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FEBRuaRy 8, 2017 \ nEwswEEkly - € 0,75 \ rEad morE at www.flandErstoday.org currEnt affairs \ P2

Ducks in a row

Politics \ P4

BusinEss \ P6

Helping HanDs

Flanders is nearly 100% in line with EU regulations, making it one of the highest-rated regions in adapting to European laws

A Brussels organisation raises funds to send young people abroad to build schools, work with street kids or dig a well

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innovation \ P8

Education \ P9

art & living \ P11

Transparency

The new Schiepers Gallery in Hasselt is the first in Flanders wholly dedicated to glass art, which is much more versatile than you think \ 13

In search of the simple life

meet two men who’ve given up creature comforts and really gone back to basics Bartosz Brzezinski Follow Bartosz on Twitter \ @aperi_oculos

Two Flemings have made some drastic changes to their lifestyles, stripping it back to the minimum to show we can all live a lot more sustainably if we choose to.

he first time Tomas De Gregorio had to cut down his own tree, it took him three weeks before he had enough wood to get a fire going. “I’ve got much, much better at it,” says the 32-year-old, who’s been living in a caravan outside Hasselt since July, aiming to live for a year on just €2,500. “Now, I can chop it in three days and heat my stove within minutes.” The rusty trailer, which he obtained for next to nothing, has a small table, a kitchenette and a bedroom, though no toilet; De Gregorio had to build one outside. On the

pine desk behind the stove lie two copies, in English and in Dutch, of the book that became the inspiration for his project. Walden chronicles the experiences of 19th-century American writer Henry David Thoreau, who spent a year living by himself in a small cabin on the east coast of the United States. De Gregorio read it for the first time when he was 24, and the desire to follow in Thoreau’s footsteps has been brewing in his mind ever since. “It changed my whole life,” he says. “For the first time, everything I felt strongly about was right there on paper. I’m not an environmentalist, but it was a revelation. Though I grew up in a city, it just felt right to me.” The book was first published in 1854, but its message, says

De Gregorio, is still relevant today: “A lifestyle that’s as simple as possible.” Once a week, De Gregorio helps a local farmer clean out his stables and goes to a nearby school to take care of a garden. “During the summer, I collected wood and grew vegetables, but now that it’s winter, I’m restless,” he says. “Most of the time, I just read, go for a stroll, or make walking sticks.” Since moving here, he says, he’s begun seeing life in more detail. He’s gained a new perspective on time, and enjoys the calm and silence of the surrounding fields. “When the sun comes up, it’s the best moment of the day,” he adds. “The light is just perfect, shining through the fog as it settles. This morning the grass was white and crisp from the frost.” continued on page 7

\ CuRREnT aFFaIRs

VUB professor sentenced to death without trial in Iran

ahmadreza djalali was arrested for ‘collaboration’ while visiting the country andy furniere More articles by andy \ flanderstoday.org

n Iranian professor connected to the Free University of Brussels (VUB) has been sentenced to death in Iran for collaboration with scientists from foreign, “enemy” states. A petition against Ahmadreza Djalali’s death sentence, which is meant to be carried out in two weeks, has been signed by more than 100,000 people worldwide. At the same time, European universi-

ties and Amnesty International are putting pressure on Iran to release Djalali. The 45-year-old teaches as part of the European master’s in disaster medicine, a joint degree by the VUB and Italy’s Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale. He was arrested in April last year while visiting his family in Iran and spent seven months in isolation, without a trial or seeing a lawyer. Djalali (pictured) has been on

hunger strike several times, most recently since December, and his health is declining rapidly as a result. He told his sister that he had been forced to sign a confession, for which he will receive the death penalty. The Iranian government is calling it a matter of “national security”. VUB professor Ives Hubloue, who leads the master’s for which Djalali teaches, explained that the programme attracts doctors

Bazart round off first year with five MIAs Indie pop band Bazart (pictured) were the big winners at Flanders’ Music Industry Awards last week, claiming five titles. The awards round off an outstanding year for Bazart, who sing in Dutch. Their first single, “Goud”, was named single of the week in April, and their second, “Chaos”, topped several charts. After a summer of festivals, they released their debut album, Echo, in September and sold out two nights at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. They picked up the awards for best

group and best newcomer, best Dutch-speaking group and best pop act, and “Goud” was named hit of the year. Another mother-tongue group,

mias.EEn.BE

singing in West Flemish dialect, is Het Zesde Metaal, who won album of the year for Calais. Frontman Wannes Capelle won best lyricist. Other awards included Emma Bale as best female solo artist, Stan Van Samang as best male solo artist and Goose as best live act. Herman Schueremans, creator of Rock Werchter, received a Sector Lifetime Achievement Award, while there was a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award for jazz legend Toots Thielemans, who died last year. \ Alan Hope

from all over the world, including the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel, and that Iran perhaps finds these contacts threatening. “But this collaboration is crucial, especially for major disasters,” he told De Morgen. A spokesperson for foreign minister Didier Reynders said he would make contact with the diplomatic representation of the EU in Tehran to see what steps can be taken. © Courtesy Facebook

Flu epidemic gets worse The flu epidemic in Belgium for the last three weeks is intensifying, according to the latest figures from the Scientific Institute for Public Health (WIV). Having started at low levels, the epidemic is now described as “moderate”. The official threshold to declare an epidemic stands at 140 diagnoses of flu per 100,000 inhabitants. That threshold was exceeded in early January. According to figures from the week of 23-29 January, the number has shot up to 648 consultations per 100,000 people. The growth has affected all age groups,

Antwerp’s low-emission zone comes into force Antwerp has introduced its new low-emissions zone (Lez) in the centre of the city and in the Linkeroever district. The introduction of the zone will affect older cars in an effort to reduce the levels of fine particles in the air. Antwerp is known as one of the most polluted cities in Europe, due to fine particulates and CO2 levels caused by traffic congestion. “We have to do this to address the high amounts of fine particles and soot in the air,” Antwerp mayor Bart De

Wever told VRT. “We know that it will seem annoying to some and that it will experience teething problems, but we hope to keep these to a minimum, and we hope that everyone realises that it’s really a necessity.” In terms of vehicles that run on petrol or LPG, the new regulations generally only affect those more than 20 years old. The ability to drive in the zone depends on the Euronorm of the vehicle, which is indicated on the regis-

tration document. The higher the Euronorm, the cleaner the car. For vehicles running on petrol or LPG, the minimum Euronorm is 1. For diesel vehicles, the Euronorm is 4 or higher, although diesel vehicles with a Euronorm of 3 fitted with a particulate filter are still allowed until the end of 2019. There is an exception: Diesel cars with Euronorm 3 without a particulate filter can register and pay a fee to be admitted into the zone, depending on the type of vehicle.

WIV said. At the same time, a similar increase has been seen in other related illnesses, such as sinusitis, bronchitis and ear infections, again for all age groups. WIV recommends seeing a doctor at the first signs of flu, then staying home to avoid infecting others through close contact in the classroom or workplace. \ AH slimnaarantwErPEn.BE

Registration is also required for cars driving into the zone without a Belgian or Dutch number plate, whether or not the emission requirements are met. The city has installed automatic number plate recognition cameras to check for unregistered plates. Day passes for cars that do not meet the new norms are available for a fee of €35. These can be obtained up to eight times a year per number plate. Any breach of the zone law carries a fine of €125.

Although the zone came into effect last week, fines and fees will not apply until 1 March so that residents and visitors can get used to the new system. The new system will be in place until 2020, when restrictions will become tighter. They will become stricter still in 2025. Drivers can get more details on the cars permitted in the zone on the Lez website, also available in English. \ AH

40,882

100 22.3%

birds per garden on average, the lowest number ever for the annual bird census weekend, held by Natuurpunt in January. The number of census-takers was higher than ever, at almost 23,000

fine handed down by a court in Bruges to a woman from Tielt for breaking the law against racism. Thewoman posted aracist message on Facebook about a restaurant after she was refused service for being drunk

offences reported by the cycle brigade of the Brussels-Elsene police zone in 2016. The 12-person squad is charged with ensuring the safety of cyclists and pedestrians and bus and tram lanes

of residents of Flemish nursing homes are restrained in their chair or bed during the day, rising to 44.5% at night, the Flemish health and welfare agency reports. The most common reason is to prevent falls

decibel limit for concert halls in Brussels, secretary of state Bianca Debaets announced. Organisers must provide a quiet space and earplugs. In music cafes and nightclubs the limit is 95dB

fEBruary 8, 2017

week in brief The federal agriculture ministry has reported the country’s first case of avian flu, at a site owned by an amateur poultry enthusiast in Lebbeke, East Flanders. It is contaminated by the highly contagious H5N8 virus, and a three-kilometre perimeter has been established around the site. Farmers across the country have been ordered to keep their birds indoors until further notice. Cases of avian flu have been reported recently in Germany and France. Residents of nursing homes in Flanders do not receive the proper medication in the proper dose at the correct times on a fartoo regular basis, according to the government’s Care and Health agency. During one “observation week” last year, 1,700 incidents involving medications were registered. The report covers the first half of 2016 and assembles data on nearly 74,000 care home residents in all 756 recognised homes in the region. For the second time in as many weeks, animal park Planckendael in Mechelen has announced the birth of a baby giraffe. The baby is strong and healthy, the park said, though its sex is not yet known. Visit the Planckendael website to vote on the name for the baby. \ planckendael.be

face of flanDers route was the only direct flight from Brussels to the Northern Ireland capital. Anyone holding a ticket for a date after 31 March will be offered a refund or a place on an alternative flight, which will involve a transfer. Brussels Airlines said it wanted to concentrate capacity elsewhere; it plans to increase its frequency of flights to Poland and Portugal, as well as introducing new destinations. “Rock Strangers”, an installation by Flemish artist Arne Quinze featuring bright orange fibreglass boulders on the waterfront in Ostend, will remain, following a court decision. An elderly Ostend resident took the city to court over the installation, saying that it ruined his view of the sea. “Rock Strangers” has been in place since 2012, and the man was claiming damages of €80 per day since then, for a total of €133,360. Some 70 protestors turned up at the Solvay Library in Brussels last week to protest at the invitation to speak issued to Myron Ebell, a prominent climate change denier who is heading US president Trump’s transition team at the Environmental Protection Agency. The conference at which he spoke was organised by the European Conservatives and Reformists group of the European Parliament, originally formed by the British Conservative party.

February has ushered in price hikes in beer and transport. The three largest brewers in the country – AB InBev, Alken-Maes and Haacht – have increased prices from between one and two cents for a 25cl glass. A range of tickets for public transport authority De Lijn also go up in price, though the single ticket and day passes remain the same. Finally, train tickets cost an average 2.9% more.

The Belgian Entertainment Association, which represents the film, video and music industries, has begun legal proceedings against internet service providers Proximus, Telenet, Nethys and Brutélé, in an effort to force them to cut customer access to nine download sites the association claims are providing copyright material illegally.

