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AUGUST 2, 2017 \ newSweekly - € 0,75 \ rEad morE at www.flandErstoday.Eu currEnt affairs \ P2

Politics \ P4

A colossAl loss

This week’s memorials commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele honoured half a million lives lost \2

BusinEss \ P6

innovation \ P7

Education \ P9

art & living \ P10

Written on the boDy

De-mining the seA

Ahead of the Nemo project, which sees underwater electrical cables linking Belgium and the UK, the North Sea is being cleared of deadly mines and bombs

A unique exhibition space in West Flanders asked artists to imagine the link between the arts and the human body

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Mary, and more

Hasselt turns religious festival into massive block party diana goodwin Follow Diana on Twitter \ @basedinbelgium

Organisers of the seven-yearly religious festival in Hasselt are betting they have enough on offer to keep a diverse, young crowd coming – from larger-than-life puppets to pea soup.

ow do you keep a centuries-old tradition, grounded in religious devotion, alive and relevant in the 21st century? That’s the challenge facing the organisers of the Virga Jessefeesten in Hasselt. Every seven years, the city holds not just one but four processions honouring the Virgin Mary over the course of two weeks. During this period, there are dozens of other related events happening all over the city centre. “This festival started centuries ago,” says Karolien Mondelaers, city councillor for tourism and culture. “It’s nice to see that such an ancient tradition can still interest so many

people, whether they’re religious or not.” Virga Jessefeesten is a massive undertaking that involves thousands of volunteers who help with the organisation and planning in the years leading up to the festival, and who take part in the processions. And every public institution in the city seems to have some part to play, from the provincial library and city museum to countless music and theatre groups. Like Ommegang in Brussels, the procession started as a civic expression of devotion around a miraculous statue of the Virgin and Child. Unlike the Ommegang, which has now lost much of its original religious meaning, the Virga Jesse Festival retains its focus on the figure of the Virgin and the larger Christian story. The name of Hasselt’s statue, Virga Jesse, refers to a prophecy from the Old Testament that was interpreted in the

middle ages as referring to the genealogy of Christ. Jesse was the father of King David, and Jesus was thought to be his descendant. In Latin, the text from the Book of Isaiah reads “et egredietur virga de radice Jesse et flos de radice eius ascendet.” In the King James Bible, this is translated as: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch will grow out of his roots.” Mary was thought to be the branch and Jesus the flower that she bore. Virga, the Latin word for stem or branch, is similar to Virgo, or virgin. The Virga Jesse statue is still housed in the Virga Jesse Basilica in Hasselt, which recently underwent a 15-month renovation. There is a new devotional chapel dedicated to the Virgin; its completion was scheduled to coincide with the 2017 Virga Jesse festivities. continued on page 5

\ CURRenT AFFAIRS

Flanders honours lives lost in Battle of Passchendaele centennial memorials dedicated to battle attended by local and foreign dignitaries alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

rince Charles, Prince of Wales, attended Flanders’ commemorations of the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele on Sunday and Monday, together with his son, Prince William, and William’s wife, Catherine Middleton. The British royal family joined Belgian royals, politicians and descendants of the infamous battle’s military casualties for one of the most signigicant commemorations of the 1914-18 centenary of the First World War. The Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, began on 31 July 1917. It has gone down in history as one of the First World War’s bloodiest and most devastating battles. After its 100 days, both sides had suffered 450,000 fatalities, with some 50,000 more injured or missing. Flemish public broadcaster VRT started its commemoration on Sunday with a compilation from its series Ten oorlog (To War), which traces the front line with stories from then and now. That was followed by the British 2012 mini-series

From left: Duchess of Cambridge Catherine Middleton, Prince william, king Filip and Queen Mathilde attend the last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate on Sunday evening

Parade’s End. The official commemoration began that evening with the traditional Last Post at the Menin Gate in Ypres, in the presence of British and Belgian royals and politicians. That ceremony was attended by 200 descendants of some of those whose names are inscribed on the walls of the gate – those who were lost but whose remains have never been traced. Following the Last Post, the attendees moved to Ypres’ market square to attend a multi-media performance on the battle, including a moving recitation by Dame Helen Mirren of “In Flanders’ Fields”, the poem by John McCrae that gives its name to the war museum on the same square. On Monday, British and Belgian royals attended a ceremony at Tyne Cot cemetery, followed by the opening of the Zonnebeke Church trench, preserved from the war and part of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele. The Tyne Cot ceremony was covered live on Canvas.

Visit to psychologist refunded from end of next year

More deaths during June heatwave

Starting at the end of 2018, sessions with psychologists will be partially refunded by mutualities, federal health minister Maggie De Block has announced. The government will allocate a budget of €22.5 million to the measure. Up to this point, temporary psychological help for those not seriously impaired was not refunded, though visits are usually €50 or more per session. Insurance refunds will apply to short-term treatment. It’s not yet clear how much of the cost will be reimbursed or if a referral from a patient’s GP will be required to be considered for reim-

The heatwave that hit Belgium is being cited by the Scientific Institute for Public Health as the reason why the death rate increased at the end of June. During the period from 19 to 25 June, 2,080 deaths were recorded, 235 more than average for the time of year. Of those, 127, slightly more than half, were people over the age of 85, a group that is particularly vulnerable to heat extremes and dehydration. On 22 June, the fourth day in a row that the temperature rose above 30°C, 109 of the additional deaths took place. All but 19 of them were over

the age of 65. Sweat helps keep body temperature regulated, but older people have a less efficient temperature-control system. They are also less resistant to dehydration and more likely to suffer complications such as heart and respiratory problems. During heatwaves, the public is advised to keep an eye on older relatives and neighbours to ensure they are eating and drinking enough and that their homes remain shaded and ventilated. \ AH

said Flemish mobility minister Ben Weyts. “I hope this latest in a long line of judgements can finally lead to a law on flight routes.” For Brussels mobility minister Céline Fremault, the ruling is “a collective victory – for the region, for the 19 municipalities and for the association of neighbourhood residents who mobilised along with us”. Two of the municipalities most concerned – Schaarbeek in Brussels and Zaventem itself – welcomed the ruling. “Good news

for the people of Schaarbeek and for everyone in the region,” said mayor Bernard Clerfayt. Schaarbeek and neighbouring Evere have long been the source of most of the complaints regarding noise nuisance. Two neighbourhood committees in Zaventem said in a statement that they were pleased an end had come to the “complete misuse of runway 01, where 80% of night-time landings are in breach of Brussels noise limits”. \ AH

bursement. “By offering support for first-line psychological care, people who now sometimes have to postpone help for years will get treatment more rapidly,” said De Block in a statement. “We are making psychological help more accessible, which will help prevent certain problems from escalating.” Experts and patients have been asking for refunds for psychological counselling for many years. It is estimated that one in three Belgians deals with psychological issues at some point over their lives. One in 10 uses antidepressants regularly or semi-regularly. \ Andy Furniere

Court closes air routes over Brussels to night flights

A court in Brussels has ordered the cessation of three flight routes above Brussels between 23.00 and 7.00, because aircraft are in breach of noise levels. The decision concerns the Canal Route and the Ring Route, as well as the approach route to runway 01 at Brussels Airport. The three routes saw about 6,600 total flights in 2016, according to the airport’s ombudsman service. That represents about 3% of the total aircraft movements from Zaventem.

The court also ordered the Belgian state to finance and carry out a study into noise nuisance caused by operations at Brussels Airport, and into possible alternatives. The main ruling does not come into immediate effect: The state has four months to adapt the use of runways in order to meet the terms of the ruling and to communicate its findings to the Brussels-Capital Region. “Apparently some people will only be happy when Brussels can reap the benefits of the airport without any of the disadvantages,”

169 69%

of companies in Brussels met the 3% legal minimum of youth employment in 2015, 16% fewer than 10 years earlier. Youth employment is higher in the capital than elsewhere in the country

disabled young people have been granted a budget for personal care, available since January to all adults but not normally to minors. The allowances were granted to minors with special cases

€3 cost of a ticket on the Antwerp water bus, following free rides in July. With stops in Hemiksem, Kruibeke and Antwerp, it offers travel from south of the city to the centre and back

20 million

visitors to the 16 largest shopping centres in Belgium in the second quarter of this year, down 1.2% on the same period last year, according to the Belgian Luxembourg Council of Shopping Centers

2,144 babies born in Flanders in 2016 – 3.7% of the total – were given a double surname, in most cases the family name of the father first, according to figures from federal justice minister Koen Geens

august 2, 2017

WeeK in brief The Belgian women’s football team were knocked out of their first-ever European Championships early last week in Tilburg. Their final match was lost 2-1 to hosts the Netherlands. Tessa Wullaert equalised the score for the Red Flames midway through the second half with a one-touch lob from about 40 metres out. The team was third in their four-team group, beating Norway early in the event 2-0. The Flames’ will move on to World Cup qualifiers in September. A man stabbed his former girlfriend and her two grandparents in Gistel, West Flanders, last week, killing all three. He was arrested in Ostend hours later. He has since confessed to the murders as well as to the murder of a photographer in Ghent earlier the same day. Staff from the Brussels branch of food delivery service Deliveroo joined union representatives on Louizalaan last week to protest against the move of the company’s customer service division to a call centre in Madagascar. Staff said they would experience problems with queries in future as a result. They also took the opportunity to protest other working conditions, including having to provide their own bicycle maintenance and mobile phone. Family members of lieutenantcolonel Edgar Mobbs raised a cross on Monday – the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele – in his honour in the Groenenburg Forest (known as the Shrewsbury Forest in English) near Ypres. Mobbs, 32, was a well-known rugby player and volunteered as a private after being refused a commission. He was later promoted for his efforts in signing up other volunteers. He was wounded three times, but each time returned to the front. As he was dying on 31 July 1917, he managed to write down the location of the German machine gun post so Allied artillery could eliminate it. Mobbs is a war hero in his home town of Northampton, and the province of West Flanders

fAce of flAnDers approved the raising of the memorial. FlemishtelecomscompanyTelenet has decided to disband its political advisory committee, which became controversial when it was revealed that members included sitting politicians from various parties, who were receiving lucrative fees. Telenet has launched a new “stakeholders’ engagement charter”, which foresees the creation of stakeholder panels. This Friday, dozens of young people will be locked up for 24 hours in one of four museums in Antwerp – MAS, Vleeshuis, FoMu and the Plantin-Moretus. They will spend the time working on an exhibition of their own, to be presented to the public on 5 August during Museum Night, when the museums remain open late. Police in the Brussels West zone have discovered a cache of 14 stolen bicycles, including expensive racing bikes, mountain bikes and electric bicycles. The stolen goods, together with 20 cases of power tools, were found after two search warrants were carried out in garage boxes in Sint-AgathaBerchem. Three bicycles and two cases of tools have already been traced. Members of the public who think their property might be involved should contact investigators on 02 412 6301 or cambriolages-inbraken@zpz5340.be The majority of Flanders’ butterflies are enjoying an excellent year, with larger populations and most species making an appearance earlier than usual, according to nature conservancy organisation Natuurpunt. The mild weather in the early part of the year, which also affected butterflies’ food sources, has created perfect conditions for species that live through the winter as well as new spring arrivals. A census of butterflies in the region takes place on 5 and

