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may 10, 2017 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ rEad morE at www.flandErstoday.Eu currEnt affairs \ P2

Politics \ P4

The people have spoken

And they have said that bilingual education, night-time transport and public toilets are all things that could stand improvement in Brussels \4

BusinEss \ P6

innovation \ P7

slow and sTeady

Amunì in Bruges delivers your pizza quickly, but only after the dough has risen a loooong time in this tasty slow-food concept \ 10

Education \ P9

art & living \ P10

hiTTing The sTreeTs

Street art is all the rage, and yet not always embraced by tourist boards as an attraction of a city. One Antwerpenaar is working to change that \ 11

Shower to the people

new centre offers basic facilities and hope to Brussels’ homeless sally tipper Follow sally on Twitter \ @sallybtipper

DoucheFlux is a new centre that gives Brussels’ homeless people a place to wash - and find a new lease of life.

hoever we are, we should all have the right to be clean. That’s the ethos behind a new centre for homeless people that has just opened in Brussels, offering showers, lockers, washing machines – and a chance to rejoin mainstream society. It’s the brainchild of DoucheFlux, a non-profit organisation that was set up in 2011 to support homeless people and those living in poverty, by providing activities and administrative services. The organisation’s long-term goal was to open its own centre where people without access to affordable facilities could come and wash, socialise and find the services they needed in a respectful and supportive environment. The new centre is a few minutes’ walk from Brussels South railway station, a spot where many of the region’s estimated 2,700 long-term homeless people congregate. The organisers, however, hope to reach people throughout the

city. DoucheFlux fills a need for services that simply didn’t exist until now, according to co-founder and president Laurent d’Ursel. “There are lots of places in Brussels where people can eat for free, but there was nowhere for them to wash. And that’s really important,” he says. “By letting our visitors get clean and wash their clothes, we’re giving them a more positive self-image and more self-confidence. That’s the key to finding your way back into society.” DoucheFlux offers 20 showers, a launderette and 150 lockers of varying sizes, available to users for a couple of euros. They can also spend time in the coffee corner where drinks are 20 cents. And it’s about much more than getting clean and keeping your belongings safe. Volunteers look after visitors’ wellbeing with haircuts, beauty treatments and yoga sessions, for a nominal fee, and users will be encouraged to share their opinions on the service at regular meetings. There’s also a computer in the centre for anyone to use. As well as providing information on financial and admin-

istrative matters, the centre’s user-friendly website directs people to the services they need, be it a bed for the night, a hot meal or a place where they can join in activities or look for work. A health worker is available on site to carry out medical and psycho-social assessments. “There are so many social services in Brussels, but they are spread out and not always aware of what the others are doing,” explains d’Ursel. “On our website, anyone can see what’s available to them based on their own needs.” The building is spread across a number of floors, but the organisation has done everything it can to make it accessible to those with disabilities. The driving force behind that aim was Jacques Petit, one of the centre’s most enthusiastic volunteers, who is also a wheelchair user and was once homeless. For technical reasons, it wasn’t possible to install a lift, but the ground floor has an adapted toilet and enlarged doorways. A special chair from Brussels-based mobility company Almagic allows wheelchair users to be transported downstairs to an adapted shower area. continued on page 5

\ CURRenT aFFaIRs

Improvements to Brussels pedestrian zone held up by claim

retailer association legal complaint will hold up development for at least a year alan Hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

etailers in and around the pedestrian zone in the centre of Brussels are holding up improvements to the area by filing legal cases against the city council’s plans. A committee set up to consult with the various interest groups said that the plan to renovate the central avenue by the end of 2018 has little chance of being realised. A trial run of the pedestrian zone began in June 2015 and immediately encountered protest from local residents and businesses. When plans for the permanent renovation of the area were announced later, an association of retailers filed a complaint against the planning permit with the Council of State, where the auditor agreed with them, arguing that there had not been enough consultation with the public. The city council created a committee made up of residents,

business owners and other interested parties, who last week came down in favour of the renovations. However, the committee’s remit was limited to the new pedestrian zone itself, while one of the main causes of protest is the traffic plan to divert cars around the zone. On that question, the retailers’ association has issued a new legal challenge, likely to delay progress for at least another year. “The chance is slim that the renovation plans will be achieved before the elections,” said Groen member of the Brussels parliament Bruno De Lille. A proponent of the pedestrian zone, he said that he understood the retailers’ case. “They’re allowed to discuss the colour of the paving stones, but not mobility,” he said. “It’s only logical they should resist.”

Specs speed camera network to replace current system

‘Castle murder’ trial opens with surprise confession

Flemish mobility minister Ben Weyts has announced the installation of 30 new Specs speed control sites on regional roads this year, in addition to the 20 already planned. The new devices will take the place of 54 existing speed cameras. Specs cameras provide a more accurate evaluation of a vehicle’s speed by measuring it over a longer distance – between 200 metres and 10 kilometres. That is a vast improvement, said the minister, on recording the speed at a single spot. With Specs, a series of linked cameras records the average speed of the vehicle over a fixed distance. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) tracks the vehicle from one location to another. “The conversion to Specs can happen quickly,” said a spokesperson for the Roads & Traffic

The trial of a West Flanders doctor for what has become known as the “castle murder” began last week in Bruges and included an unexpected confession from the main defendant. For the last five years, André Gyselbrecht has strenuously denied any involvement in the shooting death of his son-in-law, Stijn Saelens. Saelens went missing in 2012 from his wife’s family home – a rural manor house – in Wingene, West Flanders. Police discovered bloodstains and signs of a struggle. His body was later discovered on land owned by Pierre Serry, a local criminal. Gyselbrecht and his son, Peter, were arrested and charged with arranging a contract killing, though Peter was later released. The elder Gyselbrecht has always steadfastly declared his innocence.

specs speed cameras in the Uk

Agency. “We can use the connections that are already in the road for the fixed speed cameras.” The first areas to see the change will be in Antwerp province, where 35 speed cameras will be converted. The total investment comes to €3.2 million. A further €10 million in 2018 and 2019, and a final investment of €2.2 million in 2020 will see all 409 existing cameras in Flanders replaced by the Specs system. \ AH

In his statement, Gyselbrecht returned to allegations that Saelens had sexually abused one of his children. He said that he consulted experts and friends, attempted to have Saelens investigated and urged Saelens and his wife to go to therapy. His efforts, he said, failed. The prosecution argued that Saelens had been intending to move with his wife and children to Australia. When the date of departure was set Gyselbrecht decided to have Saelens killed. “It was my ultimate solution,” he told the court, “the last chance to protect my grandchildren. They were in danger.” Serry is not thought to have actually killed Saelens. Mobile phone records suggest that Dutch criminal Anton van Bommel was involved, but he died of cancer a few months after the murder. \ AH

Gay men to be allowed to donate blood, with restrictions Federal health minister Maggie De Block has drafted a law that would end the ban on gay men giving blood in Belgium. The proposal has been approved by the federal council of ministers and will now be analysed by the Council of State before becoming law. Currently, a man who has ever had sex with another man is not allowed to donate blood. The new regulation would allow men to donate who have not had sex with other men for at least 12 months. Other donors are also barred from giving blood if they have

a new sexual partner, but only for four months. They are then no longer barred. Red Cross units require donors to answer a list of questions to determine their risk factors. People are temporarily excluded from donating blood if they run a significant risk of having a sexually transmitted disease (STD), and in particular the HIV virus. The Red Cross considers sex between men to be risky behaviour. Other examples of risk behaviour are having sex for compensation, taking intravenous drugs or having sex

with someone who takes intravenous drugs. The criteria for temporary exclusion will be evaluated every two years, De Block said. “Our priority is the safety of the patient who needs a blood transfusion,” she said in a statement. “While sexual orientation doesn’t matter, risk behaviour is an important factor.” LGBT rights organisation Cavaria called the proposal “a step in the right direction” but said that the exclusion period for gay men is too long. \ Andy Furniere

€1

95,236 30% complaints and queries received by the ombudsman’s office in Antwerp in 2016, half of them in connection with rubbish, including collection rounds and fly-tipping

homeless people who died on the streets of Brussels in 2016 were commemorated at a ceremony in the city hall by the Collective Straatdoden. The total number of deaths since 2005 is 494

target for reduction of water consumption by municipal authorities, according to a new campaign by Flanders’ water expertise centre, which will help municipalities in achieving the goal

active priests under 70 remaining in Flanders in 10 years, according to a sociologist of religion at KU Leuven, writing in the church magazine Kerk+Leven. There are some 1,800 at present

ll i o

donated by the Flemish government to the Consortium 12-12 for its campaign against famine in parts of Africa, bringing the total collected this year to over €8 million

may 10, 2017

week in brief The cause of a mysterious smell that hung in the air in the centre of Aalst for several days last week has finally been identified as chemicals dumped into the sewer. At first the smell was reported as a gas leak, but network manager Eandis found no trace. Later analysis of samples taken from the sewers showed concentrations of hydrocarbons which can only have come from dumping, though whether accidental or deliberate has still to be determined. Brussels’ cat cafe, Le Chat Touille in Sint-Gillis, is up for sale. The popular bar opened in 2014 to provide a home to rescued cats. Customers can have a drink while enjoying some feline company, and can even adopt one of the residents. Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois met with Michel Barnier, the European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator, last week. Bourgeois repeated his desire for maintaining close relations with the UK during and after the process, as well as unity among the member states. Students in Antwerp will begin cramming for exams in some unusual locations later this month, under a programme called Study360. Pop-up study halls include the eighth floor of the MAS museum, meeting rooms overlooking the zoo, a room in Het Steen castle on the waterfront and the reading room of the new Havenhuis. Police in Ronse, East Flanders, have obtained a super-sensitive speed camera to check the speed of cyclists in the 30 km/h zone. With electric bicycles, cyclists can now approach speeds of up to 45km/h. The camera is also able to check if a bike meets the legal requirement to have a number plate.