Brussels Airlines is to stop flying to Belfast at the end of March because of lack of demand. The

One of the buglers who sounds the Last Post daily at a ceremony in Ypres has died at the age of

offsiDe drying out Should you happen to go down the pub this month, you may notice a lot of people drinking soda, orange juice, tonic water and other odd concoctions alien to this Land of Beer. The reason: a health campaign lasting all month. The Tournée Minérale – the name is a play on the term tournée générale meaning “a round for everyone” – is an initiative of the Foundation against Cancer and the Flemish expertise centre for alcohol and other drugs, VAD. “We were aiming for 15,000 participants,” said Steven De Bondt of VAD. At the start of the month there were 97,000 people signed up; as

91, the city has announced. Over 60 years, Antoon Verschoot, or Toontje as he was known, played the music under the Menin Gate more than 15,000 times, in memory of the fallen of the First World War. He missed the ceremony just once, when he was held up by a blocked level crossing. In 2014 he was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Leopold. Investments in crowdfunding campaigns are now tax-deductible under a law passed last week. The rule only applies to capital investments in new shares, not when investors receive a product in return for their money. In most cases, experts said, the rate of a tax deduction of 45% of the sum invested will be applied. Crowdfunding now comes under the authority of the financial regulator FSMA and organisers of crowdfunding campaigns will require a licence. Ghent University will award an honorary doctorate to the Chilean novelist Isabel Allende next month, in recognition of the impact of her work on society. At the same ceremony, doctorates will be awarded to Philippe Herreweghe, founder and conductor of the Collegium Vocale Gent; British Nobel Prize winner Paul Nurse, whose work on cell division has been crucial to research into cancer; and David Freedburg, art historian and director of the Warburg Institute at the University of London. The ceremony will be followed by a concert at Ghent Opera featuring the premiere of the university’s new anthem by Flemish composer Dirk Brossé. The merger of supermarket chains Delhaize and Albert Heijn is being held up by competition authorities until Ahold, Albert Heijn’s parent group, divests itself of eight supermarkets in Flanders. Ahold has been unable to find buyers for the stores, the company said.

tournEEminEralE.BE

Flanders Today went to press, there were more than 125,500. According to the campaign, taking a break from alcohol will help you to sleep better, lose weight and have more energy as well as improve your skin. Among those taking part are several Flemish ministers, including Hilde Crevits (education), Bart Tommelein (energy) and Liesbeth Homans (housing and equal opportunities). Minister-president Geert Bourgeois is “not a great drinker” in any case, his office said. As for culture minister Sven Gatz, former director of the Belgian Brewers Federation, he has chosen to support the drinks industry.

gunther Broucke

BrussElsPhilharmonic.BE

Faced with the growing cost of musical instruments, Gunther Broucke showed the kind of ingenuity that led him to be named the Flemish government’s Manager of the Year last week. He got together with private bankers Puilaetco Dewaay to convince investors that top-class musical instruments are worth investing in. Broucke is intendant, or general manager, of the Brussels Philharmonic and the Flemish Radio Choir. It is under his management that the Philharmonic got its new name (not to be confused with Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, which is more of a training ground for young or student musicians). The orchestra dates back to 1935 and was previously known as the Vlaams Radio Orkest (Flemish Radio Orchestra). Originally a studio ensemble attached to the public broadcaster, it soon outgrew the studio to begin functioning as a concert orchestra in its own right. In 2005, the orchestra moved back to its old home in the Flagey building in Elsene, after being exiled to Leuven for several years while Flagey was being reno-

vated. The new name, officially adopted three years later, was meant to be more recognisable internationally and to mark the orchestra’s return home to Brussels. “Broucke transformed the orchestra and choir into what it is today and brought it to the level of admiration it now enjoys,” said the Flemish Union for Management and Policy, which gives out the award, in a statement. “As manager, he has been able to return to the orchestra a belief in themselves, in the complicated interchange between the board of directors, the shifting political responsibility of ministers, his immediate colleagues and the broader group of staff members.” Not many government managers can claim an Academy Award on their CV, but the Brussels Philharmonic won the golden statuette for the soundtrack for the silent French film The Artist in 2012. The orchestra now bestrides the two ends of the music business: all the way from Bartok and Wagner this week at Flagey, to recordings for film soundtracks and live accompaniment, such as to Casablanca next month in Bozar. \ 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.

In Brussels, finance minister Guy Vanhengel said his whole family holds its own alcohol-free cure ahead of the holidays in November, while equal opportunities minister Bianca Debaets is not only taking part, but will continue to abstain all the way to Easter. \ AH

Editor Lisa Bradshaw dEPuty Editor Sally Tipper contriButing Editor Alan Hope suB Editor Bartosz Brzezi´nski agEnda Robyn Boyle, Georgio Valentino art dirEctor Paul Van Dooren PrEPrEss Mediahuis AdPro contriButors Rebecca Benoot, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Sarah Crew, Emma Davis, Paula Dear, Andy Furniere, Lee Gillette, Diana Goodwin, Clodagh Kinsella, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Arthur Rubinstein, Senne Starckx, Christophe Verbiest, Denzil Walton gEnEral managEr Hans De Loore PuBlishEr Mediahuis NV

Editorial addrEss Gossetlaan 30 - 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden tel 02 467 23 06 flanderstoday@ackroyd.be suBscriPtions tel 03 560 17 49 subscriptions@ackroyd.be order online at www.flanderstoday.org advErtising 02 467 24 37 advertising@ackroyd.be vErantwoordElijkE uitgEvEr Hans De Loore

\ POlITICs

Questions of language European mission explores mayoral issues in flemish periphery anja otte Follow anja on Twitter \ @anjaOtte

he Council of Europe sent a mission to Belgium last week to visit Flanders’ “facility municipalities” in the Flemish periphery around Brussels. Six cities in Flemish Brabant that border the Brussels-Capital Region and are home to many Frenchspeakers are facility municipalities: Drogenbos, Kraainem, Linkebeek, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Wemmel and Wezembeek-Oppem. Although the official language is Dutch, these municipalities offer administrative services in French to residents on request. The language situation in these places has led to incidents between French-speakers – who are in the majority there – and the government of Flanders. In 2006, the government refused to officially appoint three mayors – in Wezembeek-Oppem, Kraainem and Linkebeek – after they broke the language laws by sending out voting information in French. Because of disagreements in the interpretation of language laws, scuffles regarding the situation have been going on since the 1970s. Today, they have largely died down – except in Linkebeek, where Damien Thiéry (MR) is not giving up the fight to be appointed mayor. Last week, Belgium’s Council of State rejected an appeal by Thiéry, vindicating the government of Flanders’ decision to refuse to appoint him. In the same week, the Council of Europe, at the request of a number of local French-speaking politicians, sent its Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on a mission to visit the facility municipalities.

The timing was “an irritating coincidence”, according to Flemish MP Karim Van Overmeire (pictured). Van Overmeire (N-VA) is a member of the Congress and is one of the people the mission met with last week. How do you feel about the Council of Europe’s mission to the “facility municipalities”? Karim Van Overmeire: It has symbolic value. The fact that the mission physically visited Linkebeek implies that something is terribly wrong there. The truth of the matter is that the situation in the Flemish periphery has calmed down considerably in recent years. The only exception is Linkebeek, where one man is trying to make a career out of creating conflict. He acts like some kind of Asterix, using the Council of Europe to get at his magic potion. This is part of a larger strategy by some Frenchspeakers to portray Flanders as being small-minded. What’s more, Thiéry is a federal MP. At the federal level, his party has demanded that institutional matters be left alone. You cannot stoke the fire at the local level at the same time. Wouldn’t it be easier if municipalities like Linkebeek were just declared bilingual, like Brussels? I have heard this argument before, but essentially this is about the structure of Belgium, with delicate balances that are the result of long negotiations. Respecting these agreements is the essence of the Belgian compromise. Not respect-

ing one of the balances would unsettle the whole construction. Linkebeek has been part of Flanders since 1962. Everyone knows that, just like everyone knows that Dutch is the official language in Flanders. But a majority of its inhabitants speak French, don’t they? Of course demographics can change, but that changes nothing about this situation. Demographics change in London, too. English might not be the first language spoken in some parts of London, but it still remains the official language. In that sense,

we are acting no differently than the Germans do in Germany, the Portuguese in Portugal or the Polish in Poland. You can have private conversations in whatever language you please, but the official language is that of the region you live in. We even offer French-language facilities, a right that we respect rigorously. You are not optimistic about the outcome of the mission. Why is that? We have a history of these missions. Belgium is the most monitored of all countries (laughs). As if the

living conditions in the periphery are so much more awful than for minorities in Turkey or Ukraine. With all due respect, recommendations that came out of similar missions had little to do with the Belgian reality, which is really quite complex. The Council of Europe is a useful institution. I myself am working on an interesting local reform in Finland. Sending mission after mission to the Flemish periphery is out of proportion, though, especially since the Council of Europe is short on means. It is being used to address one of Belgium’s internal agendas.

US vice-president Mike Pence to Energy pact ‘before the end of visit Brussels for talks the year,’ says Tommelein The American vice-president Mike Pence will visit Brussels on 20 February, the White House has confirmed. Pence (pictured) will first visit Munich, where he will take part in an international security conference. From there he will travel to Belgium to meet representatives of the federal government, the European Union and Nato, in talks aimed at strengthening transatlantic ties. Pence’s visit is also likely aimed at calming concerns in Europe about remarks made by Donald Trump during the election campaign last year about the US withdrawing funding from Nato. Trump’s relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin is also cause for concern. This will be the Trump administration’s first official visit to Belgium. Trump, meanwhile, has accepted an invitation to visit the UK later in the year, leading to protests and a petition calling for the invitation to be rescinded. The US president is also be expected to attend a Nato summit in May in Brussels, but that

may not take place if the new headquarters of the organisation are not ready in time. \ Alan Hope

The federal government and the three regional governments – Flemish, BrusselsCapital and Walloon – will have agreed to an energy pact by the end of this year, Flemish energy minister Bart Tommelein has declared. On Monday, all four energy ministers met in the offices of federal minister Marie Christine Marghem to plot the way forward. Four working groups will be created, each headed by one of the ministers: production strategy (Flanders), governance (Brussels), connections and flexibility ( federal) and market operations (Wallonia). Among the tasks facing the groups is the closure of Belgium’s nuclear facilities – at Doel in East Flanders and Tihange in Wallonia – by 2025, as well as an increase in renewable energy sources to replace nuclear. Ministers agreed to meet again on 15 March to evaluate the results achieved by the working groups. The energy pact is part of the federal government’s governing agreement,

put together in 2014. The deadline then was end 2015. “This energy pact has to be a fact before the end of the year,” Tommelein said. “There are huge challenges. We are evolving towards a decentralised model where each entity produces its own energy. It’s important for us in to give the direction for energy production.” \ AH

fEBruary 8, 2017

Minister-president lays out Flanders’ vision of EU

5TH coluMn smart energy

meeting with European commissioner to discuss short- and long-term view alan hope More articles by alan \ flanderstoday.org

landers’ minister-president Geert Bourgeois met the European Commissioner for inter-institutional relations last week to lay out the government’s vision on the future of the EU. Bourgeois’ discussion with Frans Timmermans was his sixth bilateral meeting with a member of the Commission. The importance of such meetings, Bourgeois said in a statement, is to press Flanders’ case directly and to strengthen links between the region’s government and the EU, providing highlevel support to Flemish representation to the institutions as well as a Flemish presence in meetings of the Council of Ministers.