6 August, when members of the public are encouraged to count the numbers in their own gardens. A Spanish company has launched a new online booking service in Brussels for medium- and longterm rentals of accommodation, ranging from beds in shared rooms to luxury apartments. Spotahome. com rents accommodation for a minimum of one month, with no upper limit on contracts. Since it is not competing in the tourism sector with the likes of Airbnb, it is exempt from tourist tax on rents. The first seal pup of the year washed ashore on the coast of Flanders on 20 July. The pup was only days old when it was discovered on the beach at Middelkerke. It was taken in by Sea Life Blankenberge, where it can be seen by the public via webcam. \ tinyurl.com/sealpupblankenberge

Police investigating the case of the group known as the Brabant Killers searched a network of ponds in De Panne at the coast last week. Police had received a tip that the gang may have dumped weapons there. Between 1982 and 1985, the masked gang carried out supermarket robberies and other attacks in which a total of 28 people were shot and killed, but no-one has ever been charged with the crimes. The last attack was on a Delhaize supermarket in Aalst in November 1985. The results of the latest search have not been revealed. The start-up Le Champignon de Bruxelles, which grows mushrooms in the cellars of the Anderlecht slaughterhouse using spent brewing grains, is co-operating with supermarket giant Carrefour to sell their shitake, maitake and nameko mushrooms. Production at the farm has reached 800 kilograms a month and the market among local restaurants and organic food shops is not large enough to cope, the founders said.

offsiDe End of an Era So farewell, then, Parking 58. On Monday, the country’s most famous parking garage closed its doors, robbing the city’s residents and visitors of one of the best vantage points in the capital. Parking 58 was famous not for its actual parking facilities, but for its top floor. The garage, on the corner of Bisschopsstraat and Zwarte Lievevrouwstraat in the city centre near De Brouckère, offered a free ride to the 10th floor. There awaited a panoramic view of the city centre and beyond, from the Basiliek way out at Koekelberg to the Zuidtoren at South Station, city hall and the Begijnhof, the

Jolien van loy The traditional podiummeisjes – those young women who are present on the platform at the end of a cycle race to greet the winner with a kiss and a bunch of flowers – have a function that’s mainly decorative. But at last week’s after-tour medal event in Herentals, the woman stole the show from race-winner and cycling star Greg Van Avermaet. Jolien Van Loy, 28, took the stage wearing an exoskeleton – a robotic machine that can be worn to help someone walk. Van Loy was injured in a car accident four years ago that left her paralysed from the waist down. The suit is one of three owned by the To Walk Again foundation, founded by Flemish triathlete Marc Herremans, himself paralysed after an accident while training in Lanzarote in 2002. “I was undergoing rehabilitation at the Pellenberg Hospital when Marc Herremans came to see me and told me about his organisation,” Van Loy told De Standaard. “I signed up right away.” Each exoskeleton costs €160,000, and the three units are made available to Van Loy and others in her situation. But availability is limited. “I get to walk for an hour a week,

towalkagain.BE

but if I could, I’d do it every day,” she says. “I grab every opportunity with both hands, but the waiting list is long, and of course as many people as possible have to be given the chance.” Walking with the apparatus has to be learned. “You have to lean forward on one leg, so that the suit knows it’s time for the other leg to follow,” she explains. What comes as second nature to most people is a complicated feat of engineering that robotics is only now beginning to master. Walking in the suit, she says, is close to how she recalls it was to walk unaided. “That’s something you never forget,” she says. The three exoskeletons owned by To Walk Again will soon have a permanent home in the Herentals General Hospital, where the organisation is opening a new rehabilitation unit. REVAlutie is a joint project with the Van Haesendonck orthopaedic clinic and Mobilab, part of the Thomas More University College in Geel. The centre will also provide physical therapy for other forms of injuries or disabilities, including smart prostheses and the Sem glove, which helps hands to grip. \ Alan Hope

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

Justice Palace and Bozar. “Go there as soon as you arrive in town: check out the highlights from above before getting into the crowds,” suggested Renata Riva

on the website Spotted By Locals. “And then, just before leaving the city, pop up there again and recognize all the places you’ve discovered during your stay. It will have a different meaning for you.” Not many parking garages get their own Yelp reviews, but Parking 58 did. “Top for admiring the view and the pretty colours our weather can produce,” said one. “It has been from this charmless place that my most memorable evenings have begun or ended,” said Stanislas. Parking 58 will be replaced by an administrative centre for the City of Brussels, where 1,500 staff will move in by 2021. \ AH

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

Editor Lisa Bradshaw dEPuty Editor Sally Tipper contriButing Editor Alan Hope suB Editor 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, Sarah Schug, 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 Feel like dancin’

Tomorrowland? Federal health minister Maggie De Block (Open VLD) was somewhat apprehensive about a visit with her colleagues to the world-famous dance festival in Boom. She had some sleep to catch up on following the marathon negotiations on the federal budget, known as the Summer Agreement Tired or not, De Block showed up. The government had reason to celebrate, after all. The Summer Agreement consists of a number of economic measures, such as a lower corporate tax rate, that had been on the parties’ wish-lists from its formation in 2014. An agreement was put off, as coalition party CD&V demanded compensation in the form of a capital gains tax. CD&V settled for an alternative proposed by prime minister Charles Michel (MR): a tax on securities accounts with over €500,000. The agreement has altered the federal government’s image. Although (or maybe because) the coalition parties’ views are similar when it comes to economic matters, it was known more for its disagreements than anything else. The focus of public debate, however, has shifted from economic to migration issues, which may be one of the reasons why an economic agreement was now possible. The agreement is especially good news for the prime minister, who is seen as more of a statesman because of it. Though well-liked in Flanders (as any French speaker who makes an effort to speak Dutch is), Michel was often seen by French speakers as a sort of puppet on a string, controlled by N-VA president Bart De Wever. Accepting the post of prime minister in a Flemish dominated government was deemed a suicide mission, as Michel would surely suffer at the ballot box. In a reversal of fortune, his party now also unexpectedly controls the Walloon regional government. Not everyone is happy about the Summer Agreement, though. The left-wing opposition has expressed concerns about its budgetary impact and points out that some measures such as the securities account tax are doomed from the start. The unions firmly oppose the agreement, citing a “lack of fiscal justice”. The Christian union has warned that the flexijobs, through which people can earn up to €6,000 annually taxfree, will undermine social security funding. The criticism from its own ranks is hard to swallow for CD&V, who took pride in securing the securities accounts tax as well as a deal for the Arco investors. \ Anja Otte

Federal budget approved

agreement features lower corporate tax and more flexible job contracts alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

Following several days of talks at the federal government’s secluded Hertoginnedal Castle last week, the core cabinet reached an agreement on the budget for the coming year, as well as a range of structural reforms to taxation, social cohesion and competitiveness. Among the measures agreed to during a marathon session that went on until after midnight was a decrease in the corporate tax rate. The rate for small businesses will drop from 25% to 20%, and from 34% to 29% for larger companies. The latter rate will come down even further, to 25%, in 2020. A more contested measure, suggested by CD&V and eventually approved by coalition partners, concerns a tax on securities accounts, where investors manage their holdings in shares, bonds and other derivatives. The government will take a tax of 0.15% on any holding over

€500,000. Prime minister Charles Michel (pictured) said the government would also stimulate the economy by no longer requiring shareholders to pay a levy on the first €627 income on holdings, a measure proposed by Open VLD. In other reforms, the rules on e-commerce will be adapted to cover night and Sunday work.

Taxes on construction will be lowered from 2018 to tackle social dumping – where contractors use foreign labour to avoid Belgian labour costs. Flexi-jobs, an idea supported by employers but opposed by unions, will be extended to include the wholesale sector as well as retail. Flexi-jobs include zero-hour contracts and allow maximum flexibility for employers but little security for workers, according to opponents. Michel also announced a GDP savings of 0.6% for 2018, equivalent to €2.6 billion, while the target of a balanced budget has been postponed until beyond 2019. “Europe is not forcing that on us,” he said. “We will continue with budget discipline, structural reforms and tackling the debt.” The reform package, he said, would benefit “the middle classes, working people and social cohesion”.

Arco investors to be partially reimbursed by government

Flanders demands €75m be paid back to energy consumers

An agreement reached by the federal government last week on Arco investors is “an important breakthrough,” according to work and economy minister Kris Peeters. The agreement involves creating a fund of €600 million by the partial privatisation of Belfius bank, from which the 800,000 Arco investors would be reimbursed. Arco was the investment wing of the Christian workers union ACW, now known as beweging.net; it is closely linked to the Christian democrat party CD&V. When Dexia Bank went broke in 2011, ordinary shareholders lost their investment, but those who had invested via Arco – known as co-operants – were told their stakes were guaranteed by the state. That decision was later ruled unconstitutional. The government remains committed to its promise, though the Arco co-operants will only see a partial reimbursement. Under the agreement reached last week, Belfius – the

The Flemish government has demanded a refund of €75 million in federal energy charges it said energy consumers in Flanders have overpaid. The reimbursement would mean about €10 in electricity credit for the average family. The federal government added a charge to household energy bills for gas and electricity, in part to pay for the national energy regulator Creg. According to Flemish energy minister Bart Tommelein, consumers in the region have been paying too much since 2008, adding up to €75 million in total. The government has approved Tommelein’s proposal to demand that the overpayment be returned to the government and then be reimbursed to families. The proposal will be put to the next meeting of the committee that brings together the federal government and the

successor to Dexia – will be partially privatised, and a €600 million fund created to repay the co-operants. Part of that sum will come from the privatisation, with another share coming from the remaining assets of Arco and a contribution from beweging.net. “Those people who were co-operants expect a solution,” Peeters said, pointing out that the idea of privatising Belfius is popular not only within the government but also inside the bank. “I assume we are talking now – as at the start of this government – of a repayment of 40%.” For the lawyer who represents a large number of Arco co-operants, that is far from certain. “First the state said 100% of the damage would be repaid, then it was 40%, and now I’m seeing reports that even 40% is no longer a sure thing,” said Geert Lenssens. “There’s a lot of distrust among Arco shareholders. They won’t be satisfied until the money is sitting in their bank accounts.” \ AH

governments of the regions. The issue of overpayments also concerns Brussels and Wallonia, although in their case partial restitution has already been made by the network management companies. “The aim is to ensure that this sort of calculating error cannot happen again in the future,” a spokesperson for Tommelein said. “There has to be a legal decision to have the sum that was overpaid returned to the families and businesses that paid too much.” Tommelein is insisting on a decision by the federal government, which was missing in the case of the other two regions. The next meeting of the committee takes place in September, when it will also consider the reorganisation of the gas network and the division of the associated cost of €500 million. \ AH

