative or bland,” he says. “I want to show diners that vegetables can be as tasty as meat and the star of the dish. It all depends on how you prepare

them. We frequently grill vegetables, put them on the barbecue or prepare them in a salt crust. These are techniques mostly used to prepare meat.” Nobels, 33, also hopes to minimise the restaurant’s ecological footprint by using seasonal, local and organic produce. On the roof, Nobels and his staff grow more than 100 types of herbs. They also keep two beehives here and another four on the roof of the Flemish Opera. The restaurant gets the rest of its fresh produce from producers in and around Antwerp. “By using locally sourced ingredients and working with the seasons, we can ensure quality produce and great taste.” Nobels recently released his first cookbook, with the intriguing title Vegetables That Sparkle the Conversation. “Our starter is usually vegetarian and for the main courses, the table gets a big dish in the middle of the table that they can share,” the chef explains. “It becomes a conversation topic. And I also always give one more portion than the number of people in the party, so they have to discuss who gets the last piece.” Illustrated with mouth-watering photographs, the book centres on 17 vegetables that Nobels builds 68 glorious dishes around. As part of Studio Brussel’s charity event De Warmste Week, Graanmarkt 13 staff prepared and sold veggie dishes from a stall in front of the restaurant this past Saturday. For every dish sold, one meal will go to Dakant, a non-profit that works with the

Seppe Nobels’ new cookbook proves that veggies can be just as exciting as meat

homeless. “It’s a dinner from the locals for the locals,” says Nobels.

Vegetables That Sparkle the Conversation is published in Dutch by Lannoo Uitgeverij

BITE Dining out on New Year’s Eve Finding somewhere to eat on New Year’s Eve can be a struggle as many restaurants take a break over the festive period. But we’ve tracked down a handful of places across the region where you can celebrate in style and taste. But be quick to make a reservation; they expect to be fully booked by Christmas. Antwerp Antwerp’s annual Millennium Nacht will see revellers feast and dance the old year away at three locations on the Scheldt. There are still places available in Stuurboord, where €130 gets you dinner, dancing, and a balcony view of the fireworks over the river at midnight. Vegetarians are well catered for. The evening starts at 19.00 with a welcome glass of cava followed by a three-course dinner. At midnight, everyone enjoys a glass of champagne to ring the New Year in, after which you can continue to dance the night away. For the serious partygoers, there will be soup around 3.00 to revive tired limbs. \ oudjaar.com

\ 10

graanmarkt13.be

begins with an aperitif, followed by a fivecourse menu. A highlight is the winter vegetable amuses bouche, which include a variety of tasty offerings. There’s also a choice of mains, and at midnight, organic Piollot champagne will be served. Dinner at the Pakhuis will set you back €110, which includes entry to the Millie Vanillie night club after midnight and a welcome glass of prosecco. \ pakhuis.be

Brussels In Brussels, the Grand Casino Viage is offering a five-course dinner in its Saffron restaurant. Menu highlights include pan-fried venison and a crumble of duck confit with marrow-roasted sweetbreads. After dinner, you can join the party in the casino’s Cinna-Bar to welcome the New Year as you enjoy a glass of bubbles. Cost is €115, which includes €15 of gambling chips so you can test out just how lucky you’ll be in 2016. \ viage.be

Ghent At Gent’s Pakhuis Brasserie, the focus is on organic and seasonal food. New Year’s Eve

Hasselt In Hasselt’s Hoog Huis, the six-course celebration begins at 19.00 with an aperitif and nibbles. The menu focuses on seasonal produce and features deer as the main course. At midnight, everyone who has made a reservation receives a complimentary glass of champagne. At 00.30 the Hoog Huis opens its doors to the public, and the dancing continues until at least 5.00. Hoog Huis gives diners two price options – one including alcohol (€110) and one without (€90). \ Dan Smith \ hooghuis-hasselt.be

DECEMBER 23, 2015

Plastic is dead, long live plastic Brussels welcomes Adam, its first museum dedicated to both art and design Sally Tipper More articles by Sally \ flanderstoday.eu

ulture lovers rejoice: Brussels has another new museum. Hot on the heels of Schaarbeek’s Train World, opened back in September, comes the Art & Design Atomium Museum, known as Adam. It’s set up in a former wholesale market and furniture store in the north of the city, alongside the unmissable silver spheres of its parent cultural centre. Fittingly for a temple to art and design, it’s got distinctive features of its own that make it stand out on the Heizel plateau. The red and yellow scaffolding-style staircase at the front entrance, designed by French city planner and architect Jean Nouvel, is reflected in the building’s windows, and some striking plastic statues stand watch in the gardens outside.