face of flanders A Belgian buyer last week paid €8,138 for a sabre thought to have belonged to Belgium’s first king, Leopold I, auctioned by House Bernaerts in Antwerp. The ceremonial sword is reputed to have been given by the dying king in 1865 to his secretary Gustave Greiner and has been in the Greiner family ever since. The Brussels-Capital Region will soon introduce the requirement that companies offer employees with company cars the choice to replace it with a public transport pass or a company bicycle. The measure will affect all companies with more than 100 employees and more than 10 company cars. Sint-Bavohumaniora in Ghent has been declared the coolest school in Flanders by a youth jury organised by radio station MNM. The contest invited schools in Flanders and Brussels to send in a short video, with the 20 best receiving a visit from the jury. The prize was handed over last week by Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits during a live broadcast from the school. The Flemish government is fitting 1,000 ashtrays into paving stones in locations around Flanders, chosen by local authorities. The ashtrays have a distinctive tile and a grill and are intended to cut down on cigarette butt litter. The project is being financed by the tobacco industry. The Iranian ambassador to Belgium must treat male and female students the same or not attend the awards ceremony of this year’s International Olympia in Informatics, education minister Hilde Crevits told the Flemish parliament. The contest takes place later this month in Tehran but includes a reception when the students return to Flanders. The Iranian embassy has informed

participating schools that the ambassador will not shake the hands of female students at the reception. A short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) has been spotted off the coast of De Panne, only the 12th sighting since 1812, Natuurpunt said. The species is commonly seen anywhere from the Equator to the west of Scotland but rarely comes into the North Sea beyond the English Channel. The last sighting of the cetacean – recognisable from the hour-glass marking on its flank – was in Koksijde in 2002. Three Antwerp-based start-ups opened a new joint office in Singapore last week. The office is part of Antwerp’s plan to become a “smart city” – where digital applications are used to improve conditions for residents and companies. The three start-ups include Rombit, which makes smart traffic signs like digital No Parking signs; Playpass, which works on digital payments; and T-Mining, which uses blockchain technology, allowing digital information to be distributed but not copied, to provide security for containers. The government of Flanders will not plan any trade missions to Saudi Arabia, minister-president Geert Bourgeois told the Flemish parliament. And the decision not to sell arms to the kingdom has already been stated, he said. Bourgeois was responding to questions from the floor, after federal foreign affairs minister Didier Reynders called for an end to federal missions until the situation on human rights in Saudi Arabia has improved. Reynders’ ministry came under fire recently over a decision to support a Saudi representative for a seat on the United Nations committee on the rights of women.

offside Boys in blue What’s in a name? Well, if you call someone a Smurf, you could be in trouble. Not from the estate of Pierre Culliford, better known as Peyo, the Belgian creator of the hugely popular comic strip and ensuing franchise featuring a population of small blue men and one blue woman. Rather, from the federal police. On 11 May 2015, one Cain R, a 37-year-old man from Antwerp, was pulled over twice on the Brussels Ring by the traffic police. During the checks, he took some photos of the officers concerned. One asked him to delete the photos, and he refused. Later that day, he

sandra de Preter She hit the headlines in 2011 as the first female CEO of public broadcaster VRT, and disappeared as suddenly in 2013. Sandra De Preter was at the top of her game, and now she’s back with the story of the cancer that took over her life. De Preter, 55, was born in Bruges and studied business economics at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven), going on to work for companies including British American Tobacco, biscuit makers Delacre and chocolatier Barry Callebaut. She was voted Marketer of the Year by Trends magazine in 2002, and in 2006 became CEO of Sanoma Magazines Belgium, publisher of titles including Flair and Feeling. In 2011, she was CEO of VRT, the first woman to ever hold the post. She came into the job facing two major challenges: cutting costs to save €65 million and preparing the way for a new management agreement with the government. “I had no political experience, but I found out it always comes down to the same thing,” she told KU Leuven’s magazine later that year. “Listen to what people want and what motivates them,

and then try to find a way to reach that goal together.” In 2013, however, she took medical leave, and she never returned. In 2014, she was succeeded by Leo Hellemans. De Preter had a brain tumour. She was recently interviewed by the cancer charity Kom op tegen kanker’s magazine Leven (Life). It began with a horrific headache, she said. “My colleagues said I wasn’t fit to drive myself home and called me a taxi,” she relates. “At home, I crawled into bed. Some weeks later, I woke up in hospital.” The diagnosis, she said, “is one of the heaviest management cases I’ve ever had to deal with. The control freak in me has to take a back seat, but I have every confidence in my neurosurgeon.” The operation and subsequent radio- and chemotherapy have proven successful, although she remains visually impaired and suffers fatigue and concentration problems. “Survival is a question of greeting each day as a gift and enjoying every minute,” she told the magazine. “I’m proud of our family and how we made it through together. I think cancer is the ultimate test of a relationship.” \ Alan Hope

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

posted some of them to Facebook, describing the officers – who are admittedly largely blue in appearance – as Smurfs. His post led to legal action, and last year a court gave him a suspended sentence of three months and fined him €1,200. Last week his appeal was heard in Brussels, where the federal prosecutor said that such name-calling does not meet the © william Tung/wikimedia

definitions of cyberharassment. But the lawyers for the civil parties – the officers – insisted their rights had been breached. “Not even two months later he posted a similar video on Facebook,” one counsel said. “This man is making it his life’s business to insult police officers.” A judgement is expected on 13 June. \ AH

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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, Senne Starckx, Christophe Verbiest, Denzil Walton gEnEral managEr Hans De Loore PuBlisHEr Mediahuis NV

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

\ POlITICs

5Th colUMn sacred cows

Flemish internal affairs minister Liesbeth Homans (N-VA) has stated that she will not recognise any new mosques in the region. She lacks information, she said, to make a prudent judgement and does not want to be blamed if something goes wrong – like if one of its members leaves for Syria. Not recognising a mosque is not the same as prohibiting it. Official recognition of a religious institution means that it receives funding and can be consulted by the government. The recognition of religions is written in the Belgian constitution. The idea goes back to Napoleon: When the state confiscated church properties and lands, it promised some support of organised religion as a compensation. Belgium recognises five religions – Catholicism, Judaism, Protestantism, Greek Orthodox and Islam – as well as organised free thinking. In practice, this boils down to subsidies as well as the religion or philosophy being taught in statefunded schools. Again, not being recognised does not equal being banned, as Belgium has freedom of religion. There are, for instance, quite a number of Buddhists who worship freely without funding or Buddhism taught in schools. Gwendolyn Rutten (Open VLD) wants to abolish the system of recognised religion. This is not what taxpayers’ money should be used for, she has said. Many mosques are in fact self-sufficient. The bulk of the subsidies goes to the Catholic church, which has a long history and a wide-ranging network of related institutions, such as hospitals and schools. In the meantime, Homans’ stance has concerned both her opponents and her coalition partners alike. They have accused her of pandering to the far right, who like the sound of “not recognising mosques”. She recently even revoked the recognition of a large mosque in Beringen, Limburg, based on State Security reports, she said. Federal justice minister Koen Geens (CD&V) and State Security reacted strongly, as they insist on discretion concerning their work. Moreover, the Beringen mosque is not suspected of radicalism but is mentioned in the context of Turkish political influence. The issue has contributed to the ongoing friction between N-VA and CD&V, but Open VLD, too, has criticised the minister. Vincent Van Quickenborne, mayor of Kortrijk, last week stated that the refusal lumps correct mosques together with radical mosques. How can you explain this to Muslims who mean well?” \ Anja Otte

Transport and public toilets big on new citizens’ cabinet

forum asked flemish people to recommend improvements to capital alan Hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

ven Gatz’s citizens’ cabinet for Brussels has come up with a series of recommendations on improving co-operation and understanding between Flanders and the capital. Gatz, the minister representing Brussels’ interests in the government of Flanders, organised the citizens’ cabinet following the success of similar initiatives for culture and youth, also part of his portfolio. The citizens’ cabinet for Brussels recently held its plenary session in the Flemish parliament. “The third citizens’ cabinet was a success,” Gatz said. “Despite some negative images about Brussels, what I saw today convinces me that there are a lot of people who believe in the city and want to make it work.” The 12 recommendations proposed by the

153 participants include a more active role in the education system for parents of different backgrounds; giving members of the public a budget to allow them to form local culture policy; improving public transport at night and making the fleet greener; providing more

public toilets; and working towards a fully bilingual education system from pre-school onwards, with exchanges between Dutch- and French-speaking schools. “The enthusiasm of the citizens’ cabinet is heartwarming,” said Gatz (pictured). “Although those taking part do not know each other, every time they come out with valuable and well thought-out policy recommendations. It’s now up to me to put them into practice and present them to my fellow ministers. I will be keeping the participants informed on what is happening with their proposals.” A similar event will take place for Frenchspeakers under Brussels minister Rachid Madrane on 20 May, then he and Gatz will bring both sets of recommendations together at a conference in October.

Faster compensation for victims of terrorism recommended

Consumer affairs minister proposes changes to car insurance regulations

The parliamentary committee investigating the Brussels and Zaventem bombings of March 2016 has delivered a set of recommendations regarding the response to victims’ needs following any future terrorist attacks. The recommendations cover four main areas: recognition, financial support, individual support and equal treatment. The committee has proposed a system that would give victims an immediate advance on costs – particularly pertinent for nonBelgians. Survivors and victims’ families have to deal with medical costs, travel, accommodation and loss of earnings. “We have a complex system in this country, unlike in France, for example, where the government immediately grants an allowance to victims of terrorism,” said the committee’s chair, Patrick Dewael. “That money comes from a fund financed by insurance companies.” It’s been more than a year since the bombings in Brussels Airport and Maalbeek metro station, which killed 32 people and injured more than 300, so the recommendation would apply to future situations.