Culture minister wants more funding from private sector Flemish culture minister Sven Gatz has announced a plan to attract more money from the private sector to support cultural projects, in addition to the subsidies provided by the government. The plan has four main parts: a culture bank, a new fiscal policy, a central point for advice and training and better co-operation between the cultural sector and other sectors. The culture bank is a network of investors that would make loans available to artists at low or no interest, ranging from micro-credit to loans of over €100,000 financed by the government’s investment agency PMV. The bank would also make it possible for people to buy an artwork from an artist on an instalment plan, offering a boost to the art market. The fiscal policy would extend the tax shelter already offered to the audio-visual industry to stage arts. It would also support an awareness campaign about the system whereby death

duties may be paid off in whole or in part by the donation of artworks to the government. Gatz’s cultuurloket, meanwhile, would provide support, advice and training across the whole cultural spectrum, calling on the expertise of public sector bodies like Flanders DC as well as the private sector. Finally, the plan aims to help bring cultural organisations and representatives of other sectors together. Earlier this year, Gatz (pictured) issued a call for partner projects that pair cultural workers such as actors or curators with at least one partner from another sector. Applications can still be submitted until the end of September. “This plan will create a structural framework for additional financing across the whole cultural field,” said Gatz. “These forms of financing will be in addition to the classic subsidy system, which remains essential to support the core tasks of our cultural organisations.”

Subsidies, he continued “are a guarantee of innovation, development of talent , experimentation and participation. The point of this plan is to make our cultural sector more independent and more enterprising”. \ AH

\ COVeR STORy

august 2, 2017

Mary, and more

Hasselt keeps ancient tradition alive by rolling with the times

www.virgaJEssEfEEstEn.BE HEtstadsmus.BE

continued from page 1

For volunteer Luc Smeets, devotion to the Virgin isn’t just a quaint relic of bygone times, but an important facet of everyday life. “Sometimes,” he says, “religious faith is far too difficult for me, and at those times, so-called folk beliefs – belief in a statue, for instance – are much easier to grasp.” At the same time, he and the other organisers are conscious of the need to reach everyone in the community – not just Catholics – to keep the festival relevant. “We didn’t use the image of the statue in our logo but a twig, along with a green dot symbolising hope,” says Smeets. “The reason is that we think it’s important to give a sign of hope even in these modern times, when things are sometimes very uncertain.” In another sign of the times, the city’s historical museum, Het Stadsmus, is hosting an exhibition called Virga Yes Diverse. Representatives of other religious faiths – such as Protestantism, Baha’i, Hinduism and Islam – were interviewed about their experience of the festival. Visitors can see their testimonies in the exhibition. One of the traditions surrounding the festival is rotten – the decoration of the city’s streets by various neighbourhood committees. Here too, newcomers to Hasselt and members of other faiths were enlisted, and their participation is chronicled in a photo exhibition, also at Het Stadsmus. This spirit of inclusiveness extends to every part of the festival, say organisers. “We have invited people of other faiths to participate in the procession,” says Smeets. “You can’t expect that everyone will want to, but at least we’ve made the offer.” Although the religious processions remain the heart of the festival,

The Virga Jessefeesten is a massive undertaking involving thousands of volunteers; lights across the city centre make for festival summer evenings; the langeman puppet is one of the biggest in Flanders

tions, there’s an exhibition at the former refuge house of the Abbey of Herkenrode. The title, Celibate Divas, refers to the role the mighty abbesses of Herkenrode played as the patrons of art and cultural movers and shakers in Hasselt for centuries. Works by Belgian and international artists, including Jan

tells the story of this important chapter in medical history from Hasselt’s past, while a play performed in the museum’s courtyard tries to get to the bottom of the mystery: Who saved Hasselt’s cattle? Doctor Willems or the Virga Jesse? Music plays an important role

They say you only become a real Hasselaar if you participate in the Virga Jessefeesten at least once there’s plenty on the programme that has nothing to do with church. One of the main highlights is the Langeman procession, which will be followed by the distribution of pea soup. The Langeman (which means “tall man”) is one of Hasselt’s giants, or folkloric largerthan-life puppets. This armour-clad knight is one of Flanders’ largest giants, and he appears only rarely. According to legend, the tradition of serving pea soup during the Virga Jessefeesten dates to the 16th century, when a Spanish nobleman saved the city from famine with pea soup. For those more interested in modern art than in folk tradi-

Fabre and American video artist Bill Viola, address the themes of passion, spirituality and power. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the crowning of the Virga Jesse statue. In 1867, the jenever distillers of Hasselt donated golden crowns to place on the heads of both the Virgin and Child in gratitude for the eradication of a disease that had threatened to wipe out their herds of cattle. It was a doctor from Hasselt, Louis Willems, who developed a vaccine and helped lay the groundwork for modern immunology. An exhibition next door to the Jenever Museum in Witte Nonnenstraat

in the festivities, too, with a day of religious music scheduled for 12 August. Highlights include a performance of English composer John Rutter’s The Gift of Life: Six Canticles of Creation by the local Mantelius Ensemble mixed choir, and an encore presentation of “City of Peace,” an oratorio composed by Hasselt’s own Paul Steegmans for the 2003 Virga Jessefeesten. The day ends with a concert of Gregorian chant from a 13th-century manuscript that originally came from nearby Tongeren. City councillor Mondelaers is convinced that the festival has something for everyone. “We expect over 100,000 visitors to

visit the city during the festival,” she says. “You can see Hasselt at its most beautiful: The whole city will be decorated with flags, flowers and special lighting. Besides an extensive cultural programme, there are tourist-oriented activities like guided walks and bicycle routes.” She notes that the Virga Jesse theme will even be reflected in the food and drink, with a new Goldwater liqueur, Basilica ice cream and a Virga Jesse-menu in several restaurants,” she says. For many people, there’s a sense that the Virga Jesse Festival is much more than an event. It’s a rite of passage and a great undertaking that binds the community together. Mondelaers remembers her first feesten well. “In 1989, when I was 13 years old, my parents decided to move to Hasselt,” she says. “Even before we actually moved, I was already enrolled as a participant in the procession. They say you only become a real Hasselaar if you participate in the Virga Jessefeesten at least once.” Whole families often walk together

5-20 august

in the procession, sometimes with several generations – from grandparents and great-grandparents, to the smallest babies. This year, Mondelaers will walk with her husband, her mother, her fatherin-law and her daughter, who turns 10 on the day of the first procession. She adds with a laugh: “My teenage boys will hopefully do some volunteering as well, although I still have some persuading to do.” Thechallengeforthecurrentorganisers is to engage and inspire the next generation, on whose shoulders it will fall to keep the Virga Jessefeesten going in the decades ahead. With this year’s savvy festival programming, outreach efforts to different groups and modern marketing campaign, success seems all but certain. “I think that if we have this sort of festival, which has real roots in the city, we must cherish it and very carefully pass it on to the next generations,” says Smeets. “It’s very important to keep it in the city, but also to modernise it and let it evolve with the times.”

Processions on 6, 13, 15 and 20 August Across Hasselt

\ BUSIneSS

WeeK in bUsiness Office Spaces The Dutch shared workspace and co-working company has announced that it will open a new, four-floor location in Diegem, close to Brussels Airport. Competitor Tribes, also Dutch, has also announced it will open a second location, near the European quarter in Brussels, in addition to its existing location on Louizalaan.

Theme parks Plopsa Group The theme-park division of Flemish entertainment giant Studio 100 is investing €7.5 million in to its Holiday Park in Hassloch, Germany. The money will be used to build a 5,000 square-metre indoor zone, which will host seven new attractions

Publishing Sanoma Finnish magazine publisher Sanoma saw its turnover decrease by 3% in the Netherlands and Belgium in the second quarter of 2017. The media company, which does not publish separate figures for its Flemish titles, publishes such titles as Libelle, Flair and Feeling.

Supermarkets Delhaize The supermarket chain will open 16 new stores in Belgium this year and revamp the interior of 120 of its existing stores, with adjustments to heating and cooling equipment as well as the launch of new products.

Building products etex The Brussels-based building products manufacturer, previously known as Eternit, will take over the Spanish producer of plaster products Pladur.

Television De Mensen The Zaventem-based TV production house has signed a three-year deal with football club RSC Anderlecht to produce all its website and social media content.

Cinemas kinepolis Cinema chains Imagix and Euroscoop are appealing a May decision by competition authorities that gave stocklisted competitor Kinepolis Group the green light to build new cinemas. Kinepolis currently owns 12 cinemas across Belgium.

Subsidies for truck safety

government money for on-board safety features and sustainable fuels andy furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

ext year the government of Flanders will provide subsidies to transport companies that investment in lorry safety and sustainability. The financial boost will only apply to measures that are not legally obligatory. Investments in, for instance, blind spot detectors, cameras, alcohol locks, systems blocking cell phones and automatic braking systems will qualify. The government has allocated an annual budget of €36.4 million to the initiative, and each company is limited to a maximum of €100,000 over a three-year period. The system will come into force next year but

will apply retroactively apply to investments made back to 1 January 2017. Investments in eco-friendly vehicles will also be rewarded, including the purchase of vehicle models that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hybrid models. These models have a much smaller impact on the environment than trucks that run on diesel. Flemish economy minister Philippe Muyters said that support for these types of trucks will be the maximum amount allowed by the European Union. That means support of 40 to 45% of the costs for large companies and 50 to 55%

for SMEs. For both measures, companies can turn to the Flemish government’s innovation and entrepreneurship agency, Vlaio.