adamuseum.be

of plastic objects bought from collector Philippe Decelle, a local enthusiast who has lovingly gathered together thousands of objects since the 1980s. The collection – a riot of orange, yellow and red – encompasses items dating from the golden age of plastic in the early 1960s via pop art to the postmodern era, with everything from chairs and radios to tableware and telephones. Before the Atomium bought it, the collection was only available to view on appointment at Decelle’s own home. Though many of the objects scream 1970s, and the feel is decidedly retro, organisers are keen to point out that plastic as a medium isn’t dead and continues to evolve, with new developments in more ecological plastics happening all the time.

Nowhere in Belgium is there a similar collection or museum, or even anywhere in Europe This eye-catching entrance contrasts with the low-key exterior of the resolutely functional Trade Mart building itself, and the understated design theme continues inside, where industrial fittings allow the exhibits to speak for themselves. Lhoas & Lhoas, the Brussels-based architects charged with designing the museum in the former market space, said that their aim was to take a building that was previously practically invisible and make it just the opposite. The permanent exhibition is dedicated to the Plasticarium, the Atomium’s incredible collection

Many of these objects remain resolutely functional beneath the surface: the curved desk, the child’s table that flips over to become a chair, the hot-lips telephone, the green pineapple water jug and glasses. Freddy Thielemans, former mayor of Brussels-City and now the honorary mayor, spoke at the opening ceremony. “We’re so proud of this museum we’ve built here,” he said, “because this place is part of our history.” “It’s important for us that visitors make the link between this museum and the Atomium,” adds museum spokesperson Inge Van

Eycken. “It’s really the Atomium’s art and design museum.” Until now there’s been no dedicated art and design museum in Brussels, she points out. “Adam offers visitors a collection of 2,000 items in plastic, from art objects via design to everyday utility objects. Nowhere in Belgium is there a similar collection or museum, or even anywhere in Europe.” How does it complement the work of the Atomium, that symbol of progress and modernity at the heart of Expo 58, and still a major city landmark? “It offers us extra space, so some of our temporary exhibitions on design and contemporary art will move to the Adam,” she says. “Together, the Atomium and Adam provide a rich cultural offer: design, architecture, art and subjects like space and water.” The plastic collection is too big to be displayed all at once, so exhibits will be rotated each year. Temporary exhibitions will also run alongside the Plasticarium, with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century art and design. They include Eames and Hollywood, coming in March,

which will use photos to reveal a lesser-known aspect in the work of Ray and Charles Eames. Armed with a camera, these two American designers immortalised life behind the scenes of Billy Wilder’s Hollywood film sets. “This new museum’s primary aim is to display an exceptional collection by specialists from all over the world, the Plasticarium,” said Karine Lalieux, Brussels-City alderwoman for culture. “It also invites the broader discovery of the art and design of the 20th and 21st centuries. It preserves this unique collection, keeps it in Brussels and makes it accessible to a wide audience.” The museum cost €800,000, split between the City of Brussels and the Atomium. It also includes a children’s lab where workshops will take place, a lecture programme, film and documentary screenings, guided tours, event rooms for hire, a shop and cafe.

Plastic fantastic: P Ghyczy’s 1968 “Garden Egg” and Valentine E Sottsass’ 1969 typewriter

50 weekends in Flanders: City tripping in Antwerp Flanders Today has launched an e-book with ideas for how to spend a year’s worth of weekends. Visit our website to get your free copy of 50 Weekends in Flanders. We’ll also print one of our suggestions every week here, too. A weekend really isn’t long enough to explore Antwerp, but even on a short break you can discover hidden renaissance gardens, sweeping waterfront views and cool cafes run by fashion department graduates. \ antwerpen.be/visit

Look at MAS ROOFTOP PANORAMA The MAS museum’s 10th-floor roof terrace is the place to be for a spectacular view of Antwerp. It lets you see the bend in the river where one of the world’s great ports is situated. You don’t have to pay to visit the terrace,

which is normally open late. The best time to go is just before sunset. \ mas.be

Shop at HELDER The city’s Vrijdagmarkt is famous for a market where they sell off old furniture and ghastly ornaments. So you might be surprised to find a studio selling cool contemporary design. The two owners met while working with Antwerp designer Ann Demeulemeester. They create their own pieces, as well as selling work by Sort of Coal, Chevalier Masson and Marijke de Cock. \ studiohelder.be