European Commissioner for inter-institutional relations Frans Timmermans (left) with Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois

Taking place on the day before a meeting of EU leaders in Malta and in the run-up to the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome next month, the meeting gave Bourgeois an opportunity to make a “pro-active promotion” of the paper on the Flemish vision of the future of the EU, approved by the government at the end of last year. “The Flemish government is so far the only government in the Union with a comprehensive vision on the topic for the short and long term,” he said. The two also agreed to organise a citizens’ dialogue in Flanders and to work together to give the public debate on the EU a new impetus.

Flanders’ EU policy sees breaches fall to record low

Welfare minister introduces new plan to help people with autism

The Flemish government’s proactive policy of following up the application of European regulations has seen the number of cases where Flanders is considered in breach of rules fall to a new low. At the end of 2016, the number stood at only nine: four in cases where EU legislation was late in being applied, and five where the application of European rules was considered incomplete. The number of infringements reported by the EU stood at 12 just a month earlier, while in December 2015, the number was 15. Infringements are noted when EU laws are late in being applied or are applied wrongly or insufficiently. The government of Flanders, according to minister-president Geert Bourgeois’ office, argued that in three of the nine cases the government has done all it can and

Flemish welfare minister Jo Vandeurzen has presented a plan with 15 concrete actions to improve the lives of people with autism. The plan was developed by experts who came together in an autism task force. About one in 160 people are born with autism, a developmental disorder that limits their ability to communicate and interact with others. The task force found that people with autism often have trouble finding their way in society. Transition phases in their lives, such as moving house or changing schools, are particularly difficult. The plan’s priorities include provid-

is waiting on other governments to take the necessary action. “Every infringement is one too many, especially as this country’s rate of adapting to European law is one of the highest in the European Union,” Bourgeois said. “Flanders has therefore committed itself to making an effort at better management of adaptations via the Eurocoordinator in the Department for Foreign Affairs.” Based on the European Commission’s work programme for 2017, the government has calculated that 13 agenda points refer to Flemish responsibilities, seven of which merit closer attention over the coming months. Those include multi-year financing after 2020, a White Paper on the future of Europe and revision of the Eurovignette Directive in the light of Belgium’s new road tolls. \ AH

Weyts launches campaign promoting accessible accomodation The Flemish tourism minister has launched a campaign to encourage the hospitality industry to become more open and accessible to families with children, as well as guests with a handicap. The drive is the latest step in Ben Weyts’ strategy to turn Flanders into a tourist destination for a wide public. It aims to provide owners of cafes and restaurants with tips on how to improve their welcome for the target groups, by distributing brochures and 1,000 promotional packets containing badges, coasters and feedback forms. “The campaign offers achievable solutions,” Weyts said at the launch. “Thanks to a few smart tips, any owner can open up their business to a wider public. My wish is for a pleasant restaurant

visit or an agreeable evening in a cafe to be available for everyone.” The patron of the campaign is Gert De Mangeleer, three-starred chef of Hertog Jan in Zedelgem, West Flanders. “Customer-friendliness and real hospitality are the essence of every restaurant,” he said. “When we converted our farmhouse into the new Hertog Jan, we deliberately chose an accessible building, with an adapted bathroom and a lower front desk. But there’s more to it than infrastructure. There are also the 101 little things that respond to the guests’ needs. I’m honoured to be the face of this campaign.” The campaign is being run by industry federations Horeca Vlaanderen and Toerisme Vlaanderen. \ AH

ing more opportunities for autistic people to participate in society and to address the needs of their families and caregivers. It also stipulates that a counsellor should be available to people with autism to help in communicating with authorities such as the juvenile department, schools and workplaces. Because of budgetary restrictions, it will not be possible to carry out all 15 actions immediately, but the development of more transparent and adequate provision of care is at the top of the list. Current support options, said Vandeurzen, are too often unknown or insufficient. \ Andy Furniere

Let customers return packaging to shops, says environment minister Flemish environment minister Joke Schauvliege has proposed allowing customers to bring some forms of packaging back to shops, so it can be disposed of centrally. The measure concerns the plastic that holds a number of items together, such as bottles of mineral water. This type of waste must be thrown out but often ends up in the blue bag for PMD, which is not allowed. Shoppers are already allowed to remove the plastic in the shop and leave it behind, said Schauvliege. “Leaving packaging behind is no problem, and we keep our members informed about that option,” said Dominique Michel, spokesperson for sector federation Comeos. “Bringing packaging back is another story. The supermarket is not a container park.” A law once required shops to take back packaging, but that was overruled by an agreement between the sector and the regional governments, which recognised that a shop would be unable to determine whether the packaging had originated in that

store. The Schauvliege plan would “cause extra red tape for the retailer, not to mention the extra costs of storage and disposal,” said Luc Ardies of Buurtsuper.be, a subsidiary of Unizo that represents small shops. The industry, he said, had agreed with the government to help finance the disposal and treatment of packaging via a Green Point contribution. “There can be no question of making us pay a second time,” he said. “We also fail to see the advantage for the consumer in bringing waste back to the shop, when it can be picked up at home.” \ AH

Starting in 2019, every home in Flanders will get a “smart meter”, which will register its electricity and gas use per hour. This will encourage a more efficient use of energy, make meter-reading visits a thing of the past and open the market to a number of innovative services. Flemish energy minister Bart Tommelein (Open VLD) announced the introduction of the smart meters last week. Politically speaking, it is a move with some risk. Energy has been a sensitive issue for years, as it touches the electorate directly in the pocketbook. Tommelein’s predecessor, party colleague Annemie Turtelboom, introduced a tax on energy – nicknamed the Turtel tax – that was so unpopular, it led to her resignation. Tommelein, too, must avoid a reputation of being responsible for rising energy prices. But that’s not easy, as a rise is expected due to the transition to renewable energy. Electricity prices are the object of a bitter fight between the government coalition majority and SP.A, the opposition party that held the energy portfolio in previous governments. The majority blames SP.A for the “solar panel disaster”. To facilitate the introduction of solar panels, SP.A ministers set up a generous subsidy programme, which buckled when it became too successful. And for which the Turtel tax was meant to compensate. SP.A says that other parties were responsible for the problem, too, and that it halted the subsidies in a timely manner. Still, every time the socialists criticise energy policies, they are reminded of their share in it. Nonetheless, the opposition has reproached both the federal and Flemish governments for being insensitive to ordinary people’s rising energy bills. The introduction of the smart meters is another episode in this ongoing debate. SP.A has pointed to a study that states that the introduction of smart meters will cost more than it will ever yield. Tommelein has decided to push on. The introduction of smart meters will happen gradually, and he has made provisions for the owners of solar panels. Without these provisions, the smart meters would cost them dearly. With the taxes that have been introduced in recent years, having solar panels has turned out to be far less profitable than was projected. Indeed, many solar panel owners have started to wonder whether their investment was really worth it after all. \ Anja Otte

\ BusInEss

week in business Pharma Johnson & Johnson The US-based pharmaceutical and vaccines producer is investing a further €43 million in Beerse, Antwerp province, to build a 10,400 square-metre lab to develop new ranges of drugs from small molecules. The new facility is expected to open in 2020.

Retail Eram The French chain of shoe shops is closing its 28 outlets in Belgium with a loss of 130 jobs. The company blames recurring losses and unhealthy competition. Some of the stores may be taken over by the fast-developing chain Maniet, which hopes to open up to 10 stores this year.

Fast food McDonald’s The American fast food chain is investing €15 million to open a further four outlets and renovate five existing shops in Belgium this year.

Cinema kinepolis The Ghent-based multiplex cinema chain is building a seven-screen cinema in the city centre of ’s Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. The new facility is expected to open in early 2018.

Football OHl Oud-Heverlee Leuven football club, playing in the second tier of the country’s league, is being sold to China’s Shanghai Naisi Investment Management Centre.

Furnishings Jysk The Danish chain of bedding and home furnishings is opening its first local shops in Genk and Schoten in April. The company has plans to open up to 50 outlets in Belgium over the next five years, starting in Flanders.

Butchers Colruyt The discount supermarket inaugurated its €90 million, 18,000 square-metre Fine Food Meat centre in Halle last week. The new facility will prepare up to 18,000 tonnes of meat a year for distribution in its stores.

Difficult Brexit would cost Flanders millions in exports

high level group report says local industry could lose over €1 billion alan hope Follow alan on Twitter \ @alanHopeFT

elgian businesses could face a price tag of €1.6 billion if negotiations over Brexit – the UK’s exit from the European Union – prove difficult, forcing the two sides to apply World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. That is the conclusion of the first report published by the Brexit High Level Group set up by the federal government and chaired by Flemish industrialist Paul Buysse. A large majority of trade between the UK and Belgium happens in Flanders. At present, trade with the UK still falls under the single European market, where no trade tariffs are applied. In future, a set of mutually agreed tariffs will, if things go well, be put in place. Should the transition from one system to the other be held up in any way, WTO rules would

automatically come into force; that could be bad news for some sectors of industry, according to the High Level Group. The WTO operates a variety of tariffs for different types of goods and services, some of which

– such as those on processed and frozen food – would be a blow to Flemish companies that are very strong in the sector. The UK is Belgium’s fourth-largest export market, with trade of €31 billion in 2015. Chemicals and cars take the most in absolute terms, but the food and textiles sectors are highly dependent on the British market, which represents 30% of sales in some cases, according to the report. The report calls for a “comprehensive and ambitious” trade accord allowing a five-year transition period to avoid uncertainty and to allow businesses time to reorient themselves. “What counts is predictability,” prime minister Charles Michel said on receiving the report. “We have to guarantee that as far as we can.”