Retailers satisfied with results of summer sales period

Football clubs criticised over bigger, cheaper beer offer

Independent retailers and chain stores alike were satisfied with the results of the latest sales period, which ended on Monday. A poll was carried out by Unizo and NSZ, both of which represent the selfemployed, and the retail industry federation Comeos. Both Comeos and Unizo said that members reported sales slightly down this year, although NSZ claimed a slight increase in sales. The sales started well at the beginning of the month, but the month ended with sales down some 2% compared to the last year, according to Unizo. “Thanks to strong sales figures during the season and a change to buying strategies, there was less stock than usual left over when the sales period began,” explained Isolde Delanghe of Mode

VAD, the Flemish expertise centre for addiction problems related to alcohol, drugs and gambling, has criticised a decision by two firstdivision football clubs to sell supporters cheaper beer in larger quantities. According to WaaslandBeveren, the move is intended to “strengthen the bond with supporters,” a spokesperson said. “Previously, a 25cl beer sold for €2,” the spokesperson said. “Now we’ll be selling 33cl for €2.50. And we’ll also be serving half-litres, so you don’t have to leave the stands to go to the bar as often.” Club Brugge, meanwhile, is planning a similar change. KAA Gent changed two years ago. VAD director Marijs Geirnaert described the moves as sending “completely the wrong signal. The current trend is for less promotion of alcohol and more responsible consumption. The clubs should be taking action in the opposite direction, she said: “more expensive and smaller beers. Especially since abuse of alcohol is responsible for foot-

Unie, the clothing branch of Unizo. NSZ, meanwhile, carried out a survey of 482 clothing and shoe shops among its members and came to a different conclusion. “On average, sales in the fashion retail sector were up 2.5% compared to last year’s summer sales,” a spokesperson said. The union attributed the success to the good weather and a plateau in the growth of sales online. \ Alan Hope

Antwerp invests in strategically located Brazilian port The port of Antwerp is investing $10 million (€8.6 million) in Açu port, a harbour complex in São João da Barra, Brazil. The port is about 310 kilometres northeast of Rio de Janeiro. The investment is being made by the port authority’s subsidiary Port of Antwerp International (PAI). Brazil has Latin America’s biggest GDP and the seventh-largest economy in the world. The country is an important partner for Antwerp, with 6.4 million tonnes of freight passing between Antwerp and Brazil every year, putting Brazil in sixth place among the port’s trading partners. In a statement, PAI said that the investment is a sign of the port’s long-term commitment to the Brazilian market. Açu port is an industrial complex handling oil, gas, dry bulk, containers and break-bulk freight. It is located near the Campos oil fields, making it a key location for Brazil’s offshore industry. The complex, covering an area of

130 square kilometres, became operational in 2014. With 17km of quays and a depth of 25 metres, the port is able to receive the largest ships operating today, including the VLCC super-tankers. Antwerp’s decision to invest in Açu port is a sign of the strategic importance of the complex, given its proximity to oil and gas fields as well as to Minas Gerais, the gateway to the Brazilian hinterland. “This is a unique opportunity for PAI to help develop the port and to position Antwerp as a first-choice port for Latin American trade,” the port authority said. PAI will take one seat on the Porto board, and fill four management posts. \ AH

ball-related problems like hooliganism and vandalism.” Waasland-Beveren said it was counting on the common sense of its fans. “We’re not encouraging anyone to drink themselves into a stupor,” the spokesperson said. “We’re also selling Jupiler 0.0% starting this season.” Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League is sponsored by brewer AB Inbev and named after its best-selling pils. Pro League CEO Pierre François said that alcohol-free beer is a welcome option. “The alcoholfree version should be a permanent option inside stadiums. But that happens step by step, and you have to take account of the beer culture in this country.” \ AH

Minister calls for more checks on factory outlet stores Federal consumer affairs minister Kris Peeters has called on economy ministry inspectors to investigate the quality of goods on sale at fashion factory outlets. The move follows an undercover report by German TV alleging that consumers were being misled. Outlet shops sell clothes allegedly from prior seasons’ designer collections or that have minor manufacturing faults and have to be sold at a discount – often a sizeable discount. However according to German public broadcaster WDR, some labels are producing “parallel” collections destined only for outlets

and of lower quality than their genuine collections. “Any manufacturer that deliberately produces designer clothing of poorer quality for outlet stores is misleading the consumer and breaking the law,” Peeters said. “There are fines of up to €200,000 for deliberate deception. I have given economic inspectors the task of looking into and testing designer products sold in outlet stores.” Also, Peeters noted, the term “outlet store” has no legal definition, making it is easy to mislead consumers with such a name. \ AH

\ InnOVATIOn

august 2, 2017

Finding Nemo

WeeK in innovAtion

Belgo-British project clears north sea mines to build underwater cable andy furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

nEmo-link.com

ith the launch of the Nemo Link project in 2019, Belgium and the UK will be able to exchange electricity through two gigantic underwater cables installed in the English Channel and the North Sea. As part of the preparations, potentially dangerous objects, including underwater bombs and mines dating back to the two world wars, must be removed from the seabed. The Norwegian ship Olympic Intervention IV has been tasked with locating any hazardous leftovers near the Flemish coast. The British and French sides of the Channel have already been cleared. “The soil is checked with magnetic sensors,” explains Bert Maes, CEO of Nemo Link. “We have already found about 12,000 objects, including 1,200 potentially dangerous ones.” Among the harmless objects are tin cans, aircraft parts and anchors. The dangerous ones include unexploded bombs and mines from both world wars. In deep waters, underwater robots are being used to determine if the found objects pose any threat. In shallower waters, the inspections are done by divers. “We have found eight explosives in Belgian waters, four on the French side and six in the UK,” Maes says. Most of them have already been neutralised. The largest explosive detected so far was an American aerial bomb weighing a single tonne. The team has also found and neutralised a German aerial bomb weighing 500 kilograms and two British mines. Though effective, the campaign is consuming a lot of time and money. “On a given day, we can only analyse two to three potentially dangerous objects, which is

The Olympic Intervention IV has been tasked with locating any hazardous leftovers near the Flemish coast

less than expected,” Maes explains. “It costs around €30,000 to analyse a single object and €90,000 to use the Olympic ship, so the operation is costing us tens of millions of euros.” The goal is to clear the way for two 140km-long electricity cables, 130km of which will be installed under the seabed. The British half of the cables is currently on its way from Japan and will be installed by the end of the year. The Flemish half will be installed in the first half of 2018. “Placing the cables is a challenging operation, because waves cannot be more than a meter high while we’re working,” Maes says. Both halves will also need to be connected in the middle and plugged in at two conversion stations, one at Zeebrugge and another in Richborough, on the southern coast of England. The stations will create an alternating current in both countries. The station in Zeebrugge is still under construction and should be ready by the second half of 2018. By 2019, Belgium and the UK should finally be able to exchange electricity. The total cost of the Nemo Link project will amount to €660 million.

Half of the sum will be provided by the Belgian grid operator Elia and the other half by the British transmission operator National Grid. According to Maes, Nemo Link has three main goals: “To increase our electricity import capacity, to secure the supply of affordable power at moments of peak consumption and to encourage the use of renewable energy.” The cables will have a capacity of 1,000 megawatt – equal to about three wind turbines – and the connection will ensure a steady

We have found eight explosives in Belgian waters, four on the French side and six in the UK supply of energy when there is not enough wind or solar power. It will serve as back-up system, Maes says, making the transition to renewable energy more gradual and dependable. As with all collaboration projects with UK-based firms at the moment, Nemo Link is concerned

Q&A

electricity with Germany.” According to Maes, all three projects put Belgium squarely on Europe’s energy map: “Belgium is an ideal gateway for the exchange of electricity thanks to its convenient central location. Soon, we will be one of the most connected countries in the region.”

sci.Esa.int/Plato

Leuven will be responsible for calibrating the cameras. Up to 8% of Plato’s observation time will be available for projects that are not related to its core mission, and scientists can already suggest their own. My team will promote the use of Plato’s data in the scientific community.

Professor Conny Aerts of the University of Leuven is leading a team involved in the development of the European Space Agency’s Plato telescope, which will explore the universe for Earth-like planets. What is unique about the Plato telescope? Platowillbeequipped with 26identical telescopes, each with their own camera. The use of so many telescopes will make it possible to analyse hundreds of thousands of nearby host stars and their planets over the course of several years. That’s about 10 times the number of stars and planets analysed by Nasa’s Kepler telescope. The mission will, for example, measure the so-called starquakes to determine the mass, radius and age of the host stars and their planets. These are essential factors in determining whether or not a planet can support life.

about one thing in particular. “The construction works will certainly be carried out as planned, but Brexit raises certain questions about the exchange of electricity,” Maes explains. “There is a risk, for example, that import duties will be introduced, but there may also be positive side effect, like a decrease in the price of electricity.” Nemo Link is connected to another project called Stevin. Elia plans to use a 47km-long high-voltage line to transport energy produced by wind farms between the station in Zeebrugge and an existing one in Zomergem, East Flanders. The line should become operational by the end of the year and, from 2019, will also be used for exchanging electricity with the UK. Elia is also establishing a connection with Germany through its ALEGrO project. Two electricity cables will link the Walloon region of Liège with the city of Aachen. “These cables have to be placed underground, so the operation will be very challenging as well,” Maes says. “From 2020, we should be able to use these cables to exchange

How will you search for life on other planets? KU Leuven is also involved in a separate project to build a satellite called Ariel. This satellite will analyse in detail the atmosphere of promising planets detected by Plato. After two years in space, Plato should have found thousands of planets with the potential to support life. Ariel will check if their atmosphere could support oxygen and water. We expect to have the satellite approved by the European Space Agency by the end of the year.

What is your role in the Plato project? I’ve been personally involved in its development since the very beginning, some 10 years ago. Among other things, my team at KU

Does society benefit from this initiative? In the short term, the project will create jobs, increase the interest in science among young people and lead to the development of new technologies, including more powerful computers and better sensors. The main goal, however, is to get closer to answering the question we’ve all been asking ourselves: Are we alone in the universe? \ Interview by AF

Battery-powered apartment building

A new apartment complex that will run partially on energy stored in batteries was presented last week in Blankenberge. The construction is one of the first of its kind in the world because battery technology is still expensive, but, said engineer Marc Van Goidsenhoven, they expect it to be cost-effective within five years. The building will be outfitted with 56 solar panels, each with a capacity of 300 watts. The battery, designed by EnerSys in Mechelen, will allow energy to be stored when consumption is low and used later when needed for the common areas of the building. The apartments themselves will be nearly energy-neutral.

Coastal project to test reefs made of mussels

Coastbusters, a new pilot project in the North Sea, will test reefs made of seaweed, worms and mussels to see which method works best to prevent heavy storms from sweeping away tons of sand from the Flemish Coast. In a test zone of 100 square meters at De Panne, scientist from several companies and the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research will install three eco-friendly buffers, or underwater natural reefs. One buffer will consist of seaweed planted on large textile mats that are tied to the seabed. A second will be a reef of mussels attached to the seabed. A third method uses tube worms, which attach their tails to underwater surfaces and secrete a mineral around themselves for protection.

