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AUGUST 23, 2017 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2

politics \ p4

Jolly holiday

How were the facilities at your summer campsite? Flanders is investing in campground and hostel facilities to improve sanitation and access to those with a disability \4

BUSiNESS \ p6

innovation \ p7

education \ p9

art & living \ p10

Fishing for information

If you cut us…

VUB researchers have made international headlines for creating robots that mend themselves after they are “injured”, which should lead to increased efficiency \7

The unique and quirky Navigo fishing museum in Oostduinkerke has a new exhibition that tells you more about local fishermen than you might even want to know \ 11

© Courtesy Plan A/Facebook

The A-Team

Grassroots civic group calls on citizens to help shape Antwerp’s future Clodagh Kinsella More articles by Clodagh \ flanderstoday.eu

As confidence in traditional politics wanes, new grassroots group Plan A is tapping the public for ideas on how to create a more sustainable Antwerp by 2024.

I

n just over a year, the people of Antwerp will go to the polls for the local elections, with federal voting to follow in mid-2019. Meanwhile, rather than twiddling its thumbs, a new civic movement that hopes to influence the city’s high-ups is busy refining its own, crowdsourced proposals for 2018.

Plan A, which was formed in late 2016 and launched earlier this year, comprises a 15-strong “A-Team” of volunteers – among them entrepreneurs, social workers and community organisers. Added to this core are about 40 unofficial partners including colleges, cultural bodies and diversity groups.

Frustrated by the slow pace of political change – local elections across the country fall every six years – its architects felt that a more mobile response was needed to address pressing issues like health, education and poverty.

“We’re wondering what we can do ourselves instead of waiting to see what the government will do,” explains spokesperson Wietse Vermeulen. “I meet more and more people who think in the same way, who have the same questions: Where are we going? What kind of city would we like in five or 10 years?”

One of Plan A’s main goals is to close the gap between citizens and their political representatives. “There was a study in Belgium that said four out of five people don’t believe in politicians anymore,” says Vermeulen. “That’s horrible.

I think most politicians want to do good and work for a better society, but there’s something in this system that

isn’t working.”

To this end, Plan A has set about gathering the public’s proposals on how to create a greener, more equal city.

From some 70 ideas they have selected 16 that they hope to develop into more concrete plans – a figure likely to rise.

Their role will be as a kind of go-between. “Next year with the major local elections we want to bring these ideas to the council and say ‘What do you think about this?’” says Vermeulen. “If they don’t believe in them, maybe we can achieve some of them by ourselves.”

The headline event at their April launch weekend saw participants at 25 starting points attempt to form a human chain stretching right around Antwerp. While De Grote Omarming (The Great Embrace, pictured) didn’t quite come off, it was a powerful symbolic act nonetheless.

“We wanted to show that together we’re all part of a chain, continued on page 5

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS

Ships clean up North Sea rubbish Fishing boats and maintenance ships with rubbish bags haul litter back to port Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

S

hips crewed by staff that maintain offshore wind turbines in the North Sea will begin to help clear waste, federal secretary of state for North Sea matters Philippe De Backer has announced. The ships will be equipped with “big bags” – huge rubbish bags they can use to pick up trash they come across in their work.

Fishing boats have already been recruited by the Fishing for Litter project. The boats are equipped with big bags for about a year.

When full, they are brought to port, where they are handled by the government’s marine environment department.

“Rubbish caught up in fishing nets was often just thrown back in the sea for practical reasons – the cost of bringing it in was too high,” a spokesperson for De Backer explained. “We now provide them with rubbish bags so they can deposit the trash at the port. There’s no cost to the fishermen at all.”

The wind turbine maintenance ships also showed an interest in the idea, and they have

© Courtesy Electrolux

now been issued with big bags. The ships already pick up rubbish from the sea within their concessions, but the Fishing for Litter project provides a way for the rubbish to be dealt with once brought to land.

“Of course we’d like nothing better than for more and more people and organisations to help clean up our North Sea and keep it that way,” De Backer said. “I hope to see others follow this example.”

Too little prison time for money laundering, says agency Belgium is the most lenient country in the European Union when it comes to sentencing for money laundering, according to a report by the London-based Fortytwo Data, which produces technology to combat the crime. Belgium has a maximum sentence of five years, the lowest of all member states.

“It is remarkable and deeply concerning that such weak sentencing powers are found in a country that has acted as a staging post for international terrorism,” said Fortytwo Data CEO Julian Dixon. “Terrorists cannot operate without funds, and that money must often be moved across international borders. This is why tackling money laundering is crucial in the fight against

terrorism, but the EU and its allies must speak with one voice.”

Courts in Malta can go up to life imprisonment in cases where money laundering is linked to drugs. Bulgaria’s highest maximum sentence is 30 years. Elsewhere, sentences range from six years in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, to 20 years in Greece, Luxembourg and Slovakia.

Belgium has, however, met the deadline of 26 June for the implementation of the latest EU directive on money laundering. Seventeen member states have still not adapted legislation or procedures required by the directive. \ AH

€221 billion

transferred in 2016 by 853 Belgian companies to tax havens somewhere else in the world. Companies are obliged by law to declare transfers of more than €100,000 a year

\2

Tongeren woman killed in Barcelona terrorist attack A 44-year-old woman from Tongeren was one of 13 people killed in a terrorist attack last week on La Rambla in Barcelona. The woman, identified by the federal foreign affairs ministry as Elke V, was on holiday with her husband and two children, who survived the attack.

Elke V worked for Bpost and comes from Lummen, also in Limburg. The city cancelled a planned fireworks display out of respect for the victim’s family, who still live in the area. Two other Belgians were wounded in the attack. Their identities have not yet been released.

The attack took place at approximately 17.00 on Thursday when a large van ran people over in the series of pedestrian streets known as La Rambla, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Catalan capital. Thirteen people are confirmed

dead, with more than 100 wounded.

Later the next day, a second attack took place in Cambrils, also on the Catalan coast, some 120 kilometres south west of Barcelona. A car drove over pedestrians, wounding seven people, including a police officer. A police chase ensured, and all five suspects were shot dead by police. One of the victims of the attack died.

The driver of the vehicle in Barcelona fled the scene; as Flanders Today went to press on Monday, it was being reported that he had been shot dead by police in Spain.

Between Thursday and Monday, nine members of the terrorist cell that planned and carried out the attacks were killed and four taken into custody.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, but this has not been verified by Spanish authorities. \ Lisa Bradshaw

Injury puts an end to Flemish Channel swim record attempt A Flemish man who set out to swim the English Channel in both directions had to abandon his attempt early last week after almost seven hours in the water. Timothy Christiaen, from Bredene, West Flanders, made it two-thirds of the way in one direction.

“All of a sudden I had a problem with my shoulder,” he said. “At first we tried to fight it with painkillers, but at the point where I could hardly lift my hand out of the water, I knew it wasn’t possible to go any further.”

Christiaen (pictured) would have been the first Belgian to make the double crossing, a trip that would normally take 24 hours of continuous swimming. In the end he lasted six hours and 49 minutes. He will now undergo an exam to determine the problem with his shoulder.

For the time being, the 36-year-old has no plans to try again; the operation is costly, requiring him to be accompanied by a boat and crew for the entire crossing in both directions.

“It’s too bad to have to throw in the towel in this way,” he said. “I was in pain when I came out of the water, but not at all tired, so I was in good condition. In the months to come, my family will come first. I don’t want to put them through another attempt. The preparations take a lot out of you.”

Christiaen’s attempt raised money for

© Timothy Christiaen/Facebook

Bednet, the education programme for children confined to hospital. The amount raised will be announced next month.

The first person to swim the English Channel was Matthew Webb, who made the crossing from Dover in August 1875 in 21h 45min. Gertrude Ederle was the first woman, swimming in the opposite direction in August 1926 in 14h 30min. The record time for a two-way crossing is held

by Philip Rush of New Zealand, who made the trip in 1987 in 16h 10min. Susie Maroney of Australia holds the record for women, taking 17h 14min in 1991. \ AH

1,200

10,000

square metres, the average size of a house in Flanders, compared to 160 in the year 2000. For apartments, the average total area has gone down from 83 to 66 square metres

people in Belgium have filed a claim for compensation for late flights so far this year, more than the total for the whole of 2016. The compensation law kicks in at three hours of delay

medals won by the Brussels fire service at the biennial athletic World Police and Fire Games event in Los Angeles last week. The tally includes 13 gold, 11 silver and six bronze

people in Belgium on the waiting list for an organ transplant, despite a growing number of potential donors – 229,889 in April last year compared to 32,557 in 2005

AUGUST 23, 2017

WEEK in brief Brussels has come second in a comparison of vehicle-sharing in EU capitals carried out by the Dutch website Shopalike. The site looked at availability and cost of car-, scooter- and bike-sharing schemes, with Brussels coming top of the league in the final category for its Villo bike scheme. Villo offers 42 bikes per 10,000 residents, at a cost of only 50 cents an hour.

The city of Antwerp could be one or two centuries older than originally thought, according to research carried out by a team of scientists from the VUB and ULB universities in Brussels. They tested microscopic soil samples and found evidence of agriculture on sites from as early as the fifth century. Historical sources place the origins of Antwerp in the seventh century.

A court in Brussels has remanded terrorist suspect Salah Abdeslam and an accomplice for trial to begin in September. Abdeslam was wanted following the Paris terrorist attacks of November 2015 and was arrested in March 2016 following a shootout with police in Vorst. His arrest may have been the trigger for the subsequent attacks on Brussels Airport and Maalbeek metro station eight days later.

The Flemish agency for roads and traffic is working to install new road markings at 20 locations, which it says will improve safety for cyclists at junctions.

The markings consist of a cycling sign and a dotted line crossing the thoroughfare, as well as the familiar “shark’s teeth” yield symbol.

The new markings should provide “more clarity,” said mobility minister Ben Weyts.

An unfortunate visitor to the Yves Klein exhibition in Bozar in Brussels was so distracted by a video installation that he or she

stepped on an artwork displayed on the floor, according to the centre of fine arts. The work was made up of sand coloured with a patented shade of blue known as International Klein Blue. Luckily the damage was not irreparable as it’s meant to be temporary. The show ended at the weekend.

Boobs-‘n-Burps, the Flemish retail chain devoted to breastfeeding needs, has declared bankruptcy. The first shop opened in 2010 in Dilbeek, and owner Roeline Ham was voted female start-up of the year two years later. Later stores opened in Antwerp, Hasselt, Leuven and Ghent, as well as online.