Federal minister for consumer affairs Kris Peeters has presented a proposal to change the car insurance system. One measure concerns someone driving someone else’s car. If it turns out that the vehicle is not covered by insurance, in the event of an accident the driver is held liable for the costs. Under Peeters’ proposal, the responsibility for insuring the vehicle and ensuing costs remains with the owner, whether that person is driving or not. By contrast, if a stolen car causes damage to others, the owner will in no circumstances be held responsible, Peeters said. The new plan will also bring more clarity to accidents involving several vehicles, when it is not clear which vehicle caused the accident. Finally, the proposal says that electric bicycles should not be considered motor vehicles. \ AH

emergency workers respond to the terrorist attack on maalbeek metro station on 22 march, 2016

“Unfortunately, such a system can’t be applied retroactively,” said Dewael in reference to compensation. “And of course we hope we never again have to deal with terrorist attacks. But you never know.” Other suggestions include a single contact point for victims, including the name of a contact person for each victim or family. Passes would also be issued to recognised victims allowing them to identify their status in contacts with the authorities. \ AH

PM would bar Turkish Belgians from voting on death penalty referendum Prime minister Charles Michel said that he would not allow Turkish people in Belgium to take part in a possible referendum in Turkey on the return of the death penalty. “I will not tolerate it,” he said. “In my eyes this is an unacceptable topic.” Speaking on RTBF radio on Sunday, Michel said that his government would examine the judicial possibilities for taking action to prevent any referendum being held here. His coalition partners from Flanders – N-VA, Open VLD and CD&V – have already expressed their backing for the ban. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdog˘an has spoken of a referendum on the death penalty on several occasions, although reintroducing it would effectively put an end to any hope of Turkey being admitted to the European Union. \ AH

Ukrainian delegation visits Flemish parliament and Voka A delegation of public officials from Ukraine visited Flanders at the end of last month for a mission organised by the Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Local officials introduced the visitors to Flanders’ institutions and their methods of delivering public services and regional development. The delegation of seven officials visited the Flemish parliament, the province of East Flanders and the city of Ghent. They had meetings with the Agency for Local and Provincial Government, Flemish chamber of commerce Voka, the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities and representatives of the European institutions. The visit is part of the OECD’s Eurasia programme, covering economic growth in Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus. Flanders’ contribution covers “the development and implementation of an institutional framework that meets current needs in Ukraine,” said the foreign

affairs department in a statement, “including reforms in decentralisation and the strengthening of public institutions.” In related news, a planned joint mission of the Flemish and Catalan regions to Morocco has been cancelled by the Moroccan government, which said no local representatives would be available to meet the delegation. The mission was due to take place from 7 to 9 May, led jointly by Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois and Catalan president Carles Puigdemont. Both said in a statement that they “regret” Morocco’s unilateral decision. More than 30 Flemish and Catalan business representatives were due to accompany the leaders in Morocco, which has strong trade relations with both regions. \ AH

\ COVeR sTORy

may 10, 2017

Shower to the people

Hygiene centre brings dignity to life on Brussels’ streets

doucHEfluX.BE

continued from page 1

The chair is currently rented, but the hope is to buy one for the centre; Petit will be at the forefront of fundraising efforts. The distinctive lockers and other furniture at DoucheFlux, meanwhile, were created by ResourceLab, a Turnhout-based company that makes customised objects from reclaimed wood. Their furniture is handmade by members of non-profits, co-operatives and charities. The DoucheFlux centre can trace its origins back to a series of protests in Brussels in 2010, when a collective called Manifestement took to the streets demanding that politicians provide better support and more affordable services for those without a fixed address. Dozens of public buildings in the city were standing empty, but there was a lack of public and political will to convert them for the homeless. The building on Veeartsstraat in Anderlecht had been empty and unused for 10 years before DoucheFlux bought it in 2014. Renovation started in November the following year and is now complete. The building has been open to the public since the end of March, though some of the services are not yet available. All told, the investment amounts to €2 million, which came from a combination of donations and fundraising. “Since the beginning, we have been able to cover our operating expenses primarily through donations from individuals,” explains spokesperson Danielle Borremans. In recent years, she continues, “these donations have been complemented by all sorts of fundraising activities, organised by us or on the initiative of others. The support and kindness we have felt from all layers in society have been heart-warming and motivating.” But the challenge, she says, “is still considerable, today, tomorrow and the day after. There is a lot at stake. To quote Angela Merkel: When it comes to human dignity, we cannot compromise.” In an effort to address the isolation of people living on the street, DoucheFlux has always organised regular events to help them learn new skills, meet other people, regain their self-confidence and start working their way back into mainstream life.

The new centre offers 20 showers, a launderette and 150 lockers

From left: Jacques Petit, who was once homeless, is now one of DoucheFlux’s most dedicated volunteers, and cartoonist Philippe Geluck, one of the organisations’ patrons

Among their outreach events is the DoucheFlux Meets Schools programme, in which secondary schools invite homeless speakers to take part in discussions with pupils. The idea is to help students address societal prejudices and explore issues of poverty and exclusion. There is also a multilingual magazine featuring articles written by people who have lived on the street. Vendors buy copies for €0.25 and sell them on to the public for €2 each, giving them

in figUres • There are approximately 2,700 • 10% of families don’t have the long-term homeless people in use of a bathroom the Brussels-Capital Region • 20% of the population live • 20,000 people in the capital are below the poverty line currently thought to be sleep- • In Brussels, one child in three is ing on the streets

living in poverty

access to a legal income as well as a meaningful occupation. A radio show is broadcast once a month, covering issues related to poverty, though it’s currently only available in French. “We offer services and activities to people that give them with energy, selfconfidence and skills,” says Chris Aertsen, another one of the organisation’s founders. “We give people back their autonomy.” The aim, she adds, is to “give people the freedom to make their own way. We believe in independence, co-operation, diversity, respect and transparency, and in making people’s voices heard.” Even before it’s fully operational, there has been a positive response from people using the centre, who appreciate the high-quality surroundings and the welcoming atmosphere. DoucheFlux is spreading the word through flyers,

mailings and other associations in the sector. The centre is staffed primarily by volunteers. In order to provide a stable and efficient service in the new building, however, DoucheFlux had to hire permanent staff to work alongside them. In the past month, the permanent workforce has increased from one to five people: an administrative and financial officer, a social assistant, a volunteer co-ordinator, a receptionist and a logistical and technical co-ordinator. Access to the DoucheFlux building is only possible from Tuesday to Friday during office hours, and from 11.30 to 15.00 on Saturdays. In the start-up phase, access to the showers and launderette will be limited to mornings from Tuesday to Friday, and 11.30 until 14.30 on Saturday. At a later stage, when the build-

ing becomes fully operational, the intention is to provide a second session of access to showers and the launderette in the late afternoon. Pascal Smet, the Brussels minister whose portfolio includes poverty issues, was one of the politicians present at the launch event. “Every day as I cycle or walk in the city, I see something I can’t accept: men and women living in the street,” he says. “It’s something that’s become part of normal life, part of modern society, but every time I see it, it makes my heart ache. No one who truly had the choice would choose to live in the street.” A great number of people have spent a lot of time and energy to make the DoucheFlux project a reality, he explains. “What they’ve done, I think, is one of the most beautiful things a person can do: make another person happy.”

\ BUsIness

week in bUsiness agro Belchim The producer of herbicides and fungicides for crops, based in Londerzeel, Flemish Brabant, has acquired Engage Agro in the US. It is the first American acquisition for Belchim, which employs some 450 people throughout Europe.

Retail media markt

The German-owned electronics and appliances chain has plans to open up to 14 smaller outlets in Belgium over the next four years, in a bid to compete with online shopping. The outlets would be located in smaller cities and offer additional services such as haircuts or free coffee for customers. The chain’s existing 27 outlets will also be renovated.

energy Thales

France’s Thales Alenia Space group is investing €20 million in an automated photovoltaic cells production unit in Hasselt. The move is part of the company’s development of its space-related activities which already employ 700 people in Belgium.

mining nyrstar

The ailing zinc and metals mining and smelting group has finally sold its Campo Morado mine in Mexico to Canada’s Telson Resources for €18 million.

Property QRF

The quoted Antwerp-based inner city property developer is investing €29 million to acquire a Dutch portfolio of buildings located in Den Bosch, Maastricht, Enschede, Nijmegen and Zwolle with a total of 4,370 square metres of shopping space.

Dredging Jan De nul

The Aalst-based dredging group has won a €60 million contract to deepen the maritime access roads at Mexico’s port of Vera Cruz and to develop the anchoring zone.

steel Victor Buyck

The steel design and construction group, based in Eeklo, East Flanders, has inaugurated a €90 million 3,000-tonne steel bridge over the Rhine river in Strasburg. The new bridge connects the city’s public tram network to the city of Kehl.

Fruit harvest decimated

flanders’ growers say more than half of crops destroyed in cold snap alan Hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

sudden and severe frost on the night of 19 April destroyed more than half of Flanders’ fruit harvest, according to a survey of 300 growers carried out by the farmers’ union, Boerenbond, and the Pcfruit test centre in Sint-Truiden. Some 78% of the apple harvest, 82% of the cherry harvest and 63% of the pear crop was lost in the space of a matter of hours, growers reported. According to Boerenbond, the losses are so great that they are unlikely to be compensated for by price increases associated with stable demand and limited supply.

The survey represents more than three-quarters of growers from the Haspengouw (pictured) and Hageland areas of Limburg and Flemish

Brabant, the heartland of Flemish fruit production. The rest were spread across the region, including Waasland, the Kempen, Pajottenland and the Westhoek. Minister-president Geert Bourgeois has instructed the Flemish Disaster Fund to give case priority to fruit growers who have filed claims for damage caused by the April frost. “Following the Russian boycott and then the severe hailstorm of last year, the frost of 19 April was a further blow to our fruit growers. I am therefore taking this exceptional measure, in response to the concerns of the Flemish fruit sector.”