Eat at VRIJDAG VISDAG Philippe Hawinkel’s unconventional seafood restaurant is hidden away in a garage in a dull

TINYURL.COM/50WEEKENDS

residential street. It’s a cool, relaxed place with tables made from recycled planks and fishing nets hung from the ceiling. You come here for the delicious seafood served on big platters and the unique feel of the place. Be sure to book before you make the trip. \ vrijdagvisdag.be

Drink at DE PELGRIM The old De Koninck brewery stables were totally transformed in 2014 to create a bicycle concept store. A few months later, the owners brought in a local design team to renovate the old cafe De Pelgrim (pictured). They have kept the tiled floors and the wooden furniture, but added innovative touches to create the perfect spot to sit down with a bolleke. \ brasseriedepelgrim.be

Stay at ABONDANCE LOGIES Ann van Ouytsel has sensitively restored a belle époque mansion in the Cogels Osylei quarter to create a four-room guest house. She provides a friendly place to stay in a fascinating district of Art Nouveau architecture and small neighbourhood cafes. \ Derek Blyth \ abondance-logies.be

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\ ARTS

DECEMBER 23, 2015

week in arts & CULTURE Composer Luc Brewaeys dies at 56 Flemish composer Luc Brewaeys has died of cancer at the age of 56. Born in Mortsel in Antwerp province, Brewaeys studied composition in Brussels, Siena and Darmstadt. In the 1980s he was closely associated with the Greek composer Iannis Xenakis, and his works were regularly performed by De Munt, deFilharmonie and the National Orchestra of Belgium, as well as smaller ensembles like Champ d’Action and Ictus. Arguably Flanders’ greatest composer, the work he wrote for the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition a few years ago was described by the jury as too difficult for the contestants to play. \ lucbrewaeys.com

Lead actor in Black named European Shooting Star The Berlin International Film Festival has named Mechelenborn Martha Canga Antonio as one of its 10 European Shooting Stars for 2016, a designation that has helped launch the international careers of many young actors. “In Black, a story about gang violence in Brussels,” said the jury, “Martha gives an extraordinary debut as a modern Juliet. In her very first role, she already shows great timing, courage and determination – and a natural acting ability.” The directors of Black, in cinemas now, chose Canga Antonio out of 450 young women who auditioned for a part in the film. Although she did not study acting and had no prior experience, she won the lead, playing 15-year-old Mavela so convincingly that she has earned rave reviews around the globe. The 20-year-old was named “one of nine up-andcoming actors to watch” by movie site Indiewire after the film’s world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. (See related story, p5)

Star Wars breaks 2015 record The new Star Wars film The Force Awakens has broken the record for the most tickets sold on an opening day in Belgium this year. Some 80,000 people went to see the movie on its opening day last week, for sales of €746,000. That’s an all-time record for a Disney studios film, but not for any film: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 attracted 103,000 people to the cinema in 2011, for an income of more than €1 million on its first day.

On the record

Punk micro-label Oddie Records is doing music the old-school way Mark Andrews More articles by Marc \ flanderstoday.eu

ODDIERECORDS.BE

ennis Van Hoof is punk rock. There’s no Mohican hairdo or safety pins, but he’s definitely punk rock. The ethos of Oddie, his one-man record label, is rooted in the selfreliance, artistic freedom and anti-corporatism of the American underground and British New Wave of the 1970s and ’80s. “I try to approach things with a punk, DIY ethic,” Van Hoof, 25, says. “I love meeting people, getting introduced as you go along, just building something with others who are passionate about music and want to create something cool together. And that you can only do with an independent label.” He’s been building his network from Zoersel, in the Kempen region east of Antwerp, since the first Oddie release, Sketchy Kids Volume One. Released in the summer of 2014, it’s a compilation of 10 songs by 10 bands including Mountain Bike, The Future Dead, YAWNS, Tubelight and Alpha Whale. Sketchy Kids was actually Van Hoof ’s graduation project for his Bachelor’s in music management from PXL University College in Hasselt. “I chose to put out a vinyl rock record,” he says. “I paid for the production of everything, and the bands just had to contribute a song.” Since then, Oddie has put out more music by The Glücks, Double Veterans, Mind Rays, Teen Creeps, Equal Idiots, Tin Fingers, Dead High Wire and The Mary Hart Attack. “The first record was all done officially, but for all the others, it’s a handshake deal.” These bands are the core of Van Hoof ’s network, but distribution is also key. “I had some talks with companies, but if I have 300 records and there are, like, five cool independent record shops in Belgium, I can just take the records there,” he says. Among those cool shops are Fatkat Records and Me and My Monkey in Antwerp, Consouling Sounds, Music Mania and Vynilla in Ghent and 72 Records in Brussels. Because Oddie is vinyl and cassette only, there are the factories, too. “Sketchy Kids was pressed in the Netherlands at a place that’s gone bankrupt,” he says. “Since then, I’ve used MPO in France, Ameise in Germany, who only do seven-inches – I think they are extreme left-wing punks – and