Schaarbeek’s parks department has started setting rat traps in Josaphatpark, a spokesperson for mayor Bernard Clerfayt said. Some 60 traps have been set, mainly around the lake in the centre of the park, following complaints from visitors.

face of flanders a good night’s sleep, according to doctoral research from the University of Leuven. While an evening watching ordinary TV causes no problem, binge-watching also effects quality of sleep.

“The main problem is the mental tension created,” they said. About 80% of young people binge-watch regularly – about one-quarter of them a few times a month, and more than one in five a few times a week.

A plan to set fire to an artwork

by Flemish painter Luc Tuymans as the closing event of an exhibition in Borgloon, Limburg, had to be abandoned last week when the municipal council said it would be in breach of environment laws. The plan to burn the floor painting was being done with the approval of the artist. In the end, a small section was burned, while the rest will be disposed of later.

The Ghent fire service has recovered the body of a man who tried to swim across the Handelsdok at the port of Ghent last week.

The man’s friend made the crossing successfully and reported that his friend had got into difficulties. The Ghent river police’s sonar boat was called in to help with the search.

The government of Flanders has fined catering services company Sodexo €3.2 million for failing to switch a majority of businesses over to electronic meal vouchers as agreed. The company had agreed to issue 86% of vouchers electronically by mid-2017, and 95% by the end of the year. The figure currently stands at just under 53%, the labour ministry said. Sodexo was also fined €1.1 million at the end of last year for failing to reach targets.

Brussels mascot Manneken Pis had an unexplained attack of severe incontinence last week, when his normal stream reached epic proportions, flooding part of Stoofstraat, where he stands, according to heritage city councillor Geoffroy Coomans. The problem is thought to have been caused by a prankster who opened up the tap that controls the statue’s stream of water.

The city of Antwerp will launch a new campaign next month to encourage commuters to avoid rush-hour traffic. A €25 lunch voucher is on offer for anyone who avoids the 7.00-9.00 and 16.0018.00 period 15 times a month.

Avoid it five times a month and get a shopping voucher worth €7. Participants need to install a smartphone app, which checks on times and itineraries. \ spitsmijden-antwerpen.be

How a protocetidae might have looked

The Protocetidae of Zeebrugge The seabed just off Zeebrugge appears to be one of the world’s richest sources of fossils related to a colony of prehistoric whales and walruses. The fossils were discovered by an expedition on board the research ship Simon Stevin.

The expedition is led by Klaas Post, a descendant of fishermen who curates the mammals collection at the Natural History Museum in Rotterdam. In 1996, he took delivery of some whale fossils, which turned out on closer inspection to be more than 40 million years old.

In 2015, a find of whale vertebrae was traced back to where they were brought up by a fishing boat – a channel known as Het Scheur (the tear) off the coast of Zeebrugge. The Simon Stevin expedition is an attempt to find out more about the location.

Post and his team have found not only whale fossils but also traces of walruses and a prehistoric ox.

Researchers from the Flemish Maritime Institute are collaborating in the mission, including Maikel De Clercq of Ghent University. She explains that in

the last Ice Age, from 116,000 to about 18,000 years ago, the area where the site lies was in the estuary of the Scheldt.

The water level was – depending on the temperature – 20 to 70 metres lower than now, with what is now the sea floor covered with grass and bushes and at times even trees. The walrus bones, according to carbon dating, are about 45,000 years old, although they could be older still. The colony seems to have been comparatively large – at least 50 animals.

The whale fossils found at the site of Het Scheur, meanwhile, are equally interesting to palaeontologists. Post identifies the vertebrae they have so far as coming from members of the protocetidae family, which lived between 37 and 48 million years ago. The creatures still had back legs and came back onto land to give birth.

However, the diagnosis is not certain. “To know for sure, we need to fish up a piece of skull.

If the hypothesis is correct, then we’re looking at a sort that hasn’t yet been described,” he told Eos magazine. \ Alan Hope

Binge-watching TV series can damage viewers’ chance of getting

OFFSIDE The cycle of life If you’re like most male youth who moved to a grown-up bike with a crossbar, you learned the hard way how not to dismount. We’re also aware that girls who inherited their brothers’ old bikes were not immune to the painful phenomenon, either.

So there’s a campaign in the Netherlands, where they know a thing or two about bikes, to get rid of the traditional boys’/men’s bike model, for safety reasons. Not so much because of the problem coyly alluded to above, but because – according to research from Sweden – if you fall from one of those crossbar bikes, you’re

© Eldar Zakirov

Flanders Today, a weekly English-language newspaper, is an initiative of the Flemish Region and is financially supported by the Flemish authorities.

more likely to hit your head than you would be on a bike without a crossbar.

The reason is that the crossbar makes it harder to disengage your-

self as you fall, so your hips and shoulders take more of the impact.

So should we do the same in Flanders? Not according to the institute for road safety (BIVV) and the cyclists’ union Fietsersbond.

Both organisation argue that such a measure would have little effect on the numbers of accident victims. BIVV points out that the Swedish research involved a small sample in simulated conditions, and that a hip injury for an older person could be just as dangerous as a head injury. Fietsersbond suggests that lower speed limits for cars would have a far greater effect. \ 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 Daan Bauwens, Rebecca Benoot, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Sarah Crew, Emma Davis, Paula Dear, Mari Eccles, Andy Furniere, Diana Goodwin, Clodagh Kinsella, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Sarah Schug, Dan Smith, Senne Starckx, Linda Thompson, 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

\3

\ POLITICS

5TH COLUMN Civil service status symbol

Ghent stands out in Flanders as one of the few cities that is still a socialist stronghold. A cartel between SP.A and Groen has even managed an absolute majority in city hall.

Following the N-VA wave of support over the last two elections, Ghent now feels something like the last Gallic village to resist Roman occupation. It acts – and is treated – accordingly.

A recent incident between the government of Flanders and the city of Ghent illustrates this. Minister of interior affairs Liesbeth Homans (N-VA) has annulled Ghent’s decision to give 508 city workers with 12 or more years of service civil servant status.

Granting them this statute automatically is against the law, Homans says, as civil servant status – which comes with a variety of perks – can only be the outcome of an open procedure. Ghent city council is taking the case to the Council of State.

Both parties suspect political motives. Homans has called Ghent’s arrangement “clientelism” in view of the 2018 local elections. Ghent councillor Martine De Regge (SP.A) sees political games, “at the expense of the city’s workers”.

Civil servant status has a long history. To increase government workers’ loyalty, the status comes with a number of benefits, such as job security and a generous pension (originally meant to compensate for lower wages).

Many believe the status has seen its best days. The job security it offers does not encourage productivity, argue labour experts, and the pensions, originally designed as “postponed wages”, are now considered disproportionate.

Local governments have their own reasons to employ workers on regular contracts, without the status. It allows them to be more flexible as to the size of the workforce, and the procedures to hire (and fire) workers are less regulated and time-consuming.

The status, however, had led to situations where two workers might be doing the exact same job without having the same benefits. It was this type of situation that Ghent tried to rectify by granting civil servant status to workers with a certain number of years of service.

The incident reveals not just party animosities but also different views. SP.A attaches more attention to the role of (local) government and to working conditions, while N-VA believes in lean government and labour market flexibility. \ Anja Otte

\4

Bourgeois visits activists and co-ops in southern Africa

Minister-president on trip that focuses on development co-operation Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

F

lemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois is on an official visit to southern Africa, taking in South Africa, Malawi and Mozambique and concentrating on development co-operation.

On the first day, Bourgeois visited All Women Recycling, which gathers unemployed and single women to work on recycling plastic bottles to create a gift box known as a kliketyklikbox. He also visited a project in Philippi Village, one of Cape Town’s largest townships, and Waste to Food, a recycling project for food waste.

Bourgeois also met Helen Zille, premier of the

© Courtesy Department of Foreign Affairs

Geert Bourgeois with the staff of All Women Recycling

province of Western Cape and a prominent figure in the anti-apartheid movement of the 1970s. Then a journalist, she was the first to reveal the ordeal of activist Steve Biko at the hands of the South Africa police state.

The two leaders discussed the importance of economic development as a tool to combat inequality, as well as future co-operation in the fields of education, research and climate. Bourgeois invited her to make a return visit to Flanders in the future.

The Flemish delegation’s visit to southern Africa continues until 26 August.

Ghent objects to decision on civil servant nominations

Funding for projects that challenge radical propaganda

A proposal is before Ghent’s city council to file a complaint with the Council of State against a decision by Flanders’ minister for home affairs. The minister, Liesbeth Homans, rescinded an arrangement that would see 508 city workers automatically given civil servant status, known as ambtenaar in Dutch.

Ambtenaren, a special status found in all levels of government in Belgium, have certain employment benefits, including increased job security due to requirements related to dismissals and increased pensions.

Ghent’s city council decided last spring to automatically give civil servant status to those employed for 12 years or more by the city or the social aid agency OCMW. Homans said that that decision was in breach of law and has rescinded the workers’ civil servant status.

She said she was “obliged” to annul the arrangement. “The city gave its employees false hope,” she said.

“And strangely enough, I haven’t heard the unions say anything

The government of Flanders is offering subsidies worth a total of €500,000 for projects aimed at countering radicalist propaganda using humour and emotion, De Standaard reports. The idea comes from the office of integration minister Liesbeth Homans, and the grants will go to projects that include “messages and stories that challenge the propaganda of IS and reveal and refute their discourse”.

According to the invitation for applications, the message countering IS propaganda can take several forms, “including emotion, humour, theology or the demonstration of hypocrisy and untruths,” the paper says.

The project is part of Homans’ mission to prevent and reverse the radicalisation of young people, spokesperson Toon De Bock explained. “The aim is for the messages to really touch young people,” he said.

The subsidies are aimed at civil organisations, local authorities and educational organisations.

© Nicolas Maeterlinck/BELGA

about it.”

The city’s decision looked like political electioneering, said Homans.

“Suddenly giving 500 people a more advantageous status one year before municipal elections smells like patronage. But just to be clear: I’m cancelling these appointments because they are against the law.”

As Flanders Today went to press, the city council was due to vote on a proposal submitted by councillor Martine De Regge (pictured centre), in charge of administrative and personnel affairs, to ask the Council of State to strike down Homans’ decision. “We will do everything possible to have the decision of the minister overturned, because these civil servants have earned their status,” she said. \ AH

© Drafthouse Films

A still from the anti-terrorist satire Four Lions

“We want to support small-scale initiatives,” De Bock said. “They are able to spread messages that undermine extremist discourse via their local networks or social media.”

However, the Flemish Peace Institute, a research body linked to the Flemish parliament, last month issued a report casting doubt on the effectiveness of counter-narratives or anti-propaganda in changing the attitudes of radicalised young people. “Many programmes have difficulty in demonstrating that they are able to reach the right audience,” the institute’s report said. \ AH

Groen party calls for ban on single-use plastic bags Flanders’ ecological party Groen has renewed calls for the regional government to ban single-use plastic bags, following the example of the Brussels and Walloon regions and governments around the world.

