Wab summer 2014

magazine

SUMMER 2014

Dinant celebrates

THE YEAR OF THE SAX

Plus: The Walloon companies cultivating healthy food

CONTENTS

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04 Big picture Waterloo 2015 unveiled

06 News

Headlines from across the region

08 Business

Belourthe’s cereals are big export news

10 Investment

Locus Traxx’s smart shipping comes to Europe

12 Technology

The Walloon companies who made their mark at the World Cup in Brazil

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14-17 File

WagrALIM spearheads the region’s agro-food industry

18 Home and Abroad Editor Sarah Crew Deputy editor Sally Tipper Reporters Renée Cordes, Stephanie Duval Jon Eldridge, Andy Furniere Alan Hope, Karen McHugh Senne Starckx, Georgio Valentino Art director Paul Van Dooren Managing director Hans De Loore

magazine

SUMMER 2014

AWEX/WBI and Ackroyd Publications Pascale Delcomminette – AWEX/WBI Marie-Catherine Duchêne AWEX, Place Sainctelette 2 1080 Brussels, Belgium Tel: 00.32(0)2.421.85.76 Fax: 00.32(0)2.421.83.93 email: mc.duchene@awex.be

Dinant celebrates

THE YEAR OF THE SAX

Plus: The Walloon companies cultivating healthy food

Cover Nicolas Vadot

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wallonia and brussels magazine SUMMER 2014

Foreign correspondents Rahul Venkit and Céline Fion

20 Culture

Editorial Wallonia’s heritage is grounded in its rich agricultural past. The prosperity of the region’s numerous abbeys during the Middle Ages was integral to the development of a thriving food industry. Gembloux Abbey (pictured), founded in the 10th century by the noble knight Wicbertus, evolved into a capital for cereal production, which explains the proliferation of breweries in the area. As the birthplace of farming in the newly created country of Belgium, an agricultural faculty was established in the former Benedictine abbey in the early 19th century. Today the University Faculty of Agricultural Sciences educates thousands of students from Belgium and abroad. And its scientists continue research into improving farming practice and making the industry more sustainable. Gembloux is also home to Wagralim, the Walloon Region’s agro-food competitive cluster. In this issue, we look at how the industry has become a major employer in the region and a specialist in the growing health food market.

With World Cup football dominating the headlines this summer, we tracked down the enterprising technology companies that helped deliver live action from Brazil. Also shining on the international stage were local designers at Milan’s Design Week, while on the musical front, read how the city of Dinant and the rest of the country is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Adolphe Sax. There’s no shortage of cultural events to enjoy in Wallonia and Brussels this summer.

Dinant celebrates the year of the sax

22 Tourism

30

There’s more than just pandas to Pairi Daiza

25 Design

Creative Belgians join forces in Italy

28 Panorama

Fashion designer Bernard Depoorter

30 Agenda

Summer events across the region

wallonia and brussels magazine SUMMER 2014

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big picture

L

Into battle

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wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

ess than a year before the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, plans for the new memorial have been unveiled by La Belle Alliance. The consortium of seven Belgian companies specialises in scenography: graphic design, architecture, audio visual, multimedia and exhibition creation. Designed to recreate the 1815 conflict, the centre will plunge visitors into the sound and action of the famous battle. The defeat

of Napoleon and the French army by an alliance led by the British under the Duke of Wellington ended 20 years of fighting in Europe.

The 1,500m2 space, consisting of 10 galleries, is designed to show different aspects of the combat as well as its historical context. One of the highlights is a 4D film by Oscar-winning Brussels filmmaker Gérard Corbiau projected on to a 26m panoramic screen. Work is

due to start in August and the memorial officially opens at the beginning of next June. The €6 million centre at the foot of the landmark lion’s mound south of Waterloo is expected to attract at least 300,000 visitors a year, and was commissioned by the Walloon Region’s tourism authority.  www.waterloo1815.org

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NEWS

The logistics port of Vaulx, near Tournai (Hainaut province) has been given an economic boost by the inauguration of a bimodal platform to load and unload goods transported by boat. The project is funded by the company Dufour, which currently transports 560,000 tons of goods a year and plans on doubling this amount in five years’ time. Vaulx’s logistics port on the Scheldt now has six warehouses spread over 8,000m2, a 13,000m2 handling zone, parking and a reception area. A second phase to the expansion project will create a further handling and storage zone of 18,000m2. The new port area is part of a plan to create a river highway in Wallonia, linking it to France and the rest of northern Europe, as part of the Seine-Scheldt project. Dufour has offices in Paris, Lille, Dunkirk and Tournai. Its activities also include waste disposal and wind farms.

International salute for Dardenne brothers’ latest film

Belgian businessman Jean Stéphenne, formerly chairman of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, has been awarded an honorary knighthood in the British Queen’s birthday honours list, for his services to the healthcare sector and his development of the British GSK group.

Stéphenne was previously ennobled by the Belgian king with the rank of Baron. The knighthood – in full, Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – is one of the highest honours Britain grants to non-citizens. However, Stéphenne will not be allowed to call himself Sir Jean: that form of address is permitted only to knights of British nationality. “I am honoured to receive this distinction from a personal point of view but I will take this opportunity to thank all employees of GSK as they made all this possible,” he said. “They believed in me and our mission and together we worked to contribute to health worldwide.” Stéphenne is pictured here with GlaxoSmithKline CEO Sir Andrew Witty and British ambassador to Belgium Jonathan Brenton.

Voice coach Marc Pinilla joins Mons 2015 team Marc Pinilla, frontman of the group Suarez and a coach on the hit RTBF TV show The Voice Belgique, has been signed up as musical coach for Mons 2015, European Capital of Culture.

Pinilla will give two workshops this summer to young singer-songwriters and audiovisual technicians in the city. For the year of culture itself, he will produce a show looking at the history of local song with presenter and producer Olivier Monssens. Pinilla is the fifth artist to collaborate on the year of culture: the others are Quebec theatre director Wajdi Mouawad, choreographer Frédéric Flamand, Liège fashion designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard and Mons-born poet Carl Norac. Mons 2015 kicks off on January 24.

Top culture award for Wallonia museum The Félicien Rops museum in Namur has won this year’s Museum Prize for Wallonia. It previously won the title in in 2008. The museum was praised for the way it manages to present the work of the artist from an ever-changing perspective, and for its efforts to accommodate visitors whose first language is not French. The prize for Brussels went to the Museum of the City of Brussels, housed in the Maison du Roi on the Grand’ Place. The two museums win €5,000 each. Meanwhile, the public prize for Brussels went to the Museum of Musical Instruments in Brussels, and Liège’s Musée des Beaux-Arts won the Wallonia prize. The children’s prize went to Autoworld in Brussels and L’Hôpital Notre-Dame à la Rose in Lessines, Hainaut province, which won both the main prize and the public prize in 2010.