“The punk rock way is the future”: Mary Hart Attack practise in an abandoned restaurant

XVINYLX in the Czech Republic. It’s a break-even story most of the time, but the records will sell out, so you get your money back.” Wait, cassette tapes? They never truly went away, Van Hoof insists: just underground. He gets them made at Duplicate in the Netherlands. “Tape is much cheaper than vinyl, and fast,” he says. “Vinyl takes at least 10 weeks, tapes they can do in three days.” Another Oddie throwback to the days of 1970s punk is the fanzine – also called Sketchy Kids – that Van Hoof publishes with Siebe Le Duc, a graphic designer, and his brother Kobe, a photographer. There are limits to being a one-man micro-label, of course. “The bands are growing faster than Oddie Records, but I’m happy to see them go to the next level – even if it’s without me.” That might be the case with The Mary Hart Attack. Though bass player Wil Mathijs says that “Oddie is a cool label, and Dennis is a lovely bloke,” they’ve just finished recording an album and are looking for a label that can handle iTunes and Spotify for them. The band still stick to Oddie’s ethos of independ-

ence, though. “We record DIY in our rehearsal studio, a disused restaurant in Lovendegem,” says guitarist Kristof Souvagie. To Van Hoof, there’s a right way and wrong way for bands to grow. “Tubelight and Double Veterans are on the next level, but they are also very much aware of what they don’t want to do: get to the final of Humo’s Rock Rally, get a nice review in Knack, spam everyone on Facebook to get the likes up, be sent by the label to do promo… You can do all that, but it’s just not going to be effective as it once was. The punk rock way is the future.” To illustrate, Mary Hart Attack drummer Kris Vlaeminck recalls a show at the Vooruit in Ghent that was “nowhere near sold out, by a band who have way more airplay than we do. But if you go to a gig from the underground scene, like Mind Rays, it’s always full. People who are really interested in music are looking for gigs like that”. Van Hoof: “The routes outside Studio Brussel and the Rock Rally are becoming easier for bands to see. The old-school approach is coming back. Go to Germany playing shitty places on a real tour. That’s where the magic happens!”

Wintervuur lights up the holidays with nomadic programme Wintervuur (Winter Fire) is a multidisciplinary festival that aims to get us out of doors during those lazy days between Christmas and New Year. Featuring premieres of local and international theatre companies as well as intricate circus acts and plenty of music, it will turn the Bist square in Wilrijk into a seasonal circus village. Based on the principle of old-school travelling circuses and carnivals, this biennial nomadic festival sets up in a different district of Antwerp each time, giving locals and passers-by the chance to discover hidden places in the city. The nostalgic atmosphere and setting contrast with contemporary theatre, music and performances, adding a familiar yet innovative vibe to the mix. Highlights this year are the French circus company Circa Tsuica with their production Maintenant ou Jamais (Now or Never, pictured), where humour and music are intertwined with breathtaking acrobatics. Local theatre company Comp.Marius and the Dutch company ’t Barre Land premiere their new co-production Voor niks

umsonst (Roughly: Without Gain), based on the work of Austrian author JP Nestroy, who loved to parody the bourgeoisie in the 19th century. Annelies Van Hullebusch and Compagnie Frieda have created a special production for Wintervuur called TAK. This dynamic performance is set in a small animation studio in Wilrijk’s oldest theatre and will feature music, memories and puppets. “By focusing on the relationship and friendship between a grandparent and grandchild, we

