Werk.kleur.rijkNewcomers and jobs are a hot topic, with the labour department saying there aren’t enough workers without them and UHasselt’s new app on workfloor diversity\ 6 \ 7 \ 13

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Spoken word, most notably slam poetry, has become the form of expression for many Flemish youngsters, and one cultural institution has decided to seize on that popularity to promote literature in schools.

“Why is poetry?” reads the first line of one of Max Greyson’s pieces. The unfinished question lingers in his mind as he’s about

to step on the stage, and he hesitates to answer it. All the time in the world wouldn’t be enough to “unravel the riddle of why rhythm and sound can make words more powerful than rings and crowns”.At 27, Greyson is one of Flander’s most celebrated slam poets. In case you’ve never heard of it: Slam poetry combines the

written and spoken word, making it a genre that is highly personal and unique. During a poetry slam, the writers compete on stage, performing the texts in their own trade-mark way. The audience – or the jury, if the competition is of a more formal nature – decides who wins. Some poets, or slammers, put emphasis on the meaning; others focus on rhythm and intonation. And because it’s a performance, body language plays an integral role through-out the show.A good slam poet – some prefer the term street poet – walks a fine line between catchy content and electrifying execu-tion. Unlike traditional poetry, the slam is written directly for the stage. While more accessible and unrestrained, it is, arguably, no less poetic.

“I love the fact that slam poetry blends together several different genres,” says Greyson, who is from Antwerp. “You can mix poetry with hip-hop or cabaret, and it’s all good. It’s a melange of disciplines, and that’s what I love about it – the ‘anything goes’ atmosphere.”No two streets poets are alike, he says. “When you meet fellow slammers, chances are they’ll be doing something completely different when it comes to style or performance. That’s what makes the genre so refreshing.”Another such poet, Carmien Michels, is a veteran of the scene, with multiple awards in her collection, including the Dutch Championship Poetry Slam she won in the Nether-lands earlier this year. “Slam poetry is a very competitive genre, full of different styles, voices and people,” she says.

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Hospital secretsFlanders’ annual Care Day gets visitors in the operating rooms and emergency departments of the region’s hospitals and medical clinics

WitcHy WomenA winding staircase, sepulchral chanting and flaming fingers set the tone for a Bruges exhibition exploring witches in art and artefact

Offbeat and onstageslam poetry steps out of flanders’ literary shadows

rebecca Benootmore articles by rebecca \ flanderstoday.eu

© courtesy Flemish literature Fund

From left: slam poets moya De Feyter, Jee kast, max Greyson and martijn nelen

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\ cUrrenT aFFaIrs

Cancer fund Kom op tegen Kanker has called for semi-public open spaces – like train platforms, football stadiums

and amusement parks – to be made smoke-free areas. The measure is necessary to protect people more against passive smoking, the breathing in of other people’s smoke, it says.The charity bases its recommendations on a report by the University of Leuven, in which

researchers examined whether it is legally possible to better protect passive smokers. The stadiums of Anderlecht in Brussels and Club Brugge are already smoke-free and Kom op tegen Kanker is asking others clubs to follow their example. In a later phase, other open-air sporting events should become smoke-free as well.The charity also wants to see Belgian national railway authority NMBS include a

ban on smoking on platforms in its rules, which would apply to anyone buying a train ticket. Its action plan also calls on amuse-ment parks, zoos and other public places where children come to adapt their policies.Parties can agree on a smoking ban in a contract or regulations, even if a prohibition is not legally imposed. It will promote these contractual smoking bans in the coming year.

Cancer fund calls for zoos and stadiums to be smoke-freeKom op tegen Kanker wants to protect more people against second-hand smoke

Two regions in Germany that border Belgium have announced their intention to file a complaint with the EU and the UN against the decision by the Belgian govern-ment to keep its oldest nuclear power plants open until 2025. The regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate are concerned about the prolongation of Doel 1 and 2 in East Flanders and Tihange 1 in Wallonia. All three plants were originally intended to operate until 2015, but their opera-tions were extended by the current federal government for another decade. The complaint will be filed with the Euro-pean Commission and with the United Nations committee in charge of the Espoo Convention, which is charged with look-

ing at cross-border environmental effects. Both regions claim that the operation of the plants was extended without consultation with border regions. “The consequences of an accident at Tihange or Doel don’t stop at the border,” said North Rhine energy minister Eveline Lemke. Both regions, according to her Rhineland colleague Johannes Remmel, could suffer the effects of an accident, the chances of which increase as the power plants age. Last week it was revealed that both reac-tors Doel 1 and 2 have failed to meet the new criteria for resistance to earth tremors introduced after the incident at the Japa-nese plant at Fukushima. \ Alan Hope