Torfs shoe chain is first to give green light to night shift Schoenen Torfs has become the first company in the country to reach an agreement with unions on night work since the introduction of new rules last month. The agreement covers overnight hours in the chain’s warehouses, where workers will prepare and dispatch online orders. The plan is to deliver orders made online by 22.00 the next day. According to the agreement – which has still to be signed – warehouse workers will finish work at 23.00, three hours later than they do now. Late hours will be voluntary and paid at a bonus rate. In the past, work between the hours

of 20.00 and 6.00 was illegal except in certain cases like hotels, health care, bakeries and agriculture. The rules were slightly looser for the logistics sector, allowing deliveries from warehouses to supermarkets within the same chain to be prepared in the evening. The more flexible rules were introduced by federal work minister Kris Peeters because webshops like Amazon and Bol.com are swallowing up a huge share of the online market. According to some analysts, the measures are too late, as customers have become accustomed to shopping online with international sellers. \ AH

Small mobile operators worried about new EU tariffs A group of smaller mobile phone operators, including Jim Mobile and Mobile Vikings, has issued a reaction to the decision by the European Parliament involving fixed tariffs. The tariffs for bulk data will be €7.70 per gigabyte this year, falling to €3.50 in 2020 and to €2.50 in 2022. “The maximum tariffs for trade are far too high,” said a spokesperson for MVNO Europe, the organisation of mobile virtual network operators. MVNO Europe represents smaller operators who do not have their own networks but lease capacity from the major operators such as Proximus and Telenet. The bulk tariffs are the prices paid by network operators to each other when a client of one operator strays onto the network of another. In most cases, any operator both pays and receives payment. But MVNOs only pay out, since they have no network of their own to charge for.

Lennik bar voted best in Belgium The renowned In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst (Insurance against a Great Thirst) has been chosen as the best beer bar in Belgium by the influential website RateBeer.com. The cafe, which specialises in lambic-based beers, is located in Eizeringen, a district of Lennik in Flemish Brabant. In de Verzekering (pictured) also came in at the top of the list of the best bars on RateBeer in 2014 and 2015, second only to Kulminator in Antwerp. Also on the best bars list this year for Belgium is ’t Brugs Beertje and Café Rose

Red in Bruges and both Moeder Lambic locations in Brussels. Struise brewery in Oostvleteren, West Flanders, was named best brewery, and their Cuvée Delphine was named best beer. Struise also joined 3 Fonteinen of Beersel and Cantillon of Brussels in the Top 100 of the best brewers in the world. In de Verzekering is normally only open from 10.00 to 13.30 on Sundays, but it’s offering a bonus right now: In honour of its 175th anniversary, it will be open until 20.00 on Sundays until 26 March.

\ AH

NMBS scraps ‘unfriendly’ rules © Ingimage

In addition, the growth in mobile data consumption is exploding, while other services, like calls and text messaging, are shrinking. According to MVNO Europe, there are small-scale trade tariffs on the market of €1 or €2 per gigabyte, but the MVNOs are bound to pay the higher trade tariffs. “With the tariffs proposed, small operators run the risk of not being able to make back their costs,” the spokesperson said. The organisation warned that the roaming charges for small operators could mean the end of competitive tariffs at home. \ AH

National rail authority NMBS is changing some of its conditions in an effort to improve customer service. Some rules have already been scrapped. Among the changes are the elimination of the €8 administrative charge to passengers who don’t have their rail pass on hand and the ability to get a refund on a ticket that’s not used within 30 minutes without paying a fee. The latter would also allow passengers to get off the train and back on in the middle of the journey without having to pay extra. Public transport user group TreinTramBus said they were pleased

with the changes. “This is what we’ve been asking them to do for years,” said a spokesperson. But it also pointed out some other NMBS conditions could still be easily removed. \ AH

\ COVER sTORy

fEBruary 8, 2017

In search of the simple life

low-impact living benefits the environment and offers a new perspective, practitioners say continued from page 1

A few months before he embarked on this life, De Gregorio lost his job at a production company, and soon grew tired of pursuing freelance assignments. “I had nothing else going on in my professional life,” he says. “Everything that could go wrong did.” When his year in nature is up, he plans to return to a more regular life. “I’ve been going on about this project for such a long time, my girlfriend is just happy that I’m getting it all out of my system.” he says. “From now on, we’re going to do things together, head out into the world and see what happens. There are plenty of places that offer food and lodging for some honest work.” As night settles, he throws more logs into the stove, then reads by candlelight before falling asleep. “I started this experiment at the lowest point in my life, but it couldn’t have turned out any better,” he says. “I’m free. Free to think my own thoughts, free to do whatever I want.” In 2008, around the time De Gregorio was reading the first pages of Walden, another Fleming, some 100 kilometres west of him, was on course to radically rethink his own way of life. Steven Vromman had been involved with various environmental organisations for most of his adult life. Travelling across countries of the South, the Ghent

Based on his own experiences, steven Vromman is trying to make a low-impact life more accessible to others

set about changing himself? He promptly insulated the walls in his rented apartment, put in thicker windows and replaced the roof. He lowered the heating to 15 degrees – to the dismay of his two children – and started collecting rainwater in buckets for flushing the toilet. To keep electric consumption down, he switched off the lights and installed a fixed bike in the living room to generate power

I started this experiment at the lowest point in my life, but it couldn’t have turned out any better ecologist met farmers, small traders, students and activists; their stories confronted him with a harsh reality. “We’re consuming so much, taking away whatever little they have, from the land that we use to grow crops and tobacco to the oil that powers our cars,” he says. “I realised something was wrong. It’s not right that a minority – a mere 20% of the world’s population – uses 80% of all available resources.” Vromman spent two decades in the environmental sector, eventually rising to the role of director at Ecolife, a Ghent-based non-profit, where he advised individuals, companies and governments on improving their own environmental and ethical records. The work consumed him, but progress was slow. Increasingly, Vromman found himself yearning to do more, find other means of influencing people. And then, one day, it hit him. What if, instead of encouraging society to change, he

for his laptop and TV. Food had to be local, seasonal and preferably organic. Packaging produces prohibitive amounts of waste, so he started buying in bulk. Also crossed off his list were avocados, chocolate and coffee – products that have to be flown in from thousands of kilometres away. The measures were part of a challenge to reduce his ecological footprint – his impact on the planet – to the bare minimum. “The footprint takes into account everything we consume, including food and petrol, but also fertilisers, transport, preservatives and so on,” says Vromman. “It’s expressed in terms of required land use.” An average Belgian takes up seven to eight hectares of land, making Belgium the first- or second-highest ranked in Europe, depending on estimates. By contrast, a country like Kenya, with three times as many people, uses an average of one hectare per capita. The

Tomas De Gregorio has moved into a caravan and is attempting to live for a year on just €2,500, inspired by american author Henry David Thoreau

Earth’s total capacity is estimated at around 12 billion hectares. Do the maths, Vromman says, “and you’ll realise we’d need three planets to sustain our way of life”. The first six months of his rigorous regiment were turned into a TV series, Low-Impact Man, which aired on Canvas in 2008. During that time, Vromman managed to cut his ecological footprint to 1.6 hectares and became an instant sensation in the environmental community. His blog gained thousands of followers from all over

the world. Today, the 56-year-old no longer resorts to such drastic measures. With a fully equipped kitchen, two bedrooms and a sizeable balcony, his new apartment in Ghent looks nothing out of the ordinary. But don’t let appearances fool you, says Vromman, who’s been living here for almost a year. Pointing around the well-lit apartment, he explains that almost every aspect of it is eco-friendly and sustainable, from the recycled floor and clay walls to the triple-

pane windows that ensure minimum heat loss through the winter. All electrical appliances, including two laptops and a microwave, are powered by energy from renewable resources, while the shower and the dishwasher rely on harvested rainwater heated by solar panels installed on the roof. Though his ecological footprint is now slightly higher, Vromman’s lifestyle remains as savvy. His new apartment is part of a co-housing complex, which the ecologist shares with seven other families. He makes do without his own washing machine, as there are several in the basement, and though he still prefers cycling and taking the train, the complex has three shared cars, which Vromman reserves using an app on his Fairphone, the world’s first ethically sourced smartphone. He says he finds himself having more time to do the things he actually loves, like going to the market every week or baking his own bread. “I’ve gained a different perspective on what’s important to me. I think it’s perfectly possible to a have good, sustainable life, without having to sacrifice a lot.” Now his focus is on making the low-impact lifestyle more accessible to others. He quit his job at Ecolife and travels across Flanders and Brussels, hosting lectures and workshops. “A lot of people say, ‘Yes, we know there’s a problem with climate change, but what can we do?’ So I try to show them that as consumers they’re making a choice about the planet’s future.” The world, he adds, will continue to change, and “it is up to us to take a stance. If we step aside and say there is nothing we can do, then it will be business as usual, and things will only get worse.” Switch to green electricity, he says, eat less meat, or become a vegetarian. Use public transport or join a car-sharing initiative. Buy only second-hand clothes and insulate your home. Join a food network – Vromman is part of Voedselteams, an organisation that strengthens local farmers by letting consumers order groceries directly from them via a webshop – or start a local exchange platform like Lets Vlaanderen. Move to an ethical bank, like Triodos, or buy shares at ecological co-operatives. “They’re popping up everywhere,” says Vromman. “I invest in organic construction, a young farmers network and ecological fries.” But the most important thing, he adds, is to focus on the positive. “Picture a world where we use fewer resources and produce less waste – a more egalitarian world that revolves around sharing. There’s your alternative.”

\ InnOVaTIOn

week in innovaTion smart meters in all homes from 2019 Flemish energy minister Bart Tommelein plans to replace all domestic electricity meters with smart digital meters, starting in 2019. With smart meters, distribution system operators will be able to better monitor consumption and adjust supply to demand. It will also be easier for householders to get an overview of their consumption. Not everyone would immediately have to install a new meter. New houses and those with solar panels would be the first. There has been concern about digital meters among householders who use solar panels. With the current meters, their meter goes backwards when they produce more energy than they consume, but that wouldn’t be possible with the new meters. Tommelein has promised that solar panels will remain profitable.

Digital.Brussels brings ICT sector together

The government of the Brussels-Capital Region is bringing together all initiatives concerning the digital sector in Digital. Brussels. Joining forces should make the capital a digital frontrunner in Europe, according to the government. The three minister responsible for implementing the new strategy are the state secretary for digitisation Bianca Debaets, Brussels minister for work and economy Didier Gosuin and state secretary for scientific research Fadila Laanan. They are establishing a committee to co-ordinate the strategy. Brussels’ digital sector consists of more than 2,000 ICT enterprises, but the government wants to develop the sector further by supporting its growth and investing in training.

super 3D resolution in regular microscopes

Scientists from the University of Leuven and Flanders’ biotech institute Vito have developed ground-breaking technology to observe the tiniest particles in 3D. So-called confocal microscopes have already been used for decades to zoom in on tiny particles like proteins and to observe them in three dimensions, but until now scientists haven’t been able to pass the 200 nanometres barrier, under which the image becomes blurred. The researchers from Leuven developed a technique that will allow enable super-resolution in standard microscopes. The German company Zeiss, a world leader in the manufacturing of microscopes, has decided to implement the technology in its devices.