WINTERVUUR.BE

wanted to look at a specific life as well as life in general,” explains Van Hullebusch. “We zoom in on these two figures, literally and figuratively.” And then there’s Poolnacht (Night at the Pole), a production by five artists who travelled to the northernmost part of Europe where the sun doesn’t rise in winter. They wanted to explore what happens if you lose your concept of time and become one with nature. “We wanted to see how urban dwellers would cope with a situation devoid of all provocations, where even time becomes irrelevant,” explains co-creator Liesbeth Grupping. Wintervuur also features short films screened in a repurposed campervan and free music in The Barn – a huge seasonal construction on the Bist – with concerts by local bands. \ Rebecca Benoot

26 December to 2 January On and near Bist Wilrijk (Antwerp)

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\ ARTS

Island stories Flemish writer tells of life and loss on Curaçao Rebecca Benoot More articles by Rebecca \ flanderstoday.eu

Stefan Brijs’ new novel is a family saga that follows three generations of men against the backdrop of Curaçao’s fight for independence from the Netherlands.

ith De engelenmaker (The Angel Maker) and Post voor Mevrouw Bromley (Mail for Ms Bromley), Stefan Brijs gave us period novels about very specific topics, namely human cloning and the First World War. But in his latest novel, his most contemporary, the writer offers a slow-burning account of the lives of three generations of men on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao. Maan en zon (Moon and Sun) begins in 1961. Macho cab driver Roy Tromp is more interested in chasing women than being a good father to his son, Max, a bright boy who wants to become a teacher. With the help of Father Daniel, Max tries to achieve a better life for himself, free from crime and poverty.

Your genes are vital in determining who you’re going to be Forty years later, having been unable to realise his dream on Curaçao and with a son of his own, Max decides to move to the Netherlands – a decision that will forever change his life. Brijs’ interest in Curaçao was sparked by his wife, who was born on the island. “It’s a very beautiful and alluring place,” the Genk-born writer says, “but at the same time, a lot of very tangible tensions and problems bubble beneath the surface such as crime and racism. My in-laws only lived there for 12 years, but it was

an experience that changed them, shaped them even. It is an island with extremities that leaves its mark.” The novel unfolds like a documentary, making it Brijs’ most realistic novel to date. “Although these three men are fiction, I don’t doubt that there are actually people out there living those lives. The situations, descriptions, even the reaction of certain characters, is very accurate.” In fact, the narrative was prompted by a newspaper clipping Brijs held onto for many years (and which he added at the end of the novel). “When I stumbled upon it again, I decided that it was time to tell this story,” he says. “I wanted to know what happened to the man in that clipping, and to do so you have to tell a 40-year history of Curaçao. Only that can explain how he got to where he is today, as well as how the island got to where it is – how did things get so bad in certain areas?” Brijs uses these three generations to explain the changes that Curaçao has undergone © Annaleen Louwes

over the past decades; he focuses on labourers, unions and big oil companies. “Roy is a typical 1960s black Antillean; his son isn’t sure which direction to take his life because he is scared by the absence of his father. And then there’s Max’s son, Sonny, who is very materialistic, like many youngsters today. Your genes are vital in determining who you’re going to be, in addition to your surroundings.” The life stories of the three are set against the turbulent period of Curaçao’s fight for independence from the Netherlands as well as a harrowing backdrop of poverty, deception and crime. Father Daniel does most of the reminiscing in the novel, focusing on key moments when the Tromp men found themselves at a crossroads. He often remembers flashes of conversations, which has the effect of creating a whirlwind of dialogue that adds to novel’s already electrifying pace. Maan en zon is a rich novel that recounts a little-known history of emancipation using fleshand-blood protagonists filled with determination. “I wanted to write a story that captivates readers and that is hard to put down,” Brijs says. “The story has to unlock certain emotions, entertain and educate, that’s what makes a good story great.” Maan en zon ( ) is published in Dutch by Atlas Contact

Stefan Brijs’ interest in Curaçao was sparked by his wife, who was born on the island

More new books this month Wild vlees (Wild Flesh) Celia Ledoux • Uitgeverij Vrijdag Columnist Celia Ledoux’s debut novel tells the story of three women: a rich heiress with a penchant for swinger clubs, a stay-athome mum who can’t help but think the grass must be greener elsewhere and her sister, a financial big shot who disappears into the wilderness. Wild vlees is a dark novel that calls into question a modern society’s obsession with materialism, sex and deception. These daring topics make Ledoux’s first venture into literature a fascinating one. Bloedboek (Blood Book) Dimitri Verhulst • Atlas Contact One of Flanders’ most controversial and critically acclaimed authors, Dimitri Verhulst pulls another stunt with Bloed-