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wallonia and brussels magazine SUMMER 2014

The new vuvuzela: made in Wallonia The World Cup in Brazil had its successor to the vuvuzela, the one-note star of the 2010 tournament in South Africa. The Diabolica is a telescopic trumpet invented by David Dos Santos and Fabio Lavalle from La Louvière in Hainaut. Small enough to fit in a pocket when dismantled and packed away, the Diabolica works by vibrating a membrane made of a secret substance. It was available in the colours of all of the nations taking part.  www.diabolica.be

A public inquiry into the planned new multimodal train and bus station in Namur has been launched. The station would extend from the Leopold roundabout to Boulevard Mélot, with trains on the lower level and buses on top, reached by a 250m ramp. The estimated cost of the project is €49 million, with €43.3 million coming from the region, €4 million from the rail authority SNCB and €1.8 million from the city. If approved, work will begin in April next year and last for three years.

© Stephane Cardinale/People Avenue/Corbis

British knighthood for former GSK executive

The Dardenne brothers, Luc and JeanPierre, narrowly missed picking up a historic third Golden Palm at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, despite their latest film being proclaimed their best. This year’s top honour went to Turkey’s Nuri Bilge Ceylan for Winter Sleep. The Dardenne brothers were presenting their latest, Deux jours, une nuit (Two Days, One Night), in which Marion Cotillard plays a working mother who persuades her workmates to give up a bonus so she can keep her job.

The social drama was the eighth film by the brothers to be set in their home town, the Liège suburb of Seraing. French Oscarwinner Cotillard was tipped early on to pick up an award for her performance, but in the end the Best Actress title went to Julianne Moore in David Cronenbergh’s Map to the Stars. Dardenne regular Fabrizio Rongione plays Cotillard’s husband Manu.

Two Days, One Night also won the prestigious Sydney Film prize in June, while two other films with Belgian connections were feted at the Cabourg Film Festival in France.

Namur director Lucas Belvaux’s Pas son genre was awarded best film, best actress for Emilie Dequenne from Hainaut and best actor (Loïc Corbery). The Cabourg jury awarded Belgian short Solo Rex best actor (Wim Willaert) and best photographer (Fiona Braillon). Directed by François Bierry, the film was produced by Hélicotronc.

© FRANCOIS LENOIR/Reuters/Corbis

Business briefs

The contractor in charge of the project to renovate the 19th-century baths of Spa is reported to be in talks with a Chinese investor who could save the project. The plan has been on the table for a decade; the first plan was to turn the building into a convention centre, but that has now become a luxury hotel. The contractor, Foremost Immo, reported one major investor had pulled out and asked for an extension of the contract to find another. A group of interested Chinese parties visited the site in December; Foremost’s parent company, Denys, returned the visit in January.

From Charleroi to Sao Paulo: One Shot! on show in Brazil The successful exhibition on football and contemporary art, staged by BPSS 22 in 2010, was on display at a Brazilian museum for the duration of the World Cup. Although the number of works was reduced, the Mube (Museu Brasileiro da Escultura) spotlighted works by Brazilian artists. The exhibition captured the flare and passion for ‘the beautiful game’ from numerous angles, tackling head on the social and political issues surrounding the sport.

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innovation

Against the odds Walloon company Belourthe is exporting 99 percent of its cereal production to 50 countries

By Andy Furniere

to that of a SME that makes customised products,” explains Crahay.

Belourthe is especially active in the emerging economies of Africa, Asia and South America. Some of the countries, like the politically unstable Pakistan and Libya, are unattractive for other producers because of the uncertain circumstances. “But it’s definitely worth the risk,” Crahay believes.

T Although Nestlé didn’t see the potential, I believed in a positive future here in Hamoir Vincent Crahay 8

wallonia and brussels magazine SUMMER 2014

he factory of Belourthe, in the picturesque town of Hamoir in Liège province, is bustling with activity. A staff of around 100 produce cereals products meant for 50 countries all over the world – from Angola to Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. The annual turnover amounts to €25 million and the production capacity to 20,000 tons a year. But to reach this point, the company has had to defy the odds.

The factory was established in 1932 by multinational Nestlé and grew to become Nestlé’s biggest production facility for baby cereals in Europe. But in 2005 it decided to downsize activity at Hamoir for strategic reasons. The

director of the factory, Vincent Crahay, realised that a closure was imminent and made the bold move to buy out the Nestlé management. “Although Nestlé didn’t see the potential of the production facility, I believed in a positive future here in Hamoir,” he says.

And so Belourthe was born.

After difficult early years, because of a non-competition pact with Nestlé, the independent Belourthe began to develop thanks to its flexibility. After leaving Nestlé, Belourthe had no customers but succeeded in attracting new clients and setting up partnerships all over the world. “We had to switch from the mentality of a multinational

To claim its place in the many markets abroad, Belourthe adjust its products to different standards and cultures.

“Not all countries, for example, have the same standards for the necessary amount of vitamin C in cereals,” explains Crahay. “But we also adapt our products to food cultures, by for example adding vegetables and fish to our cereals for the Asian market.”

Currently, Belourthe has developed around 150 recipes.

To help other Walloon companies become successful in exporting, Belourthe has been awarded the label of Entreprise Exportatrice Citoyenne

by AWEX and the Union Wallonne des Entreprises. “We will voluntarily assist with our experience two other enterprises from Wallonia in taking their chances on the international market,” explains Crahay.

Quality and R&D are also essential in Belourthe’s success. Around 10 percent of its staff work in these departments each day. “When you produce food,

especially for babies, you cannot make any mistake in the quality,” says Crahay, “but to compete, you also need to diversify your offer.” Thanks to its innovative approach, Belourthe’s brand of cereals for babies – Ninolac – is now also available in organic, halal and gluten-free versions.

Belourthe is also one of the only independent factories in the world that can deliver hydrolysed cereals. Cereals created through hydrolysis facilitate digestion and are full of natural sweetness without added sugar. There are also various cereal formulas ideal for growing children, and future or new mothers can buy the cereals adapted for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

However, Belourthe is also adapting to trends in society like the ageing population and the increasing number of people with diabetes. There are already cereals adjusted to the needs of the middle-aged and senior citizens, and products for diabetics are in the pipeline. “We are still carrying out clinical tests,” says Crahay. The development of these cereals was carried out thanks to the Cwality project in collaboration with several Walloon universities and research centres.

Another innovative project Belourthe is involved in with Walloon research institutions is Prototyping, the goal of which is to create cereals that help people recover from surgery. “This

Facts What? Producer of cereals exporting worldwide Where? Headquarters at Hamoir Who? CEO is Vincent Crahay, who took over the management of the factory from Nestlé When? Founded in 2005, after Nestlé decided to downsize activity at the factory

Figures €25 million Turnover in 2013 50 Number of countries to which Belourthe exports

product will be more like a medicine,” explains Crahay.

Apart from cereals, Belourthe has also begun producing pancakes for the company’s own brand Chimay, which is it’s only product on the Belgian market.