Electricity and gas merger ‘will cut energy bills by 3%’

Campaign to sharpen image of entrepreneurs ondErnEmErsvooriEdErEEn.BE

The two Flemish electricity and gas providers plan to merge into a single holding company, following an agreement reached at the weekend by the government of Flanders. The merger of Eandis and Infrax is predicted to lead to savings of €100 million and reduce energy bills by 3%. Eandis and Infrax are umbrella organisations of, respectively, seven and four electricity and gas network managers. All 11 of them will now come together under one roof, allowing major economies of scale. The estimate of €100 million in savings comes from Piet Buyse, chair of Eandis, and Wim Dries of Infrax. Flemish energy minister Bart Tommelein was in favour of a merger but wanted the company to

A new campaign is looking to sharpen the image of entrepreneurs, with advertising, a TV programme and a fully fledged road show. Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Vlaio) is also offering training in media relations to businesses as part of Ondernemers voor iedereen (Entrepreneurs for Everybody), minister Philippe Muyters has announced. The four-year campaign is in co-operation with employers organisations Voka and Unizo and Flanders DC, which supports creative enterprise. The aim of the campaign is to stress the positive impact of entrepreneurs on society and dispel some of the stereotypes. “In TV programmes like The Sky is the Limit, the clichés about businessmen are piled high,” said Muyters, referring to the Flemish reality show featuring the more flamboyant characteristics of some of the region’s wealthiest entrepreneurs. “All due respect to those people, but those are not the entrepreneurs I know. Entrepreneurs are often very hard-working people who are trying to make a

launch on the stock market to give ordinary investors the chance to become shareholders. At present, shares are held by municipalities. That launch will now not take place as the timing is not right, Tommelein said. The main functions of the new company, to be known as Fluvius, will be managing and maintaining the energy networks, as well as investing in the network, paying energy premiums, reporting property owners producing their own energy and installing energy meters. “All the rest, including the installation of charging stations or the sale of extra options for digital meters, should be left to the private sector,” said Tommelein. \ AH

Start-up’s new video system is game changer for industry Start-up company AZilPix, a spinoff of Hasselt University (UHasselt) and nanotech research centre imec, has created the new multiangle video production system Studio.One, which makes image production more simple and costefficient. Studio.One uses multiple highresolution cameras, a server and software to film an event from different angles. Only one camera operator is needed. The system could be used in the film and TV industry but also to record procedures such as surgery very closeup. A major advantage of the new system is that it’s no longer necessary for camera operators to follow the action from every angle during the recording. “With Studio.One, users can choose afterwards from which angles they want to show the event,” explained Philippe Bekaert, chief technology officer of AZilPix. “That is much simpler than having to anticipate what happens next, which is the common practice now,” said Bekaert.

murielle scherre, founder and designer of la Fille d’O lingerie in Ghent, one of many entrepreneurs featured in the new campaign

difference.” That view is confirmed by a study conducted by Vlerick Business School, in which nearly half of all entrepreneurs said they were in it to make a difference to society, with sustainability an important dimension of their work. The campaign also features a TV ad, a road show touring 13 municipalities, a TV programme to be broadcast next year and the website, which gathers the stories of selected entrepreneurs. \ AH

€3.7 billion Saudi investment in Antwerp port cancelled

Because the cameras are small, they can also be used in places where it’s more difficult to install normal TV cameras. According to the company, this technique is ideal for recording shows in cultural centres, surgical procedures, second-division football matches and the action on the smaller stages at music festivals. At last month’s NAB media content trade show in Las Vegas, Studio. One received the Game Changer Award, a recognition that the product has the potential to literally change the global film and video industry. \ Andy Furniere

The Antwerp Port Authority is looking for new investors after Saudi Arabian company Energy Recovery Systems (ERS) pulled out of a major investment plan that would have brought 900 new jobs to the port. The planned plastics recycling plant on the grounds of the former Opel car factory represented an investment in Antwerp worth €3.7 billion. The deal, announced two years ago, involved the construction of a plant to turn recycled plastic into chemicals. ERS had reserved the site, and the port authority had agreed under certain conditions, including financial pledges and the treatment of waste materials. In the ensuing two years, the requirement to create a Belgian company to operate the site was

never met. When ERS asked for more time to comply just before the deadline, the port authority assessed that the project was never going to be realised under its conditions, and the reservation of the site was cancelled. According to Marc Van Peel, Antwerp city councillor in charge of port affairs, ERS is to blame for the cancellation of the agreement. “It was the company that said it was unable to meet the conditions laid down by the port authority,” he said. The port authority board will now issue an international call for tenders for new projects for the former Opel site, and ERS is free to apply again. The offer is aimed at attracting a major industrial investment. \ AH

\ InnOVaTIOn

may 10, 2017

Save me a seat

week in innovaTion VR films warn against walking on tracks

vilvoorde company keeps office furniture out of landfills toon lambrechts more articles by Toon \ flanderstoday.eu

nnof.BE

ot unlike the clothes we wear, workspaces are subject to all kinds of trends, too. If you work in a large office, you can’t help but notice it: The office landscape is changing. The cubicles of the past have made way for open floor plans, but now these are also being replaced by flexible work spaces that do away with traditional desks in favour of sharing and telecommuting. The debate over which concept is better continues, but the ecological impact of the ever-changing trends is clear; obsolete office furniture usually ends up in landfills. One Flemish company hopes to change that. For the last six years, Nnof, based in Vilvoorde, has been offering businesses a green solution to furniture waste. “We started as a removal company that specialised in office furniture,” says Anne Lenaerts, sales and marketing director at Nnof. “We were throwing away huge quantities of furniture. Modern offices didn’t require as much furniture anymore, and it was easier for our clients to get rid of it than to reuse it. This contributed to a growing waste problem.” As a result, Nnof – which stands for Nearly New Office Facilities – began rethinking its own environmental impact. The office furniture that falls out of fashion is usually in good enough shape to be reused; instead, it ends up as waste. The company decided to do something about it. “We came up with a business model that aims to give furniture a longer life,” explains Lenaerts. “The furniture is repurposed, before it gets recycled. We strongly believe that, in the long run, this kind of circular economy will be the only

limburg towns join forces on smart projects

From the seating to the shelving, nnof will redesign your office space to make the best use of your existing furniture

viable option.” Most office furniture is built to last for decades. “These days, however, it’s only used for about seven years,” says Lenaerts. “We talk to our clients to figure out which of their existing furniture could be used in the new office space. Larger companies especially have a lot of things that can be reused.”

of the client. “We’ve partnered with big companies, like KBC, to refurbish their offices, helping them realise the huge ecological benefits of reusing furniture,” says Lenaerts. But while this helps the environment, she continues, reusing office furniture also has a direct benefit for the companies’ bottom line.

We talk to our clients to figure out which of their existing furniture could be used in the new office space Nnof first creates an exhaustive inventory of their client’s office, down to the individual components from which each item is made, including table tops and chair frames. Then it comes up with a new plan that fits the needs

“With larger projects, it can be up to 50% cheaper than buying it all new. But even with smaller ones, reusing furniture that’s already in place can help cut the costs.” According to Lenaerts, more and morecompaniesaretakingsustain-

ability seriously, and reused office furniture is one area that requires little effort on their part. “It takes time to explain what it is that we’re doing, but there is a growing interest from both the private sector and government institutions.” Nnof is part of a growing network of Flemish companies and thinktanks that operate within the so-called circular economy. But its ambitions stretch further. “We’re opening a branch in the Netherlands, and we hope to follow it up with other countries in the future,” says Lenaerts. Apart from that, the company is constantly rethinking the way it does business. “We want to offer our clients a model that shifts the focus from buying and owning the office furniture, to simply using it. That’s the next logical step to a more circular and sustainable economy,” says Lenaerts. “It will take a mental shift, but we’re working on it.”

Flower power: pollen offers scientists clues to Brussels’ pollution You might not realise it, but Brussels is home to a significant number of beekeepers. As well as harvesting nectar, bees also collect pollen from Brussels’ flower stock, which means they can help offer a picture of the extent of pollution in the capital. “Bees from a single hive visit over four billion flowers a year,” explains Dr Laurian Parmentier, a researcher in the department for crop protection at Ghent University. He’s also part of Beeodiversity, an organisation that studies pollinators in the wider context of biodiversity. “Bees provide a huge amount of data about the health of the ecosystem, more than any scientist alone could collect,” he says. “What we’ve done in this research is to analyse the pollen in beehives at different places in Brussels, measuring the presence of heavy metals and pesticides.” The researchers divided the city into several zones, and the results show a mixed picture. The north and northwest, around the canal – historically a place of heavy industry – score poorly when it comes to contamination of pollen with

heavy metals like lead and arsenic. Researchers even detected a strain of pesticide that’s banned. The origins of all these pollutants in the pollen is difficult to trace, says Parmentier. “Historical pollution from past industrial activities can play a role, but so does contemporary air pollution, such as emissions from traffic. Pesticides, meanwhile, can come from agricultural activity or from the use of these products in private gardens and parks.”

Rail infrastructure company Infrabel has launched a virtual reality film that shows youngsters the dangers of walking on railway tracks. The BOX is a container in which youngsters walk around with a virtual reality headset. Via the headset, they see a short film of a teenager who is late for an exam and takes a shortcut by walking on rail tracks. Because he is distracted by his smartphone, he’s not aware that a train is approaching. Sound effects and vibrations enhance the experience. The film focuses on students in secondary education. Infrabel said they chose to use virtual reality because “patronising and fingerwagging don’t work.”

BEEodivErsity.com

Scientists analyse the pollen rather than the bees’ nectar because “pollen originates directly from the plant, and thus gives a clearer picture of the substances a plant has been exposed to during the whole of the growing season,” explains Parmentier. “Nectar, from which bees make honey, is just a short burst of sugar production by the plant, and has less value in relation to long-term pollution data.” So Beeodiversity’s findings say less about the quality of Brussels’ honey than they do about the risk of gardening in the capital. “Allotments and city agriculture are increasingly popular and are heavily promoted, but if you look at these findings, there is reason to be cautious in certain regions of Brussels,” he says. “Leafy vegetables like lettuce and spinach are particularly vulnerable to pollution, both from the air and from the soil.” Parmentier has some simple advice for urban gardeners wanting to improve the safety of their crops: “Don’t use any pesticides. There is a wide range of ecological alternatives available. The bees will thank you.” \ TL

Forty-four municipalities across Limburg have united in the Smart Regio Limburg (S-LIM) project, a partnership to create one large “smart region”. It’s the largest collaboration of cities and towns associated with “smart city” projects in Europe. Through S-LIM, the municipalities will have a better overview of all the initiatives and technologies available to improve and update their services. The co-operation is expected to offer an advantage to smaller towns in particular. Concerning mobility, the S-LIM team is considering an app that gives an overview of all free parking places in Limburg. The team is also examining street furniture that would double as public lighting.

Proton therapy centre breaks ground

Leuven University Hospital (UZ Leuven) has started the construction of ParTICLe, the first centre for proton therapy in the country. Proton therapy is an innovative form of radiotherapy, used to treat malignant tumours, that precisely targets cancer tumours, preventing healthy tissue from being damaged. This is especially important for children and patients with a tumour close to certain organs such as the brain. Because proton therapy requires a particle accelerator to produce proton beams, the new centre will be housed in two underground facilities made of concrete. Two facilities will be constructed: one for the treatment of patients and one for research. The total cost is €45 million, of which the government of Flanders is contributing €5 million. \ Andy

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\ eDUCaTIOn

may 10, 2017

Home away from home

week in edUcaTion student entrepreneur makes wheelchair accessories

leuven institute for ireland eyes the future, honours the past noreen donovan Follow noreen on Twitter\ @noreenmeets

lEuvEninstitutE.Eu

reland became a member of the European Union on 1 January 1973, but the foundation of the country’s links with Belgium and Europe was laid down hundreds of years earlier. In 1607, a group of Franciscan monks, fleeing persecution in Ireland, established the Irish College in Leuven. With the support of Archduke Albert and his wife Isabella, the college became an important centre politically, economically and intellectually; decisions made here were felt throughout Europe. Today, the college is run and maintained by the Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe. “The Franciscan religious order ran the college until the 1980s, but the building was difficult to maintain, and it was suggested that it be turned into a resource for Ireland to continue the link with the country,” explains Christina Geary, the institute’s general manager. “The Franciscans still own the building, but it is on a long-term lease to our institute.” The institute was formed in 1984.