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book, a rewriting of the Bible. The novel is based on the first five parts of the Old Testament, which become a cluttered and farfetched flight of fancy. His aim, he has said, was to show what God and his apostles were really like; in other words, that they don’t practice what they preach. Bloedbook is vintage Verhulst: cynical and clever. Verman je (Pull it Together) Filip Rogiers • Polis After winning the 2012 Debut Prize with his Nauwelijks lichaam (Barely Body), journalist Filip Rogiers is back with a novel about a man who wants to take control of his life. Six months after he is fired from his job as a burnout coach, Hofman gets the perfect job interview. After a tough negotiation with his new employer about his salary and benefits, he feels on top of the world. He

prides himself on his logical thinking and self-control, but when he meets Anita, the tables start to turn. Verman je is an intriguing read. Vallen in liefde (Falling in Love) Philippe Diepvents • Manteau Philippe Diepvents’ second novel centres on Holly, a woman in the waiting room between life and death. To pass the time, she tells the reader how she ended up there. She introduces us to four people who all played a crucial role in her demise: her best friend, a bystander who isn’t as innocent as he claims; the man with the gun; and Erwin, who was at the right place at the right time. Vallen in liefde is a story about love, pain and ultimately death, but in spite of its heavy subject matter, it’s an entertaining novel packed with puns and plot twists.

\ AGENDA

DECEMBER 23, 2015

There’s no place like home

CONCERT

BE Film Festival 26-31 December

East Flanders

Bozar & Cinematek, Brussels Bozar & Cinematek, Brussels

“G

od exists. And he lives in Brussels.” One of the opening lines from Jaco Van Dormael’s Le tout Nouveau Testament (The Brand New Testament) got the country’s biggest collective laugh this year. The film that has made the shortlist for consideration for a foreign-language Oscar nomination can be relived all over again – or seen for the first time – at the BE Film Festival in Brussels this month. Every December, locals get the chance to see all the Belgian films they’ve missed over the last 12 months – and a few premieres, which sweetens the deal. Next to Le tout, the year’s other big releases can be found here, including newcomer Robin Pront’s most excellent D’Ardennen – a violent game of cat-and-mouse between two brothers – and Paradise Trips, Raf Reyntjens’ comedy drama that sees a tour

bus driver (Gene Bervoets) pushed beyond his limits by a bunch of hippy travellers en route to a music festival in Croatia (pictured). But you’ll find lesser-known gems at BE, too, such as Olivier and Yves Ringer’s Les oiseaux

de passage (Birds of Passage), which won best children’s film in Montreal this year for its simple story of two girls – one in a wheelchair – who embark on a road trip to save a duckling. Then there’s Cafard, a beautifully realised animated feature by Jan Bultheel about Ostendenaars fighting in a special unit in the First World War. The story is bleak, but the fantastical colours and heartfelt denouement breathe new life into the current war memorial climate. Among the most exciting premieres is Flemish filmmaker Manu Riche’s first fiction feature, Problemski Hotel, a curious mix of nationalities and languages as residents come into contact with new arrivals at a refugee centre in Brussels. The film opens in cinemas next month. \ Lisa Bradshaw

OPERA

STAND-UP

Very Alive Composers: Rethinking Opera

Tom Wrigglesworth

6-10 January While modern composers like Philip Glass have given classical music a contemporary facelift, the image of opera remains resolutely old school. But under the surface, there’s much more to 21st-century opera than fat ladies singing. This festival showcases the adventurous work of fresh, young European opera compos-

Flagey, Brussels flagey.be

ers like Péter Eötvös, Luca Francesconi, Balázs Horváth and András Almási-Tóth – all of whom collaborate on an adaptation of Polish playwright Slawomir Mrozek’s absurd one-act play Out at Sea. Also on the programme is French composer Pascal Dusapin’s pioneering 1992 opera To Be Sung. \ Georgio Valentino

VISUAL ARTS Brussels Hannes Coudeyns: Ugly Belgian Houses: Exhibition around the new book by the photographer from Kortrijk, based on his popular blog and Facebook page of the same name, filled with the country’s biggest “architectural flaws”, accompanied by wry captions. 4-26 January, Recyclart, Ursulinenstraat 25

Genk englishcomedybrussels.com

The popular Brussels English Comedy Night celebrates its first show of 2016 with a knee-slapping double feature. Headliner Tom Wrigglesworth hails from Sheffield, where his quirky appearance (he’s a dead ringer for Frank Zappa) and observational humour have earned him work as a stand-up