Other non-cereals products in the pipeline are biscuits and herbal teas, which should be launched next year.

As an innovative company, Belourthe is investing in sustainability. This summer, it will switch to liquefied natural gas for its energy production, reducing its carbon dioxide emissions considerably.

The company is also involved in a European project, BioActiveLayer, which aims to reduce the amount of waste produced by the dried food sector through the development of biodegradable packaging. 

www.belourthe.be wallonia and brussels magazine SUMMER 2014

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INVESTMENT

Eye in the sky A leading US freight-tracking player is investing in a joint venture in Wallonia to develop satellite technology

By Jon Eldridge

more diverse. We can find young talent and incorporate it now.”

but with someone with engineering and know-how in the satellite area and pushing forward on the Galileo space station, maybe there could be an opportunity for us in the future to use the Galileo satellite or one of the other lower orbiting satellites that we don’t use now,” says Hoffman.

The SmartTraxx Go system monitors the temperature and location of a shipment in real time and sends alerts to clients

U We can find young talent in Wallonia and incorporate it now Ray Hoffman 10

wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

S freight-tracking company Locus Traxx has chosen Wallonia’s Vitrociset Belgium as a partner in its bid to move into the European market. The Florida-based specialist in real-time monitoring of perishable or high-value goods shipments is initially investing around €2 million in a joint venture with the local subsidiary of Italian company Vitrociset.

Based in Libin in Luxembourg province, Vitrociset Belgium specialises in technology and software for satellite applications. The joint venture, Locus

Traxx Worldwide Europe, aims to create a system that tracks not only the location of a shipment but also a range of parameters such as temperature and humidity or whether a package has remained upright. It is expected to create up to 40 jobs at the Galaxia European Space Applications Park in Libin.

Another objective of teaming up with Vitrociset is accessing the Europeanled Galileo global navigation satellite system, says Ray Hoffman, CEO and managing director of Locus Traxx in the EU. “We have satellite capability,

Partnership with Vitrociset will also allow the company to move faster into the European market, Hoffman says.

“When you have a new product coming to market, it takes a bit of time. You have to find a location and build it up. The opportunities that we saw would come to market much faster in co-operation with Vitrociset,” he explains.

The new jobs at Libin range from entrylevel technician posts to engineering positions and software programmers.

“At the end of this year, there are going to be 10 to 12 jobs, and eventually that will rise to 40. That’s a commitment we’ve made to the government in the Walloon region,” says Hoffman. In fact, the co-operation and enthusiasm of the Walloon government has been central to the agreement. “Because of who we are, and who we come to engage with, the Walloon government has been particularly helpful by sponsoring us when we were signing the joint venture.”

Hoffman says he has received particular support from local politicians.

“Everyone is excited about engaging with the new, leading-edge technology coming to this region,” he says.

The region’s low-density population and location in Europe are also strategically important for the company. “We need to have a bit more space in order to provide the logistics – for shipping out and bringing the product back in. Wallonia provided us with instant access to the Benelux region and port activity. We have a solution in Wallonia for that market,” Hoffman says.

The company says it will also benefit from the high number of qualified graduates in the region. “There are a lot of programmes in the bachelor fields in the universities that really are classified as logistics,” says Hoffman. “There aren’t too many logistic graduates in the Americas, but here you have graduates in logistics, finance and so on, and so the work pool for us is a bit

The system and service offered by Locus Traxx is particularly useful for establishing damage claims should the consumer and high-end products that it tracks become spoiled or damaged. It also allows shippers to take preventive measures. “Let’s say you’re a butcher and you want to make sure your meat gets to market without spoiling: you can use our systems to monitor the entire transport. It’s intelligent transport because should anything fall out of range in terms of temperature, it sends a message to you, and if that’s not acted on it has an automated isolation process, whereby if no one has taken action, we jump in because we have a large support team that calls the customer and says ‘Houston, you have a problem’,” explains Hoffman.

Locus Traxx’s experience so far in Wallonia has been entirely positive.

“You see how warm and receptive it is, from the local government level to the highest level. So that’s a very encouraging sign – even the minister and the government called us and said, ‘Anything you need, let us know and we can help you.’ It’s very reassuring!”



www.locustraxx.com

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BUSINESS

Field of vision

Walloon technology companies starred at the World Cup in Brazil this summer

By Andy Furniere

EVS Multinational EVS, which has a branch in Liège, has been covering international sports events for 20 years. In Brazil, it installed its cameras in every stadium, from where images were sent to EVS servers and analysed in the press centre. “EVS solutions were at the heart of the International Broadcast Centre in Rio de Janeiro,” says spokesperson Geoffroy d’Oultremont. “An innovative feature is our tablet application, which enables livestream viewers to watch the game from six camera angles and to review the key moments from around twenty angles.” EVS had a team of around 40 in Brazil to make sure everything went smoothly.  www.evs.com

A

variety of enterprises from Wallonia signed contracts related to football’s World Cup in Brazil this summer. Their technology was indispensable in bringing the action to the screens of viewers worldwide.

Deltacast Deltacast from Ans, in Liège province, develops virtual and real-time onair graphics for sporting events. “We cover the majority of sports, but focus strongly on football,” says spokesperson 12

wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

Sandrine Slegers. “It was therefore essential for us to develop a special World Cup package.” That package was a highly interactive presentation tool that allowed broadcasters to present extensive information and advanced statistics while discussing all the aspects of the competition, ideal for both recaps and live game analysis.

Wallonia’s RTBF TV network used the package, as did networks in Angola and China.  www.deltacast.tv

I-MOVIX I-MOVIX, from Mons, is a world leader in extreme slow motion for broadcast and has sold cameras to customers

including TV Globo and Sky Italia, which were active at the World Cup. TV Globo is a huge television network, composed of more than 100 Brazilian TV stations, which opted for I-MOVIX’s innovative technology because their cameras are able to register up to 2,600 images per second in high definition and to create the best slow-motion plays in the world. “We are involved in tons of sport events all year long as a camera manufacturer, ” says CEO and founder Laurent Renard.

It was of the greatest importance to us to be part of this event Marie-Gabrielle Kokken, Schréder

 i-movix.com

PRODILED As a specialist in the development of large LED screens, PRODILED from Fleurus in Hainaut has designed new concepts specially for the World Cup. “These screens were used during both the opening and closing ceremony,” says CEO Jean-Marc Van Bever.