Shaking it up

flanders’ culturally minded are invited to a weekend of creative gaming ian mundell follow Ian on Twitter \ @IanMundell

ideo games are big business these days, rivalling Hollywood movies in both budgets and audiences. But just as there are also independent, art-house films, there are independent video games, which do things differently. “They are usually made by smaller teams, without multi-billion dollar budgets, and they tend to be either very personal and expressive, or really experimental and try to innovate with the medium,” says Bram Michielsen of Antwerp games collective House of Indie. He is also the director of Screen Shake, a weekend festival that celebrates independent games. Its fifth edition takes place next weekend. “We try to showcase games where the voice of the author still shines through,” he explains. “We feel these are the most relevant examples of the artistic validity of video games.” Take Florian Veltman’s Lieve Oma, a short narrative game about a small child going on long country walks with grandma. While boring at the time, these walks become more meaningful when the child grows up and looks back. According to Michielsen, “playing” the story is different from seeing it in a film or on the page. “The fact that it’s a game and that it has this colourful, expressionist shine to it makes it different from seeing it as a passive observer. You’re participating in this seemingly autobiographical experience.” Lieve Oma is one of the games in Screen Shake’s international selection. Other titles that leap out of the programme include psychedelic puzzle game She Remembered Caterpillars, which develops into a meditation on mortality.

Then there is One Night Stand, a game where you wake up next to a naked stranger and have to work out what happened the night before, and what to do next. And Beglitched, which is all about computer insecurity as the player becomes apprentice to the Glitch Witch. A selection of games made in Belgium is also promised. In addition, the festival features a space for multi-player games and sessions where games are played on a big screen with live musical accompaniment. Then there is an exhibition, created by Dutch video game collective Sokpop and Keita Takahashi, developer of the quirky Katamari Damacy. There are talks on indie games by people inside and outside the industry, workshops and a “show and tell” session where developers can network and reveal work in progress. “I’ve always thought of Screen Shake as a cross between a TED conference and the Ghent Film Festival,” Michielsen says. “It’s for a culturally minded, general audi-

ence, but it just happens to be about games rather than movies.” Screen Shake is part of a broader movement to raise the profile of indie games and encourage the game development scene in Flanders. In particular, Michielsen and his colleagues wanted to create the kind of community spirit they saw in other countries but which was lacking here. In 2013 they created House of Indie as a non-profit games collective, along with the festival. Then came the Indie Game Salon, a monthly meet-up in Antwerp for game developers that is now nearly three years old. “In the past year, we’ve started doing talks and interviews, to increase informal knowledge exchange and as a way to keep it fresh and give people a reason to keep coming.” Finally there is Headstart, an international summer school that aims to help young developers make the transition from the academic

10-12 february

bubble to the workplace. Each edition takes 15 talented, highly motivated participants from all over the world. “The more motivated they are, the more interesting it is for the others to be in the same group as them, because they elevate one other,” Michielsen explains. “And the diversity creates a wider network for everyone.” Accompanied by 10 mentors from different backgrounds, they spend a week together on master classes, workshops and roundtable discussions. The week ends with a twoday game jam, where they put what they have learned into practice. “After a week, you’ve created this tight-knit community that stretches across the globe and contains every profile, from programmer to marketing, and these super-motivated kids who are ready to go and conquer the world.” The first edition took place in Antwerp, but now it is going global. Finance permitting, 2017 will see editions of Headstart in Denmark and on each coast of the US. A future project is to create an incubator that would bring companies working on indie games together in one place. “You would have an easy exchange of ideas and knowledge, a central point of dialogue [ for the sector], and an easy entrance point for students and amateur or parttime developers,” Michielsen says. “The model we have also sees it becoming a games publisher, so it would become a label of quality for the industry in Belgium.”

Het Bos

Ankerrui 5, Antwerp

UCLL students win European award for energy-generating dance floor ucll.BE

Last year’s Pukkelpop music festival saw some unlikely stars among its headline acts. While Rihanna, The Chemical Brothers and Craig David provided entertainment on stage, a team of scientists and students from the University College Leuven-Limburg (UCLL) showcased their green energy projects and busied themselves recycling some of the 400 tonnes of waste the festival produces with the help of 3D-printed gadgets. Now the hard work has paid off. The UCLL team recently won the European Festival Award for the energy-generating dance floor it installed at Pukkelpop. Festival-goers were encouraged to jump on squares and work off their beers, powering lights in the process. The project, in the festival’s Baraque Futur zone, also had a smart energy net, powered by windmills and solar power, with a rapeseed oil generator as a back-up. “It all worked on green energy, and we used it to feed the whole Baraque Futur site,” says UCLL scientist

Thomas Henderickx. Students turned some of the flood of discarded plastic cups into filament for 3D printers. They then printed key chains for members of the audience. After a busy period preparing for the festival, Henderickx and his team didn’t think about the possibility of winning a prize. “We were working so hard,” he says. “It was a big surprise. We had never done anything on this scale before.

We had the theoretical knowledge but not the practical experience.” They weren’t even sure, he says, that it would appeal to festival-goers. “They are there for the music and to have fun. You never know how they will react to something like this, but actually, when they were not partying, they were really interested. They were asking, ‘How does it work? What’s behind it?’” Henderickx hopes that the interest at the festival and subsequent media attention will put the spotlight on clean energy. “If it can work there,” he says, “it can work anywhere.” The technology could eventually be rolled out at other festivals. This summer, the team will not return to Pukkelpop with the same project – but with something bigger, Henderickx says. The goal is to have 100 students involved – double the size of last year’s team. So if it’s not a dance floor, what will Henderickx’s team be up to? “Sorry, but that’s classified.” \ Emma Portier Davis

\ EDuCaTIOn

fEBruary 8, 2017

City under a microscope

week in eDucaTion let refugees finish the year, say Ghent schools

Brussels research journal celebrates decade of self-study

BrussEls.rEvuEs.org

ian mundell More articles by Ian \ flanderstoday.org

Bsi-BrussEls.BE

t’s a cold afternoon in downtown Brussels and a celebration is taking place at Tentation, the cultural centre famous for its Latin dance sessions. The occasion is the 10th anniversary of the research journal Brussels Studies, and the fifth anniversary of the Brussels Studies Institute. So, there is a very Brussels atmosphere. The people are friendly and all seem to know one another. They chat energetically, drink bad coffee and eat large slices of cake. The presentations switch freely (if not always fluently) from French to Dutch to English and back again, and a small protest breaks out when an all-male panel takes the stage. “Bravo! Not a single woman!” calls a voice from the audience, followed by a smattering of applause and an embarrassed explanation from the moderator. A large turn-out and the strong sense of community are signs of success for both journal and institute, which are closely connected but separate initiatives. The journal was set up in December 2006 with the aim of collecting and disseminating academic research on Brussels. “It’s a scientific journal like any other, but it’s freely available and aims to reach a wider audience than a typical scientific journal,” says Michel Hubert, director of Brussels Studies and a sociologist at the city’s Saint-Louis University. The first decade saw 123 articles published online, each in English, French and Dutch, clocking up 750,000 downloads. The two most popular articles couldn’t be more different. One is a study of the stations proposed for the Regional Express Railway through Brussels,

written in 2012 by Kevin Lebrun and Frédéric Dobruszkes. The other is Sven Steffens’ 2007 article on popular place names, past and present, in Molenbeek. Other subjects covered in the journal range from aircraft noise to housing, from the languages used in Brussels to Muslim representation in city politics. Socioeconomic changes on the border between Brussels and Flemish Brabant have been scrutinised, as have those strange migrants known as Brussels expats. Another study compared Brussels and Washington DC as federal capitals. The younger Brussels Studies Institute (BSI), which publishes much of its work in the journal, brings together university researchers to work on projects examining different aspects of the city. It was founded by Brussels’ three main universities – SaintLouis and the two free universities, VUB and ULB – but also involves others with an interest in the city, such as the University of

Leuven and the Catholic University of Louvain. “We have 25 research centres affiliated with the Institute, from geographers and historians to political scientists and linguists,” says Joost Vaesen, the director of BSI and a historian at VUB. “The added value of the BSI is that we can tackle certain issues and societal challenges from different points of view.” Nothingillustratesthisbetterthan the Brussels Centre Observatory, which has been set up to study the controversial pedestrian zone in the city centre. Over four years it will look at the project’s history, its geographical and architectural aspects, and of course its impact on transport and mobility. The BSI’s core funding comes from the government of the Brussels-Capital Region, while individual projects are paid for by public, non-profit or private sponsors. Some projects have a single sponsor while others involve several organisations pooling their resources to produce information

they can share. One such is the research chair on companies and sustainable mobility, a four-year programme funded by 12 private-sector organisations. While focused on commercial interests, the BSI has been careful to protect the project’s academic independence, setting up a steering committee to oversee the work. “It is one-third academics, onethird funders and one-third stakeholders – such as the public transport authorities and civil society,” Vaesen explains. “So we have an organised dialogue and come to a shared vision, and, on the basis of that shared vision, the researchers set to work.” Other on-going projects include a mapping study of Brussels’ youth, an enquiry into student housing and a task force looking at the city during the war years of 1914-18. How the research results are used is usually up to the sponsors, but one study has had a particular significance for the universities. This looked at Brussels as a centre for higher education, finding a surprising 51 institutions represented in the city, from the three main universities to private schools and American branch campuses. “We discovered that Brussels is home to the most students in Belgium,” says Serge Jaumain, chair of BSI and a professor of history at ULB. Most people would say it was Leuven, whose university had just over 57,000 students at last count, but the figures told a different story. “Today you have around 100,000 students in Brussels, but in a population of 1.1 million you don’t see the students so obviously.”

Schools in Ghent have written a collective open letter to education minister Hilde Crevits, requesting that all refugee children be allowed to finish the year in their current school. The plea follows news that the Reno emergency shelter in the city is to close soon and some families will be forced to move out of Ghent. Some will have to go to Wallonia, even though they have been learning Dutch. The schools said they couldn’t agree with “a policy that doesn’t take into account the efforts people take to integrate into their neighbourhood”. Children’s rights commissioner Bruno Vanobbergen has pointed out that there are too few shelters in Flanders, requiring some families to move across the language border.

More teachers victim of assault

More than 70 teachers were injured last year due to physical assault at school, a rise from 47 in 2015, according to figures provided by education minister Hilde Crevits. Teachers are not only more often assaulted by students but also by parents. According to unions, the sharp increase is related to the introduction of the M decree, which mainstreamed many students with special needs from special education to general education. Gie Deboutte of the education and upbringing expertise centre Expoo said that schools don’t always have the necessary support options and financial resources to deal with this situation, which means that students’ problems lead to aggression more often.