According to a report by the party, Belgians use more than one billion plastic bags every year. Although supermarkets have done much to reduce the use of plastic bags, they are still prevelant in bakeries, butchers, corner shops, pharmacies and in a number other service industries.

Plastic bags constitute a danger to wildlife on land and in the water, and the annual cost of cleaning

them up, according to the party, is €61.5 million in Flanders and Brussels.

Since 2004, a number of businesses have provided, usually at a minimal cost, recyclable and re-usable plastic bags. Brussels banned single-use bags in September, and Wallonia at the end of last year.

“Flanders now has to follow suit,” said Groen member of the Brussels parliament Annemie Maes.

Flemish environment minister Joke Schauvliege supports the ban and announced a proposal in February, but it came to nothing without the support of coalition partner Open VLD. “We prefer to take measures with the sector,” said Open VLD

minister Bart Tommelein.

Meanwhile, a group of environmental organisations called Recycling Netwerk has revived a call for a deposit to be paid on drinks cans and plastic bottles, in an effort to improve recycling and remove them from general waste. The call comes after it was proposed that the blue PMD bag be used for more types of plastic that are currently not permitted.

“More types of plastic in the blue bag is a good thing, but PET bottles and cans have to come out,” Rob Buurman of the network told De Zondag. The organisations favour the German system, where shoppers pay a returnable deposit of 25

cents on bottles and cans, as they do with a 10c deposit on many glass bottles.

“In Germany about 98% of these bottles are recycled,” Buurman said. “With the blue bag in Flanders it’s only 62%, and a lot of bottles and cans find their way into the general waste and public bins because they’re considered worthless. Either that or they remain lying around in nature.”

Schauvliege supports the idea but is waiting for the evaluation of a test project running in some municipalities. Self-employed union NSZ argues that it would burden small retailers with added costs and storage problems. \ AH

\ COVER STORY

AUGUST 23, 2017

© Courtesy Plan A/Facebook

One of the goals of Plan A, which was launched with a weekend of festivities in April, is to close the gap between citizens and their political representatives

The A-Team

Entrepreneurs, social workers and community leaders are crowdsourcing a better city PLANVOORA.BE

continued from page 1

and that we love our city so we embrace it,” says Vermeulen. “We wanted to show that we are the city,” he adds, revealing that a similar event is planned for next summer.

That same weekend Plan A clubbed together with the local branch of Critical Mass, a worldwide cycling group that runs monthly politicalprotest rides. By harnessing its widespread network, it managed to double the usual attendance.

“It’s what we should be doing more and more,” says Vermeulen.

“On the one hand with the internet, on the other just by coming together.”

This collective spirit has led to alliances with likeminded individuals and organisations keen to add their voice to the chorus.

All participants dictate their own involvement – be it making a proposal or actively developing it.

Samenlevingsopbouw, which runs community centres helping the socially vulnerable in Antwerp and beyond, has held several meetings with Plan A. “For us it’s a good chance to put forward the ideas of people who aren’t represented, but also to encourage a wider reflection about equality, and the necessity of meeting people from other backgrounds,” says staff member Sofie Sas. “With our community centres we try to focus on the things people have in common, which is what we like about Plan A,” she adds.

“It’s something constructive that unites people in making plans for the city.”

Activist Kaoutar Zaitouni, who helped with a Plan A talent night last year, was also attracted by the group’s diversity. “It brings together people of all colours, all ages, male, female, it doesn’t matter,” she says. “And there are a lot of choices. Whatever your interest, you can find something suitable.”

One project on the table arose after Plan A was approached by Karel de Grote and AP Hogeschool Antwerpen university colleges and Antwerp University, who are keen

temperature rises?” asks Vermeulen. “Maybe we can reorganise our cities. Antwerpen aan ’t Woord is doing this right now but nobody knows about it. We asked how we could make it into a bigger project.” Other than a barbecue planned for 26 August, Plan A has been relatively dormant over the summer. But come September the group will knuckle down to transform their ideas into tangible plans in the run-up to the elections.

Initially the thinking was to appoint 100 “mayors” to manage these plans, but Plan A’s horizontal structure and a general nerv-

These are interesting times. So much is possible, we have to try to bring knowledge out of the ivory tower and on to the streets. It’s still early days, but the hope is to set up theatres on public squares so the public can enjoy free lectures, and find out what the often insular bodies are working on.

Another initiative being spearheaded by neighbourhood association Antwerpen aan ’t Woord (Antwerp Speaking) seeks to create a green corridor through the Sint-Andries quarter.

“Cities are hotspots, so what are we going to do about it when the

ousness at the term led them to scrap the concept in favour of ideas-led groups.

“It felt like people heard the word ‘mayor’ and thought it was really ambitious and they’d have to do all sorts of things and really engage for a long time,” says Ciska Hoet, another public face of the group.

“It was a beautiful thought, but it didn’t really work for the public.”

New for next month are fortnightly brainstorming nights where anyone can present an idea to the public for five minutes. The

second half of the sessions will be devoted to Q&As and building networks. Every month Plan A hopes to spotlight a different proposal in the media.

While such a project could be infinite, the group does have a framework: the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to achieve things like zero hunger and gender equality by 2030, and have been adopted by the EU. “Our ideas have to be connected with those UN development goals,” says Hoet. “It’s about figuring out ways in which they can be adapted locally.”

Meanwhile, those sceptical of citizens’ ability to effect change need only look to the success of action groups like Ringland, for whom Vermeulen works. Its proposals for resolving Antwerp’s mobility problems – the city is among Europe’s most traffic-congested – recently led to an historic agreement with the Flemish government and city of Antwerp over the future of the ring road.

“There wasn’t an idea for a better solution for the highway, the politicians weren’t really interested, and then we went out on the streets and people responded,” recalls Vermeulen. “Now everyone wants it. It’s the first time we’ve pulled off something like this.”

Vermeulen also cites the success of new Borgerhout carpentry collective VAK Atelier, which carries out custom projects and repairs, and – further from home – the headline-

grabbing grassroots movements in Frome and Bristol, England.

Frome, a small town in Somerset in southwestern England, wholeheartedly rejected traditional party politics when a coalition of forward-looking independents, frustrated at the status quo, gained all 17 seats on the local town council in 2015.

With its DIY approach, this “flatpack democracy” seemed to have learnt a thing or two from neighbour Bristol, which successfully introduced its own currency, the Bristol pound, in 2012, to boost the local economy.

The latter is something Plan A is apparently considering, alongside revisiting the embattled educated system. A particular preoccupation is ensuring that children all have access to a packed lunch.

“How can they have good results if they don’t eat all day?” Vermeulen asks. “It’s unbelievable that in this rich Western country this is happening.”

Not all its goals are so bold, he says: getting residents to say hello to one another would be a start, and something they don’t need the government for.

“We’re not going to solve everything in a year, or in five years, but the main thing is to show people that they are a part of this society,” he says. “Tell us your idea and we will think about it and try to get it on the agenda of politicians. These are interesting times. So much is possible, we have to try.”

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\ BUSINESS

week in business Dredging Deme The Antwerp dredging and offshore activities group has won a €130 million contract from electricity network operator Elia to lay 85 kilometres of high-voltage cables on the sea bed to link North Sea wind farms with the national grid in Zeebrugge. The connection is expected to come on stream in 2019.

Brewing Grimbergen The abbey beer, owned by the Danish Carlsberg group and brewed under licence by AlkenMaes in Kontich, saw its sales jump 23% in the first half of this year.

Rail Fyra The Italian-built high-speed trains, which were expected to run between Brussels and Amsterdam until the service was suspended in 2013 because of technical defects, will be redeployed on Italy’s rail network, connecting Rome with Naples and the southern part of the country. The Italian rolling stock manufacturer AnsaldoBreda was ordered to pay €2.5 million in damages to the NMBS in 2014.

Metals Umicore The Brussels-based non-ferrous metals group plans to split its shares following the stock’s success on the Brussels market, reaching an all-time high of €67 a share. Umicore is riding on the strong demand for batteries to power the new generation of electric vehicles.

Ports Antwerp The port of Antwerp is seeking up to 1,000 additional dock workers and administrative staff. The port’s employee association, Cepa, organises seminars and training for prospective staff.

Retail AS Adventure The Antwerp-based chain of outdoors stores has taken over German competitor McTrek and its 39 shops for €38 million.

Investment Gimv The government of Flanders’ venture capital fund has sold its stake in Greenyard, the worldleading fresh and prepared fruit and vegetable group, headquartered in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Antwerp province.

\6

Flanders appoints arbitrator to help save Uplace project

Council of State decision on planned shopping centre due next month Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

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he government of Flanders has appointed an arbitrator in an attempt to settle the various concerns surrounding Uplace, the shopping and leisure centre planned for Machelen, just outside the Brussels ring road.

The government has appointed senior civil servant Wim Van Asschot as arbitrator. Flemish economy minister Philippe Muyters said that Van Asschot will work to create a version of the project on which all parties – opponents and proponents – can agree.

Uplace objectors range from Unizo, the organisation that represents the self-employed, to the cities of Vilvoorde and Leuven. Unizo and town

councils are worried about the effect the shopping centre will have on small businesses in nearby town centres. Other concerns are related to increased traffic on the ring road.

Last March, the Council of State suspended Uplace’s environmental permit – for the second time. Next month it is due to rule on whether planning permission should be revoked entirely.

This would likely lead to a damages claim by the project developers against the government of Flanders, which approved planning permits under its brownfield policy on the development of former industrial sites.

The government hopes, therefore, that Van

© Courtesy Uplace

Asschot can reach a settlement in time for the opposing parties to withdraw their legal complaints before the ruling of the Council of State.

Brussels Airport cancels order for Belfius tells negative-interest Chinese electric buses customers to keep mum Brussels Airport has withdrawn an order for 30 electric buses from a Chinese constructor after a court in Brussels declared it illegal. The ruling followed a complaint from the Roeselare manufacturer VDL. Nine companies responded to a call for tenders issued at the start of 2016. Build Your Dreams (BYD) offered the best price, at €330,000 per bus, or 33% cheaper than the next-best bid from VDL. The Flemish company took the case to court, arguing that Brussels Airport ought to have asked for more information from BYD as its bid was so low. BYD responded that its main business of manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles allowed it to offer a much lower price.

The commercial court in Brussels ruled against Brussels Airport and BYD. However, according to De

© Courtesy Brussels Airport

Tijd, reporting on a leaked copy of the ruling, the court did not specifically state that the Chinese bid was too low, only that Brussels Airport had not provided sufficient information regarding its enquiries into prices.