“This event provided our company with a window on the world.” Their 160 square-metre screen was at the centre of the opening ceremony for 25 minutes, in front of an audience of around 1.8 billion people.  www.prodiled.com

Schréder An expert in lighting sporting venues, Schréder delivered lighting solutions for several stadiums. Schréder is a multinational with a branch in Fernelmont, Namur province. Its lighting meets the players’ needs while minimising light pollution and glare for spectators. It also satisfies the strictest criteria for high-definition broadcasting to avoid flickering and to capture sharp images for viewers at home. One of Schréder’s 48 subsidiaries worldwide – Schréder do Brazil – is in Vinhedo, a municipality

in the state of São Paulo. Schréder also has experience in lighting other stadiums – such as the Olympic Stadium in Kiev during Euro 2012 or the Moses Mahbida Stadium in South Africa at the 2010 World Cup. “It was thus naturally of the greatest importance to us to be part of this great event in Brazil,” says spokesperson Marie-Gabrielle Kokken.  www.schreder.com

Skylane Optics Based in Fraire, Namur province, Skylane Optics (main picture) developed the transceivers that were connected to a 4,000km fibre-optic network between four Brazilian stadiums. A transceiver is a small module that transforms an electrical signal into an optical signal, enabling data transmission over optical fibre.

The Skylane equipment thus enabled live broadcasting of World Cup matches to the whole world. “Thanks to these Brazilian contracts, Skylane Optics will generate the equivalent of last year’s turnover,” explains spokesperson Noémie Riefolo.  www.skylaneoptics.com wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

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AGRO-FOOD ©Fabrice lerouge/onoky/corbis

FILE

The best is yet to come Smart innovation, research and investment have transformed the region’s food companies into world leaders in the nutrition and health food market

By Senne Starckx

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It’s our goal to grow even further in the coming years.

François Heroufosse 14

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allonia’s agro-food industry is the region’s fifth biggest in terms of exports, but second when it comes to employment. Six years after its creation, WagrALIM, the agroindustry’s competitiveness cluster, can boast excellent results. And with more innovation yet to hit the market, the cluster will further increase its yield.

With an annual turnover of €7.6 billion and employment of 21,000 people, the industry is the second largest industrial employer in Wallonia. Since 2000, it has posted an annual average growth

of 4 percent of production – placing it neatly above the European average.

The Walloon agro-food sector also has a strong potential in emerging countries, and is already the world leader in the area of highly nutritional ingredients and health foods.

WagrALIM was created six years ago, as part of the ambitious Marshall Plan to boost the Walloon economy. The goal of the cluster – one of six – is to shore up companies’ competitiveness and boost business and jobs in the sector. There are several ways to do this: establishing

new or strengthening existing relations between partners in the agro-food industry; developing and maintaining a culture of innovation by setting up research projects; and increasing the cluster’s international visibility as it is one of Wallonia’s most important export sectors.

It has identified four priorities for the industry. All are connected with ongoing trends that are currently reshaping the global production of food, such as sustainability (energy efficiency, use of sustainable raw

materials, biodegradable packaging), food safety (organic food, natural additives) and preservation (reducing the use of additives and preserving intrinsic qualities). Ensuring future growth, WagrALIM brings together business, training centres and public and private research centres in the agro-food industry.

There are currently about 155 members. “Two-thirds of them are private companies – larger firms as well as SMEs,” says François Heroufosse, director of WagrALIM. “The third part

is occupied by research and training centres. It’s our goal to grow even further in the coming years. Additionally we want to welcome fifteen to twenty new members to our cluster network.”

Over the past six years, WagrALIM has initiated 21 research projects, all of which are financed in whole or in part by the Walloon government. They include research, innovation, investment and training. Projects aimed at research and innovation are directly linked to the four focus areas, determined by WagrALIM’s four priorities. There are wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

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©bernard foubert/photononstop/corbis

FILE

two types of projects: core and applied projects.

“A core project builds a sustainable network of partners and brings together an extended knowledge base, which is both diverse and complementary,” explains Heroufosse. “It comes at a stage before there are concerns about competition, and it is intended to develop useful skills and technological tools for all those interested in one of our four priority areas.”

One example is Walnut-20, a project that brought together eight companies (including mineral water producer Spa, pictured, and oil manufacturer Vandeputte) and 12 scientific institutions from universities and high schools in Wallonia. The project ran from 2006 until 2010, and its goal was purely research. Heroufosse says: “Walnut-20 was about very basic, fundamental research in food science.

However, the ultimate goal was to create products and ingredients based on polyunsaturated fatty acids, fibres and polyphenols with indisputable 16

wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

scientifically proven nutritional and health claims. But as this is a core project, the development of a concrete commercial product was something for an applied, follow-up project.”

The Walnut-20 partners developed several methods and models that can now be used to assess the bioactive properties of its ingredients. “The next step will be the creation of a range of products with heath benefits. These can be launched commercially to help combat two major public health issues: metabolic syndrome and gut health,” says Heroufosse.

Besides core projects like Walnut-20, WagrALIM also supports applied projects. “On the basis of core projects, more targeted industrial projects are built which focus on specific products or markets. These projects involve more restricted partnerships, and use the scientific and technological tools developed within core projects to develop products or technology that will be marketed.”

One example of an applied project is Florpro, led by the Liège food company GHL Group. The aim here is to develop an entirely new range of fresh food products characterised by a longer shelf life, a higher safety level and a better taste. “This is all possible thanks to the stimulation of natural protective bacteria,” explains Heroufosse.

“These bacteria are already present inside the food, so instead of adding artificial and chemical compounds as a preservative, we can use these bacteria to prolong the shelf life of food. Due to the higher presence of the naturally present bacteria, the growth of degrading bacteria will be limited, and thus the food is preserved for longer.”

The strategy of WagrALIM is to stimulate innovation in the agrofood industry. Every participant in a project is responsible for some of the investment. The total amount spent on all 21 projects over the past six years has been €77 million, €50 million of which comes from public funding via the Walloon government.

Due to WagrALIM’s support for research and innovation in the Walloon agrofood industry, more than 2,000 jobs have been created since the launch of the cluster in 2008. Many of these are in production and sales. “Our projects have resulted in the creation of up to sixty new products and services,” says Isabelle Grommet, WagrALIM’s international and communication manager. “About ten of them are already commercially available, together with twelve new production processes. When a new production line is set up, this provides jobs for dozens of people. Besides that, the new products have to find their way to the customer, so a lot of the newly created jobs are in sales.”

Although the number of new jobs is impressive, many people have also received intensive training with an eye on future employment in the Walloon food industry. Grommet says: “New production processes require specific training. So the majority of the 7,500 people we have trained over the years are workers from private companies.

The others are students, PhD researchers and unemployed people who have been re-educated to find a job in this industry.”

Research, fundamental and applied, as well as innovation, needs to be framed by a correct policy regarding intellectual property. However, for the food industry, gathering as many patents as possible is unusual. “It’s not like the pharmaceutical industry, where every new substance is patented for years or decades,” explains Heroufosse. “The average food company doesn’t benefit from patenting a new ingredient or production process. Another reason is that by applying for a patent, a company has to describe its in-house production process, which they prefer not to do.