€180,000 for music education in Brussels

Q&a Yana Dekempeneer is a PhD student at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, where she investigates nanobodies that could power the next generation of targeted cancer therapies. She’s just received a grant of €13,000

therapy is the best form of treatment for cancer, especially for metastatic cancer. My goal is to get this therapy into clinics.

You work with so-called radioactive nanobodies. What are they? Nanobodies are very small fragments derived from antibodies occurring naturally in members of the Camelidae family, like camels and alpacas. Just like a complete antibody, which is the key component of every immune system, nanobodies are able to bind selectively with a specific antigen. Due to their unique structure, high stability, small size and ease of production, nanobodies are ideal building blocks for a generation of drugs with multiple competitive

You’ve just received €13,000 from the waste-treatment company Incovo in Zemst. Why would Incovo be interested in cancer research? In 2015, I received a €37,000 starter grant from the cancer charity Kom Op Tegen Kanker to finance the beginning of my PhD research. An article about this appeared in the media, and it caught the attention of some employees at Incovo, which is located in my hometown. The taxus plant, a common garden shrub, is used in cancer-treatment methods, such as chemotherapy. Like many waste-treatment companies in Flanders,

advantages over other therapeutic molecules. How could cancer patients benefit from your research? I focus on targeted therapy using alpha-particle emitters. Due to the high energy make-up of radioactive alpha-particles, they allow precise delivery of highly toxic radiation to target cells – the cancer cells – with limited harm to healthy untargeted cells nearby. This strategy could be ideal for the treatment of small malignant cell populations, such as metastasis. I am convinced that targeted alpha

Incovo collects the clippings of the plant from residents and sells it on to pharma companies. The firm decided to donate their profits from the sale of the clippings to my research. That support is really welcome, as obtaining radioactive compounds is expensive. \ Interview by Senne Starckx

The government of the Brussels-Capital Region has given €180,000 to Jeugd en Muziek Brussel (Youth and Music Brussels) to bolster its educational programmes in Dutchspeaking schools. The funding will allow pupils in primary and secondary school to learn to play and write music in workshops, concerts and camps. The non-profit organisation will also provide workshops and coaching for teachers. “The creative and young heart of Brussels will beat faster through the power of music,” said Jeugd en Muziek Brussel general manager Patrick Lenaers. “Encouraging creativity tailored to all students of our city – that’s our mission.”

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\ lIVInG

fEBruary 8, 2017

Have heart, will travel

week in acTiviTies

leuven non-profit helps flemish youth volunteer at home and abroad sofia christensen Follow sofia on Twitter \ @sofiacsn

BouwordE.BE

are to work in an Albanian community centre or plant trees in Ecuador? Volunteering has become a popular form of travel for young people eager to discover the world. Every year, thousands of Flemish youngsters go abroad with the intent of getting their hands dirty and making a difference on the ground. Bouworde has been providing such opportunities since 1953. Based in Leuven, the non-profit organises volunteering trips for people who are between 15 and 30 years old and live in Flanders or in Brussels. Those interested are spoilt for choice. Bouworde owns 114 volunteer camps in 38 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Volunteers can choose between social, ecological and technical projects. “Our most popular project is in the Moroccan town of Taroudant, where volunteers help out in an understaffed orphanage and work in a centre for street kids,” says Karen Heylighen, who is responsible for fundraising and communications at Bouworde. Nearly 75% of the volunteers are female, she continues, “as they are usually very interested in social work. Boys tend to go for technical projects such as building schools”. But this was not the case for Silke Lenaerts, a 23-year-old student from Leuven, who has been on two volunteering trips with Bouworde. “I chose construction projects because I like to see the result when I leave,” she explains. “In social projects you interact with local people, but you don’t really leave anything behind.” Lenaerts first travelled to Egypt in 2012, where she spent two-and-a-

Learning Dutch? Get some practice with other nonnative speakers as well as native speakers during a relaxed conversation session. A native Dutch-speaker leads the conversation. Every Friday except during school holidays. 10 February 10.00-12.00, Muntpunt, Muntplein 6, Brussels; free \ muntpunt.be

winter Vonken This weekend, the Burg in Bruges is the place to be for fiery spectacle, breathtaking street theatre and world music. The outdoor winter bar opens at 19.00, illuminated by blazing fires and light sculptures. Then a surrealistic aerial performance is followed by a different band each night. 10-11 February 19.00-23.00; free

half weeks painting run-down classrooms in Luxor, in the country’s south, with four other volunteers. In 2015, she went to Central Java, where she took part in the construction of a wooden school. “Volunteering is an eye-opening experience,” says Heylighen. “Young people are exposed to different cultures and to the problems and inequalities that exist. Our main goal is to raise awareness and encourage youngsters to become citizens of the world.” Accessibility is key to Bouworde’s mission. Anyone who meets the age and residency requirements can apply online, after which projects are assigned on a first-come firstserved basis. Fees vary from €1,500 – for the most remote destinations – all the way down to €50 for local projects. As the fees are a deterrent to some

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hopefuls, Bouworde has created a fund to reduce the financial burden for young people from low-income families. To reach them, the organisation collaborates with schools across the region and with the Holiday Participation Centre, an initiative started by Tourism Flanders-Brussels to help disadvantaged young people go on holidays. “Bouworde puts €1,000 into the fund each year,” explains Heylighen, “To that, we add returns from various fundraising activities such as the Music for Life action last December.” Last year, three underprivileged youngsters benefitted from the fund and Heylighen hopes to send five more abroad in 2017. “Our opinion is that everyone should have the opportunity to participate,” she says.

Exotic destinations are enticing, but Heylighen points out that you do not have to travel thousands of miles to make a difference. “We also have volunteering projects here in Flanders, mainly in asylum centres operated by the Red Cross” she says. “These have become increasingly popular since the migration crisis. I think people like the idea of doing something in their own country as well.” Ultimately, what matters is the learning experience. “Volunteering teaches you skills you wouldn’t normally acquire,” says Lenaerts. “You get to know people on a completely different level and you learn to put your own values aside.” She also believes volunteering has made her more pragmatic: “You learn to fix problems with a lot less than we have here.”

biTe Exotic chocolate takes centre stage at Brussels chocoladesalon BrussEls.salon-du-chocolat.com

At the Chocoladesalon in Brussels this month, visitors will find themselves faced with 8,000 square metres of chocolate products from 130 exhibitors. One of the big hits from previous editions, a fashion parade of dresses made from chocolate, opens a special pre-salon evening next Thursday, normally reserved for VIPs and media but this year open to the public. One-third of the €30 admission goes to Télévie, a charity that raises funds for cancer and leukaemia research. The fashion show continues at 17.00 on subsequent days, with designers including Natan and students from the François Ferrer school, teamed up with chocolatiers like Laurent Gerbaud, Valentino and Jean-Luc Decluzeau of Leonidas.

Babbelut conversation table

Friday’s programme includes a series of workshops by names like Dominique Persoone of the Chocolate Line in Bruges, Brussels biscuitmaker Maison Dandoy, Christophe Hardiquest of famed Brussels restaurant Bon Bon and mixologist

Matthieu Chaumont of the capital’s Hortense Food & Cocktails. Elsewhere there are lectures, roundtables and debates on subjects such as matching beer and chocolate, combining olive and cocoa, bean-to-bar chocolate in Vietnam and, most importantly, the Belgian Chocolate Awards. If you’re bringing the kids along, they’re catered for with hands-on workshops every hour, as well as “cocoa classes” explaining where chocolate actually comes from. Finally, this year’s salon highlights young rising talents, including Mina Apostolidis, a Greek-born chocolatier who marries chocolate with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern

10-12 february

flavours; Laurence Florent, whose creations are made without refined sugar, gluten, lactose or additives; and Chocolero, a start-up that works to convince South American farmers to switch from coca ( from which cocaine is derived) to cocoa. “Brussels’ image is inextricably linked with chocolate,” says Philippe Close, Brussels-City councillor in charge of tourism. “We have the best chocolatiers working in the most prestigious locations, real craftsmen who offer their delicious product in every shape and form, from the simple bar to the most sophisticated arrangements.”

\ Alan Hope

Tour & Taxis

Q-Run to you What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a night-time fun run with your partner? Each of you follows a separate course through the city, accompanied by neon lights and pumping music, to meet up at the finish line. Then it’s time to party together on the dance floor into the night. 11 February 19.30, Ethias Arena, Gouverneur Verwilghensingel 70, Hasselt; €30 ( for two) \ qruntoyou.be

love Bug Parade An annual Valentine’s tradition, this gathering of Beetles and their owners coincides with a loving tribute to the VW Bug at AutoWorld. Come to the front of the museum between 11.00 and 13.30 to see the cars before they head out in a colourful procession through the city centre. Then visit the exhibition dedicated to the cars and the hippie era. 12 February 13.30-16.00, Jubelpark 11, Brussels; free \ autoworld.be

urban Trail Put on your running shoes and discover Belgium’s most beautiful cities in a unique way. First up is Bruges on 18 Feb, followed by Antwerp, Ghent, Hasselt, Brussels and Mechelen. Each trail is 10-12 kilometres and takes you through the centre of town. Until December, across Flanders; €25 in advance or €30 on the day \ sport.be

Havenlaan 86c, Brussels

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100% of our IB Diploma graduating students passed in 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x153;I loved my time at BSB! It was great preparation for studying at Cambridge. I really enjoyed the challenging IB Diploma together with the opportunity to play piano, practise ballet, learn French and Spanish as well as be involved in Amnesty International.â&#x20AC;?