Brussels Airport has always said that it followed the EU rules on awarding contracts by public authorities. However, it has now withdrawn the contract from BYD and says it will investigate the matter further. \ AH

Port of Brussels plans to be CO2 neutral by next year The port of Brussels has announced that it is striving to become CO2 neutral by the end of 2018. It will not only restrict its own emissions, CEO Fons Moens said, but will encourage partner businesses to do the same.

The port will work to compensate when the reduction of emissions to zero is impossible in certain areas.

Such measures already taken include planting trees and contributing to ecological projects in the developing world.

The port has also offered incentives to employees to use bicycles and public transport to come to work and has placed solar panels on the roof of its buildings.

Its partners are also playing their part, Moens told Bruzz, by increasing the amount of freight carried by water. “In the past, most companies brought their freight

from Antwerp to Brussels by lorry, but they are more and more often coming by canal,” he said.

The port authority is also working with the company CityDepot, based in the port area, which takes goods on the “last mile” from the port to the customer in the city by shuttle bus.

“An increasing number of our clients are taking CO2-neutrality very seriously,” Moens said. “For instance, cement and concrete company Holcim is already CO2-neutral.”

The capital’s environmental agency Leefmilieu Brussel could, he suggested, develop a label for companies who are CO2-neutral.

“We can’t make it compulsory, but we can create leverage, such as tax breaks or lower rents,” he said.

“These are areas that have to be looked into.” \ AH

Belfius Bank has written to a number of mortgage customers warning them not to give out details of the interest on their loans or risk losing the advantageous conditions, Het Laatste Nieuws reports.

The clients had taken out variableinterest mortgages, with interest rates that – unlike fixed-interest mortgages – fluctuate depending on the market. In current conditions, they have turned out to be negative-interest loans.

Instead of paying interest on the sum outstanding, customers pay what is referred to as negative interest, which means the bank actually pays them. Similarly, on the money markets where governments borrow towards the

national debt, Belgium has been able to raise funds on terms of negative interest for some time.

However, while the government’s borrowing is a matter of public interest, Belfius is imposing a vow of silence on clients benefitting from negative interest, threatening them with a loss of their conditions if they speak out, the paper reports.

Johan Klaps, a member of the federal parliament, said he was “shocked” at the bank’s approach; Belfius is majority-owned by the state. The bank said it was within its legal rights, though it admitted that the tone of the message could have come across as “cold and hard”. \ AH

€1.3m to make hostels and campsites more family-friendly Flanders’ tourism minister has announced an investment of almost €1.3 million in the development of 50 tourism hostels and campsites, to make them more child- and family-friendly.

The hostels offer cheaper holiday accommodation for families, and the 50 that will receive support are spread across the region.

The financial aid is aimed at improving the quality of the hostels, particularly with improvements in sanitary conditions and accessibility for those with a disability. “That sort of investment is often not really profitable,” Ben Weyts said. “That’s why we want to give the hostels a leg-up with subsidies. By investing wisely in child-friendliness and accessibility, we are responding to a very clear demand.”

The recipients of the aid range from sites in Mol and Bredene to holiday centres in Retie and Beringen,

to hotels in Aalst and Brasschaat.

Thirteen projects will receive the highest amount awarded, €50,000, with smaller amounts ranging down to €1,830.

“Every person in Flanders, including those with a handicap, should be able to go on holiday in their own country,” Weyts said. His department plans to invite tourism operators to submit applications for a new round of subsidies in the new year. \ AH

\ INNOVATION

AUGUST 23, 2017

Short circuit

week in innovation

UGent project launches DIY kit so anyone can build talking robots Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

OPSORO.BE

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new project at Ghent University (UGent) makes it possible for anyone to create a robot capable of interacting with humans using speech and facial expressions.

Opsoro, short for Open Platform for Social Robots, is planning to launch a start-up in the near future.

“Today, constructing social robots requires a lot of time and money, but we will provide an open-access option that will allow everyone to experiment with the technology,” says one of the founders, Jelle Saldien, a professor of engineering at UGent’s Kortrijk campus.

For his PhD at the Free University of Brussels (VUB), Saldien was involved in the development of the social robot Probo. A world-renowned “huggable robot” with bright green fur, Probo communicates with children through speech, facial expressions and a video screen in its belly.

The robot is used in studies that explore how humans, and especially children, interact with machines.

Opsoro isn’t available yet, but the robots are available for pre-order on the website, which also contains a step-by-step guide to putting them together.

There are three options: a starter kit with all the technology required to create a simple robot; an expansion pack with extra features like camera and motion sensors; and software to build your own robot from scratch. The last option is meant for people who know enough about the technology to create their own modules with 3D printing and laser cutting.

You could compare it to building with Lego The starter kit and expansion pack come with cardboard exteriors to give the construction the appearance of a traditional robot or an owl, but users can easily change its looks by creating their own exteriors from paper or fabric. Saldien says putting the robot together is simple: “You could compare it to building with Lego.”

Programming the robot to speak or raise its eyebrows, for example, is also relatively easy thanks to the apps provided on the website.

Before you put all the pieces together, you can first create the robot in an online simulator.

© Courtesy Opsoro

The DIY kits comes with everything needed to build a simple robot, even for the less technically inclined

Saldien says they’ve tried to keep the prices low to reach as many people as possible. The starter kit costs €298, while the expansion pack is an additional €188. The basic kit for DIY users is only €68.

For a limited time, the website lets you try out the programming apps for free. “We work according to the open source model, meaning we invite all platform users to add features that can inspire others,” Saldien says. “We hope to establish a global network.”

The website also includes forums where users can exchange their experiences, making it easier to create robots for different targets groups, like children or professionals, explains Saldien.

The platform already includes instructions on how to build the social robot Ono, intended for communicating with children. Ono is being developed by UGent researcher Cesar Vandevelde.

According to Saldien, the social robot technology can be very useful in the education sector. “It can help young people develop technical skills in playful and creative ways,” he says. “Robotics and artificial intelligence will become increasingly important in the future, so it’s also essential to provide youngsters with the necessary skills and show them the possible applications in a positive way.”

By giving young people access to a platform

where they can experiment with the technology, Saldien hopes they will discover the robots’ practical applications and not see them as complicated consumer products that can only be developed by large corporations. “The social robots’ ability to communicate with us also makes the technology seem more ‘human’,” he adds.

The use of social robots has already been tested in therapy setting. The robots can, for example, help psychologists teach autistic children about emotions and social skills, such as greetings and facial expressions, or aid speech therapists in stimulating language development.

“Through our platform, therapists can share experiences with colleagues to spread information about how useful social robots can be,” says Saldien.

The robots, he continues, can also reduce the workload among hospital staff by responding to patients’ basic questions, like telling them what’s on the menu. “Companies have also shown interest. They could use social robots as receptionists, for example.”

Opsoro’s aim now is to create a start-up to manage the platform and begin production.

The team was planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign, but it’s been put on hold. Saldien: “Right now we’re focusing on expanding the community and matching the kits to people’s needs through workshops and other initiatives.”

ONCOPUNT.PXL.BE

Former head nurse Joachim Gregoor has created an online portal to help oncology home care nurses keep up to date with fast-changing regulations and guidelines

How does the portal work?

Professionals can log on to the website and find educational videos about treating cancer patients. For example, we have videos that focus

Scientists at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) have come up with a method that enables “soft robots” – robots made of flexible and soft materials – to completely heal themselves from damage. Soft robots can be used in countless applications, such as to grasp delicate objects in the food industry or in minimally invasive surgery. They also play an important role in rehabilitation and arm prostheses.

However, the soft materials are susceptible to damage caused by sharp objects or excessive pressure. The VUB researchers constructed robots from flexible, rubbery polymers. When damaged, these materials first recover their original shape and then heal completely.

Breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research

Q&A What is Oncopunt and who is it intended for?

Oncopunt is an educational portal for healthcare professionals who provide care to cancer patients in their homes. Its aim is to be an easy and attractive online tool that helps the nurses keep their highly technical skills up to date.

VUB develops selfhealing robots

on the skills required for using intravenous access ports to give treatments or take blood. Users also have a filter to narrow down the results and find exactly what they are looking for.

Where does the information come from?

The information we use on the portal resulted from a collaboration with Wit-Gele Kruis, a Limburg company that oversees nursing care in Flanders. We used their educational approach and

adapted the content for our audience. There are videos on starting and ending chemotherapy treatment at home and drip feeding.

Was there a particular need for this kind of tool in oncology?

I started off as a head nurse in the oncology ward of a large hospital. The healthcare workers there were working in an environment that was rapidly changing. The specific nursing skills would always adapt to the latest national and international guidelines.

That’s not possible in the homecare environment. Home care nurses help a wide range of patients and aren’t always able to keep up with the changing guidelines. The Oncopunt portal helps them keep their specific skills up to date. \ Interview by Mari Eccles

Researchers from Flemish life sciences research institute VIB have identified a crucial mechanism responsible for navigational skills and spatial memory in the brain.

The researchers used an innovative cellular imaging technique on mice, with which they could monitor the activity of hundreds of thousands of neurons simultaneously to map out their patterns of activity. They discovered that a cellular mechanism that affects the hippocampus – the region responsible for navigation and memory – can assist spatial orientation in case of damage to the retrosplenial cortex that connects the hippocampus to the visual cortex and other parts of the brain. The results of the study may help patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Freshly cut grass helps wheat crops Bio-engineers at Ghent University have managed to protect wheat and rice against diseases by exposing them to substances that smell like freshly cut grass. The mownlawn smell that most people find pleasant is actually the grass releasing compounds that communicate to other plants in the area that it is under attack. It is a warning to other plants that it has suffered tissue damage due to fungi, insects or another stressor – such as a lawn mower. The new research shows that the compounds, called green leaf volatiles, increase the resistance of those nearby plants.

The researchers applied the substances to wheat and rice and noticed a greater resistance to a number of diseases and fungi.

\7

Soon back to school!

RELOADING YOUR SCHOOL SUBSCRIPTION AT HOME ON GOEASY.STIB-MIVB.BE, THAT’S EASY! 18 YEARS OR OLDER? FIRST SEND US YOUR CERTIFICATE VIA SCHOOL.STIB-MIVB.BE

\ EDUCATION

AUGUST 23, 2017

The perfect fit

week in education Call for better conditions for principals

Ghent start-up brings matchmaking into the lab Leo Cendrowicz Follow Leo on Twitter \ @LeoCendro

ACADEMICLABS.CO

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atchmaking is usually used to describe finding the perfect fit for two potential romantic partners, but Arne Smolders is taking the idea into the research field. The Ghent University biologist is turning his start-up, AcademicLabs, into an online matchmaking platform for research teams.