The partners of a consortium behind a project remain the owners of any results obtained, with a view to using them in their industry. They wouldn’t be happy to throw them away, but there’s no excessive secrecy surrounding the results. You could call this a form of open innovation.”

also growing. The agro-food industry has established and consolidated its presence in important areas such as Canada, South Korea, southeast Asia and, most importantly, Brazil.

According to Heroufosse, Brazil is the most important new market for Wallonia’s agro-food industry. “At the moment, our main clients are still to be found in neighbouring countries and Eastern Europe. But for the future, we are targeting Brazil. The country has huge potential, in terms of agricultural innovation and access to raw materials.

At the moment, a dozen food companies from the Wallonia region are setting up branches and joint ventures in Brazil.

In the area of innovative food additives and ingredients, we consider Brazil a unique opportunity for our industry.”  www.WagrALIM.be

Meanwhile, the prospects for the food and agriculture industry on a global scale are good. WagrALIM is an active partner in two major international clusters and research centres: the World Food Innovation Network and the European Food Alliance. Wallonia’s export market for food products as raw materials is

Innovation meets chocolate and beer Smart innovation is giving two of the most famous Belgian exports a new look. Wagralim’s platform for innovation has yielded some extraordinary new food products, such as rejuvenating chocolates and non-perishable beers. Yvan Larondelle, bioengineer at the University of Louvain, has studied the rejuvenating properties of pomegranate extract. He was able to identify some anti-inflammatory molecules and managed to culture them in his laboratory. Afterwards he injected them into the filling of a newly created praline. Antiinflammatory substances are believed to slow down the ageing process of our cells, tissues, organs and body.

Another innovation currently under scrutiny is an optimisation of the preservation period of high-fermentation beer. Walloon brewers Dubuisson (known for its strong beer Bush, pictured) and Lefebvre (Hopus) are collaborating to prolong the preservation period, enabling them hopefully to export their products to further-flung markets. wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

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LIFE

HOME AND ABROAD

Rahul Venkit

Céline Fion

All-round multimedia journalist Rahul Venkit has been reporting for the Chinese Xinhua news agency in Brussels for the past three years. Originally from India, Venkit has previously worked in China, the UK, Singapore and India

Originally from Tournai, journalist Céline Fion is now based in Paris where she reports for the Belgian francophone newspaper L’Avenir and various tourism magazines

Describe a typical day reporting from Brussels, if there is such a thing?

You said it – there’s no such thing. Most of the reporting tends to centre on the European institutions, economy and foreign affairs. Back in 2011, the EU story was more exciting – at least as far as journalists were concerned – with the euro crisis at its peak. These days, the worst of the crisis is over and EU summits don’t tend to run into the wee hours. In the quieter summer months, we tend to pitch feature stories ... mostly to visit breweries and music festivals!

Where are you from and where did you study?

I grew up in Tournai and studied first at the Free University of Brussels (ULB) before going to journalism school at the University of Louvain.

Why did you move to Paris?

At first it was for an internship, but I always had it in mind to stay. I think I had the impression that I would encounter more professional opportunities as well as enjoy the stimulating and exciting surroundings.

What stories interest the Chinese and what is the image of Brussels in China?

I would say the average Chinese reader is more interested in European culture and travel than its politics and economy. Many of them feel the West is picturesque but boring and back home it’s chaotic but interesting. As for the image of Brussels in China, it’s the usual beer, chocolate and famous landmarks such as the Manneken Pis. How has the work of a foreign correspondent changed in recent years?

The digital and social media revolution has made our roles far more dynamic and demanding. It has also given us more direct access to readers and newsmakers than ever before. In the Chinese context, however, different platforms such as Weibo and Renren are used since others like Facebook and Twitter are banned in China.

You met your French wife while reporting from the Olympics in Beijing and she now works for the same news agency. What do you both appreciate about living and working in Brussels?

We both love that Brussels is one of the smallest, truly international cities of the world. We don’t spend hours every day on public transport like in other big cities since we live near work. In fact, the older we get, the more we appreciate the Brussels lifestyle over what London or Beijing offers.

What are your career plans?

I’ve always gone where opportunity has taken me. As long as I’m building on my multimedia skills and taking part in the global conversation on improving the state of the world, I’m happy.

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What is a typical day reporting from Paris?

One of the best things about my job is that there is no typical day, even if it does revolve around certain set tasks, such as preparing interviews, writing articles, prospecting and researching future topics etc. I also spend some time abroad.

The digital and social media revolution has made our roles far more dynamic and demanding

France has great talents and the concentration in Paris makes my work very enjoyable

Rahul Venkit

Céline Fion

Do you think France is still a cultural beacon for francophone Belgians?

The French are frequently criticised for being arrogant, and it’s true that this can appear irritating. But from my viewpoint here, I find that Belgians can sometimes be too humble, constrained by this continual feeling of inferiority. France undeniably has great artists and talents, and the concentration in Paris makes my work very enjoyable.

Do you return here, and what do you miss about your home country?

Yes, I return frequently. It’s mainly people that I miss, and steak tartare and chips!

What are your career plans?

I will not live eternally in Paris, but I think that I will remain abroad. In parallel to the written press, I would very much like to develop documentaries, so I’m working on that.

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CULTURE Philippe Dehuit

LIFE

doesn’t end there; he continued to develop new instruments until his death in 1894. Among Sax’s other innovations was the Wagnerian tuba, commissioned by German composer Richard Wagner himself.

ensconced in the courtyard of Dinant town hall. Mr Sax’s Clepsydra is a monumental glass saxophone sculpted

by Bernard Tirtiaux. The object towers three metres and weighs a whopping four tons.

The celebration isn’t confined to Dinant city limits. For its part, the Belgian federal government is marking the occasion by issuing a special Adolphe Sax stamp and minting a series of collector’s coins (pictured). The annual summer classical musical feast, Festival of Wallonia, performs tribute shows to Sax within its 150-concert programme staged in every corner of the region.

The cultural authorities in Dinant decided there was only one way to applaud such an important and industrious fellow: with a year-long, city-wide party.

The joy of sax Dinant’s own Adolphe Sax was born 200 years ago, and his home town – and country – have laid on a very special party

By Georgio Valentino

T Everyone is invited to the Great Gathering of Saxophonists 20

wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

he saxophone has become a staple in modern music, from contemporary classical to jazz to rock’n’roll (at least in its early days, when the sax ‘skronk’ was king). The instrument is so ubiquitous that we take it for granted. But if you stop to think about it, this stylised industrial alphorn, studded with strange buttons and valves, is a profoundly weird instrument. And if you delve into its history, you’ll find that it’s a relatively recent creation whose inventor was a fascinating character indeed.

The saxophone is only the most successful of hundreds of instruments dreamt up by a 19th-century Walloon

tinkerer, one Adolphe Sax. This year Sax’s home town, Dinant, in the province of Namur, celebrates its favourite son’s 200th birthday with a programme of inspired events.