Humans can identify animal emotions

People can identify emotions in the sounds made by animals. The discovery was made by researchers at the Free University of Brussels (VUB), in collaboration with the German Ruhr-Universität Bochum. A group of 75 people with one of three native languages – English, German and Mandarin –listened to audio recordings of nine species of land mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds.The participants were able to hear a distinction between high and low levels of emotion in the acoustic signals of all the classes of animals, indicating that there is a universal way in which humans and animals express and understand emotions through sounds. \ AF

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\ eDUCATIOn

august 2, 2017

‘I am who I am’

WeeK in eDUcAtion

student with disability makes the most of attending regular school Born with a disability, 17-year-old Limburg pupil Bert is overcoming physical and social challenges with the help of his friends, parents and a recently launched assistance network.

t first glance, Bert looks like an average 17-year-old. He recently finished his fifth year of secondary school, with an emphasis on social sciences. He likes billiards and drinking beer. He wants to study sociology. And like all teenagers, he’s worried about his appearance. But there are also a few differences. Bert does his homework with textto-speech software. Volunteers type his notes for him. Friends hold his glass for him at the pub and button his shirt in the toilet. His bike has three wheels, and his mother feeds him soup at a restaurant. Bert was born with an oxygen deficiency. He also has Crohn’s disease. That he leads a normal life is a tribute to his school, the Royal Atheneum in Hasselt. “I do everything my classmates do, in my own way,” he says. In 2015, the M-decree made it unlawful to deny a child a spot in Flanders’ public schools based on a minor or moderate physical or mental disability. The guiding factor is: “Regular education if possible, special education if necessary”. With the M-decree, disabled students who need extra assistance to succeed in the school receive custom-tailored support. This can take the form of extra training for teachers, individual assistance for the student or specially adapted course materials. This year, the Flemish parliament has also initiated a new regional assistance network, known as GON, for inclusive education students. The amount and type of assistance is more flexible than before and is chosen by the parents and educators, rather than determined by medical factors. “Because Bert gets tired more easily, due to his muscle spasms, he follows an individually tailored curriculum,” says GON assistant Kristien Haenen. “He is exempt from physical education – during that period he goes to the physical therapist. He takes an hour less of Dutch and he does half of the book reports. Reading is tiring for him, so he uses audio books.” A volunteer accompanies Bert to every class. “My volunteers are my hands,” he says. “They take notes, summarise the lessons and write my answers on the exams. I used a computer in primary school, but in secondary school the class tempo was too fast. So I put in a request for volunteers on Facebook.” Hegotmorethan50reactions.Even the local media picked up the story. Ever since, Bert has been a celeb-

Through a flexible classroom attitude and a bit of his own initiative, Bert isn’t just surviving secondary school, he’s thriving

can always get the bacon rolls first. And sometimes we get samples, like sushi.” “I’m happy to do that for them,” Bert says, laughing. “They help me with so much. They hold my pint glass and carry my change. If my volunteer is sick, they take notes for me and push my wheelchair on school trips.” What he values most is that his friends dare to laugh at him. “If I spill something or stumble, they just make a joke about it. But I give as good as I get!”

search for the right aids. “I’ve been to trade fairs, tested software, asked IT teachers for advice about which programs and keyboard shortcuts are useful for Bert,” she says. “I try to make him as selfsufficient as possible, with an eye towards higher education.” A driver’s license might go along with that self-sufficiency. “Bert wants to take a driving test next year,” Haenen says. “There’s a whole pile of paperwork that goes along with it, which I’ll take care of for him. That’s also part of GON.”

My volunteers are my hands. They take notes, summarise the lessons and write my answers on the exams my own way,” Bert says. He and his friends have developed a few tricks. At festivals, Elias asks for a stack of four plastic cups for Bert, since that’s easier to hold. As a child, Bert was always very social. “When we went camping, I just went off with kids I didn’t know. I always told them I had a disability right away, and then we could just get on with it.” His classmate Maikel is just as blunt: “On the first day of school I asked him: ‘Do you have a sore throat? Is that why you talk like that?’” A friendship was born. Bert’s friends even see advantages in the situation. If they’re helping him, they can use the lift – causing envy among other students. The key to the handicapped toilet, which Bert always carries with him, is also popular with classmates. Friends Elias and Maikel sometimes get to leave class early to help Bert with the pressure pack that he wears to control his muscle spasms. “We get to the cafeteria before all the other students, so we

Rik Van de Walle and Mieke Van Herreweghe announced they will resume their bid for the positions of rector and vicerector, respectively, at Ghent University (UGent) when the elections restart in September. The pair were the last-remaining candidates in the previous elections rounds, but stepped out of the race after they had failed to win the required 66.6% majorityThe elections will start on 18 September, and candidates are no longer required to win by a two-thirds majority. Reports have indicated that Patrick De Baets of the engineering sciences faculty and Karin Raeymaeckers of communication sciences might run in the elections, but they have not made an official announcement.

Asbestos-free campaign lacks support

rity at school. “Het Laatste Nieuws called me during the summer holidays. I was sunburned, and I had my head shaved at scout camp. There I was with my crew cut in the paper,” he laughs. Bert’s classmates are used to his methods. His friend Elias likes having the extra help: “Older people know more than we do. Since they’ve joined us, our group assignments have improved.” “Chiro, parties, having a drink on Fridays on Dusart Square… I do everything my classmates do, in

Duo to run again for UGent rector

Telling your story again and again is exhausting. But what’s really frustrating for Bert is that many people think that he also has a mental disability. “I talk differently, I walk differently, I ride a tricycle. But a teenager with a tricycle isn’t necessarily mentally disabled. I’m in regular school, and I do what normal kids my age do. People often find that surprising.” And lately, he’s been more dependent than he’d like to be. His strongest arm was recently injured on a slip-n-slide. “Today my mum dressed me, helped me wash, brushed my teeth, and brushed my hair. Made my sandwiches for lunch.” Though he tries to be thoughtful about it: “If you’re tired, it’s nice to just let them help.” Inclusive education is a constant hunt for the right aids. Bert didn’t like wearing a brace, so he eventually got a special pack that he wears under his clothes. “Along with physical therapy, it improved my motor skills a lot.” GON assistant Haenen must also

According to his friends, Bert made huge advances in the early years of secondary school. His friend Kato, who was in class with Bert during his first year, remembers his frustration when he couldn’t keep up. “He sometimes threw his mouse across the room,” she says. Haenen has also noticed that Bert has changed. “He used to text his parents constantly,” she says. “Now when things don’t go well, we find a solution together. He’s learned that people don’t always need to rush to his aid.” And how does Bert look back on his school years? “I have such a big group of friends, and they take such good care of me that I don’t experience my disability as a problem. It makes me who I am. And anyone who can’t deal with it, can just turn around and walk away.” This article was first published in Klasse.be and is used with permission. Article by Kyra Fastenau, translation and additional text by Diana Goodwin

Since 2014, only one school has asked the Flemish Public Waste Materials Agency (Ovam) for help with removing asbestos in its infrastructure, according to environment minister Joke Schauvliege. At the end of 2014, the government of Flanders announced the ambition to remove asbestos in all of the region’s infrastructure by 2040. Ovam is currently creating an inventory of how much asbestos remains in some 300 schools across the region. When the list is complete, a plan will be developed to remove the asbestos. In the meantime, the government has allocated €7.5 million to schools so they could get started with the clean-up. But so far only one school has requested assistance.

Contest for most social media-savvy school

The Antwerp non-profit ScoolEdu and entrepreneur Katja Schipperheijn have announced De Sociaalste School (The Most Social School) project, which promotes social media as an educational tool. The project is supported by the Digital Belgium Skills Fund, established by federal digital agenda minister Alexander De Croo. The fund aims to help socially disadvantaged youngsters to improve their digital skills. A related contest, #sociaalsteschool, will reward schools that focus on digital inclusion and media literacy. Schools can receive educational materials that showcase the advantages of social media, encourage students to work with them thoughtfully, connect pupils and help develop their digital skills. The winners will be announced in November. \ Andy Furniere

\ lIVInG

WeeK in Activities It’s Bigger Than Hip-Hop This summer, Muntpunt in Brussels celebrates hip-hop culture with a series of fun activities and events. Every Wednesday, fill the streets around the Beurs with chalk art and then join the dance party with Detours Cyphers. On Thursdays, work on your rap and beat-making skills with hip-hop artists. \ muntpunt.be

Trammelant Experience life during the Belle Epoque at this annual event at the coast. Costumed actors, historic bicycles and autos, 100-year-old trams and old-timey musical acts bring the period to life throughout the day. Plus an antique market, fashion show and dancing late into the night. 5 August, De Haan city centre; free \ visitdehaan.be

Cauchie House One of the Art Nouveau movement’s architectural gems, this privately owned house is famous for its beautiful sgraffito facade and is open to the public one weekend a month. English-language guided tours given at 12.15, 15.15 and 16.15. No reservations required. 5-6 August 10.0017.30, Frankenstraat 5, Etterbeek (Brussels); €7

\ brusselsmuseums.be

lommel Glass Market At this one-of-kind glass fair in the centre of Lommel, the city known for its role in the glass industry, you can see more than 20 Belgian and international artists working in different media, from stained glass to lampwork to glass blowing and more. Visit the Glass House, a museum of glass art and innovation, for free all day. 6 August 10.0017.00, Kerkplein, Lommel (Limburg); free \ tinyurl.com/glassmarket

Roller Bike Parade All summer long, this fun outdoor event gets people moving through the streets of various cities on rollerblades, bikes, scooters – any non-motorised mode of transport. Currently, Brussels and Hasselt are on the agenda for August. The party starts on Poelartplein in Brussels on Friday nights, and on Dusartplein in Hasselt on Mondays. There’s a shorter route for beginners and kids as well as a longer ride for more adventurous souls. Until 1 September 20.00-23.00; free \ rollerbikeparade.be

\ 10

Threads of life

clothes woven into unique carpets by moroccan craftswomen toon lambrechts More articles by Toon \ flanderstoday.eu

carPEtoflifEcom.com

wedding dress, a T-shirt you could not stop wearing as a teen, a suit that belonged to a loved one... We all own pieces of clothing that we will never again wear, but that we cannot bear to part with because they contain too many memories. Yet despite our emotional attachment to them, these clothes are often relegated to a dark corner of the wardrobe. A new, Ghent-based company offers a solution to such wardrobe Catch-22s. RunbysistersMarionandHendrikje Meyvis Carpet of Life transforms such used clothes into unique carpets with traditional Moroccan weaving techniques. The fair trade design project co-operates with a group of 60 women from southern Morocco, who “transform textiles from our European customers into carpets, using the region’s traditional weaving technique,” explains Marion Meyvis. The clothing and other fabrics that people hand over to Carpet of Life often has special significance, says Meyvis. “Usually, they are clothes that people no longer wear, but that they cannot throw away for sentimental reasons. They are textiles with a story.” She offers the example of a carpet order the company received in celebration of a couple’s 30 years of marriage. “The children had asked their family and friends to donate one piece of clothing. With this clothing, we made four tapestries.” Another customer contacted the two women to ask them to create a carpet from her clothes along with those of her late sister. “The result symbolises their relationship,” says Meyvis. Carpet of Life employs crafts-