The leuven Institute’s roots go back to a group of Franciscan monks who arrived in 1607 fleeing persecution in Ireland

“Today our mission is to develop and deliver bespoke programmes to clients from Ireland and Northern Ireland and to maintain and manage high-quality accommodation and conference facilities,” says Geary. The institute is managed by a board of directors, with members coming from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Belgium. It operates as a non-profit organisation, with offices in Dublin and Belfast, where the staff meet

sTep by sTep As part of their mission to promote Irish culture and to mark the 400th anniversary of the building’s completion, the Leuven Institute for Ireland is hosting a weekend of folk dancing. Irish dancers Edwina Guckian and Ronan Healy will run workshops on step and set dancing – the latter of which is an Irish folk dance made up of eight danc-

12-14 may

ers. The Flight of the Earls set dancing group, which is based in Leuven, will provide live music. The group’s name alludes to Irish earls who fled the country in 1607, finding refuge at the Irish College. The dancing weekend also coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls Set, a dance written by Jim Keenan.

leuven Institute for Ireland Janseniusstraat 1, Leuven

with clients to discuss potential programmes. TheserangefromavisittotheEuropean Parliament and Commission in Brussels, inviting speakers from the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) to give lectures, or visiting companies and other commercial enterprises in the area. Programmes can also be more heritage-oriented, such as a guided coach tour of major First World War sites in West Flanders, including the Island of Ireland Peace Park, the In Flanders Fields Museum and the Menin Gate. “We also have a commercial aspect, where clients like KU Leuven make use of our facilities,” explains Geary. The institute also serves “as a hub for the promotion of Irish culture,” she says, by accommodating and supporting the Leuven Centre for Irish Studies and the European Federation of Associations and Centres for Irish Studies (EFACIS), both of which have their offices there. The Leuven Centre for Irish Studies works closely with researchers from Irish universities on topics relating to Ireland. The aim of

EFACIS, on the other hand, is to promote and support studies in all aspects of Irish society, culture and literature throughout Ireland. Both groups work with the Leuven Institute to promote cultural events, says Geary. “The Leuven Centre for Irish Studies organises screenings of Irish films and also hosts St Patrick ’s Day celebrations, with Irish music and writers. We support the centre in its outreach.” Every group that makes use of the institute’s facilities also gets to learn a bit about the history of the place, says Geary, “so that people go away with the knowledge that they’ve been a part of something historically important.” Many clients return annually. Trinity College Dublin, for example, brings its business students every year for the European Residency Week, while undergraduate students in European Studies at Maynooth University come on a week-long study visit. The institute also works with universities in the US, including in Boston and Chicago. The facilities include four conference rooms, 59 bedrooms and a dining hall with a garden terrace. There is also a residential bar and a multi-purpose auditorium with retractable seats. Accommodation and catering choices are planned according to the clients’ needs, and all facilities are wheelchair-accessible. The institute is also open to the public. “We have a permanent exhibition that captures the historical context in which the college was established,” says Geary, “and our garden is just a very lovely and peaceful place to visit.”

Q&a

PuBErwijs.com

Brussels-based teacher Naïma Van den Broeck founded Puberwijs (Wise Adolescents) to help students get organised and tackle homework assignments, while providing their mentors with the tools to help them succeed. Teachers, parents and teens have always suffered under the scourge of homework assignments. Brussels-based teacher Naïma Van den Broeck founded Puberwijs (Wise Adolescents) to help students define their goals and stay organised, while providing their mentors with the right tools to help them succeed. What is the philosophy behind your workshops? Studies show that adolescents struggle with being organised and goal oriented, and can’t resist distractions. We noticed that they have difficulty packing their school bags, starting their homework and focusing in general.

to keep going.

Children aren’t born with the skills to regulate themselves, so we coach them to do so. In the homework workshop, we are the teenagers’ help and support, taking the lead where necessary and motivating them by defining their goals. And we do it all by showing them how their brains actually work. What techniques do you use with students who really dislike homework? At Puberwijs, we first try to figure out why they dislike homework. Do they have problems at home, or are they too afraid to fail? If there’s a problem, we have to deal with that first. Then we try to inspire the students

by looking at who they admire and seeing how those people got to where they are. Together, we create a step-by-step plan to achieving their goals. It’s very important to praise the students as we go along because their first achievement will motivate them

What advice would you give to parents and teachers? Teaching children the right set of skills isn’t enough. We also work on their mindset, and for that we need the help from their parents and teachers. That’s why we also coach our colleagues and organise workshops for parents. They have to know how to guide their children and how to provide them with feedback. Adolescents need confirmation, appreciation and security. When our child comes home with a poor result on an English exam, and we say: “Don’t worry, you are good at so many other things,” we’re trying to help. But in their mind, they’re thinking: “My mum says I’m really bad at this. There’s no point in trying my best.”

Industrial engineer-designer Marie Van den Broeck from Aalst has won the 2017 Student Entrepreneur of the Year award for making crutches and wheelchairs more attractive and userfriendly. The award is given by Unizo, the organisation that represents the self-employed in Flanders. Van den Broeck, who studied at the Kortrijk campus of Ghent University, runs the company My Add On, where she designs and distributes add-ons that users can click on to a crutch or wheelchair. Her first product is MySleeve, a kind of sock that can be slid over the handgrips of crutches, to make the handles feel soft and prevent pain in the hands. The sock also has a built-in magnet, for picking up a crutch that’s been dropped.

kU leuven tops Reuters ranking once again For the second year in a row, the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) has topped Thomson Reuters’ ranking of Europe’s most innovative universities. KU Leuven earned its first place partly because of its high volume of influential inventions, said Reuters in a statement. The media giant was also impressed with the university’s partnership with Ford Motor Company to study the durability of auto parts created with a 3D printing process. Ghent University, meanwhile, advanced three places to make the top 20, while the Free University of Brussels climbed two places, compared with the previous ranking.

Universities look to students of foreign origin The universities of Antwerp (UAntwerp) and Leuven (KU Leuven) are taking extra initiatives to attract more students of foreign origin, who are strongly underrepresented at Flemish universities. They make up 11.2% of the student population at KU Leuven and 9% at UAntwerp. The universities have already assigned mentors to assist fellow students with a migration background and send role models to talk to pupils in secondary school. “When we get these students at our university, we need to make sure they feel at home,” said UAntwerp rector Herman Van Goethem, “by encouraging them to participate in local associations or by offering halal meals in our student restaurants, for example.” \ Andy Furniere

\ Interview by Mari Eccles

\ lIVInG

week in acTiviTies Cirkl Circus Festival Cirkus in Beweging, a circus school in Leuven, is the host for a weekend of breathtaking acts, exciting new talent, public workshops and entertainment. The festival is based in the Sluispark, with free performances and activities all day. Top international circus acts will be found under the big top (tickets required). 12-14 May, Sluispark and other locations, Leuven; free \ cirklcircus.be

Barrio Cantina This outdoor street party features dozens of food trucks serving international and local specialities, cocktail bars, DJs spinning until late in the evening, and entertainment for the kids. This weekend it’s in Ostend; it travels to Ghent, Antwerp and Bruges on the following weekends. 12-14 May, Leopoldpark, Ostend; free \ barriocantina.be

Free watersports day Here’s your chance to try out a range of aquatic sports: sailing, surfing, kayaking, even stand-up paddleboarding. A new rowing club will be inaugurated with a regatta, and afterwards everyone can try out rowing, too. If you want to try out watercaching (geocaching on the water), you’ll have to register in advance. 14 May 10.00-17.00, Schulensmeer, Demerstraat 60, Lummen; free \ schulensmeer.be

Begijnhof Festival This annual spring event kicks off the tourist season in Diest. The streets of the historic begijnhof will be filled with a culinary market featuring local products, hot food and cooking demos, as well as street theatre and activities. The visitor centre and windmill will also be open. 14 May 11.00-18.00, Begijnhof, Begijnenstraat, Diest; free \ toerismediest.be

Teen Talk: seize the Day

Roman Krznaric is a founding member of the School of Life and founder of the world’s first Empathy Museum. Using history, philosophy and science, he talks about how we can recapture the art of living in the moment. Register online. (For ages 14-18, in English.) 15 May 17.00-18.30, Muntpunt, Munt 6, Brussels; free \ muntpunt.be

\ 10

A breath of fresh air

oxygen housing project aims to entice workers back from the suburbs liz newmark Follow liz on Twitter \ @lizanewmark

business-to-residential building project in the capital is expected to regenerate its location and help revitalise the neighbourhood. The conversion, known as Oxygen, will see a 1960s concrete office block in the southern Brussels municipality of Oudergem replaced with housing.

Apart from certain zones less suited for housing, the ‘all-about-offices’ theory no longer has a place in Oudergem “Oudergem is one of the first communes to opt for this type of reconversion,” says Didier Gosuin, mayor of Oudergem and Brussels’ minister for economy and employment. “The reconstruction of 191 Vorstlaan is more than a symbol, it’s a sign of change. Apart from certain zones less suited for housing, the ‘all-about-offices’ theory no longer has a place in Oudergem – there are only two office blocks left on this street.” Oxygen is connected to the city centre by metro, tram and bus, and Gosuin believes it will encourage workers to move from the suburbs

local artist and musician sozyone Gonzales’ 1,000 square-metre mural on the Oxygen building is the biggest temporary painting ever created in Brussels

to the city. “We must stop the negative trend of people living 40km outside the town and commuting to work,” he says. “This idea is now dated, and in 20 years we hope it will be completely reversed. Possession of a car is no longer the be-all and end-all.” Frédéric van Marcke, develop-

ment director at Sint-LambrechtsWoluwe-based property developer Besix Red, which pioneered the project, says Oxygen’s key attraction is “location, location, location” – close to a supermarket, schools, cafes, restaurants, parks and a hospital, with the library, cultural centre and town hall opposite.

biTe slow pizza in the venice of the north A slow food pizza sounds like a contradiction in terms, but Amunì in the centre of Bruges is here to give it a go. The idea is not to make you wait for your fast food, but to use “slow food ingredients” such as stone-ground organic flour for the pizza dough, and a slow rising time driven by yeast already present in the flour and water. This is meant to be healthier, tastier and better for society in general. Perhaps the clearest sign of the slow food philosophy is the simplicity of the pizzas, which cost €13-€20 each. The foundation is either red or white, which is to say Fior di Latte cheese with or without tomato, plus one or two additional ingredients on top. That might be just anchovy, or broccoli and Tuscan sausage. This is not the place to come if you like a quattro stagioni or one of those hipster pizzas topped with the maximum number of buffalo products.