Sax was born in the fortress town on November 6, 1814. It was in Dinant, too, that Sax began crafting his own musical instruments at the tender age of 15. This was before becoming a qualified clarinet master at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels and then moving to Paris to continue his experiments. After years of what we would now call beta testing, Sax officially unveiled his signature horn – the saxophone – in 1846. The story

Everything starts at the Sax House, situated – naturally – on Rue Sax. The museum will show and tell you all you ever wanted to know about Sax, from his precocious youth to his technical innovations to his personal and professional challenges to his ultimate success. The multimedia presentation also emphasises the legacy of the saxophone in the 20th century. This part of the story stars famous players like jazz musician Charlie Parker, US president Bill Clinton and even cartoon character Lisa Simpson.

From there the bicentennial spills out into the streets. The exhibition Showcasing Mr Sax marries two of Belgium’s most famous contributions to European culture: the saxophone and the comic strip. Twenty contemporary illustrators continue the tradition of caricaturing the man and his horn, which evidently began during his own lifetime. But instead of publishing these new works in a weekly or exhibiting them at a gallery, Dinant has mounted them in windows throughout the city. These pieces supplement the walking exhibition Art on Sax. Another intervention in public space is

Finally there’s the more modest openair concert series Mr Sax’s Sundays.

Every summer Sunday a different jazz combo put on their walking shoes to deliver live music from terrace to terrace under the sign of Sax.

Luc Luycx

There are also musical performances aplenty organised by the sax enthusiasts of the International Adolphe Sax Association. Every four years the IASA puts on two unique events. The Adolphe Sax International Competition is a chance for young players to earn their stripes. This sixth edition of the contest is held from October 25 to November 8.

You don’t have to be a virtuoso to participate in the IASA’s other quadrennial event. Indeed, everyone is invited to the Great Gathering of Saxophonists. Musicians from around the country and beyond converge on Sax’s home town in a pilgrimage of sorts. In 2006, the street party was attended by nearly 2,000 sax players.

Brussels is also feting this famous Belgian with a year-long exhibition, SAX200, hosted by the Musical Instruments Museum. It’s no small affair, either. Curator Géry Dumoulin had an entire floor of Renaissance lutes and clavichords cleared to make room for Sax, Sax and more Sax. MIM’s collection of Sax-related instruments is already recognised as the most extensive in the world and it’s being augmented on the occasion by a plethora of pieces loaned by museums and private collections from the world over. Some of these have never before been exhibited in public. Add concerts, guided visits, workshops and other related events and you have an expo every bit as prolific as its subject.

Merry-making will likely be in demand this autumn, after what is sure to be an emotionally exhausting centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. The festive levity of this Sax celebration is the perfect chaser.  sax.dinant.be wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

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tourism JL Massart

LIFE

ibises and pink flamingoes to dozens of storks soaring and nesting above.

Behind the scenes, Pairi Daiza is active in about 40 breeding programmes for endangered species such as the Siberian crane and European sea eagle.

This side of paradise Home to 5,000 animals including giant pandas Xing Hui and Hao Hao, Paira Daiza in Brugelette is one of Wallonia’s major tourist attractions

By Renée Cordes

M What visitors see is real and is gathered from the ends of the earth. That gives Paira Daiza its soul Eric Domb 22

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ore than two decades after buying 55 hectares of land on the site of the former Cistercian Cambron Abbey and creating one of Belgium’s top nature attractions, Eric Domb (pictured) still has ambitious plans for Paira Daiza animal park. “We would like to continue to offer the beauty of the world to people who may not have the means to travel far,” says Domb, the park’s founder, CEO and main shareholder.

Since opening Paradisio bird park in Brugelette, Hainaut province, in 1993, Domb has been on a mission to expand and add species to what he likes to

call an ‘emotions park’. Indeed, a walk through Paira Daiza takes visitors through several distinct worlds as they marvel at 5,000 animals in their natural habitats, lush gardens and abbey ruins.

The ambitious founder opened the Nautilus aquarium in 2001; pedestrian suspension bridges in 2004; a Chinese garden in 2006; the Indian-themed Kingdom of Ganesha in 2006, when the park changed its name to Paira Daiza (Persian for ‘enclosed garden’); and La Terre des Origines in 2012, home to Africa’s big five: the lion, elephant, Cape buffalo, rhino and leopard. Birds are still everywhere, from wading

This spring, the park welcomed giant pandas Xing Hui and Hao Hao from China. Their appearance provoked a media circus, from the moment of their arrival at Brussels national airport to the inauguration of their pavilion by Chinese president Xi Jinping, accompanied by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.

The pandas, which lured a record number of visitors in the first two weeks of the season, are now happily settled into their new home and boast nearly 1,300 Twitter followers. The park hopes the celebrity couple will welcome a baby in the next two years.

But even in this Year of the Panda, Domb won’t speculate on whether the number of visitors will exceed last year’s record 1.24 million, saying that the main determining factor is always the weather. “If it’s a rainy summer this year, the number will be poor, pandas or no pandas,” he says.

Despite fickle weather, visitor numbers have gone up every year since the beginning. That’s not always been the case with revenues, although they rose 27 percent to €24.3 million in the fiscal year 2013. Paira Daiza attributed the increase to more visitors spending money at the park, thanks to its 2010 acquisition of the Ciney-based catering company Traiteur Paulus. wallonia and brussels magazine summer 2014

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LIFE

tourism

Domb has put much of his own money into Paira Daiza. Earlier this year, he bought out the 15.3 percent stake held by one of the original investors, SRIW, the Walloon regional investment agency. Through Wildo Properties, Domb now owns 69.4 percent of Paira Daiza, which is listed on the small-cap NYSE Alternext exchange.

Domb is grateful for the long-time financial support of SRIW and Hainaut venture capital and private equity firm Hoccinvest (now called Wapinvest) for their backing when he started the business. “It does not happen every day that an entrepreneur – perhaps unconsciously – knocks on their doors with such an ambitious project,” he says. “They were undoubtedly moved by the audacity, the ambition and the originality of the project.”

Besides enabling Paradisio to open, the investors helped with a refinancing in 1995 during a critical stage in the company’s development, and then again with a capital increase from SRIW in 1999 at the time of the stock

market launch. Although SRIW is no longer a shareholder, it continues to provide support in the form of loans.

Asked whether there’s a risk in being too ambitious, Domb says there’s always the danger of having two or three bad years in a row, though that has not yet happened due to the public’s “extraordinary loyalty”.

Looking back, he says Paira Daiza owes its success to its three-tiered ‘DNA’ as a zoological, botanical and architectural garden. “More than anything, visitors find something there they rarely find at any amusement park: the authenticity of the worlds recreated there,” he says.

“What they see is real and is gathered from the ends of the earth. That gives Paira Daiza its soul.”

So what advice would he give to other aspiring entrepreneurs based on his experience? “Believe in your dreams and show audacity. It can work!”  www.pairidaiza.eu

A day out at Pairi Daiza While the pandas are currently the star attraction at Pairi Daiza, the African- and Indonesian-themed pens containing the ‘big five’ offer serious competition.