“I’ve seen how research can be improved a lot when people collaborate,” says Smolders. “With this platform, we want to make it as easy as possible to find the right partners.”

The eventual aim is to turn AcademicLabs into a LinkedIn-like platform for research teams.

Smolders was so keen to set it up that he quit his four-year PhD track at Ghent University to create the start-up in November 2015 as an online community of academic research groups, sharing their expertise, services and technologies to attract partners from academia, industry and government agencies.

He describes it as “a scientific sharing economy made more accessible for everyone”. It helps research teams that want to share their expertise and assets, allowing companies and researchers to find suitable partners in a systematic manner.

This can address the problem of the research community’s huge wealth of underused knowledge, state-of-the-art technologies and infrastructure. “Research and innovation will be faster, more qualitative, cheaper and less risky.

Solutions to society’s problems will see the light faster and more quickly,” he says.

Arne Smolders abanoned his PhD research to start AcademicLabs – which helps PhD researchers

Backed by investment from CMAST, a life sciences business consultancy based in Temse, East Flanders, AcademicLabs will debut its new

4,000 chemistry teams in the EU will be accessible.

Smolders expects most of the matchmaking will take place in life sciences and chemistry, where collaboration between laboratories and other facilities are most frequent and necessary. He has done his own research into aging biology in roundworms, and was struck by how much working with fellow academics could help spur better ideas.

“If you can find a synergy, you can get very interesting results,” he says. “So, I thought, why not set up a website to simplify it?”

He’s been heartened by the response so far. “Our mission of democratising access to scientific expertise is welcomed by everyone we meet.

The current barriers are clear to everyone in this

If you can find a synergy, you can get very interesting results beta platform service in September to help SMEs and researchers find the right partner or facility quickly and efficiently.

It facilitated an impressive 20 matches with a database of 90 professors when it collected funding from 14 business angels during the prototype launch last year. By late September, over 90% of Benelux research teams and the top

area, and nearly every expert we talk to, be they a university leader or corporate partner scouting director, is convinced of our concept and approach.”

That’s why corporate investors were not so difficult to convice, he says. “We are very ambitious: Our goal is to be the world’s go-to research matchmaker within three years.”

Toy store opens up science and tech to kids of all ages After a successful test run, toy store chain DreamLand is launching a section devoted to toys focusing on science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem), in the hope of encouraging children’s interest in science.

DreamLand has already tested the concept of having separate sections for Stem toys in five of its shops. In the other branches, the Stem toys carried a special logo.

“The evaluation of the test was positive and we will implement this concept in all DreamLand shops in September,” the company said in its annual report.

All 45 branches will now have separate Stem sections. They will feature classic toys such as Lego sets and board games with a scientific dimension, as well as kits to make robots, a

package to construct a lighting system and dolls to carry out scientific activities.

“Children these days come into contact with technology from an increasingly younger age and there is a large demand on the labour market for Stem skills,” said Silja Decock, spokesperson for DreamLand’s parent company, Colruyt Group. “We are trying to respond to this trend.”

The company is taking a gender-neutral approach to its scientific toys. “There are no specific indications for boys and girls, because we want to raise the interest of all children in science,” Decock said.

The initiative is in line with the Flemish government’s ambition to promote Stem subjects among children. In 2012, the government launched an action plan, set to run until 2020, to

enthuse youngsters through a variety of events and activities about studies in one of the Stem disciplines. \ Andy Furniere

Online portfolio lets students showcase extra-curricular achievements An online tool lets students at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) show potential employers the experience and knowledge they’ve gained through extra-curricular activities.

The I-Portfolio, short for Identity Portfolio, is an online folder in which students can collect all the extra-curricular activities they’ve participated in at university. They can use it to improve their chances on the labour market by proving that they helped foreign students or wrote for the university’s newspaper, for example.

When they graduate, the students receive an official certificate, along with their degree. This certificate gives potential employers an idea of the skills the students developed outside the lecture theatre.

“We want to reward students for the work and time they invest in the university apart from their studies, and also to emphasise the importance of engagement,” project leader Lieze Steensels told the university’s Campuskrant newspaper. “Being involved in education policy as student representative, coaching a sports team or

helping vulnerable fellow students provides practical experience that can be very useful in later life.”

Students can indicate online the activities they participated in and which competences they gained.

They can select from a list of 15 competences, for example collaborating or leading.

The organisers of the activities confirm that the student was present and can give personal feedback. To safeguard the quality of the tool, students have to prove a minimum participation for each activity, for example participation

in half of the meetings for an initiative.

Students can also find on the website an overview of the extracurricular activities available, currently including 66 initiatives. Activities are mainly on the campus in Leuven but will be expanded to include more activities at other sites. “We also plan to expand the number of activities for students whose first language isn’t Dutch,” said Steensels.

Since the launch in May, more than 1,000 students have registered to use I-Portfolio. \ AF

The heads of two of Flanders’ education networks want to improve job conditions for school principals, to make the position more appealing and reduce the turnover across Flanders and Brussels. Lieven Boeve, head of the Catholic education network (VSKO), and Raymonda Verdyck, managing director of the community education network GO!, have called for the introduction of a mandate system, under which principals would be appointed for a fixed period of time, saying this would improve job conditions for principals and adjunct principals. Boeve and Verdyck also called for better remuneration and assistance, so that heads can focus on their core educational responsibilities, like coaching teachers, instead of administrative and technical matters, like fixing leaky pipes.

Record number of students study abroad A record number of students enrolled in higher education in Flanders studied abroad through the Erasmus exchange programme during the 201617 academic year. Nearly 5,650 students studied at a foreign university or college via Erasmus during the last academic year, an increase of 5.6% compared to the previous year. The number of students taking part in the programme increases almost every year and has reached the highest level since it started some 30 years ago. The figures, however, show that students studying using financial aid, who are allowed to keep their grant during their Erasmus and can also receive a higher Erasmus grant, are underrepresented, at only about 16%.

Extra support for Stem subjects Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits is providing extra support for science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) in the technical (TSO) and professional (BSO) streams in secondary education. General education (ASO) streams currently attract more students for Stem studies, meaning the TSO and BSO streams have lost a number of students who would do well in their stream. To boost Stem education in TSO and BSO, schools will be encouraged to collaborate more intensively with companies. This will help teachers keep up to date with developments in the energy sector, for example, making it easier for them to inspire their students in related studies.

\9

\ LIVING

week in activities Passe-Vite Festival This outdoor urban festival is built around a pop-up campground and kitchen, with live music, traditional games, circus workshops, kids’ activities, food and more. Bring your own tent and join the campfire in the evening (with reservation, €10). 25-27 August, Desguinlei 86B, Antwerp; free \ vzwzomaar.com/passe-vite

Brussels Games Festival If you love board games, you won’t want to miss this huge outdoor event, with hundreds of free games to play, plus demonstrations, game publishers, tournaments, clubs, entertainment and more. The theme this year is “Games and Diversity”. 26-27 August 10.00-18.00, Jubelpark, Brussels; free \ brusselsgamesfestival.be

Kids’ Day It’s a last hurrah before going back to school. Children aged two to 12 are welcome to join in this free event just for kids, with games, sports activities, craft workshops, face-painting, entertainment, and a bouncy castle.

27 August 11.00-18.00, Jubelpark (near the fountain); free \ tinyurl.com/ jubelpark-kids-day

Car-Free Sunday This Sunday, automobiles are banned inside Leuven’s ring road, so that pedestrians, bikes and other nonmotorised vehicles rule the day. The streets will be filled with stages for music and dance, antique markets, a second-hand bike sale, games, a food truck festival and more. 27 August, Leuven city centre; free \ leuven.be/autovrijezondag

Party at Villa Empain The swimming pool and garden of this Art Deco mansion, which now houses a non-profit dedicated to the art and cultures of East and West, is the setting for a summer party with music, food and refreshments. Top international DJs will set the mood. 27 August 11.0021.00, 67 Franklin Rooseveltlaan, Brussels; free \ villaempain.com

\ 10

National dress

Concept store takeover flies the flag for local design Catherine Kosters More articles by Catherine \ flanderstoday.eu

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his autumn, four original Belgian labels will invade concept store Juttu’s pop-up spaces in Antwerp, Bruges and Roeselare. The annual takeover is part of #ikkoopbelgisch (I Buy Belgian), a campaign encouraging consumers to discover local brands and show some national pride.

It’s an initiative by Flanders District of Creativity (DC), an independent non-profit that links the government agency Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship with the creative industries, from design and fashion to architecture and the performing arts.

Previously, Flanders Fashion Institute (FFI) – a daughter organisation of Flanders DC since 2009 – championed the fashion cause, while Design Flanders, part of Flanders DC since 2016, served the needs of the design sector. At the start of 2017, the three organisations officially merged under one name, with various departments.

Nathalie De Schepper, spokesperson for Flanders DC’s fashion department, recalls how the campaign began. “It started as a spontaneous movement at one FFI event several years ago. Badges boasting the Ik Koop Belgisch slogan were handed out to the crowd and people reacted with such enthusiasm that we decided to do something with it.”

Today, the eponymous website lists close to 1,000 brands for shoppers to explore, while stores can display a sticker in their windows.

Then there’s the hashtag generating social media buzz, and the yearly takeover event at Juttu.

Juttu, a sister company of outdoor equipment store AS Adventure, is

IKKOOPBELGISCH.BE

named after the Finnish word for anecdote. The chain of concept stores is all about slow fashion with a story. “We’re extremely pleased that Juttu is willing to share its pop-up space with us once a year,” says De Schepper.

“For many brands, the collaboration is a unique opportunity to be on display at a big retailer.”

The four labels that will be featured this autumn are as diverse as they are Belgian. Jasmien Witvrouwen designs earrings with witty quotes and matching charms, from “Out of my comfort zone” and a dive mask to “No more Tinder” next to a handgun.

Johny be good reinterprets the classic white shirt by means of unexpected embroideries inspired by tattoos and music. Lion of Leisure creates unisex children’s clothing with animal prints and a wild sense of humour. And Design for Pussies can be taken literally. They make eco-friendly design objects for your pet, including collars and toys.

Although Belgian fashion is known and praised across the globe, De Schepper still believes there’s a need for further action.

“When you say Belgian fashion, people immediately think of the Antwerp Six and other big names,” she says. “The average person doesn’t associate themselves with these highbrow designers and may not be able to afford their clothes.

That’s why we want to draw attention to a plethora of smaller labels, many of which you probably didn’t know were Belgian.”