Disa Greaves Year 13 student from Iceland, who chose the IB Diploma from the choice of IB, A Levels & BTEC

Your favourite school To find out why, visit www.britishschool.be

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fEBruary 8, 2017

House of glass

hasselt’s newest gallery shines light on contemporary glass art diana goodwin Follow Diana on Twitter \ @basedinbelgium

ith the opening of the Schiepers Gallery in Hasselt, Belgium has its first exhibition space dedicated to contemporary glass art. The inaugural exhibition, Introduction I, opened this month with works by six Flemish glass artists: Giampaolo Amoruso, Warner Berckmans, Wouter Bolangier, Alexander Ketele, Edward Leibovitz and Ilse Van Roy. Sue Schiepers had wanted to open her own art gallery ever since she was an art history student at the University of Leuven. “But when you graduate at 22, you don’t have the money, you don’t have the expertise and you don’t have the network,” she says. Now, having built her career as a businesswoman, curator and art consultant, she’s finally made her dream come true. In choosing Hasselt as the location of her gallery, Schiepers hopes to take advantage of glass art’s popularity in neighbouring countries. “You have the glass culture in the Netherlands, in Germany and France,” she says. “And in Hasselt you have the clientele nearby. I

thought, Hasselt is maybe the perfect place and there are not so many galleries here.” Schiepers didn’t start out as a glass connoisseur. She freely admits that when she left university, “I knew nothing about glass”. But a job organising exhibitions for Kunstforum Würth Turnhout, a private museum in Antwerp province, put her in contact with international glass museums and galleries, and a passion for glass was born. The works currently on display attest to the versatility of glass as a medium. They include mixedmedia sculptures that combine glass with steel, colourful glass sculptures with intricately engraved surfaces, smooth glass panels hanging on the walls, and glass objects that are both delicate and monumental. The range of techniques used is eye-opening and goes far beyond the image of traditional glass-blowing. “It’s called Introduction I because it’s my introduction to the public, and for the public to know me and the gallery,” Schiepers explains. “I focus on Belgian artists because I

schiEPErsgallEry.BE

am the only gallery in Belgium for glass, and a bit of nationalism is not so misplaced,” she laughs. “We have some good glass artists in Belgium, so why not?” All of the artists are hand-picked by Schiepers. “I know every artist personally”, she says. “I don’t want to present an artist I haven’t seen. I always visit their atelier. And I must click with the artist. Otherwise you can’t explain the work of the artist properly, I think.” She plans to organise six exhibitions a year. The second exhibition will be titled Introduction II and will feature artists from the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Britain and Germany. The

wall’s, 2016, by alexander ketele

third will be a solo exhibition dedicated to American glass artist Carol Milne, known for her unique “knitted-glass” sculptures. The gallery is in a renovated old building in Hasselt’s historic centre, where the smell of fresh paint lingered at the opening last week. Schiepers points to a blank space on the wall and says she wants to put a TV screen there,

until 5 june

where she will show videos of glass artists at work in their studios. “It’s the art historian in me – I want to educate people,” she says. “I want to teach people how glass is made. You have so many techniques like plate glass, blown glass and slump glass.” Her passion for the art form is contagious. Guiding a visitor around the gallery, she talks about each work, and the artist who created it, with knowledge and enthusiasm. Hasselt, and the Belgian art scene, are richer for her efforts.

sMak

Jan Hoetplein 1, Ghent

Buda Vista 10: Making art with the people of Kortrijk The Buda Arts Centre in Kortrijk doesn’t have a season as such. Instead its theatres and studios are turned over to artists for a series of residencies, with a selection of the results showcased twice a year in the Buda Vista festival. The 10th edition runs this month. But more than time and space, Buda residents get the Compañeros, a group of people from the local community who are ready and willing to help the artists develop their work. The Compañeros have more distance than friends or other artists, and can be franker than the general public. “They don’t know anything about the project, and they are not linked to the contemporary art field,” explains Agnès Quackels, Buda’s artistic leader. “If they don’t understand something, they will say so plainly, and if they think it is bullshit, they will say that, too.” Artists can use the group for whatever input they need. They can ask specific questions about an idea, an image or the rhythm of a piece, or just seek general feedback. Initially, Buda actively recruited its Compañeros, but now the group has a life of its own, growing by word of mouth. It also overlaps with a wider network of supporters, including people who cook for the residents. Kate McIntosh, a New Zealander

atlas Revisited, a performance by visual artist karthik Pandian and choreographer andros Zins-Browne

currently based in Brussels, is one artist in this edition of Buda Vista who made intensive use of the Compañeros. In Many Hands is a piece for about 45 participants, who sit next to each other along three tables arranged in a triangle. From the points of the triangle, a series of objects is passed along the chain of hands. There is a sequence to the objects, which can be large or small, heavy or light, fragile or fluffy or frankly disgusting.

“But how the things are passed, whether you say something or not, is totally free,” says Quackels. People have to find their own way, or react to others in the chain. “You have to enter into contact with the people next to you in a very unusual way,” she continues. “It’s an amazing experience. It’s a journey that you go on through objects.” McIntosh is typical of the kind of artist Buda likes to support, working where forms and disciplines

intersect. “There is almost no pure theatre or pure dance,” says Quackels. There is also a preference for individual artists rather than companies, and emerging artists who do not get much exposure elsewhere. Other highlights from the 10th edition of Buda Vista include The Making of Justice, a film about an

15-18 february

Budakortrijk.BE

imaginary film, by Sarah Vanhee. She proposes a scenario to a group of long-term prisoners in a Leuven jail, and they tell her what is and is not possible, and how the different characters might react. “Sometimes you don’t know if they are talking about the fiction of the film or their own experiences,” says Quackels. “There is a blurred zone, but still very much addressing their reality.” Then there is Lisa Vereertbrugghen, a young Flemish choreographer whose work draws on hard-core techno culture. The Extraordinary Way She Moves involves a performer crawling under a large sheet of black plastic. “It forms all kinds of bizarre landscapes and forms. Sometimes it’s almost animal, and sometimes it almost disappears,” says Quackels. “I believe she’s a great choreographer in the making.” Finally, this edition of Buda Vista includes a symposium looking at how art institutions can be as open and engaged as the artists they support. Examples will be presented from Scotland, Sweden and Greece, and artists will be invited to outline their own “fantastic institutions”. \ Ian Mundell

across kortrijk

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Home truths

frontman of one of flanders’ favourite bands on language, emotions and growing up christophe verbiest More articles by Christophe \ flanderstoday.org

Wannes Cappelle of Het Zesde Metaal discusses how the decision to sing in his local dialect has allowed him to really express how he feels about what’s going on in the wider world.

“N

o, I didn’t study metalwork,” Wannes Cappelle says with a grin. No one in his band, Het Zesde Metaal, did, even though the name refers to studying metalwork in the sixth grade of secondary school. “I think we all studied Latin, but the boys from metalwork, at a school next to ours, had a very cool reputation. The name was much too brawny for who we were, which we found funny. But I’ll admit that in the beginning, loads of people thought we were a metal band.” They certainly aren’t. In recent years, Het Zesde Metaal have grown to be one of Flanders’ most popular rock groups, regularly injecting their music with some folk. Singer Cappelle (pictured centre) is a very versatile artist: he’s a playwright and an actor for both the stage and the small screen, co-wrote the critically acclaimed TV series Bevergem, wrote the novellaOntfermU(HaveMercy)and with his Icelandic wife he’s working on a book about her homeland, but let there be no mistake: music is his first love. “Without a doubt,” he says. “But all the rest is fun, too. From a young age I wanted to do what I’m doing now: living from my music, which only became possible last year.” As a child, it was his ambition to follow in the footsteps of Willem Vermandere, a renowned singersongwriter from West Flanders. “Until I was 12, 13, I listened to almost no one else,” he recalls. “But that idea dissipated completely when I was a teenager – it wasn’t cool to like Vermandere. The desire to make music only came back when I was studying in Leuven.” He later studied piano at music school, but it was only when he quit music school that he started playing pop songs on the piano. Before

long, he was improvising and had written his first song. “After that first one I knew: this is what I want to do with the rest of my life.” A huge difference between now and then is the language he sings in. Then it was English. “That’s why I chose to go to Ireland during my exchange programme,” he says. “I wanted to improve my English.” It took him a few years before he switched to the dialect of his hometown, Wevelgem, West Flanders. He still knows where and when he took that decision. And why. “At the beginning of August 2001, I saw Flip Kowlier at the Dranouter festival. He gave a preview of his first solo album, Ocharme ik, which would come out later that year.” It was an album that sent a shock through the Flemish music world. Sure, Kowlier wasn’t the first to sing in dialect, but he was certainly the first to do it in a dialect that was incomprehensible to almost all listeners, yet he was met with huge public and critical acclaim. Cappelle: “I was flabbergasted, and it immediately dawned on me that I shouldn’t sing in English. Kowlier

taught me that you can sing in dialect without sounding folkloric or carnivalesque. That it can be serious pop music.” Intelligibility is not Cappelle’s main focus, he explains. “I don’t have a message to convey. I’m looking for poetry, for an emotion I try to put into words. For that, the dialect is the perfect medium since it’s my mother tongue. I live my emotions

to say, but I don’t want to be too concrete. It’s more about airing my discontent or grief,” he says. “This time around the songs are fertilized by what was in the news at the time we were writing them: the refugee crisis, Brexit, the run-up to the American elections. They made me angry and anxious. On the other hand, we shouldn’t worry that only distress and misery

He writes the songs with bass player Robin Aerts. “At nine in the morning, before we start working, we talk about what is on our minds. Often it’s the subject of the song we’ll work on later that day.” And is the thematic change we see on Calais here to stay? “It’s early to say so, but I suppose it is,” he says. “I don’t think the news will be any less engrossing in the coming years. On

We shouldn’t worry that only distress and misery are looming around the corner. I don’t want to give up hope in that language.” That he doesn’t have a message to convey might have been true for the first three albums by Het Zesde Metaal, but it isn’t for number four, Calais. The title refers to the refugee camp in the French port town, known as the Jungle. Calais marks a change in Cappelle’s work. He’s no longer focusing on his inner world, but on the world around him. “Sure, I have things

are looming around the corner. I don’t want to give up hope.” Has he any idea where the urge to change came from? “The necessity was bigger,” he says. “Or at least I felt it much harder; probably it’s called growing up. Becoming a father was certainly an influence, too. The younger you are, the more you look at the world from your own point of view.” He smiles. “At first I had a lot to say about myself.”

a personal level, things are always moving, too. That’s why I like to mix the two themes. But you never know what life has in store for you.” After a little more pondering, he adds: “With Calais, I was at a point where if I didn’t voice my concerns, it would feel like I wasn’t telling the truth. Being truthful, that’s the most important thing.”

meuris

times this leads to bleak songs, tapping into the darkness of our contemporary times. These tracks are contrasted by songs that echo 1980s pop music, but think more The Smiths than, let’s say, Depeche Mode. With “Oud Links” (“Old Left”) Meuris has written one of the most captivating pages of his already impressive songbook.