The Ghent company Carpet of life works with rural crafswomen to transforms customers’ old but beloved clothes into one-of-a-kind rugs and tapestries

women from M’hamid El Ghizlane, deep in the Moroccan desert. The designs are based on a traditional Moroccan style called Boucherwi that was created by nomadic travellers. “In the past, these people travelled the major caravan routes between Morocco and Mali, but when nation states were established in the 1960s, these great travels came to an end,” Meyvis explains. “Camels were no longer needed as a result.” The animals’ hair, however, was the source of raw material for making traditional carpets, so the dwindling camel populations have threatened the future of the traditional Boucherwi weaving technique. “At the same time, textile is so abundant here in the West,” Marion notes. “By bringing these

two worlds together, Carpet of Life hopes to preserve traditional techniques and empower the craftswomen.” Although the Meyvis sisters have run Carpet of Life since 2013, the idea was originally developed by Butterfly Works, a social innovation lab based in the Netherlands. Butterfly Works’ original plan was to build an eco-lodge in the region, but that idea did not pan out for structural reasons. Instead, Carpet of Life was created, which today offers 60 women a fair salary. After the first year of operation, Marion and Hendrikje, who both had social entrepreneurship experience, took over the project. “It’s challenging to work in a cultural environment that is so different from our own,” admits Meyvis. “But the results are worth

bite

it. We are able to pay the women a decent salary, and the fact that they are able to generate their own income results in independence. It gives these women a stronger voice and enables them to send their children to school, creating hope for future generations.” In addition, Carpet of Life offers its employees free writing lessons, as many of them are unable to write. For the future, the Meyvis sisters hope to further grow the company. “There are still some 250 women who know traditional weaving methods, so there is a lot of potential,” Meyvis says. “At the moment, we are actively looking for more customers, and we want to be able to offer work to an additional 50 women over the next two years. There is so much need, and we want to offer an answer.”

tinyurl.com/otaPBrussEls

new Brussels restaurant wants patrons to share food and linger awhile When caterer Point Albert decided to close down its shop in the Elsene municipality of Brussels to focus more on events, one of its cooks had a better idea for the empty space – to turn it into an eatery revolving around food sharing. Paul-Antoine Bertin pitched the idea to his former boss and convinced him to partner up and create Ötap – the new hotspot in Brussels’ Kastelein area that has been booked out every single night since it opened in May. It was during a trip to Shanghai that Bertin, 21, found inspiration: “When I went to eat with a few locals there, everyone ordered a different dish but the waiter brought one plate at a time,” he recalls. “So with six people we got to try six different dishes, and I really loved that.” But food sharing is about more than just maximising the diversity of your experience. There’s also an important social aspect to it, Bertin says. “I find it a bit sad when you go to a restaurant, quickly finish your plate and go home. Food sharing encourages you to stay longer and interact

more. Some guests stay for two hours.” Accordingly, the dishes you order at Ötap, which gets its name from a Filipino pastry on the menu, will not all be served at the same time. Bertin recommends five dishes for two people. “They’re not full-fledged meals but bigger and more complex than tapas,” he explains. Although Ötap’s concept is heavily inspired by Chinese dining culture, the menu is not. Instead, it blends a multitude of different influences, from Italian to Asian. The selection ranges from grilled lamb chops and open vegetable ravioli to ricottafilled courgette flowers and deconstructed strawberry shortcake. What’s more: there’s a first-class mixologist who has a penchant for cocktails that use fresh herbs and extravagant syrups, such as the Japanese shiso. Bertin was inspired by a London restaurant that specialised in such cocktails. Overseas trips are not uncommon for him. The foodie tries to leave Brussels every few weeks to visit other cities and their restaurants. “In

London and Copenhagen, for instance, the food scene is much more advanced – especially when it comes to interiors,” he says. It comes as no surprise then that Ötap impresses not only with its food but also with its beautiful interior, which shows great attention for detail. And dishes are served in custom-made ceramics by local designer Marie Brisart. \ Sarah Schug Albert Leemansplein 10, Brussels

august 2, 2017

Quest for meaning

former art curator helps address life changes with tailor-made rituals daan Bauwens Follow Daan on Twitter \ @DaanBauwens

BEyondtHEsPokEn.Eu

arriages, New Year celebrations and funerals are rituals observed around the world. But what about other pivotal moments in our lives, like the end of a relationship, career change or moving into a retirement home? Seeing a need to recognise these personal changes, the former art curator Barbara Raes has created new, tailor-made rituals. Beyond the Spoken - werkplaats voor niet erkend verlies (workshop for unrecognised loss) aims to help people come to terms with important, but often neglected, life transitions. Raes, who lives in Ghent, is well-known in the Flemish arts sector. Having spent 15 years as a programmer for the Buda and Vooruit cultural centres, she decided to try something new. The choice fell upon a training programme for funeral celebrants in the UK. “My question was whether or not people get a chance to say goodbye in a helpful way,” she says. After observing more than 80 funerals, she came to a worrying conclusion. “There are nearly no elements in a funeral ceremony that point to the fact that this is a transition in the lives of loved ones,” she says. She began to realise the enormous need for people to find ways to commemorate important transitions in their personal lives. “Our society has become a fluid one,” she explains. “Communities aren’t a group of people who live on the same street anymore, but stretch across the globe. Families disinte-

For every ritual, Barbara Raes writes out a script and assigns participants special roles

grate and reform; the people closest to you might not even be your relatives. With this fluidity, we may have lost the tradition of coming together when something important happens in our lives.” As a result, our society is experiencing a crisis of meaning, she says. “Because we no longer commemorate or celebrate important transitions together, we’ve stopped trying to answer life’s big questions – those transcending the here and now.” A year ago, Raes decided to create new rituals for those life changes we don’t recognise with a ceremony. “Like divorce, starting a new

family or rebuilding your life after an abortion,” she explains. Another example of an unrecog-

lot,” Raes says. “This is a reversal of the logic of the care sector where one comes into the hospital with-

The most important thing to ascertain is what this person wants to say goodbye to nised loss, she says, is a physical change to one’s body, for instance after surgery. “I prepared one woman for a double mastectomy with a ritual, and it helped her a

out being prepared, then wakes up in a different body and is refunded for five sessions of therapy to cope with the change. With rituals, people consciously prepare for the

transition.” Each ritual is personalised and begins with a series of talks. “The most important thing to ascertain is what this person wants to say goodbye to,” Raes explains. “In the second talk, the person brings objects, which I give to an artist to integrate into an installation. I then ask the person where the ritual should take place and who should be there with them.” Raes write out a script for the ritual, contacts the people who will be attending and assigns them special roles. “After the ritual is concluded, the central person cooks for everyone, and we talk about the experience. Two weeks later, I see the person again and ask for their feedback.” In one of the rituals, which Raes describes on her website, a couple goes on a walk before they’re about to divorce. They are accompanied by their daughter, her godmother and Raes. Halfway through the walk, the couple lights a fire and burns the things they want to let go of. They then walk in separate directions, one accompanied by the daughter, the other by Raes. Based on the feedback, Raes is convinced that rituals are helping people to close chapters and to process changes they would otherwise continue to be confused about. “Many people experience a crash because they carry the burden of a series of important moments they have never consciously coped with. With rituals, you dare to look at what has happened, you tackle it and you find the right form for it.”

Books were Twitter of their time, shows Antwerp exhibition Just like social media today, books in the early 16th century helped influential thinkers spread their ideas. This is the starting point of the Conn3ct exhibition in Antwerp, which in turn is an example of social media itself. In the impressive Nottebohm room at the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library, old meets new. Fifty books from the first half of the 16th century are showcased alongside multimedia consoles with videos and social network games. A screen at the back, called the social wall, keeps track of the visitors’ activity. The exhibition aims to show – especially to younger visitors – that books used to have an impact on society similar to that of Twitter and Facebook. It’s fitting then that Conn3ct takes place in Antwerp, a world centre of printing activity in the 1500s. Available in English, Dutch and German, the show highlights the link between different media through nine sections, each with relevant books and a digital console. In the

Follow section, visitors have to choose which “influencers” they’d prefer to follow – their choices include American talk show host Oprah Winfrey and the 16th-century Dutch social critic Desiderius Erasmus. The Chat section shows how that same Erasmus took part in a theological discussion with the Flemish philosopher Franciscus Titelmannus. They didn’t do it by tweets but instead wrote books in response to each other’s arguments. At each stop, visitors are asked for their opinion on a social phenomenon – here the question requires them to think whether discussions lead to progress or confusion. At the Start-Up console, they have to decide if they would invest in the development of electronic tattoos based on a tweet by The Wall Street Journal. Just as the influential figures of today use social media to promote themselves, books once served a similar purpose. In the Status section, the visitors are presented with a drawing of a scholar holding a book, a status

Books played the role of social media in the 16th-century

symbol of the time. In the Control section, the exhibition focuses oncensorshipbyauthorities.WhenAntwerpbased printer Jacob van Liesvelt translated the Bible into Dutch with the help of Martin Luther’s protestant German-version, he was sentenced to death for heresy, and his edition was banned by the Catholic church. More recently, the Turkish government has imposed social media restrictions as a crackdown on political dissent. The opinions expressed at the consoles are

conn3ct.mEdia

shown on the social wall. Visitors get to choose if they want them to remain anonymous and if they should be deleted afterwards. This way, the exhibition functions as its own interactive social medium. Conn3ct was created by network organisation Flanders Heritage Library, in collaboration with other Flemish and Dutch organisations, as part of a cultural programme set up when Flanders and the Netherlands were guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2016. Students from Antwerp University and the Genk campus of PXL University College also contributed to its development. Before Antwerp, it toured Germany and the Netherlands. Its next stop will be Hasselt, where it will remain until next April. \ Andy Furniere

until 17 september Hendrik Conscience Heritage library Hendrik Conscienceplein 4, Antwerp

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august 2, 2017

WeeK in Arts & cUltUre new Roskam film to screen at Venice

Portadores by Almudena lobera (2011)

Art and the body

international group show explores physical interactions sarah schug More articles by Sarah \ flanderstoday.eu

A new show at the contemporary art space Emergent in Veurne showcases eight artists whose work is all about the physical.

ost galleries in Belgium are on summer break, but that’s not the case for Emergent, a privately funded initiative located in a historic building in Veurne, a charming town minutes away from the Flemish coast. Frank Maes, a former curator at contemporary arts museum Smak in Ghent, founded the art space in 2013. It hosts up to six exhibitions a year, looking to offer a platform for contemporary art away from Flanders’ usual cultural centres. While almost all artworks can be bought, Emergent was never meant to be a commercial gallery. The visitors are a mix of locals, tourists and art enthusiasts with a summer home at the coast. “Many local collectors are at the sea during the summer, which is great for us,” says Roxane Baey-

four floors, the large-scale group show puts features mainly young talents, some of whom had never sold any work. “It’s incredibly rewarding to be able to help them,” says Baeyens, who is curating the show. “This is why I do what I do.” The starting point for the exhibition is Friedrich Nietzsche’s idea that art is a bodily, physical experience. But to what extent is his theory still relevant to presentday artists? Do they feel their art is connected to the body? Baeyens put the question to eight local and international artists. They all responded with a wholehearted “yes”, which came as a surprise to the curator. “With so many artists using the internet and digital elements in their work now, I didn’t expect this at all,” she says. “But even Noor Nuyten, who works with virtual reality, sees her pieces as a bodily experience.” The Dutch artist’s interactive work “Eyes take several minutes to get