Looking down from a safe vantage point at the park’s lion family, you get a lesson in animal behaviour. Parents Dany and Dana welcomed four cubs last year and the boisterous youngsters are now entertaining the crowds with their play fighting and tussling over rubber tyres.

Over in the Kingdom of Ganesha, the sounds and sights of southeast Asia and Indonesia in particular are recreated in every detail, from a Balinese temple to rice fields, stone sculptures and exotic plants. The elephant herd is majestic and includes African and Asian species. They are taken for regular walks in the park as well as bathed in a freshwater pond, to the delight of visitors.

One of the attractions of Pairi Daiza is the opportunity for the public to interact with the animals by feeding and petting some of them. For children, or adventurous adults, the suspended and swinging walkway offers an elevated view of the landscaped park which is an intriguing combination of the medieval and exotic: abbey ruins, 18th-century architecture, ancient walls, ponds and water features and botanical gardens.

The abbey towers provide a dramatic backdrop to the Raptors Village, which features speckled owls, American eagles and other birds of prey, while the amphitheatre hosts two daily shows. The worlds theme extends to all of the eating outlets: in the Chinese garden there’s a tea house as well as restaurant, while the main Oasis restaurant doubles up as an aviary. Alternatively, there are picnic spots throughout the park if you prefer to bring your own food. Sarah Crew

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giulia Iacolutti

The Italian job Local talent joins forces to take Milan’s Design Week by storm

By Stephanie Duval

D This type of event is very important, especially for designers who are new to the industry Designer Michaël Bihain

esign Week in Milan is the highlight of the year for professionals in the industry. Labels present their newest collections, designers offer a sneak peek at prototypes in development and journalists try to get an idea of what’s in store. The entire city is transformed into a buoyant hive, buzzing with ideas, news and connections. It’s enough to make anyone feel a little overwhelmed, and to many up-and-coming designers, capturing the attention of the crowds seems like an almost insurmountable challenge.

The main event is the Salone Internazionale del Mobile furniture

fair, which takes place just outside Milan’s city centre at the enormous Fiera Milano fairgrounds. This year’s edition in April offered 145,000 square metres of display area to 1,363 exhibitors, and more than 300,000 visitors from around the world dropped by. Nearly 3,000 further square metres were devoted to 700 young and promising designers who showcased their work at Salone Satellite. The city centre, in the meantime, was taken over by the FuoriSalone: almost 1,000 events in showrooms, shops and public spaces throughout the city. In such a chaotic and busy environment, it makes sense for local companies and designers to present a united front. wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

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DESIGN

Colin Thomas

LIFE

Before 2012 there was no one umbrella under which designers from Wallonia, Brussels and Flanders could pool their resources. After some experiments with joint communication on various public and private initiatives in 2011, a more collaborative approach to promoting creative entrepreneurship grew, and was named Belgium is Design. This label unites the various actions organised in Belgium and abroad by Wallonie-Bruxelles Design Mode (WBDM), MAD Brussels Mode and Design Centre and Design Flanders, and is supported by the organisations promoting exports in each of the three regions.

Every year Belgium is Design coordinates two events in Milan, explains Laure Capitani of WBDM. “At the Salone Satellite, we present the work and prototypes of about ten designers in a joint booth. The designers are 26

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Patrick Beyaert, one of the local participants, says: “I think it’s the best strategy to present all Belgian design under the same label.” Brussels-based designer Pauline Coudert, agrees, saying: “Our shared booth and its eyecatching scenography made us more visible, and that reflects a greater credibility.” Fellow participant Magali Cruysmans, also based in Brussels, feels local designers are lucky to receive so much support from their government. “It is encouraging and always pushes me beyond my limits,” says the designer. “In Milan I learned a lot about how editors and design companies work, and the way a project develops. I left with more selfconfidence, feeling more ambitious than ever.”

The other event taking place in Milan under the Belgium is Design label is

a yearly exhibition at the Triennale di Milano Design Museum in the city centre. This year, Inge Vranken of Design Flanders curated the exposition, which was focused on mirrors and reflective surfaces. Vranken selected myriad products created by Belgian designers and companies, who were all invited to be present at the exposition during its 10-day run. “We try to make the participating designers aware of the opportunity this presents to them,” says Capitani. “It’s true that the Design Museum draws the general public in, but designers who invest time in the exhibition always leave with interesting industry contacts. Some of them have found an agent or producer for their designs in this way.”

Colin Thomas

chosen by Cosmit, the organisers of the fair. We arrange everything for them, from the communication about the event to the transport and the insurance of the prototypes.” This year nine designers from Belgium were invited to Milan, where they presented a varied selection of products ranging from furniture to lighting. Presence at the show is crucial to young designers, because it’s the most straightforward way of getting in touch with design labels and editors, paving the way for possible collaborations.

“I think this type of event is very important, especially for designers who are new to the industry,” says Brusselsbased participant Michaël Bihain, whose mirror and glassware (pictured below and right) were selected for the exposition. “I made some very interesting contacts in Milan, and am currently developing some projects as a direct result of my presence there.”

Fellow participant Ann Van Hoey shares Bihain’s enthusiasm for the inclusive aspect of the project. “Even individual artisans like myself get the opportunity to join and promote their product, which is quite unique and refreshing,” she says. “Often artisans

don’t get out of the crafts world and yet they have so much to offer to the design world. The mix of all levels is very stimulating.”

Designers who invest time in the exhibition always leave with interesting contacts Laure Capitani, WBDM

It was a mix that even included some fashion, as Vranken chose to include Le Rêve, a version of leather company Delvaux’s iconic Le Brillant handbags (pictured).

Brand spokesperson Jessica Volpe says, “It was an honour for us to be able to represent Belgium in Milan.

The event at the Triennale di Milano is an important one in the design industry, and it brings with it an important visibility both in and outside Italy. As Delvaux is a growing company, this is more than welcome for us right now. Besides, we think of our accessories as more than just that.

They are little sculptures that come to life.”  www.WBDM.be wallonia and brussels magazine Summer 2014

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Create

PANORAMA

Black is back

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W

avre designer Bernard Depoorter is inspired by flamboyant periods in history, recent and distant, when sketching new collections of ready-towear and haute couture clothes. From 18th-century Russia to the New Look of the 1950s, Depoorter redefines elegant and timeless fashion. The starting point for his designs is the fabric, always locally made. Then comes colour: black is frequently contrasted with signature violet or pink, or, more recently, less vivid hues such as olive green, caramel

and cognac. Finally the accessories: vintage tropical feathers, veils, buttons and lace. Hand-made silk flowers are a personal fetish; an antique press flattens the delicate material into an engraved mould for an exclusive final touch.