Even the “gourmet” pizzas owe their luxury to the choice rather than the number of ingredients: cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, for example, or Caprino goat’s cheese, artichokes and smoked tuna. Amunì also does starters, pasta and other mains, so before getting to the pizza I indulge in bruschetta topped with pancetta and scamorza (€9 for four pieces). Scarmoza is often melted, but here the cheese has been crisped at the edges, forming a succulent layer over hot Italian bacon, which in turn lies on toasted bread. Just toasted, not baked to a brittle crisp. I approve. After that, I choose a red pizza topped with Nduja (a spicy Calabrian sausage) and parsley. Nduja is tricky to manage: it’s meant to be soft and spreadable, but served on pizza it often looks and behaves like an angry ball of chilli paste. Here it is visibly sausage, the red flesh studded with chili seeds, delivering a pleasing wallop.

Local artist and musician Sozyone Gonzales has created a mural on the side of the building featuring birds and a man raising his hat. Van Marcke says the painting is a complement to Oudergem’s upcoming art festival, Kunstensteenweg (Arts Street), which runs from 6-14 May and features talks, shows and exhibitions. Nicolas Moreel, one of the founders of Urbana, the company that initiated the painting and is behind Bozar’s Interfaces portrait exhibition, says the current trend is to use building sites for art instead of leaving them as ugly construction areas. “We wanted to give a last breath to the building and bring life and dynamics to the district,” Moreel says. “The 1,000 square-metre mural, the biggest temporary painting ever made in Brussels, will also help attract people to the project.” The artwork was finished in February, Moreel explains. “This mural is part of the ‘game’, but of course I won’t be happy to see it disappear.” Oxygen will offer 89 one- to threebedroom apartments, each with a large sun-facing terrace. The complex, designed by the Watermaal-Bosvoorde branch of Assar Architects, also has very low energy consumption, due to tripleglazed windows and photovoltaic roof panels. Living in the brand-new complex, set in parkland with a panoramic roof terrace looking over the Zonienwoud, won’t come cheap, with prices ranging from €200,000 for a studio to €650,000 for the 253 square-metre penthouse suite. Prices are in line with new-build flats in the district, and about 20% have already been sold. Work is due to be finished by spring 2019.

amuni.BE

The pizza crust is soft and doughy, almost to the point of feeling underdone, but the tomato and cheese were not wet, so the whole thing held together and tasted fresh. I’d certainly come back to explore the menu further, but later in the evening to give the slow oven time to warm up. \ Ian Mundell

\ aRTs

may 10, 2017

Street appeal

guided walks of antwerp reveal art hidden in plain sight dan smith more articles by Dan \ flanderstoday.eu

n a recent Sunday morning, I join a group of 20 people at Berchem Station, ready to discover the side of Antwerp I have only ever glimpsed in passing. Over the next two hours, we are led on a tour of the Berchem district’s backstreets to discover its ubiquitous street art. Our journey begins on platform 2, where our guide, Tim Marschang, better known as Tim Streetantwerpenaar, points out examples of both graffiti and street art to demonstrate the difference. Whereas graffiti is about getting your “tag” on the wall before the police arrive, I learn, street art is actually an art form. Berchem Station provides some great examples. More than 800 square metres of wall have been covered by Flemish artist Gunther Cazn Baeyens, known simply as Cazn. His work features portraits of Antwerp icons, including Rubens and the city’s famous chocolate hands. The quality of Cazn’s work is a world away from the quick tags that dot

other parts of the station’s infrastructure. “Cazn planned this work in consultation with the rail authority, and he did it for free,” says Marschang. “It’s his calling card for the commercial work he does to make a living.” As we wind our way through Berchem, Marschang talks about his guided tours of Antwerp’s street art, which he has been doing for almost a year. “I love street art, and I wanted to put together an online map,” he explains. While looking for inspiration, he found the street art website of the city of Heerlen, the Netherlands. “It’s a small place, but the entire town is covered in art,” he says. “They developed the site to replace printed maps for visitors.” Marschang soon joined the Heerlen site, which features a whole network of street art maps for cities around the world. The next step was to create a dedicated street art app for Antwerp. “I entered my idea into last year’s Apps for Antwerp competition, and Street Art Antwerp came in third,” says Marschang.

Tim marschang started street art tours to show people a different side of antwerp

strEEtartantwErP.com

antwerp street artist Joachim and american nils westergard brought their distinctive styles together for this piece in the merksem district

The prize money helped finance the app, which was launched last year for Apple and Android. The map is also available online. Marschang: “My ultimate goal is to launch a universal app that could be used to find street art anywhere.” Inspired by his son who baked waffles for the Music for Life charity drive two years ago, Marschang decided to take part in last year’s edition, with the Street Art for Life tours. They proved successful: “Now the tours are listed with Visit Antwerp, and I’m running one a week, on average.”

The number of tours is limited, as Marschang also works full time as a chemist with the port of Antwerp. Tours typically cost €12 a person and take about 90 minutes, depending on the group. The age of participants ranges from eight to 80. “There are always new things to see, new artists,” says Marschang. “Street art is part of the community, and it is constantly changing – that interests people.” We arrive in the industrial Krugerstraat, and my breath is taken away. On both sides of the road, and for as far as the eye can see, the walls are

covered in street art. The work is the result of last year’s Meeting of Styles – an annual festival that converts city walls around the world into public works of art. This year, the festival is again taking place on Krugerstraat. “The existing work will be covered up, and the artists will start again,” explains Marschang. “That’s the thing about street art; it’s not permanent, so you need to enjoy it while it’s there.” Hint: Wear 3D glasses when passing by Krugerstraat – the cat is watching.

Guitar shop strikes the right chord with musical lefties In 2005, fed up with not being able to find anywhere that could sell him a left-handed guitar, Patrick Van Rompaey converted his garage into a shop. Twelve years on, Lefty Guitars in Putte, Antwerp province, is the only place in Belgium that specialises in left-handed (or southpaw) guitars. “The only one between here and Paris,” Van Rompaey adds. From those humble beginnings, when he stocked his garage shop with eight guitars, Van Rompaey has come a long way. Today, the shop’s inventory includes more than 100 guitars, from the left-handed electric, acoustic and bass, to a left-handed ukulele and a left-handed mandolin. “I knew there was a gap in the market that I could fill,” he says, “but I didn’t think we would still be here after all these years.” Being left-handed, Van Rompaey found it frustrating that the only suitable guitars he could find were

online. He now has guitar lefties visiting his shop from all over Europe. But with just 10% of the world’s population being left-handed, he knew he was entering a niche market. “I kept my job as an accountant, because I knew I couldn’t make a living from my guitars,” he says. To run the business as a fulltime endeavour, “I would have to become a salesman, pushing sales in the shop and online, with larger expenses and greater risk,” he continues. “Now people can have a look around, without being pressured into buying anything.” The beginnings, however, were difficult. “I didn’t know anything,” he admits. “I didn’t know where to get the guitars, what to do as a dealer or what kind of profits I’d be making.” At a tradeshow in Germany, he finally secured a deal with Fender, an American guitar manufacturer

lefty Guitars stocks an array of brands, including Fenders, the favourite of arguably the most famous lefty, Jimi Hendrix

made famous by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, among others. Today, Lefty Guitars still sells the Fenders, but its inventory also includes guitars made by Gretch, Martin, Sigma, Eastwood and Guild. Prices range from €99 for the Tanglewood beginner acoustic guitar to €3,600 for the top-of-

the-line Gretch White Falcon electric guitar. The shop’s success has caught Van Rompaey by surprise. In 2007, Lefty Guitars moved out of the garage to its current location in the Peulis neighbourhood. “After two years, I was convinced that all the left-handers out there would have the guitars they

lEftyguitars.BE

wanted; but they just kept coming back.” He admits that most guitarists (himself included) fall victim to the guitar acquisition syndrome – the all-consuming urge to acquire more gear. “I own a lot of guitars myself. Last year I had 48 Fender Jazzmasters in stock, and I kept one.” Over the years, a host of wellknown southpaw musicians in Flanders have visited Lefty Guitars at one time or another: Guido Belcanto, Stef Kamil Carlens, Raf Van Brussel and Mirko Banovic to name a few. Once, the local teenage phenom Emma Bale popped in for a guitar repair, and Tindersticks’ guitarist Neil Fraser flew in from the UK to head to Putte. Hopes ran high when famous lefthander Paul McCartney was in the neighbourhood to play Rock Werchter last year. But, sighs Van Rompaey, “he didn’t stop by”. \ Noreen Donovan

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may 10, 2017

week in arTs & cUlTUre architecture competition for Citroën Centre

Brussels’ Urban Development Corporation has put out a call for proposals for the renovation of the former Citroën garage in the canal district. The agency purchased the historical building of glass and steel in 2015 to create a culture centre and museum of modern art. Architectural firms have until 6 June to submit a proposal. The building measures 35,000 square metres, of which 15,000 will be devoted to the museum and 10,000 to a centre for architecture. The remaining 10,000 will be multipurpose public space. The budget for the entire project is €125 million. Construction is expected to begin by the end of 2019.