EmErgEnt.BE

used to the dark” dangles from the ceiling in Emergent’s spacious entrance hall. It invites the visitors to don the virtual-reality headset Oculus Rift. With the device strapped to your head, you stroll through a virtual room, but the experience is very much physical. All of these artists relate to the theme in their own ways, making Kunst om het lijf a genre-crossing, multifaceted show that combines installation, painting, video, sculpture, drawings and performance. Flemish artist Hannelore Van Dijck, who was nominated for the Belgian Art Prize in 2015, says she

\ savagefilm.be

Judge lifts ban on Tomorrowland ticket-holders

“Future is Behind” by Dutch photographer and filmmaker Thomas nuijten

felt immediately attracted to the theme. “Physicality is something that plays a big role in my work, in so many different aspects. That’s why it almost didn’t matter which of my works I selected for the show.” In the end, Van Dijck chose a series of her signature charcoal drawings. “Even while working on a

I think about the viewer and how their body moves through space, changing their perspective ens, the venue‘s general director. Still, because it’s located away from the usual art hubs of Brussels, Antwerp or Ghent, Emergent needs to go the extra mile. “We have to do something a bit more special to make people come over here,” Baeyens explains. “We need to be different from what you get to see elsewhere. That’s why our focus lies on young and emerging artists who are at the beginning of their careers, or deceased artists who have been overlooked.” That’s what the current show Kunst om het lijf (Art for the Body’s Sake) aims to do. Spread over

Flemish director Michaël R Roskam’s third feature, Le Fidèle, has been chosen by the Venice Film Festival to screen at its 74th edition, which begins on 30 August. “Since Le Fidèle is a love story, I’d always hoped for a selection by Venice, more than anywhere else,” said Roskam. “The city of love and one of the most important festivals in the world.” The director of the Dutch-language film Rundskop (Bullhead) and the English-language film The Drop has turned to French for the new movie, which reunites him with actor Matthias Schoenaerts – star of the Oscar-nominated Rundskop. In Le Fidèle, Schoenaerts falls in love with a race car driver – played by La vie d’Adèle star Adèle Exarchopoulos – with dark secrets.

new piece,” she says, “I’m already thinking of the viewer and how their body moves through space, changing their perspective and thus their relationship to the artwork.” Her pieces, she adds, “have this tactility to them, and become a body in a way, which often makes viewers want to touch them. My drawings are mostly 100 by 70 centimetres, which is easy for me to handle – meaning that my body determines the size of the

until 17 september

artwork.” Arian Loze, a video artist from Brussels, takes a completely different approach to her work, but says she feels an equally strong connection to the theme: “My body is my paint, my clay, my hammer, my instrument.” She’s showcasing Chez Nous, a gripping film about a family Christmas party in which she plays all the characters and acts as the editor, director and technician. Her view is shared by Bruges-born Robert Devriendt, who is best known for realistic, cinematic paintings: “There’s no imagemaking method that is more physical than painting.” But the most obvious choice is probably the Spanish artist Almudena Lobera, who actually uses bodies as her canvas. For now, Kunst om het lijf is showcasing one of her drawings, but in a few weeks the art will be tattooed on a volunteer’s body. According to Baeyens, four people have already expressed interest. When that happens, she says, the drawing will be destroyed and the person will become the artwork.

emergent

Grote Markt 26, Veurne

A judge has ruled that three Tomorrowland ticket-holders must be allowed to attend the dance music festival, despite being barred from entering by its advanced security check. Tomorrowland performs a background check on all 400,000 ticket buyers and this year informed 38 of them that they would not be allowed to enter the festival. The judge said that as none of the three had a police record or had been told why they were banned that the decision to keep them out was “arbitrary”. Held over the course of two weekends in July, this year’s edition of Tomorrowland finished last Sunday.

woodie Smalls’ single on nBA game Flemish Rapper Woodie Smalls could be looking at an international breakthrough thanks to the basketball video game NBA 2k18. His single “Tokyo Drift” appears on the game’s soundtrack next to numbers by Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak and Drake. It appears that the Benelux division of 2K games thought that “Tokyo Drift” would fit the game’s format perfectly. “It’s totally crazy,” said Smalls. “I have always played NBA 2K, just like all my friends. So you can imagine how hyped I am about this.” The previous edition of the game sold seven million copies worldwide. The new edition with Smalls’ song hits the shelves next month. \ woodiesmalls.com

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\ ARTS

Funk’s not dead

allez allez stirs things up with long-awaited comeback tom Peeters More articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

The short career of the Brussels funk band Allez Allez was like a whirlwind: It took people by surprise, but then it died down. Today, on the eve of their resurrection at the Brussels Summer Festival, band members admit it was a case of “too much, too young”. Though short lived, Allez Allez made their mark. A handful of songs from their 1981 debut album African Queen and the 1982 follow-up Promises have become part of the Belgian rock canon. Back then, everyone was enthused by their idiosyncratic sound and the mix of new wave, funk and African rhythms. After a stint of sold-out local gigs, including Vorst Nationaal and Torhout/Werchter, international stardom seemed inevitable. The band offered a fresh take on the punk movement – a more female-friendly disco music indebted to The Temptations, Chic and Funkadelic. A European tour was in the works, and the deal with Virgin Records – the UK label behind Simple Mind and Culture Club – only increased expectations. But the tour never happened. Shortly after releasing Promises, the lead singer, American-born Sarah Osborne, fell in love with Glenn Gregory, the frontman of the British act Heaven 17. She left for England, and the tour was cancelled. The remaining members recruited another singer and recorded a third album, but it simply wasn’t the same. Allez Allez broke up in 1985. Bass player Serge Van Laeken was the last to join the original line up in 1981 and remembers the moment like it was yesterday. “We were young and stupid,” he says. “Entering our 20s, we still behaved like teenagers. We

allEZ-allEZ.BE

The only one who could reunite them: bass player Serge Van laeken, pictured centre

the moniker Marka. If there was one person who could have one day resurrected the band, it would have been him. Last year, the organisers of the Les Solidarités festival in Namur asked Van Laeken to come and bring along some other musicians. He invited his two children, rapper Roméo Elvis and keyboardist Angèle Van Laeken – but also the former members of Allez Allez. “The time was right,” he says. “I knew that if I

I knew that if I waited another 10 years, it would be too late liked the fun part of the job, but screwed up more serious things, like contract negotiations, and our singer must have been fed up with it. We didn’t realise you can’t treat a young woman like one of the blokes.” After the breakup, Van Laeken was the only one to remain in the music industry, under

waited another 10 years, it would be too late.” Guitarist Kris Debusscher, drummer Robbie Bindels and percussionist Roland Bindi felt the same way. But they were faced with the same old dilemma. “We didn’t have a singer,” Van Laeken says, recalling how hard it was to replace Osborne.

“Back in the 1980s, you had a major problem when you were dropped by your lead singer, especially when she was young and beautiful, like ours was. Sarah represented the image of the band. She was our Debbie Harry.” Five years ago, Osborne joined Van Laeken on stage for a one-off performance. “She made it clear that Allez Allez was a closed chapter for her,” he recalls. In the meantime, Bindi introduced the other band members to Kyoko Baertsoen, who used to front for Lunascape and, for a short period, Hooverphonic, a band notorious for replacing its lead singers. At Les Solidarités, Baertsoen and Allez Allez performed “African Queen” and “Allez Allez”, two of the band’s most popular songs. “The moment we left the stage, we felt reborn,” Van Laeken says. “I had heard that bands feel this way after a break up of 10, maybe 15 years. But for us, it was almost 35.” Baertsoen didn’t feel comfortable performing the band’s entire repertoire, so Van Laeken signed up an additional singer, Marie Delsaux, for this year’s comeback. He’ll be

providing some of the vocals as well, as will their new guitarist. “We’ve really become like a collective,” Van Laeken explains. “We knew we couldn’t replace Sarah; instead we get a lot of energy from this mix of different vocalists.” The set-list for their comeback at next month’s Brussels Summer Festival is ready and looks nearly identical to their gigs from the early ’80s. New are mash-ups with songs like Sugar Hill’s “Rapper’s Delight” and Dona Summer’s “I Feel Love”. There is even a nod to Marine, the Brussels band that influenced Allez Allez’s short-lived career. To coincide with the comeback, the band are also releasing a commemorative booklet, but they don’t have any plans for after their summer tour, which also includes a few dates in Wallonia. Still, you get a feeling they’d like to stick around longer.

12 august, 22.00 Brussels Summer Festival

Top year for Gentse Feesten with little trouble and record use of public transport According to the City of Ghent, nearly 1.3 million people attended the Gentse Feesten over the 10 days of the music and theatre festival, which ended on 23 July. Sunny weather, with very little rainfall was partly to thank for an increase on last year’s turnout, which was 1.2 million. Though visitor numbers were high, it’s far from a record. In 2005, for instance, when the festival still ran for 12 days, the city counted more than 1.7 million. “We definitely don’t want to return to those times,” said city councillor Christophe Peeters, in charge of city festivals. “This year the squares were full, but the flow of

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people between them was very smooth.” That’s an improvement, he said, on “barely being able to move down Belfortstraat”.

It was, however, an absolute record for passengers heading to the Feesten with De Lijn, with more than 370,000 people taking one of the festival’s designated buses or tram over the 10 days, a whopping 24% more than last year. That doesn’t include people travelling to the festival with De Lijn’s regular bus and tram lines. It was also a top year for wildplassen, or public urination, with no less than 884 tickets handed out to people urinating in the street. Trash collectors Ivago, meanwhile, picked up more than 360,000 kilograms of garbage in the festival area over the 10 days.