\ willem-vermandere.be

\ recyclart.be

Black Sheep, Brussels

5 January, 20.00

Willem Vermandere: Solo performance by the West Flemish folk legend, featuring songs in his local dialect, such as “Blanche en zijn peird” en “Ik plantte ne keer patatten”. 26 December 20.00, SintPauluskerk, Oostkouterlaan 5, Deinze; 27 December 20.15, OLV van de Rozenkranskerk, Floraplein, Merelbeke

comedian and radio personality. He has toured the UK, New Zealand and Canada. Dutch-Greek comedian Soula Notos, a member of Utrecht collective Comedyhuis and co-founder of Comedy Kitchen, is also performing. Irish comedian David Hayden hosts the evening. \ GV

Beyond Food and Design: Exhibition in the framework of 20 years of Toegepast, a mentored talent development trajectory for young designers, featuring new works with one common theme: how food shapes our landscape. Until 31 January, C-mine Designcentrum, C-mine 10 \ beyondfood.be

FESTIVAL Brussels River Jazz Festival: Second edition of the festival with 14 concerts spread over three stages across the city, featuring Bai Kamara Jr, Tutu Puoane and Laurent Blondiau and many more. 8-23 January, Jazz Station, Espace Senghor & Theatre Marni

\ riverjazz.wix.com

FAMILY

CONCERT

Smells Like Circus

Rihanna

13-17 January This multi-venue circus festival returns for a week of familyfriendly performances in and around Ghent. The event is the fruit of a collaboration between one of the city’s chief performance spaces, Vooruit, and the Flemish Centre for Circus Arts. Venues include a theatre, a cultural centre and a church. There’s even an interactive puppet-show instal-

Vooruit, Ghent vooruit.be

lation in public space. Performances at Vooruit include Bert & Fred’s slapstick autobiography 8 Years, 5 Months, 4 Weeks, 2 Days, choreographer Rachid Ouramdane’s humanist dance/acrobatics production Tordre and the closing night extravaganza Cirque Mélangé, led by veteran Flemish street theatre performer Stefaan De Winter. \ GV

PERFORMANCE

get tic

kets n ow

21 July It’s been three years since Rihanna, pop princess and provocateur, released a new album, but it might as well have been three decades. Since her breakout dancehall-inflected smash “Pon de Replay” in 2005, the artist has churned out seven albums in just eight years. No release date has been set for her highly anticipated new album, but the wait, it seems, is almost over as she has announced a huge, 70-date world tour. At Werchter Boutique, she’ll be joined on stage by Big Sean, of the couldn’t-care less “I Don’t Fuck with You” anthem, and The Weeknd, of the dark, high-stakes “Can’t Feel My Face”. \ Linda A

Brussels

Werchter Festivalpark werchterboutique.be

Dick Whittington and His Magical Cat: The English Comedy Club presents a humorous, energetic version of the well-loved British tale based on the legend of the 15th-century Lord Mayor of London (in English). 8-10 January, Oudergem Cultural Centre, Vorstlaan 183 \ thelittleboxoffice.com/ecc

FILM Brussels Bozar Cinema Days: 25 films in five days, featuring new independent and avant-garde cinema, low- and no-budget films, art house, animations, biopics and documentaries. 6-10 January, Bozar, Ravensteinstraat 23 \ bozar.be

Thompson

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DECEMBER 23, 2015

Talking Dutch The pleasure yacht has to go

In response to: Education minister advises peer mediation to address bullying Gloria Rinderman: I was a teacher for 20 years. Kids could learn kindness and tolerance from songs, like “Be a Buddy, Not a Bully,” which could help combat bullying.

Derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

very year, Flemings get to pick the one word they would like to ban from their dictionaries. According to De Standaard, Weg met dat woord gaat ook dit jaar weer op zoek – “Throw out that Word” is searching again this year, naar precies dát woord uit onze Nederlandse taal – for that one word in our Dutch language, dat de meeste gebruikers koude rillingen bezorgt – that sends most people into a cold sweat. Eind november – At the end of November, riep het Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie alle Nederlanders en Vlamingen op – the Institute for Dutch Lexicology called on all Dutch and Flemish people, om hun ervaringen rond het meest gruwelijke woord uit ons Nederlandse taalgebied met de wereld te delen – to share with the world their experiences with the ghastliest word in our language. The 10 most hated words were published a couple of weeks ago. It included some based on English slang, like chillen – to chill. And selfie – which needs no explanation. Other irritating words were meaningless compounds such as dagdagelijks – daily. And participatiesamenleving – participation society. Then you have trendy new terms that reflect modern lifestyles, like diervriendelijk vlees – animal-friendly meat. (Bestaat niet – It doesn’t exist, said one irritated respondent. Doodmaken is nooit vriendelijk – Killing is never friendly.) You might have been tempted to vote for papadag: dag waarop vader voor de kinderen zorgt – dad day, the day when the father takes care of the children. Or possibly you agree with the people who want to see the back of plezierjacht – a pleasure yacht. Then again, if you can’t stand bad grammar, you might want to put an end to the use of me when the correct

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In response to: Two new stations join Brussels city rail network Howie Tiernan: Gonna be great

In response to: Wintervuur lights up the holidays with nomadic programme Peter O'Reilly: Hope it works on January exam blues.

word is mijn – mine. Welke van die tien het tot absolute ‘winnaar’ zal schoppen – Which of the 10 is chosen as the absolute “winner”, dat mag u zelf mee helpen bepalen – is something you can help to decide. Some 25,000 people responded to the challenge. And the winner was that annoying little word me – as in me moeder – my mother. Deelnemers aan de verkiezing – People who sent in their votes, kunnen het foutieve gebruik van ‘me’ niet meer aanhoren – couldn’t stand the wrong use of me any longer. ‘Me’ kreeg 30% van de stemmen – “Me” received 30% of the votes, en is daarmee de overtuigende verliezer van dit jaar – making it this year’s undisputed loser. In second place, with 20%, was diervriendelijk vlees, while the third least popular word of 2015 was plezierjacht, with 12%. Surprisingly, voters this year were less annoyed about English slang. Chillen and selfie turned out to be the least hated words, each scoring just 4%. So we can still chill – just not in a pleasure yacht.

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In response to: Cycle highways pay for themselves, say researchers Thomas Coleman: Now we need one from Mechelen to Brussels!!

Gabe-LFC @Smitty46and2 I love that it feels like you've been transported back to the 16th century when in Bruges.

Odon | Phase Five @Odon_V Sunrise in LA. Sunset in New York. Next stop: BRUSSELS

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the last word

Do you think that Brussels went too far with its security measures during the level 4 terrorism alert last month? a. No, better too much security than not enough. What would people be saying if a bomb had gone off?

50% b. Yes. Increased security patrols made sense, but closing down all the bars and sports centres was just silly

50%

Free to be… you and me “I don’t want to be a girl. I’m happy being a boy. Albeit a boy who likes experimenting with makeup.” University student Joppe De Campeneere of Deinze, aged 18, is using the internet to break down the taboo against men and makeup

Tunes for saloons And so we reach the year 2016 in perfect disagreement: 50% of you think the government’s reaction to the terrorist threat in November was not exaggerated, if only because it would have been terribly embarrassing to have done too little and have something seriously awful happen.

The other half thinks the lockdown was going too far, and prime minister Charles Michel cautiously agrees, saying recently that some of the responses – shutting down recreation and shopping centres, for instance, might have been a bit exaggerated. In the end, the arrests of serious suspects took place after

the threat level was brought back down to 3, proving all those security “lockdown” measures unnecessary. However you look at it, not much harm was done: a couple of football matches cancelled, the metro shut down for a few days, less shopping at the weekend. It could have been worse.

\ Next week's question: The government has proposed lowering the blood-alcohol limit for new drivers, who are more likely to be involved in an accident. What do you think? Log on to the Flanders Today website at www.flanderstoday.eu and click on VOTE!

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“Every time I go shopping or to a restaurant, I do the same exercise: What music would go best here? The answer is never muzak.” Piet De Loof is Flanders’ first music consultant for shops, restaurants and cafes

Spineless speeders “A couple of minutes can make all the difference and save a life. So stop. Call emergency services, help if you can; at least find out how the victim is.” Families, like Dirk Van Damme and Soetkin Geerinck’s, who have lost a loved one to hit-and-run drivers are speaking out, as the number of incidents has rocketed in recent weeks (see related story, p4)

Talk of the town “I’ve never really thought about my background. I feel like a Fleming among the Flemish. But it doesn’t bother me to be considered a role model.” Nadia Sminate is Flanders’ first mayor with Moroccan roots (see news, p3)

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