Just days before the United States’ supreme court struck down the Church of Scientology’s right to operate as a tax-free religious institution, a court in Brussels acquitted the Belgian branch of being a criminal organisation. “After 18 years, the discrimination against Scientology comes to an end,” said spokesperson Chris Meganck. The case, decided last week, concerned charges of fraud, extortion, illegal practice of medicine, breaches of privacy law and forgery against 12 Scientology representatives. The Church of Scientology in Belgium, which is based in Mechelen, and the European Office for Public Affairs and Human Rights in Brussels, an organisation linked to the church, were also in court. The prosecution alleged that Scientology was a commercial organisation with the sole purpose of taking money from

members via intimidation and extortion. The members, the prosecution alleged, were brainwashed by the church and robbed of their free will. The prosecution called for the church to be disbanded and declared illegal. The court did not accept the charges and on certain counts declared the prosecution’s case inadmissible. The represent-atives have all been acquitted. Scientology has been operating in Belgium since 1972 but is not recognised as a religion as it is in the United States. The investigation into its affairs began in Belgium in 1997, when a number of former members reported having been the victims of fraud. The current trial started last May. “The verdict is proof that the Belgian justice system under-stands a fundamental right – the right to freedom of reli-gion,” Meganck said. \ AH

Scientology is not a criminal organisation, court rules

granted by culture minister Sven Gatz to Leuven cultural centre STUK for urgent building work, including fixing a leaking roof and fitting digital locks

scored by the Brussels public trans-port authority MIVB in a user satis-faction poll, the highest score ever. The authority said improvements to the bus network gave the biggest boost to satisfaction

in subsidy from Screen Flanders for five film productions that will bring €5.4 million in spending to the Flemish economy. The projects include debut features by Dries Vos and Nathalie Teirlinck

shop spaces in the Brussels-Capi-tal Region are lying empty, accord-ing to a study by research bureau Locatus – an increase of almost 10% since 2011, partly due to high rental costs, said Unizo Brussels

seized by police on suspicion of being drugs profits. The money was collected for the creation of an Islamic school in Mechelen, but one of the main contributors is a known drugs dealer

German regions file complaint against Belgian nuclear plants

€200,000 €600,000€1 million

andy furnieremore articles by andy \ flanderstoday.eu

© Ingimage

© scientologynews.org

The church of scientology building on waterloolaan in Brussels

Flemish sports minister Philippe Muyters has promised his office’s lawyers will work to find a solution after the Council of State overturned a decision to grant €10 million in subsidies to 19 sports infrastructure projects.Muyters announced the subsidy package in 2013 and put out a call for projects. Nine-teen were chosen for funding, but the city of Poperinge, with an project not chosen for funding, took the case to the Council of State. The city claimed that the govern-ment had not justified its decision on how the money was awarded. The Council of State found in its favour. According to Muyters, the decisions were made by an evaluation committee consist-ing of representatives from the Union

of Flemish Provinces, the sports minis-try administration and Flanders’ chief architect. The committee documented its reasoning, but documentation was not included in the government’s decision. “We will, together with our jurists, be look-ing at how we can rapidly meet the crite-ria of the Council of State,” said Muyters, “possibly by producing a new decree in which the reasoning is included. In any event, it’s my intention to maintain Flan-ders’ support for sporting infrastructure.”Among the projects that received funding are the Bleau climbing centre in Ghent, which was to receive €1.46 million; swim-ming pools in Moorslede, Mortsel and Brussels; a mountain bike park in Beringen; and an ice-skating rink in Mechelen. \ AH

Sport projects subsidies overturned by Council of State

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Every year the women’s business network Markant joins part-ners Unizo and Vlerick Business School to give out the Womed Award (Women in Enterprise and Development) to a leading Flemish businesswoman. This year’s award has gone to Nath-alie Sintobin, owner and chief executive of Frucon² in Ardooie, West Flanders. Frucon² manages the e-commerce of businesses both large and small, from market-ing to warehousing to ship-ping. Although its international clients now include Godiva and Samsonite, Frucon² has its roots in the old-fashioned market stall. “My passion for enterprise started at a pretty young age, at about six years, let’s say,” Sintobin, 42, explained. Her parents ran a stall selling fresh produce at the market, and she and her siblings “were recruited to help as soon as we could read and write”. Her responsibilities ran the gamut, “from buying, selling, organisation, dealing with customers, you name it”. Fresh produce, she reasoned, could be used to make up gift boxes just as well as flowers or chocolates, so that’s what she started offering. She opened a shop for innovative and creative gift packages featuring mainly fruit. In 1999, she began selling and

delivering gift packages online, just when e-commerce was breaking through to the market. “My idea seemed to find a public,” she says, “because it wasn’t long before I was suffering growing pains from a lack of capacity and logistical problems.”Vlerick found a business angel to invest in and support Sintobin’s company, which expanded to take on outside clients. And the rest is history.Her business philosophy revolves around concentrat-ing on her own strengths and allowing the key people around her to concentrate on theirs. “I’ve found that people blossom if the employer sketches out a broad strategy and leaves people enough room to manoeuvre. You see them grow, and if they’re making progress, so is the busi-ness.”The Markant award for the most promising young woman entre-preneur of the year, meanwhile, went to Laurentine Van Lande-ghem of Clouds of Fashion. Van Landeghem opened the Antwerp outlet, which offers affordable fashion and lifestyle products, as a pop-up store when she was only 21.And the Womed Award Zuid for women entrepreneurs from developing countries went to Nènè Hadh Cherif, chair of an agricultural collective in Guinea.

nathalie sintobin

street artistsoffside

Week in briefFlemish cigar sommelier Dominique Gyselinck was in Havana last weekend to receive the Habanos Man of the Year award for her work in promoting Cuban cigars. Gyselinck has cigar stores in Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, Hasselt and Knokke, with a sixth to open soon. The award has never been given to a woman before. “I’ve had to deal with prejudice since I took my first steps in the cigar world 15 years ago,” she said. “The fact that the award is called Man of the Year is the best example you could find of what a male business it is.”