Calais is out now on Unday Records

More new Music THis MonTH tiny legs tim Melodium Rag • Sing My Title At times, Tiny Legs Tim sounds as if the devil is at his heels; at others he’s more subdued. But it’s always clear that Ghent-born Tim De Graeve knows the blues like few Flemish musicians have ever done. On his new album he sounds like a bluesman from decades ago. Combining metic-

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ulous fingerpicking on his guitar, growling on his mouth harp and singing with a possessed voice, he’s a unique talent. He might not be reinventing the genre, but he is deeply immersed in it and distils his own brand of blues. The Mississippi runs through Ghent! \ tinylegstim.com

Vigilant • N.E.W.S. Though he’s only 52, Stijn Meuris has become a grand old man of rock music in Flanders. After spearheading Noordkaap and Monza, he launched a solo career. Vigilant is the third collection of songs under his own name. It’s not a radical change, rather a fine-tuning of his strengths. At

\ stijnmeuris.be

\ aGEnDa

fEBruary 8, 2017

Love hurts

concerT

Saint Amour 11-25 february

t’s a tradition that has become as strongly rooted in the Flemish winter ground as Valentine’s Day itself: In the weeks before and after the lovers’ feast, Saint Amour travels to several cities to deluge its denizens with love-drenched literature. Evening after evening, the chosen author(s) romance their listeners with sultry poems, erotic passages from novels, amorous short stories or monologues full of love and affection. At least, that’s how it used to be. It’s slightly different this time around: The central guest of 2017 is Herman Brusselmans. The only reason not to

Ghent

across Flanders BEgEErtE.BE

keep calling him the enfant terrible of Flemish literature is his age; he turns 60 later this year. For more than three decades, Brusselmans (pictured) has put, headlong if possible, the rock’n’roll in the literary world of the Low Countries. He’s adored by his faithful fans, scorned by others. Among the latter are a majority of the region’s literary pundits, which implies that he’s almost always forgotten for one of the many prizes awarded to books written in Dutch. Brusselmans’ work has a sharp edge, but he’s a textbook example of the saying that a black plum is as sweet as a white. So, yes, you can

expect Brusselmans to serve his up his platter of love with ribaldry and cynicism – but also with wit and (don’t blink or you’ll miss it) even a splash of tenderness. The long-haired writer won’t be alone on stage. Tim Vanhamel and Sjoerd Bruil will add musical tones to the evening. And Brusselmans will be always be interviewed by someone – a different person at every venue – and accompanied by another litterateur, such as his disciples Christophe Vekeman and Marnix Peeters. “Speak low, if you speak love,” Shakespeare wrote. He might be contradicted, though. \ Christophe Verbiest

concerT

filM

irish chamber orchestra

greek short film & docu festival

15 february, 20.00 Limerick’s Irish Chamber Orchestra comes to Brussels for an evening of music spanning the centuries. Led by German composer and clarinettist Jörg Widmann, the 22-piece ensemble are touring Europe with a distinctly continental repertoire. Widmann does triple duty here, serving not only as

Bozar, Brussels BoZar.BE

conductor but performer – soloist, no less – and composer. Two of his original compositions are on the programme, as are works by fellow German composers Mendelssohn and Weber (and their neighbour, Mozart of Austria). The concert is preceded by a discussion with Widmann. \ Georgio Valentino

9-12 february Every year, the philhellenes at Free Flying Films shine a spotlight on contemporary Greek cinema during the Greek Short Film Festival. Dozens of shorts, ranging in length from three to 29 minutes, are screened over a long weekend that also includes concerts. This third edition of the festival is curated by producer Kyriakos

Kraakpand: Discover up-andcoming local groups at this semi-regular live music mixer. This edition is headlined by new Antwerp indie-rock quartet Mount Soon. Other acts include Bulgarian a capella group Trio Pletenitsa and freejazz ensemble Moker. 11 February 19.00, Handelsbeurs, Kouter 29 \ handelsbeurs.be

kortrijk

Omni: American alternative rock group present their debut album, Deluxe, inspired by the proto-punk and industrial noise of the 1970s. This is the band’s only Belgian stop on a month-long tour of Europe. 10 February 20.00, De Kreun, Conservatoriumplein 1 \ dekreun.be

Dance art Base, Brussels grEEkshortfilmfEst.wordPrEss.com

Chatzimichailidis and boasts a master class with celebrated filmmaker Filippos Koutsaftis, who also presents his documentaries Mourning Rock (pictured) and Hail Arkadia, both of which juxtapose mythology and modernity in contemporary Greece. All films are subtitled in English. \ GV

Bruges Nicht schlafen: Contemporary Flemish choreographer Alain Platel joins forces with Steven Prengels and Congolese singers Boule Mpanya and Russell Tshiebua to evoke the fraught atmosphere of pre-First World War Europe. 11 February 20.00, Concertgebouw, ’t Zand 34 \ concertgebouw.be

visual arTs antwerp Arne Quinze: A Review: Retrospective exhibition dedicated to the prolific Flemish conceptual artist. Quinze has created public installations around the world, sometimes amid controversy. Until 5 March, At the Gallery, Leopoldstraat 57 \ atthegallery.be

filM

fesTival

visual arTs

flagey Piano days

Eyewitness: francisco goya & farideh lashai

9-12 february Flagey’s Piano Days festival was conceived in 2014 as a modest celebration of that workhorse of European music. All year long, the piano might accompany its highfalutin cousins, the violin and the saxophone, as they solo away in the spotlight. But for one weekend, the spotlight would shine squarely on the piano. More than a dozen world-renowned artists are invited to perform at this fourth edition of Flagey Piano Days, including Cédric Tiberghien. The French pianist (pictured), who rose to fame as a child prodigy, has since grown into a globetrotting headliner. His Piano Days performance blends Chopin, Debussy and Szymanowski. \ GV

Flagey, Brussels flagEy.BE

11 february to 7 may Ghent’s fine arts museum inaugurates its new exhibition space dedicated to drawings with a show linking two periods of geopolitical ferment through the artists who documented them. In Disasters of War, Spanish master Francisco Goya depicted the horrors of the Peninsular War. The work of late Iranian multimedia artist and

Brussels

Msk, Ghent mskgEnt.BE

writer Farideh Lashai similarly evokes the tumult of the contemporary world, especially her homeland, 200 years later. Her final series, When I Count, There Are Only You ... But When I Look, There is Only a Shadow, even samples elements of Goya. Eyewitness puts the two artists in dialogue. \ GV

Gutterdämmerung: Screening of Belgo-Swedish visual artist Bjorn Tagemose’s rock’n’roll concept film, starring cult celebrities like Iggy Pop, Lemmy and Henry Rollins. Imagine a surrealist silent film with a hard rock soundtrack. 9 February 20.00, Ancienne Belgique, Anspachlaan 110 \ abconcerts.be

evenT Ghent Boogieville: All-night festival celebrates the quintessential American musical form – the blues – with concerts, DJs, dancing, workshops, soul food and a vintage market. The party goes on until 5.00. 11 February 20.00, Vooruit, SintPietersnieuwstraat 23 \ vooruit.be

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fEBruary 8, 2017

Talking Dutch reading between the lines derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

ou thought PokĂŠmon was bad. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new craze in Flanders that might be even more maddening. Duizenden boeken spelen verstoppertje â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thousands of books are playing hide and seek, ran the headline in Het Nieuwsblad. You might need that explained. Je verstopt een boek â&#x20AC;&#x201C; You hide a book, geeft een aanwijzing online â&#x20AC;&#x201C; post a clue online, en het is dan aan de speurneuzen om het boek te pakken te krijgen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to the sleuths to track down the book. It all started last summer. Veerle Nijs verstopte het boek IJzeren tijd van JM Coetzee â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Veerle Nijs hid JM Coetzeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book Age of Iron aan het station van Lokeren â&#x20AC;&#x201C; somewhere in Lokeren station. Daarna postte ze zoektips op Facebook â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Then she posted tips for finding it on Facebook. Someone found the hidden book, and a new craze took off. Ondertussen hebben al een paar honderd Vlamingen ergens boeken verstopt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Since then, several hundred Flemings have already hidden books somewhere en zijn er evenveel gelukkige vinders â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and there are an equal number who have been lucky

finders, Nijs told the paper. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how it works. Het principe is vrij simple â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The principle is quite simple. Wie een boek op overschot heeft â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Anyone who has a book they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need kan het in de buurt verstoppen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; can hide it somewhere in the neighbourhood. Je steekt het boek in een doorzichtig plastic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; You put the book in a transparent plastic bag en voegt er een boodschap bij â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and add a message dat het â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;een zwerfboekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that it is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;homeless bookâ&#x20AC;?. Op de Facebookpagina Boekenjagers kun je vervolgens tips geven over de vindplaats â&#x20AC;&#x201C; You can then leave

tinyurl.com/BoEkEnjagErs

clues about the hiding place on the Boekenjagers (Book Hunters) Facebook page. Wie het boek uiteindelijk te pakken krijgt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The person who eventually finds the book plaatst een berichtje op de Facebookpagina â&#x20AC;&#x201C; posts a message on the Facebook page, zo weet de persoon die het boek daar gelegd heeft â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so the person who left the book knows dat het goed terecht is gekomen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s found a home. The book hunter sometimes has to puzzle out tantalising clues. Ze noemen me de Banaan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; They call me the Banana, ran the clue for tracking down Anna Enquistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s novel De thuiskomst (Homecoming), which had been left somewhere in Ghent. Ik ben niet echt een park, of toch? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not really a park, or am I? So now you know what all these people are doing poking around a park in Ghent. PokĂŠmon Go was dan wel de hype van 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PokĂŠmon Go might have been the craze of 2016, maar in plaats van op gekke virtuele beestjes jagen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but instead of chasing silly virtual creatures Vlamingen steeds vaker op boeken â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Flemings are more likely to be hunting for books.

Photo of thE wEEk

voices of flanDers ToDay In response to: Flu epidemic in Belgium gets worse Joren Bosmans: Ugh. I just got over being sick for a month. Hope I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a second round.

In response to: In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst voted best bar in Belgium Patricia Miranda Emrick: David, gotta check them out...

In response to: Back to basics: The Flemings giving it all up in search of the simple life Anees Mangal: Money makes life easier but not happier.

Sid Glover @SidGlover A guy coming from Brussels just gave us a beautiful box of Belgian chocolate to thank the JFK volunteer lawyers #NOBanJFK #HugALawyer

James @0x86DD Leaving in one hour to Antwerp. First 650km drive ahead :) see u there

Rachel Martin @RachelVMartin Train ticket to Ghent booked đ&#x;&#x2018;? Accommodation in Ghent booked đ&#x;&#x2018;? Match ticket...no luck so far

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THe lasT worD Power to the people Physician, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brussels needs an open green heal thyself space, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one right there.â&#x20AC;?

A Groen member of the Brussels Parliament has tabled a motion to open the royal garden in Laken to the public, against the opposition of the king

values in conflict

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In many families itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a taboo subject. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why both men and women have to be given more information â&#x20AC;&#x201C; about the law but also about the medical impact.â&#x20AC;?

ÂŠ yves Herman/Reuters

in Deep Divers tuck into lobster and champagne at the new restaurant at nemo 33 diving centre in Brussels. The Pearl is five metres underwater and can seat up to four people, served by scuba-diving waiters

Federal MP Els Van Hoof (CD&V) has introduced a bill to relieve doctors of the duty of patient confidentiality if female genital mutilation is suspected

â&#x20AC;&#x153;People are concerned about their health more than ever, and they want to take matters into their own hands. Seems better to me that they opt for a certified test than rely on Doctor Google.â&#x20AC;?

Stefan Brosens of Belgian medical manufacturer Hartmann, which produces self-test kits that have just been approved for sale, against the advice of some physicians

do not go gently

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Death should be abolished. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very bad invention.â&#x20AC;?

Flemish actor Jan Decleir turns 71 this month, and shows no signs of slowing down

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