Visitors to m Hka are now welcomed in an entrance hall that functions as an open library, with free access to a selection of art books

The heart of art

\ citroenculturalcentre.brussels

Tjop’s wins mijn Pop-uprestaurant

antwerp’s m Hka reopens with new look and direction Bjorn gabriels more articles by Bjorn \ flanderstoday.eu

After an architectural overhaul, Antwerp’s exhibition space is being relaunched as a leading institution for contemporary art.

ith a festive weekend at the end of April, the Museum of Contemporary Art (M HKA) in Antwerp has reopened following a period of renovation. Visitors are now welcomed in an entrance hall that functions as an open library, with free access to a selection of art books. A long wooden table and various shades of brown have replaced the cold white usually associated with contemporary art. The reading room was arranged by Antwerp gallerist and designer Axel Vervoordt, who also invited Japanese architect Tatsuro Miki to draw up a small permanent presentation of the M HKA collection. Inspired by the tokonoma, a space in traditional Japanese interior decoration devoted to highly appreciated art objects, Miki has designed a grey-coloured labyrinth that makes full use of a fairly limited surface area. In this intimate, warm-hearted setting, Flemish artists such as Panamarenko, Jan Fabre, Lili Dujourie and Luc Tuymans can be found next to Gordon MattaClark, Cindy Sherman and other international artists from M HKA’s own collection. This permanent selection is complemented by two temporary set-ups in which works from their collection will interact. Both the library and the presentation of the collection can be visited for free, in line with what

Vervoordt wanted the new M HKA entrance to express: “I want people to feel welcome and say: This is my museum!” With the architectural overhaul of its entrance, M HKA has also formulated a new mission. “We’re at long last taking another step towards becoming a museum, a real institution for contemporary art,” says general director and artistic leader Bart De Baere. “For the past 10 years, we’ve been an exhibition space, but we want to be part of a turn towards fully fledged museums of contemporary arts in Flanders.”

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M HKA’s new mission depends on support from the Flemish government’s departments of both culture and tourism. The renovation is the first finished project in the “Flemish Masters” programme, which will in the nottoo-distant future also include the reopeningoftheFineArtsMuseum in Antwerp, the full restoration of the Van Eyck brothers’ “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” in Ghent and other projects intended to attract tourists from across the globe. This international focus is not new, of course. In 2009, when the one-time grain warehouse had its

I want people to feel welcome and say: This is my museum De Baere sees M HKA playing a vital role in this catch-up operation. “Historically, Flanders has trailed behind in its development of museums,” he says. “In the past few years, museums of fine arts and municipal history have caught up, and now finally museums of contemporary art are being given opportunities to develop as well.” With the library as a “new heart of art” and their self-confident positioning (“M HKA has the most important collection in Western Europe of contemporary art from the former Soviet sphere,” according to De Baere), M HKA wants to link local and international interests. It’s no coincidence, then, that

previous renovation and MUHKA dropped the “U” from its name, then-minister of culture Joke Schauvliege called it “a lighthouse beaming far across our borders”. But, then again, at the time De Baere described M HKA as “a really fresh museum”, and not an exhibition space, while lauding its new coat of (white) paint… Taking a next step in their constant process of evolution and evaluation, the M HKA team can justly boast about the new look. They realise, of course, that with this renewal comes a daunting

until 17 september

task. “We don’t want to become a franchise, like Liège, where huge infrastructural investments weren’t met with a strong curating policy,” says De Baere, referring to La Boverie, the city’s Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, which outsources its programming to the Louvre. In the meantime, discussions about M HKA possibly having to move to another location in Antwerp, or expanding at the current one, aren’t entirely off the table, even though the reopening is also the start of the Flanders Centre for Art Archives there. This project, which will be fully operational in 2019, will function as both an exhibition space and a hub of knowledge for archivists and administers of artists’ estates. Who better than Flemish artist Jef Geys, who turns archives into art, and back into archives, to inaugurate this new section with newspaper clippings, drawings and other items from his archival box Golfoorlog 1991 (Gulf War 1991). M HKA’s second floor is still reserved for large exhibitions and currently welcomes A Temporary Futures Institute, a group show of contemporary artists and professional futurologists. The screaming colours painted from top to bottom on the museum walls seem to be fishing rather obviously for a flair of renewal. Make no mistake, M HKA has a bright future ahead.

m Hka

Leuvenstraat 32, Antwerp

The “low and slow” barbecue made famous at Tjop’s convinced voters, who chose the pop-up as the winner of this year’s edition of VTM’s Mijn Pop-uprestaurant last week. The popular TV programme saw six duos start a pop-up restaurant and then get eliminated one by one. The final two were located in Blankenberge for the last few weeks of the competition. Tjop’s, run by Birger Allary and Karel Knockaert, was up against Table’o, which was not only the favourite of the programme’s jury but also of every critic sent to test the pop-ups. But the public were taken with the large portions of meat and fish offered by Tjop’s, as well as the low-key personalities of the pair behind it. Tjop’s is planning either a food truck or a restaurant for the future. Allary already runs a barbecue catering firm called Tjoppie Doppie.

watermusic wins Queen mathilde Prize

The Ostend organisation Watermusic has been awarded this year’s Queen Mathilde Prize for its Crossing Music project. The project brings together children from different nationalities to sing traditional children’s songs from each other’s cultures. The project was one of 23 to be financed by the Queen Mathilde Fund for €150,000 and was also given the €10,000 prize by the queen herself at a ceremony in Brussels. Watermusic specialises in arts workshops and camps for youngsters as well as violin lessons. \ watermusic.weebly.com

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On the edge of control

Everything falls into place on flemish pianist jef neve’s new album christophe verbiest more articles by Christophe \ flanderstoday.eu

jEfnEvE.com

Cherry-picking the best of classical, jazz and pop, Ghentbased musician Jef Neve has come a long way in the past 10 years.

“Y

ou don’t need misery to be inspired to make music,” says Flemish pianist and composer Jef Neve. “I strongly believe that music can be healing. Unlike lots of other artists who write darker music as their career evolves, I started out quite dark, and my new album is quite optimistic. Maybe I’ll end up writing songs for K3…” Just back from a holiday spent kite-surfing – “probably the only time when I can completely forget about music” – Neve meets me in a restaurant beside a church in Sint-Maartens-Latem, where’s he’s playing a concert in an hour. His studio is here, too, and he lives in nearby Ghent. It’s been almost 10 years since I last spoke to Neve, when we met in his Brussels home. “I followed love to Ghent,” he says, though he’s still fond of the capital. “I feel like after the terrorist attacks last year, the city has found a new, positive vibe.” Separating his living and working space was something he thought long and hard about. If he didn’t draw a line between work and home, “I would go completely crazy because I would be working 24/7.” Last month, Neve released his new album, Spirit Control. “This time around, I didn’t have a concept when I started composing. But I knew very well what I didn’t want to do,” he says. “It wasn’t going to be an album for my trio, a collaboration with a singer, or a straightforward solo album.” He just started writing some unconnected pieces of music, and on honeymoon in Italy last summer, it fell into place. “My husband and I were in a music shop in Siena, where Max Richter’s

Jef neve: “I surfed on my intuition and followed my heart”

album Vivaldi Recomposed was playing. On the album, he’s interpreting Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. It was very inspiring,” he recalls. “For instance, at times he makes his string ensemble play very rhyth-

only a small inner circle knew that alongsidehisjazztraining,hestudied classical piano and specialised in chamber music. A year after that conversation, his first piano concerto was performed by the

I wouldn’t be happy if I only played jazz or only classical or only pop … I love to cherry-pick mically, as if you’re listening to a drummer. That’s when I decided I wanted to work with strings. But I also changed my mind about the trio, because some tunes worked best in that small line-up.” Ten years ago, Neve was seen as an up-and-coming jazz pianist and

Brussels Philharmonic with Neve as the soloist. “Honestly, 10 years ago, I didn’t dare to dream that all those things would happen. I’m thankful for all the chances I got.” They’re chances he created himself, aren’t they? “It’s recip-

rocal, I think.” But it’s no coincidence, he explains, that he started his musical conquest via jazz. “After finishing my piano studies, I didn’t dream of a career as a concert pianist, because I would miss composing. That’s why I first presented myself as a jazz pianist,” he explains. “I also made that choice because as a newcomer it’s easier to get a start playing jazz than playing with a symphony orchestra: There are more than enough clubs where you can put your talent on show.” But he doesn’t want to sound too calculated: “I also surfed on my intuition and followed my heart.” As a consequence of his success, and thanks to his qualities as a piano player, he is sometimes asked to perform with an orchestra. Classical, jazz or pop: Neve really needs this diversity. “I wouldn’t be happy if, for the rest of my life,

More new MUsic This week an Pierlé

kyoko

Cluster • PIAS An Pierlé keeps on surprising, tirelessly exploring fresh musical ground. On her new album, the second part of the diptych she began with last year’s Arches, she sounds freer than she ever has. The church organ that made its appearance on the previous album gets a more prominent role this time, without becoming a gimmick. On the contrary, it’s perfectly integrated with the other instruments (a startling horn section, for instance). Pierlé remains one of Flanders’ most invigorating artists.

Kyoko • Addictive Noise And suddenly it’s 1994 again, when trip-hop was the year’s musical sensation. The influence of the genre (think Portishead or Earthling) has faded this century, but trip-hop certainly isn’t dead and forgotten, as Kyoko, proves. It’s the first solo album for the former singer of Lunascape and, for a short while, Hooverphonic. A bittersweet voice combined with retro-futuristic instrumentation characterises this set of 10 songs. Nice, but at times too light to really take root in the soul.