14 September to 22 November at Juttu stores in Antwerp, Bruges and Roeselare

© Photos: Courtesy Flanders DC

From funky earrings to cat sanctuaries, practically anything can be had from a local designer

BITE

BXLBEERFEST.COM

Brussels’ first international beer festival celebrates brews from around the world Belgium has a beer culture that’s recognised across the world, but - despite being the capital of that culture - Brussels has never had an international beer festival of its own. Until now.

The BxlBeerFest will take place at Tour & Taxis, featuring upwards of 50 breweries, the majority of them from outside Belgium.

“We have the Belgian Beer Weekend on the Grote Markt, but it’s not the same thing,” explains Kevin Desmet, one of the organisers.

“That’s wholly for Belgian beer – the big industrial brewers and the big family brewers. We’re focusing on smaller, independent breweries from Belgium and outside Belgium.

We have about 50 breweries, and only about 21 from Belgium. The others are from outside Belgium – about six from the USA, four from

© Courtesy ’t Verzet/BxlBeerFest

Canada, the rest are from Spain, Italy and so on.”

The idea came from a meeting of four beer enthusiasts at the opening almost two years ago of the Brewdog pub opposite Brussels Central station – a pub created to

sell the beers of a Scottish brewery.

“We were sitting there and decided we should really do something,” says Desmet. “Every other major city has its own international beer festival except Brussels, despite it being known for its beer.”

As well as Desmet, who blogs as the Belgian Beer Geek, the four were Jean Hummler, owner of the Moeder Lambic beer temples in Sint-Gillis and central Brussels; Olivier Desmet of the beer restaurant Nuetnigenoeg in central Brussels; and fellow blogger Vincent Callut of the webzine Happy Beer Time and the website MeetMyBeers.com.

Fifty breweries are now involved,

26-27 August

serving 200 beers. They include familiar Belgian names like Cantillon, Brasserie de la Senne and Brouwerij ’t Verzet (pictured), as well as Ocelot and Melvin (US), Dunham from Canada, Lambrate and Hilltop from Italy, and Anspach & Hobday from the UK. “We’ll have food as well. There’s an onsite restaurant managed by Dirk Myny from Les Brigittines in Brussels, where you can have a full menu at a table in the festival but a bit removed at the same time.

Outside we’ll have a range of food trucks offering specialities. Not the usual fricandelles, hamburgers and frieten. It will be a bit better than that.” \ Alan Hope

Tour & Taxis

Havenlaan, Brussels

AUGUST 23, 2017

Under the surface

National fishing museum at the coast gets personal with the fishermen Ian Mundell follow Ian on Twitter \ @IanMundell

NAVIGOMUSEUM.BE

H

ats, knives and a towel might seem unlikely exhibits for a museum about sea fishing, yet this is what Flemish fishermen themselves suggested when asked what should represent their lives and their work. The results are presented in Onze Vissers (Our Fishermen), the new exhibition at Navigo, the national fisheries museum in Oostduinkerke, part of Koksijde, on the Flemish coast.

“This year we wanted to go back to our roots and take a close look at fisheries and fishermen,” explains Ineke Steevens, director of the museum and curator of the exhibition. “And because we are a museum that likes our audience to participate, we came up with the idea of asking the fishermen themselves what objects would have to be included in an exhibition about them.”

Having asked the question, she was surprised when so many fishermen presented their pocket knives. Known as a piekenoas, a dialect word for the ace of spades logo of the most popular brand, these knives are used to clean fish on board and for other routine tasks. Yet they also feature in dramatic tales, for example where a fishermen had to cut through trapped overalls in order to avoid drowning.

“Each knife was presented like a little precious diamond: ‘Here you go, will you be careful with it, can I have it back’,” she recalls. “So I knew I had to do something with these knives.”

Each knife is labelled with the name of its owner, and many show signs of hard use. The handles are cracked and worn, and some of the blades have been sharpened so often that their shape has changed completely.

The hats on display, from caps and woolly hats to sou’westers, are also the genuine article, collected from families and paired with

Behind each fisherman’s hat is a story and a name

pictures that show them in use.

Another fisherman presented his entire work outfit, carefully preserved in sheets of paper since his retirement.

like.”

She saw them as tough men, covered in tattoos, hardworking on board and never sick. “Now I’ve got to know them better, they are

They are lovely, very sensitive, almost romantic people The process of collecting these personal items and talking to the fishermen changed Steevens’ view of the community. “Even though I’m the director of a fisheries museum, there’s a certain distance,” she says. “I’m not from a fishing family, and I had a particular idea of what fishermen were

not how I imagined them. They are lovely, very sensitive, almost romantic people.”

The most personal item on display is not quite so romantic: it’s the towel used by a fisherman for purposes of sexual relief during his long weeks at sea. This exhibit (neatly folded under glass, in a

tin box) is accompanied by a text in Dutch in which the fisherman explains himself.

“He always uses the same towel, because you should be loyal to your towel,” Steevens says, translating. “He has this whole theory about it, and it’s very funny. He’s a really good writer.”

The serious side to this exhibit is that work at sea often involves only the briefest opportunities to rest, and rituals that help you fall asleep are very important. “You work non-stop, so if you’re not a good sleeper you have a problem.”

Other personal items on show include letters, log books and diaries, scarves, wallets and

Until 7 January

pictures. Particularly touching are the aanmonstering books, a kind of passport fisherman needed to ship out, each with a picture but also details of height, eye colour, complexion, scars and tattoos.

The exhibition also includes items from the museum’s collection and a selection of images from the book Onze Vissers, published last year. “We collected a lot of photographs, some from private collections, that had not yet been exhibited, and I wanted to do something with them as well,” Steevens explains.

Some come from fishermen and their families, while others represent discoveries in the archives.

François Donny, for example, was an entrepreneur and chemist from Ghent who designed a mobile studio, which he took up and down the coast in the second half of the 19th century.

His images of fishing boats on the beach waiting for the tide are eerily atmospheric.

Steevens and her colleagues also unearthed photographs taken around Heist by Frank Lateur, an amateur photographer better known by his pseudonym as a writer: Stijn Streuvels. These discoveries are complemented by the work of more famous photographers, such as Maurice Antony of Ostend and the contemporary Stephan Vanfleteren.

As well as changing Steevens’ ideas about fishermen, the process of curating this exhibition also made her think about the museum’s future. “It’s been said since the 1960s that fisheries are disappearing, but now they really are,” she says. “The fishermen who are left are getting older, so we have to focus on oral history and collect their stories, otherwise it will be too late.”

Navigo

Pastoor Schmitzstraat 5, Oostduinkerke

Online platform helps second-hand books find new home Too much is never enough. Or is it?

Even in the age of swiping and scrolling, staggering numbers of mass-produced books are left craving a second, third or umpteenth life.

The recently launched Books in Belgium platform helps them find new readers.

“I started reading a lot of books when I was a teenager,” says the online bookshop’s co-founder Dieter Byttebier. “At university, I realised that I would never live long enough to read them all. So, I sold part of my collection at a book market. One thing led to another, and I became a book seller on the side.”

Byttebier had the books and wanted to sell them, but he lacked a platform that combined all the perks of a physical shop – “great service in a buyer-friendly environment” – with the

benefits of an online shop that is always accessible and has a virtually limitless supply.

So earlier this year, he gathered a small team and started Books in Belgium. “We want to make it as easy as possible to buy and sell books,” he says. “We eliminate a lot of the hassle on both sides.”

On Books in Belgium, sellers can print a packing label and access a very large database.

“Such services help you save a lot of time and limit the administrative load.”

The bookshop caters to both professional second-hand dealers and readers looking to lighten their own bookshelves. Putting the books up for sale is free, and you receive 91% of the price you get.

There are nearly 100,000 books currently on

© Courtesy Start it @kbc

Dieter Byttebier (right) with co-founder Michael van den Reym

the site, in multiple languages. Though a large majority are in Dutch, there are more than 10,000 each in English and French.

One of the rarer finds currently for sale are 69 of the 70 volumes that comprise the complete

BOOKSINBELGIUM.BE

works of French philosopher Voltaire, published in 1785. That will set you back €3,000.

At the other end of the scale are recent books by popular Flemish authors like Tom Lanoye and Dimitri Verhulst that can be bought for €2, plus shipping. We found a Finnegan’s Wake and a volume from The Dark Tower series for €5.

“We want to spread the charm of paper books to as many people as possible by offering an extensive and diverse range,” says Byttebier. “Some people switch to electronic books because they cannot find a paper version, but research shows that if the price is right, most people prefer good old paper.” \ Bjorn Gabriels

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\ ARTS

AUGUST 23, 2017

The art of the people

week in arts & CULTURE

Dhondt-Dhaenens Museum raises funds to stay ahead of its time Bjorn Gabriels More articles by Bjorn \ flanderstoday.eu

MUSEUMDD.BE

The Dhondt-Dhaenens Museum in rural East Flanders was founded by lovers of Flemish modernist painters, but that hasn’t stopped it from exhibiting experimental work. Next month is its annual garden party and auction to raise funds for an expansion.

A

fter a long career as an entrepreneur who started off selling potatoes, Jules Dhondt wanted to create a public forum where he and his wife, Irma Dhaenens, could display the art they had accumulated since the 1920s.

Dhondt was born in 1889, when French was still the dominant language in Belgium. As a patron of the Flemish Movement that argued for the region’s greater autonomy, he strongly believed that art could “culturally uplift” the Flemish people.

“My wellbeing is due in part to the people of Flanders,” he once said, “so I have to give a part of it back to them.”

In the 1960s, matters related to culture officially came under Flanders’ jurisdiction, but none of the larger cities like Ghent or Antwerp could boast a contemporary art museum of their own.

Dhondt, however, asked the young architect Erik Van Biervliet to design a museum on a plot of land by the Leie river in rural Deurle, now part of Sint-MartensLatem, near Ghent.

The Dhondt-Dhaenens Museum was Van Biervliet’s first major commission. Inaugurated in 1968, the modest brick building, painted white, stretched out on an extensive grassy field, with windows letting in plenty of natural light.

Dhondt didn’t get to enjoy it for long. He died less than a year later, leaving the management of the museum in the hands of his wife, who passed away four years later.

For decades, the couple had collected mainly Flemish artists, with a preference for painters from the School of Latem. Those included Valerius De Saedeleer and Gustave van de Woestyne, who established an art colony in Sint-Martens-Latem in the early 1900s.

Escaping the hustle and bustle of city life, these artists were looking for mystic modernism informed by the art of the Flemish Masters. In tune with the tranquil environment of the museum, they painted peaceful landscapes around the Leie.

In later years, artists Constant Permeke and Frits Van den Berghe, among others, came to the village, bringing their own

Flemish series nominated for Seoul Drama Awards

The VRT television series Zie mij graag (Love Me) has received two nominations in the Seoul International Drama Awards, one of the most celebrated TV awards in the world.