Although there were reports of robberies and fights, and one woman had to be taken to hospital with a broken nose following an unexplained attack by a stranger, the festival was free of any other serious incidents. “We are one of the largest festivals in Europe, so that is remarkable,” said Peeters. “I am happy that in these times, when people are in doubt about everything, that the city of Ghent and Gentse Feesten visitors haven’t let this get to them. This is a model for the rest of the world to look to.” Next year the Gentse Feesten will celebrate its 175th anniversary. \ Lisa Bradshaw

\ AGenDA

august 2, 2017

Charged with free music

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Absolutely Free Festival 4-5 July

Antwerp

C-Mine, Genk kissmyaff.BE

ell, nearly free anyway. This annual event in Limburg – now in its 10th edition, asks festival-goers to bring at least three used batteries with them to C-Mine to gain entry to see a fine selection of local and international bands and DJs. Because it’s an anniversary edition, there’s also “free” coffee and a “free” piece of Limburgse vlaai on Saturday. To get a taste of this sweet regional speciality, you need to bring an extra 10 used batteries, which, of course, will be sorted and recycled later on. Or just pay €3, which sounds a lot easier and will be donated to Natuurpunt. Highlights of the programme include German indie pop band The Notwist and the American-Sudanese multi-instrumentalist Sinkane (pictured). The latter used to work as a session musician for Caribou and Yeasayer, directed a band that celebrated the heritage of the Nige-

rian funk icon William Onyeabor and is now attempting an interesting solo career. The otherworldly soundscapes by British musician Will Samson and the set by leading Canadian electronic artist Jessy Lanza are also highly anticipated. Local bands to watch out for are the Brussels psych-rock quartet BRNS, the insane Ghent noise collective Hypochristmutreefuzz and the post-punk outfit Whispering Son, last year’s winner of Humo’s Rock Rally. Their dark, icy synth sound, personified by the deep voice of front-

woman Fenne Kuppens, has roots in the north of Limburg. But if you still get lost in the myriad styles and bands lined up here, go find the Tentoo Tent, where local music connoisseur Laurens Leurs — a music educator and veteran singer who used to front the popular Limburg rock band The Romans — looks back on 10 year of the Absolutely Free Festival and will be able to guide you through the programme. \ Tom Peeters

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visUAl Arts

ma festival

raphaël de Bois and Paul JJ michiels

4-13 august Bruges’ annual MA Festival is a celebration of early music in a historically appropriate setting. Dozens of internationally acclaimed musicians descend on the Renaissance metropolis to perform music composed in the pre-classical period – often with the aid of recreated instruments. Several performances take place in the city’s opulent churches. This

Across Bruges mafEstival.BE

year’s theme is as grand as they come: Dante’s Divine Comedy. The Florentine poet’s epic descent into the Christian underworld has inspired composers ever since he dreamt it up in the 14th century. The festival also boasts the Musica Antiqua competition, a musical bicycle circuit and a fringe concert series starring young talent. \ Georgio Valentino

until 12 august Two contemporary Antwerp artists join forces for this impromptu summerevent.InvitedbyMartinVan Blerk Gallery to mount a group exhibition at a moment’s notice, Raphaël De Bois tapped friend and kindred spirit Paul JJ Michiels. Together they sifted through their respective workshops and curated a selection of sculptures, installations and

Festival Elzenveldkapel: Free classical music concerts in the Gothic Chapel of Our Lady, featuring both talented young artists and renowned musicians. Until 31 August, Elzenveld Kapel, Lange Gasthuisstraat 45 \ promusicapulchra.eu

visUAl Arts Antwerp 5 jaar .tifff: FoMu celebrates the fifth anniversary of .tifff, its annual magazine devoted to promising young Belgian photographers, by bringing together all 50 talents who have appeared in it over the past five years. Until 8 October, Rivierenhof Park, Turnhoutsebaan 232 and FoMu, Waalsekaai 47 \ fotomuseum.be

Heuvelland

Martin Van Blerk Gallery, Antwerp PaulJJmicHiEls.com

drawings. Both artists work chiefly in pop-inspired, three-dimensional works that can be understood and appreciated across cultural boundaries. Michiels’ found-object installations fuse childlike whimsy and jaded worldliness. The veteran artist has also included a selection of vibrant, stream-of-consciousness drawings. \ GV

Lux 17 Construct: Thematic exhibition around the 1917 Mine Battle of Messines, featuring contemporary constructions by seven Flemish artists. Until 27 August, Sint-Laurentius Church, SintLaurentiusplein 1 \ toerismeheuvelland.be

festivAl lokeren Lokersefeesten: There are still plenty of day tickets available to one of Flanders’ most popular summer music festivals, which welcomes 100 bands and DJs, including British ska band Madness, shock rocker Marilyn Manson, bluesy-soul singer Ben Harper and alt-rock fave Pixies. 4-13 August, Grote Kaai \ lokersefeesten.be

Tielt

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fAmily

Habitat festival 5 august, from 14.00 Sponsored by the University of Leuven, this free, multiform festival unites music, visual art and entrepreneurship under the sign of youth culture. It wouldn’t be a summer festival without music, and Habitat boasts plenty of funk, electronic and hip-hop on two open-air stages. Headliners include veteran Chicago house DJ Rahaan (pictured) and London grime pioneer Silkie. There are also interactive sessions with promising young visual artists as well as creative entrepreneurship workshops. This is the festival for young people who don’t just want to enjoy the arts but want to learn to create and promote them as well.

cartoon festival Alma 3, leuven HaBitatfEstival.BE

until 3 september Comic strip tourism may live in Brussels, but it holidays on the Flemish coast. The free, summerlong Cartoon Festival has been welcoming visitors of all ages on the beach since its inaugural edition in 1962. This year’s theme, Eureka, illustrates the rewards of curiosity. For its flagship exhibition, the festi-

Heldenplein beach, knokke-Heist cartoonfEstival.BE

val invited a dozen Belgian comic strip artists to recount the history of invention in eight original themed galleries. Many more artists are present to conduct family-friendly workshops. The young ones will learn about arts and crafts as well as recycling, repurposing and the scientific method. \ GV

Supervision Festival: Fifth annual dance music festival, with DJs spinning dance hits, retro classics and the greatest songs of the ’90s. 5 August 16.00-2.00, Generaal Maczekplein 5 \ supervisionfestival.be

film Brussels Vincente Minnelli Cycle: Series of films by the American stage and film director, famous for directing such classic movie musicals as Meet Me in St Louis, Gigi, The Band Wagon and An American in Paris, and for inspiring last year’s box-office hit, La La Land. Until 13 August, Flagey, Heilig-Kruisplein \ flagey.be

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august 2, 2017

Talking Dutch deep-fried fury

In response to: Antwerp’s Beni Falafel voted ‘best falafel place in the world’ Hannah Haynes: Dammit, why didn’t we know this months ago.

derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

he country was thrown into panic a few weeks ago when the European Commission appeared to ban the method Belgians use to make frietjes – French fries. Heel wat heisa over onze frietjes tegenwoordig – A huge fuss about our fries at the moment, reported Knack magazine. Dat frietjes niet bijster gezond zijn, wist je al – You already knew that fries weren’t particularly healthy, maar gevaarlijk? – but dangerous? Knack asked indignantly. EU officials wanted frietjes to be blanched before they were deep fried in oil to remove acrylamide, an allegedly harmful chemical. But that was not the way it was done in Belgium, purists argued. Here, the raw chipped potatoes have to be fried twice to create the perfect friet. It would spoil the flavour and the texture if they were blanched – a process that requires dunking them in boiling, and then icy, water before frying. De frietkotcultuur is iets typisch Belgisch – The fry shack culture is something typically Belgian, mused Knack. Fortunately, it turned out to have been a misunderstanding. We mogen frieten blijven bakken – We can keep on frying our chips op z’n Belgisch – the Belgian way, reported Het Laatste Nieuws a few days ago. The EU was simply making a recommendation, not issuing an order. It was, according to Flemish MEP Bart Staes, veel gedoe om niets – a storm in a tea cup. But that’s not the end of the story, because Belgium’s three regional governments have now come together to protect the national snack by declaring it an essential part of the Belgian way of life. Onze Belgische frietkotcultuur is officieel erkend – Our Belgian fry culture has been officially recognised als Belgisch immaterieel erfgoed – as

voices of flAnDers toDAy

Little Wanderbook: New post up on the blog with my 9 Favorite Restaurants in Ghent! Pizzas, Michelin Star cuisine, dangerous cocktails or traditional Flemish dishes... What will it be? #ghent #gent #visitgent #bestrestaurantsghent #foodie

Belgian immaterial heritage. The Flemish government had already voted through a similar measure back in 2014. But now the entire country is united in its determination to save the holy friet. De aardappel is de sociale maaltijd bij uitstek – The potato is the ultimate social meal, declared Prince Laurent, who has been welcomed into de Orde van de Gulden Puntzak – the Order of the Golden Fry Cone. Doordezenationaleerkenning–Asaresultofthisnational recognition, he continued, komt de Belgische frietkotcultuur in aanmerking – Belgian fries culture can be considered om opgenomen te worden in het Unesco-werelderfgoed – for inclusion in the Unesco list of world heritage. Een eventuele kandidatuur bij de Unesco zou veel werk vereisen – It will take a lot of work before we can be considered as a possible candidate by Unesco, explained Bernard Lefèvre, head of Navefri, the national association of fry vendors. But Belgians are already chipping in by eating some 4.4 million tons of fried potatoes every year. And there’s nothing the EU can do to stop them.

PHoto of tHE wEEk

In response to: 70% of people in Flanders have ‘BDSM-related fantasies’ Jonathan Goodlife: Pita, be careful with those Flemish!

Brian @BrianDRobertson Beautiful ceremony & reverence to those who were killed @ CWGC #Passachendaele100 #thelastpost #flanders #ypres

Andy Goss @andy_foodie Planning a trip to Ghent. Looks like there are loads of great restaurants. Anyone got any recommendations? @visitflanders #Ghent #Belgium

Julie J Declerck @JulieJDeclerck Today walked around in the beautiful city of Bruges with my love and my dog ♥ #city #bruges #familymoments

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the lAst WorD Best of breed

“We have to make it clear to consumers that our white-blue cattle also graze out on the green hills, and receive the best care from their farmers.”

Erwin Mertens, voted the best butcher in the country, is backing a bid to have Belgian Blue beef recognised by Europe as a protected regional product

rapper rapped

“Now I’m seeing, ‘Boef lets down thousands of fans’. That’s not fair. Safety is what’s most important to me.” © Benoit Doppagne/BelGA

100 yeArs on Stories from the Battle of Passchendaele were projected on the facade of the Cloth Hall in ypres on Sunday evening as part of a special show to commemorate the conflict’s centennial. The battle took place between 31 July and 10 november 1917 and cost the lives of nearly half a million soldiers

Dutch hip-hop artist Boef abandoned a concert at the Sfinks music festival in Boechout at the weekend after fans fainted and had to be pulled from the crowd

what are friends for?

“Courteney was very friendly. She wanted to pay for the two hamburgers the man with her had already ordered and paid for.” Job student Shana Vandenberghe of Jilles Beer & Burgers in Bruges got the shock of her career when American actor Courteney Cox (Friends) showed up at the counter

a dog’s life

“Owners first ask if we have space before they go to the travel agent. There are even customers who change their booking when they find out we don’t have any space left.” Kris Van Linden of doggy hotel Amandus in Sint-Amands, the latest booming business sector

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