\ facebook.com/anpierlemusic

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I only played jazz or only classical or only pop or only wrote soundtracks. I love to cherry-pick what I like in each of those genres,” he says. On this record in particular, he says, “I’ve been able to format all these preferences into one coherent entirety. I probably needed those 10 years to make a record like Spirit Control.” Soundtracks are, indeed, another of Neve’s musical trump cards. He recently scored the Flemish film Sprakeloos (Speechless) by Hilde Van Mieghem that was released in March. “Hilde is very demanding, a characteristic that I highly respect,” says Neve. “I felt that every note was important to her. At times she even sat next to me when I recorded the music, giving me some final directions.” It’s by far his least embellished soundtrack. “Less is more was the motto! I don’t like it when people stick their oar into my work. But when I’m guided, for instance by a director, in a world that I would not explore by myself and am made to discover new things, I accept it because it enriches me. It’s best illustrated by me reworking one of the tracks from the soundtrack for Spirit Control. I wouldn’t have written it otherwise.” Still, for a control freak like Neve, it’s a huge step to hand over the reins. “It’s very important to trust each other blindly,” he says. “What makes it even more interesting is that you’re looking at your work differently, since you’re seeing it through the eyes of an outsider. And you’re trying to write the music as if the directors themselves were making it. You have to let go of your musical ego. It’s very interesting.” But not always easy, I can imagine. “Certainly not if you have a big ego like I have.” His roar of laughter fills the restaurant. Jef Neve is on tour across Flanders and Europe from 5 May

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may 10, 2017

Good things come in small packages

TheaTre

Fire Is Gold 14 may

or a couple of years now, Belgium’s biggest music festivals have increasingly been adding R&B and hip-hop artists to rosters that have traditionally been dominated by rock, indie pop and world music. It’s an embrace that has been met with enthusiasm by local hip-hop fans, who have always had to travel abroad to attend a dedicated hiphop only music bonanza. Until now, that is. Because this month, Flanders will see its first-ever hip-hop festival being organised at Vilvoorde’s 3 Fonteinen domain. Fire Is Gold is remarkable not just for its exclusive focus on hip-hop, but also for

Brussels

3 Fonteinen Domain, Vilvoorde, firE-is-gold.BE

the acts that won’t be coming to the festival. The Vilvoorde fest notably won’t feature those currently considered the genre’s top artists – no Kendrick Lamars, no J Coles, no Chance the Rappers – nor any of their lesser rivals for that matter. Whether for budgetary or more chauvinistic reasons, the Fire Is Gold programmers have instead chosen to spotlight mostly up-and-coming home-grown talent. With nods to both Flemish, UK and French-language rap, the programme has a bit of everything. The young Sint-Niklaas rapper Woodie Smalls and Antwerp DJ

Zoey Hasselbank will rep Flanders, while the electronic Amster-

dance

fesTival

Hope

roeselare jazz

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Flanders Opera, Ghent oPEraBallEt.BE

Royal Ballet Flanders’ final bill of the season brings together works by women from three generations who share a message of hope. At the top of the marquee is a rare revival of German dance icon Pina Bausch’s 1978 masterpiece, Café Müller, created in close collaboration with the late artist’s own Tanztheater Wuppertal (pictured). This is the first time another dance company has been granted permission to perform the acclaimed work. The programme also boasts the world premiere of Belgian-Colombian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s meditation on the current refugee crisis, Ecdysis. The third work is American choreographer Martha Graham’s 1936 Chronicle. \ Georgio Valentino

Roeselare may be best known for its Rodenbach beer and vibrant cycling scene, but this fledgling jazz festival is putting the bucolic West Flemish town on the music map. A joint venture by local cultural centre De Spil and the organisers of the veteran Gent Jazz Festival, Roeselare Jazz features over a dozen of Flan-

antwerp Grensgeval (Borderline): Guy Cassiers directs four actors and dance students in this performance about migration, part of Toneelhuis’ Beyond Borders series (In Dutch). Until 13 May 20.00, Bourlaschouwburg, Komedieplaats 18 \ toneelhuis.be

dance Brussels

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ders’ top genre ensembles on its two open-air stages. This third edition is headlined by Taxiwars (pictured), a supergroup starring dEUS frontman Tom Barman and New York-based saxophonist Robin Verheyen. There’s also an exhibition of portrait photography by Eva Vlonk. \ GV

Sharing Home: Interdisciplinary work between contemporary visual artists, dancers and musicians by the Austria-based company n ï m, wherein the performers explore the notion of home as a dynamic concept. 14 May 16.00, CAB Art Center, Borrensstraat 34-36 \ cab.be

concerT Brussels

get tic kets n

Beth Ditto: The vivacious lead singer of the three-piece American indie rock band Gossip makes her solo debut, featuring “Fire”, her longawaited first single. 13 October 20.00, Ancienne Belgique, Anspachlaan 110

visUal arTs Ghent

Beervelde garden days Despite all appearances, it is officially springtime, and with it comes a host of garden fairs across Flanders. This is one of the biggest, with 220 horticultural professionals – from producers to designers to artisans – gathering together to dazzle visitors with an openair display of floral abundance.

\ Linda A Thompson

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fair 12-14 may

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dam producer Jarreau Vandal will do the same for our northern neighbours. Wiley (pictured), perhaps the biggest name on the festival line-up, hails from the UK, as does the music genre he has been dubbed the godfather of – grime. Fans of Francophone rap, meanwhile, can look forward to performances by the Brussels artists Damso, Roméo Elvis and Hamza. And though the names of these artists might not immediately ring a bell, trust, Fire Is Gold is the place to go if you want to catch a glimpse of this country’s next Stromae before they go platinum.

A Wilde Night Out: The English Comedy Club presents two plays in one, with an abridged version of Oscar Wilde’s A Woman of No Importance and a short, Wilde-inspired farce, The Impotence of Being Frank. 16-20 May, Warehouse Studio Theatre, Waelhemstraat 69a

Park van Beervelde ParkvanBEErvEldE.BE

The biannual event (there’s also an annual autumn edition) takes place at Beervelde, an Englishstyle garden in the East Flemish hinterland. The scenic domain is owned by the Counts of Kerchove de Denterghem, patrons of the local garden scene for over a century. \ GV

evenT

kunstennacht Hasselt 11 may, 18.00 Hasselt’s arts community comes togethereveryyeararoundthistime to kick the post-industrial city’s cultural life into overdrive. More than just a nocturne, Kunstennacht links most of its 28 sites in a walking tour that encompasses permanent venues like museums and galleries as well as pop-up installations and performances in public space. Venues outside the city centre are served by complimentary shuttles and bicycles. Highlights include interactive Japanese design at the ModeMuseum, breathtaking light installations at the Stadsmus, an exhibition by Flemish photographer Anton Kusters (pictured) and an after-party featuring dance music by Buscemi at Helabar. \ GV

across Hasselt kunstEnnacHt.BE

Ten Toon 200: Collection of works by Parkinson’s patients to raise awareness of the little-understood neurological condition, offering the chance to feel what it’s like to have Parkinson’s, which can make it difficult to sit, stand and move around. Until 20 May 14.00-19.00, AZ Jan Palfijn, Watersportlaan 5 \ parkinsonliga.be

filM across Flanders The Zookeeper’s Wife: New movie based on the real-life story of the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo who became heroes to hundreds during the Second World War, co-starring popular Flemish actor Johan Heldenbergh in his first Hollywood role. From 10 May, in cinemas across Flanders \ cinenews.be

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may 10 , 2017

Talking Dutch

voices of flanders Today

taxes made ridiculously simple

In response to: Children’s festival celebrates the magic of storytelling Derek Fannel: It’s nice to see storytelling is a thing even today.

derek Blyth more articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

t sounded too good to be true. Wie de belastingaangifte indient via Tax-on-web – Anyone who submits their tax return using Tax-on-web zou dit jaar minder werk voor de boeg hebben – will face less work this year, reported De Morgen. You might have been puzzled by that phrase voor de boeg, which literally means in front of the bow (of a ship). It’s one of those nautical terms that have entered everyday use, in this case meaning imminently, as in the recent newspaper headline: Warm weekend voor de boeg – Warm weekend is coming. The reason we are faced with minder werk voor de boeg is that Belgium’s online tax form has been simplified. Voor 70 procent van de gebruikers – For 70% of users, of 2,58 miljoen mensen – or 2.58 million people, volstaan enkele klikken – all that’s needed is a few clicks. Voor wie de fiscale toestand ongewijzigd bleef – For anyone whose tax situation remains the same en Taxon-web vorig jaar reeds gebruikte – and who used Taxon-web last year, volstaan minder dan 5 minuten – it will take less than five minutes om de aangifte in te dienen – to fill in the tax form. This was surely good news. Most people need a long weekend to fill in a tax form. Or they have to pay an expensive belasting adviseur – tax accountant to do it for them. But finance minister Johan Van Overtveldt insists that the new system is plain sailing. Zij moeten slechts één scherm consulteren in de online aangifte – They only need to consult one screen on the online tax return. The tax department, points out, however, that de aangifte van de personenbelasting – the tax return

In response to: KU Leuven most innovative university for second year running Marc Lensly: Well done KU Leuven!

In response to: The Land of Beer: Choosing the right glass for the job Vanessa McCulloch: It is indeed important. I particularly like the Cornet glass at the moment. for personal tax telt dit jaar nog eens 75 codes extra – includes 75 extra boxes this year, of 885 in total – or 885 in total. But Van Overtveldt pointed out that 82% of people only need to fill in fewer than 20 boxes. De fiscaliteit onder de motorkap is zeer complex – Under the bonnet, the tax system is really complicated, Van Overtveldt admitted, sounding like your friendly garage mechanic. Maar we streven ernaar – But we are trying, en ik denk dat we daar in belangrijke mate in slagen – and I think we are to a large extent succeeding, om het dashboard dat de burger moet gebruiken – to make the dashboard that the citizen has to use bij de besturing van deze wagen – in driving this car zo overzichtelijk en eenvoudig mogelijk te maken – as clear and simple as possible. It sounds too good to be true. But we could all do with minder werk voor de boeg. Especially with a warm weekend in store.

PHoto of tHE wEEk

In response to: New pass mixes flight and train travel for only €149 Glenn Vleminckx: Please stay away from my hometown. Any stay will be addictive and you’ll only want to come back.

Niel Staes @NielStaes Ghent is doing fine. Ghent is doing great. #Circulatieplan

maryevans @MAEgofrance Museum Plantin Moretus is a must see. The printer was the largest in Europe #visitantwerp #flanders

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The lasT word first impressions

“I can be myself by not being myself.”

Flemish impressionist Guga Baúl, interviewed in Het Nieuwsblad

animal attraction

“You can’t compare me to Matthias Schoenaerts; he’s world-class. He’s much younger, and he has something I don’t have – a certain star quality.” Johan Heldenbergh, who nonetheless appealed so much to Hollywood star Jessica Chastain that she insisted he play opposite her in The Zookeeper’s Wife, in cinemas now

second impressions

“Robert Plant and Jimmy Page are among the best, so very few people dare to take them on. That works in our favour.”

Berre Van Hoeylandt, guitarist with Guy Swinnen’s band, is also a member of Letz Zeppelin, one of an increasing number of tribute bands in Flanders

drug tourists

“My pharmacist won’t be happy when he sees what a pile of medicines I’ve bought.”

Jef Mulder, a retired postman from Hoboken, was one of 400 people who travelled to the Netherlands in a convoy of buses at the weekend to buy cheaper-priced drugs

The voTes are in French expats celebrate in a Brussels bar on sunday evening as emmanuel macron is confirmed as France’s new president. He beat far-right candidate marine le Pen by 66% to 34% in the second round of voting

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