The 13-episode tragicomedy, which aired in Flanders earlier this year, has been nominated for Best Miniseries and Best Director. Cecilia Verheyden and Toon Slembrouck directed the series, which tells the story of 30-something Anna, who leaves her husband after his umpteenth affair, this time with a teacher from their kids’ school. The prizes are awarded in a ceremony in Seoul, South Korea, on 7 September. \ een.be/een/zie-mij-graag

Cherkaoui named Choreographer of the Year

© Kristien Daem

The museum, designed by young architect Erik Van Biervliet, has changed little since the 1960s

interpretation of Flemish expressionism. Dhondt and Dhaenens’s collection of Flemish modernists soon grew to also include the likes of James Ensor and Edgard Tytgat.

In the build-up to the museum’s opening, contemporary artists joined the mix as well, including abstract painter Jozef Mees, who helped select the collection, and Pol Mara. In recent years, the museum has also added works by Joëlle Tuerlinckx, Koen Theys and Raoul De Keyser.

Initially, the collection focused on Flemish modernist and contemporary art, with a handful of international work added later.

Today, the museum doesn’t shy away from displaying these pieces alongside more experimental ones, as evidenced in the latest exhibition, Walther Vanbeselaere: Verzamelaar voor de staat 19481973 (Walther Vanbeselaere: Collector for the State 1948-1973).

In collaboration with the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), currently closed for major renovations, the exhibition features works curated by Vanbeselaere, who was KMSKA’s head curator between the years in the title and greatly influenced the collections of other museums as well.

Paintings by James Ensor, Léon Spilliaert, Edgard Tytgat, Jean Brusselmans and Rik Wouters – artists beloved by Dhondt and his wife – sit alongside international artists of the time, including Edgar Degas and Ben Nicholson.

In recent years, the DhondtDhaenens has shown no intention of slowing down on featuring

experimental 21st-century art. In 2002, Spanish artist Alicia Framis installed the “Bloodsushibank”, a sushi bar paired with a blood bank (complete with a nurse), where visitors received a piece of sushi if they donated blood.

A few years later, her compatriot Santiago Sierra temporarily removed all of the museum’s windows, to show what would happen if the building was exposed to the elements. More recently, visitors to the exhibition by Scottish artist Karla Black

received an envelope with a piece of toilet paper.

Besides challenging its visitors with exhibitions that break the traditional mould, the museum is also exploring the fine line between public and private interests. At its heart, Dhondt-Dhaenens serves to preserve the works of some of the most important Flemish artists from the 20th century, but it also regularly provides space for private collectors and residency for contemporary artists.

Summer garden party In recent years, the DhondtDhaenens Museum has grown, with the addition of a garden pavilion designed by Dutch artist Joep van Lieshout. It now plans to renovate and expand its main building, mostly left untouched since it was built in the 1960s.

A new wing will be added to accommodate the permanent collection, doubling the overall exhibition space. To raise the necessary funds, the museum has been organising annual auctions with the help of Christie’s auction house and, more recently, the online auction platform Paddle8. The 11th edition opened on Monday and closes with a fundraising garden party on 2 September.

The auctioned works were donated to the museum by artists, galleries and collectors. In addition to the veteran abstract painters Jack Whitten, Kees Visser and Jerry Zeniuk, there are many young talents, including

Antwerp-based French video and multimedia artist Laure Prouvost, who won the Turner Prize in 2013.

Also up for auction is a three-day trip to Oslo and its museums, under the expert guidance of Dhondt-Dhaenens director Joost Declercq.

Flemish choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui has been named Choreographer of the Year by the influential German dance magazine Tanz for the third time. Cherkaoui is the artistic director of Royal Ballet Flanders and the founder of his own contemporary dance company, Eastman. Tanz’s titles are decided by 42 international dance critics, who also chose Cherkaoui in 2008 and 2011. This year, he was praised for his internationally acclaimed piece Requiem, for which he collaborated with the Opera Vlaanderen choir. It’s also the second year in a row that a Flemish artist has been crowned Best Choreographer

by Tanz. Last year, the honour went to contemporary dance pioneer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. \ operaballet.be

Havenhuis nominated for Beazley Award The extension to Antwerp’s Havenhuis has been nominated for a Beazley Award in the architecture category. The Beazleys are awarded every year by The Design Museum in London, with images of this year’s 60-plus nominees in six disciplines on show at the museum starting in October. The glass extension to the port’s administrative building (pictured), designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, is up against 12 other designs. Winners will be announced next January, following the exhibition. \ tinyurl.com/beazleyaward

© Courtesy Oda Jaune and Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris/Brussels

Available at one of the museum’s auctions next month is Oda Jaune’s “Sans titre (Homme nu sur un rocher)”, 2011

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\ ARTS

Out of the ivory tower

Flemish philosopher blurs the lines between fiction and reality in debut novel Rebecca Benoot More articles by Rebecca \ flanderstoday.eu

Peter de Graeve’s first venture into the world of fiction is a tale of discovery that serves as an intriguing introduction to Western philosophy.

P

hilosopher Peter de Graeve is aiming to convey the necessity of philosophy in an age where doubt prevails.

His debut novel, De Afvalligen (The Apostles), is about a man treading the fine line between fact and fiction, while trying to find answers in these difficult times.

Although de Graeve has written many philosophical pieces, De Afvalligen is his first endeavour in the world of fiction. “The origins of literature can be found in philosophy,” he explains. “I’m fascinated by the philosophy of Ancient Greece, something I draw on in this novel by referring to Heraclitus.”

Many pre-Socratic philosophers, he continues, blurred the lines between literature and philosophy. “Plato too wrote in a very literary style – his text Symposium could be considered one of the first Western novels, complete with a plot and characters, and mixing elements of fiction and reality. Other philosophers like Thomas More, Erasmus, Sartre and Camus also wrote fiction.”

After his studies in Ghent, de Graeve worked at the Sorbonne in Paris and at the University of Turin, with noted fellow philosophers Sarah Kofman and Gianni Vattimo. He believes philosophy isn’t just an academic subject but a field vital to mankind, one that should thrive and evolve, not just be written about. With De Afvalligen, he’s taken the approach to heart.

“Philosophy is a way to think

© Koen Broos

Philosophy should become a part of everyday life, argues the narrator of Peter de Graeve’s first novel

creatively about the world and mankind,” he says. “Nowadays, we end up focusing on the banality of everyday life without looking at the richness of the past. By

writing something on the border of fiction and reality was always there, but I wasn’t sure if it would be an essay, non-fiction or a novel with elements of philosophy.”

Philosophy is a way to think creatively about the world and mankind combining the two, we could end up with a multitude of answers.”

His first novel took some time to develop. “I had written many versions,” he says. “The idea of

He waited until the very end.

“When I got together with my publisher in the final stage, we decided to turn it into a novel,” he says. “If you succeed, you can

pull the readers into the world of the main character.” And he did, while also managing to provide his readers with an overview of some of the most important Western philosophers.

The main character in De Afvalligen is a philosopher examining the correlation between Rousseau, whose works are more autobiographical, and Kant, who explores the universe in its entirety. Despite his research and findings, his work isn’t considered academic enough by his dean, who disagrees with his idea that philosophy should step out of academia and become part of everyday life.

The narrator is in many ways the

spitting image of de Graeve, who invented him as a playful tease towards his readers. “Nietzsche is the perfect example of combining fiction and autobiographical facts,” he says. “In philosophy, however, the author’s life is used to mirror life in its broadest sense.

In fiction and in philosophy, the lines are blurred and it is up to you to make your own personal truth.”

The story is rich in these elements.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who frequently appears in the novel, used to describe philosophy with autobiographical texts. The main character also spends a lot of the time talking to Plato, with some of the dialogues taken directly from the Greek philosopher’s work.

“The narrator uses Plato as a character, in just the same way that Plato used his teacher Socrates,” de Graeve says. The result is that long-gone philosophers become vibrant characters in their own right, adding a lively and contemporary twist to an otherwise dense subject matter.

Sophie’s World, a 1991 novel by Norwegian writer Jostein Gaarder, attempted to make the world of philosophy accessible to a general audience by providing a clever overview of the entire history of philosophy.

De Graeve, in turn, tries to lift philosophical fiction to the next level by focusing on the very act of philosophising, causing you to question what is real and what is not. De Afvalligen is a rich, multilayered and erudite novel. The plot may be somewhat diluted, but it’s compensated by the intriguing introduction to Western philosophy. ) De Afvalligen ( published in Dutch by Polis

is

More new books this month Het Brussel syndroom (The Brussels Syndrome) • Marc Buelens and Raf Vermeiren (Houtekiet) Former professor Marc Buelens has published his first thriller with the help of his brother-in-law Raf Vermeiren, a political advisor turned author. A famous European journalist, a British negotiator and the new European president are forced to work together when six EU commissioners are kidnapped. All the players have hidden agendas, especially when the kidnappers prove to be master manipulators. Farfetched and poorly written at best.

Happening • Johan Swinnen (Vrijdag) Academic, photographer and art critic Johan Swinnen has written a novel about the attack on the Innovation department store in Brussels on 22 May 1967. Three

\ 14

bombs cause a massive fire in which 13-yearold Hervé loses his parents. He soon crosses paths with Delphine, a member of the Brussels commune Ché, and the encounter changes his life forever. Happening is an interesting historical novel about a group of Belgian youths who protest against the Vietnam War using radical means.

Achter onze schermen (Behind our Screens) • Thomas Smolders (Polis) Blogger Thomas Smolders, who has written for numerous newspapers, has turned his love for social media into his profession.

While politicians claim that we’ll be replaced by robots one day, there are still people who barely know how to use a computer. Smolders explores the discrepancies in the digital age and the potential fate of a world that’s evolving in opposite

directions. His stories and findings about our digital future and those who will inhabit it are refreshing, thought-provoking and enlightening.

Tante Teefje • Ruth Verstraeten and Eva Mouton (Davidsfonds) Ruth Verstraeten, an arts and crafts teacher, and Eva Mouton, an illustrator best known for her weekly column in De Standaard, joined forces for their first children’s book.

Tante Teefje tells the story of Klaas and his horrible aunt. The aunt seems perfectly nice until she’s all alone with her nephew, at which point she turns into a spiteful old woman. An engaging protagonist, Klaas is able to strike back (with a little help from his aunt’s beloved pills), making this unusual story an original and visually stunning children’s book.