Depoorter’s passion for creating women’s clothes began as a child when he discovered his grandmother’s couture dresses in the attic of the family home. Eschewing college, he headed to Paris, where he served internships for

four years with Christian Dior, JeanLouis Scherrer and Dominique Sirop, among others. His first orders came in 2004 and for the past 10 years he has been presenting his collections in the sumptuous settings of castles and stately homes. He also offers a more accessible line of personalised black dresses. Clients include Princess Claire of Belgium and Belgo-Canadian singer Lara Fabian.

 www.bernarddepoorter.com

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CREATE

AGENDA

FESTIVALS

EXHIBITION

frederic metastability

MUSIC

AFTERWORK SUMMER APEROS

BRUXELLONS!

LES MUSICALES DE BELOEIL

ADDENDA

From offering a single play in its first year, Bruxellons has gone from strength to strength and is celebrating its 15th anniversary this summer with 35 shows. Delivering a mix of classic and contemporary theatre, for the first time it will feature plays in Dutch. In the airy surrounds of Karreveld castle, spectators can also treat themselves to a pre-theatre buffet dinner and enjoy a drink at the lakeside bar.

A late summer cultural jewel is a feast of music in the gorgeous environs of Beloeil castle.

Classical music dominates, while world music and circus shows also play their part. The self-styled Versailles of Belgium plays host to a plethora of performers on eight stages, including Belgian jazz guitarist Philip Catherine and French pianist Jean-Philippe Collard, with the Belgian National Orchestra also among the line-up. A fireworks show tops off the evening.

If you’re interested in medicine, the Addenda exhibition at this former hospital will be of interest to you. Now a museum, it houses this exposition exploring the confrontation between historical and contemporary attitudes to medicine and the merits and diversity of the respective approaches throughout the ages.

Through sculpture, paintings and videos, the works reflect on subjects such as ethical issues in medicine, the influence of religion and the roles of the body and the mind in illness.

WHAT? BRUXELLONS! WHEN? JULY 11-SEPT 27 WHERE? KARREVELD CASTLE, BRUSSELS

WHAT? LES MUSICALES DE BELOEIL WHEN? SEPTEMBER 6 WHERE? BELOEIL CASTLE, HAINAUT

www.bruxellons.net

www.lesmusicalesdebeloeil.be

ESPERANZAH!

WHAT? ADDENDA WHEN? Until NOVEMBER 30 WHERE? MUSÉE DE L’HÔPITAL NOTREDAME À LA ROSE, LESSINES

Although at heart a world music festival, Esperanzah! promotes its core values of respect, tolerance and equality through its varied programme of art, cinema, and music. The usual three-day programme has been extended to four to welcome a delicious opening line-up of Manu

BRUSSELS: APÉRO SAINT-GILLES WHEN? FRIDAYS, 17.00 WHERE? PLACE MAURICE VAN MEENEN

www.brusselsaperos.be/en/stgilles

Baudouin Litt

WAVRE: ZE AFTERWORK WHEN? THURSDAYS, 18.00 WHERE? DOMAINE DU BLE, WAVRE

Chao, the Broken Circle Bluegrass Band and La Chiva Gantiva. Revellers can also enjoy Radio Esperanzah, which broadcasts non-stop during the event, and a riverside campsite is available for those who want to take full advantage of the relaxed atmosphere. Artisanal food is on hand for mid-fest sustenance and the festival welcomes children in its Village des Enfants.

WHAT? ESPERANZAH! WHEN? JULY 31-AUGUST 3 WHERE? FLOREFFE ABBEY, NAMUR

WHAT? NUIT DES CHOEURS WHEN? AUGUST 29 & 30 WHERE? VILLERS-LA-VILLE ABBEY

WHAT? REFLETS DANS LA FORÊT WHEN? JULY 18-AUGUST 17 WHERE? RECOGNE CASTLE, BASTOGNE

www.esperanzah.be

www.nuitdeschoeurs.be

www.habay-tourisme.be

Gaëtan Nadin

www.facebook.com/aperosurbains

www.facebook.com/ LesAperosDuParcJosaphat

For fans of choral music, the Nuit des Choeurs is a must. Taking place over two nights in the atmospheric ruins of Villers-la-Ville Abbey, it’s a chance to discover six choirs with performances ranging from classical to gospel, jazz to pop.

This year’s edition features Sister Act and the James Brown Choir, with the St Petersburg Choir also in attendance. The groups repeat their sets many time during the course of the night to allow the audience to enjoy the music at their own pace. The event culminates in a firework display and impressive finale concert.

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BRUSSELS: APÉROS URBAINS WHEN? FRIDAYS, 17.00 WHERE? Location changes every week

BRUSSELS: LES APÉROS DU PARC JOSAPHAT WHEN? FRIDAYS, 17.30 WHERE? PARC JOSAPHAT, SCHAERBEEK

NUIT DES CHŒURS

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Get ready for the party concept that makes a day in the office all worthwhile – the afterwork aperitif. Happening at various places throughout Brussels and its environs, it’s a chance to meet new people or simply have a relaxing drink in the great outdoors and, if you’re lucky, the sunshine.

EVENTS REFLETS DANS LA FORÊT In the context of ‘slow tourism’, Recogne castle shines brightly this summer. Using projection-mapping, the history of the region will be revisited every night through the media of sound and light, using the castle walls as a canvas. The nearby Village du Forêt with its bars and chalets is the perfect place to relax and sample local produce.

LASNE: LES APÉROS DE SPORT VILLAGE WHEN? FRIDAYS, 17.00 WHERE? SPORT VILLAGE COUNTRY CLUB, LASNE

PLAYING THE FOOL Brussels-born Daniel Hanssens is a Bruxellons! regular. Not only does he star in Le Dîner de Cons, he is also one of its directors. After studying at the Conservatory in Brussels, Hanssens went on to give classes at the institute for another 10 years before founding his own theatre company in 2004.

He loves the capital. “Brussels is a big city and at the same time a village. It’s not too big, nor too small. It never stops, there are always great shows happening.” He also has high praise for Belgian cinema, as “it is starting to be recognised abroad and at festivals like Cannes and in the United States.” He describes Belgian actors as talented and hardworking. Another trait: “We don’t label people as much. We’re more free, we’re not restricted. We’re free to be in a comedy, then a drama – to play different roles.”

At Bruxellons!, the same actors can be seen throughout the summer. “The actors are accessible to the public, they talk with the audience after the show,” Hanssens says.

“There’s a very nice atmosphere.” As for Le Dîner de Cons, he says it can teach us something.

“It’s very touching. It can happen in both senses – we are all someone’s fool. We can find ourselves in it. Sometimes it’s us who is the idiot.” www.benjamin-leveaux.com http://bip-liege.org

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The world is my stage, #Wallonia is my home FRANCO DRAGONE

Franco Dragone dazzles the planet with his amazing shows.

Along with thousands of other Walloon entrepreneurs, artists, actors, writers, designers and creators spreading their Belgian creativity and innovation capacity all over the world.

Wallonia is in the World.

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