\ AGENDA

AUGUST 23, 2017

From humble beginnings

VISUAL ARTS

Jospop 25-26 August

Antwerp Abba...Zappa: Work by Dutch photographer Gijsbert Hanekroot, who made his career shooting rock and pop icons in the 1960s and 1970s, including David Bowie, Lou Reed and Frank Zappa. Until 15 October, Doka Antwerpen, Lange Koepoortstraat 17

Wijngaardstraat 100, Schepdaal jospop.com

Only in Flanders would this be a tradition: Youth clubs organising their own summer music festivals. Some of them have even evolved into major events, like Suikerrock in Tienen, which saw more than 100,000 revellers this year. Others have remained simple and provincial.

But Jospop in the lush Schepdaal – part of Dilbeek, just a stone’s throw from the centre of Brussels – falls into neither category. Having started in 1992 with 1,400 in a parking lot of a local sports hall, Jospop has grown into an anticipated event, with more than 11,000 ticketholders.

Because of a sudden relocation last year, the two-day festival had to return to its roots, offering just one night in a tent in which little more than 1,700 could fit. But to celebrate its 25th

edition, the festival is now preparing for two days and a crowd of more than 10,000 again.

Kicking off this Friday, Jospop offers a campsite and an enviable line-up of names. One of the highlights is Kortrijk’s SX, the electronic indie pop band whose captivating hit “Black Video” from 2011 catapulted them to stages around the globe.

Freaky Age (pictured), the rock band from Ternat that made headlines in 2006 when they were thrown into the national and international rock circuits at 14, have withstood the test of time and are another band to look out for.

Jospop isn’t the only one celebrating a jubilee.

K’s Choice, the legendary brother-and-sister duo of Bert and Sara Bettens, also turn 25 this year. The band headlines the festival with a

\ doka-antwerpen.be

FAMILY Brussels

greatest hits session.

TLP aka Troubleman, known from his soulful sessions at Ghent’s Charlatan, will then take over the decks and finish off the festival with an afterparty. \ Daan Bauwens

The Park to Be: Free activities for all ages, including creative workshops, yoga, horseback riding, conversation tables, bubble football and petanque, and featuring standholders from various organisations, including craftspeople and sports clubs. Until 27 August, Josaphatpark \ theparkto.be

CLASSICAL

FESTIVAL

Lekker Klassiek

Fiesta Latina

26 August, 15.30-midnight Antwerp’s new concept festival Lekker Klassiek combines cuisine and classical music in a spectacular setting. The sound is served up on two open-air stages by several ensembles hand-selected by music curator – and headliner – Jef Neve.

Expect numbers from the worldrenowned Ghent-based composer/ pianist’s new album Spirit Control,

De Schorre, Boom lekkerklassiek.be

inspired by a trip to Italy. In addition to the concerts, no less than 11 of the region’s top chefs are showcasing their signature dishes in the festival’s food village. Among them are Roger van Damme of Antwerp Michelin-starred lunch lounge Het Gebaar and Bruges “shockolatier” Dominique Persoone. \ Georgio Valentino

From left: Dominique Persoone, Jef Neve and Roger van Damme

25-27 August

FOOD&DRINK

Leven in ’t park

(H)eerlijk Brugge

If it’s the last Wednesday in August, then it’s time for Destelbergen’s annual village festival. Set in the Ghent district’s stately Reinaertpark, the event boasts a massive community market and book exchange, with loads of familyfriendly entertainment in the mix.

There are dance workshops and musical theatre by the likes of Kapitein Winokio (pictured). Live music is provided by the winners of this year’s Local Heroes competition. The day-long event ends with an open-air screening of Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, during which visitors are invited to bring a blanket and stretch out.

Reinaertpark, Destelbergen destelbergen.be

Across Flanders Ter Kamerenbos, Brussels fiesta-latina.be

The local Central and South American communities have been showcasing their art, music and food at this massive annual weekender since 2012. Billed as “the most caliente festival in Brussels,” Fiesta Latina is three days of live music, trendy DJs, traditional dance troupes, Lucha Libre wrestlers, a mechanical bull, limbo contest, taco trucks, refreshing cocktails and – naturally – piñatas.

The festival celebrates the diversity of New World culture from the ancient empires of Mexico to the contemporary streets of Brazil. Highlights include FrancoMexican percussion band Kumbia Boruka and local rumba/fusion group Arumbo. \ GV

FAMILY 30 August, from 13.00

FILM

27 August, 11.00

Mooov wijkt af (Mooov in Neighbourhoods): Turnhout’s film festival takes to rooftops, squares and parks across the region, with openair screenings and pop-up bars. Until 2 September, across Flanders \ mooov.be

Poperinge Tricks on the Dead: Reading and screening of the docudrama Tricks on the Dead: the Story of the Chinese Labour Corps in WW1 by Canadian director Jordan Paterson, a tribute to the hundreds of thousands of Chinese labourers who were sent to the battlefields of Europe, tasked with clearing munitions and the dead. 2 September 19.00, CC Ghybe, Sint-Annastraat 13 \ flandersfields.be

MARKET Dendermonde Astridpark, Bruges heerlijkbrugge.be

The second edition of Bruges’ sustainable food festival is a tasty way to learn more about what’s on your plate. The event, organised by the Brugs Food Lab, kicks off with a morning screening of a documentary on sustainable food. For the rest of the day, local producers offer free tastings of ethically produced dishes while associations put on cooking demonstrations and talks on waste and animal rights as well as organic and urban agriculture. There are also fair trade beverages. Dinner is served at a long table, community style. \ GV

Walking Dender 2017: 10th edition of the free evening market along the Dender River, featuring fine arts objects, culinary gadgets, entertainment and an artists’ village. 25 August 19.00-00.00, Koningin Astridlaan

\ feestcomiteitdendermonde.be

EVENT

Museum Nocturnes: Catch Ostend’s final Museum Nocturnes, a summer Saturday night event, when nine museums stay open late and host activities. This Saturday you’ll find a linedance workshop at the Venetian Galleries and a guided tour of Leon Spillaert’s inspirations among the offer. 26 August, across Ostend \ tinyurl.com/museumnocturnes

\ GV © Courtesy Shak’Eat

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\ BACKPAGE

AUGUST 23, 2017

Talking Dutch

VoiceS of flanders today

To have and to handcuff Derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

In response to: Locals don’t tip restaurant staff enough, says union John Snow: This has nothing to do with locals but, when travel guides tell tourists that gratuities are included in the bills, it hurts the wait staff.

M

ost weddings are traditional affairs involving marriage vows, flowers and gold rings. But three couples who married recently in Kortrijk set out to break the mould.

Met handboeien in plaats van ringen – With handcuffs instead of rings, en leren jassen in plaats van witte jurkjes – and leather jackets instead of white dresses, according to Het Laatste Nieuws. En de ceremonie ging er iets heviger aan toe – and the ceremony was a little noisier dan in het stadhuis – than in the town hall, met dank aan de snoeiharde metalriffs – thanks to the extreme heavy metal riffs.

The couples had decided to tie the knot during the annual Alcatraz heavy metal festival in the city. And they had no problem persuading mayor Vincent Van Quickenborne to give his blessing. Want de burgemeester is een fan van het metalgenre – As the mayor is a fan of metal music.

But it wasn’t a real wedding. We zijn eigenlijk veertien jaar geleden al eens getrouwd – we actually got married 14 years ago, confessed one of the heavy metal brides. Maar dat was zo klassiek – But that was so traditional, en ook wel wat te overweldigend – and also really a bit too overwhelming om het goed te beseffen – to really appreciate it. Vandaar dat we nog eens trouwen – So we got married again.

The festival, launched 10 years ago, took its name from a notorious prison island off the coast of San Francisco. It also borrowed its decor from the prison. Alcatraz was een totaalbeleving – Alcatraz was a total experience, wrote De Morgen’s reporter. De terreinen aan Sportcampus Lange Munte – The grounds at the Lange Munte sport campus waren ingericht als een gevangenis – were designed to look like a prison waar de bewaker – where the guard je aan de ingang al begroette – met you at the entrance.

And the participants were happy to enter into the spirit

In response to: Online platform helps second-hand books find new home Natasha Sharan: Awesome news!!!

In response to: Chinese ship freed after blocking Antwerp port for 12 hours Owen Ross: Big day out!

© Courtesy Het Nieuwsblad

of things. De festivalgangers vertelden iedereen – The festival visitors told everyone dat ze “naar ’t prison” gingen – that they were “going to prison”, waar ze opgesloten zaten – where they were going to be shut up met een resem uitstekende bands – with a host of excellent bands.

The festival owes much of its success to Van Quickenborne’s support. De Kortrijkse burgemeester is een trouwe metalfan – The mayor of Kortrijk is a true metal fan, De Morgen says. Hij liep er met een petje van het loodzware Obituary op – He walks around wearing a cap with the name of the ultra heavy band Obituary, en is trots op dit festival – and is proud of this festival.

Bands don’t leave Alcatraz empty-handed. Elke groep die er kwam spelen – Every group that comes to play kreeg van de stad Kortrijk een mandje met streekproducten – gets a basket from the city of Kortrijk containing regional specialities en twee flesjes Omer-bier aangeboden – and two bottles of Omer beer.

It doesn’t sound too bad as prison sentences go.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Ianka Fleerackers @iankafleeracker Looking forward in visiting #thermaepalace again during #ostend #filmfestival

Pieter-Jan Rombouts @PJRombouts The only trip you will regret is the one you don’t take!! #hasselt

Dana @dana_nastase Twipees at dinner!!! Best #mexican food in #Belgium as approved by MK. Pity @georgaigner didn’t make it! #cucaracha #leuven @TwipeMobile

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the last word Classic rock “They’re super friendly guys. And to go to so much trouble just for me. I suppose they’re amazed that someone so old is a fan.”

Aline Van Waelderen, 86, of Balen is a huge fan of British rock band Elbow.

She received a signed CD and video message from the band, who played Pukkelpop last week

Kids’ menu “A vegan diet can be perfectly suitable for children, but you need proper information. We advise parents to get advice from professionals.” © Jolieke Mellaerts/Belga

ONE LOVE Fans at the Pukkelpop music festival in Hasselt took a moment to honour the victims of the terrorist attacks in Barcelona last week, in which a total of 15 people were killed

Ghent veggie organisation Eva responds to doctors’ concerns about children with vegan parents being malnourished

Degrees of separation “Attracting financing is our job.

Science has become a hobby.”

Ghent University economics professor Stijn Baert told Het Nieuwsblad that going after grants has become an academic’s main goal in life, to the detriment of research

Wedding planners “In Australia they’re also working on marriage equality. If that works out, we’ll travel there, too.

Who knows, we might end up at 30.”

Fleur Pierets and Julian Boom of Antwerp have tied the knot in all 24 countries where same-sex marriage is legal

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