The Brussels municipality of Ganshoren has opened a Dutch-language public library on the first floor of De Zeyp commu-nity centre. It is the 19th and final Brussels municipality to have a library dedicated to Dutch-language materials. Residents can already become members, and soon holders of library cards from other municipalities will be able to borrow books and other media from the Ganshoren library.

Women who are self-employed will soon have the right to longer and more flexible maternity leave, federal ministers Willy Borsus (small business) and Maggie De Block (health) have announced. At present, self-employed women are entitled to a fixed period of three weeks and a flexible period of five weeks. The plan would extend the flexible portion to nine weeks to be taken any time within 39 weeks of the birth. Women would also be excused social charges during the quarter following the birth.

An Antwerp University doctoral student has discovered a simple technique for investigating “mechanical doping” in the world of cycling – the use of motors hidden inside bicycle frames. The practice has been in the headlines recently after 19-year-old Femke Van den Driessche was accused of using a motor. According to engi-neering postgraduate student Jeroen Peeters, a heat-reading camera can spot a hidden motor by its thermal signature, even from the side of the road. At present,

investigators use X-rays.

The federal government has approved a proposal to allow shops in the Louiza area of Brussels to open on one Sunday a month, similar to the regula-tion governing the centre of the city. The measure concerns shops in Gulden-Vlieslaan, Louizalaan, Elsensesteenweg and the Louiza and Toison D’Or galleries. The new rule in fact allows shops to be open at all hours every day, but the extension will only take place on one Sunday a month for the time being, Elsene mayor Dominique Dufourny said.

Vilvoorde city council has ordered an impact study for a new shop-ping centre on the grounds of the former Renault factory, which closed almost 20 years ago. The shopping centre, provi-sionally named V-Park Vilvoorde, would consist of 19,100 square metres of shops and 7,735 square metres of leisure facilities. The council is a strong opponent of the planned Uplace development in nearby Machelen, but sees V-Park differently; the centre would only include shops that could find no accommodation in the city centre because of their size – a super-market, for example, or a garden centre, with nothing smaller than 400 square metres.

Customs officers in the port of Antwerp discovered a shipment of three tonnes of cocaine last week, hidden inside a container of bananas coming from Colombia. The drugs have a street value of an estimated €150 million.

Brussels mobility minister Pascal Smet has proposed extending the capital’s metro to the Flemish periphery, specifically to Groot-Bijgaarden. “Given the gigantic cost of €1 billion, I think there are other priorities,” responded Flan-ders’ mobility minister Ben Weyts. The proposal, which would also feature a park-and-ride, has also been criticised by motoring organ-isations Touring and VAB.

Jurgen Tack, who in January was forced to step down as director of the Fund for Scientific Research after it was discovered that he had listed a fake prize on his CV, has been appointed director-general of Landelijk Vlaanderen, a lobby group for private landowners and estate managers. Tack previously served as administrator for the Insti-tute for Nature and Forestry Research.

The socialist ACOD police union has filed an intent to strike effec-tive from 21 March for an indefi-nite period. The union is protest-ing against a number of government measures, including the decision not to index pay this year, savings on health care, a later retirement age and the privatisation of certain tasks such as security at public events. The call to strike affects all 189 police zones in the country, the federal police as a whole and the general inspection division.

The prosecutor’s office in Halle-Vilvoorde is investigating the case of an eight-year-old boy who ran away from home in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and was later found in Rotterdam, where he had travelled by train without being questioned. The boy was picked up by a taxi he flagged down and taken to a police station in Rotterdam.

A man who escaped from an apart-ment fire in Sint-Truiden last week only to return inside to rescue his cat died as a result, the commander of the local fire service reported. The apartment was severely damaged, and neighbouring flats suffered water and smoke damage. Residents were re-housed temporarily.

Brussels Airlines is launching nine new flight destinations on 27 March, including eight in Europe: Belfast in Northern Ireland, Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the Canaries, Nuremberg in Germany, Nantes in France, Herak-lion on Crete and Thessaloniki in Greece. The airline will also fly non-stop to Toronto, Canada. The new schedule brings the airline’s destina-tions to 72 in Europe, 19 in Africa and three in North America.

© courtesy Unizo

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vErantwoordElijKE uitgEvEr Hans De Loore

marKantvzw.BE

The Brussels municipality of Etterbeek has come up with an inventive way to bring together two things that plague the urban landscape – dog mess and spray paint. Last week it was reported that two council workers have been sent out into the streets armed with cans of fluorescent spray paint to track down dog poop and spray it for all to see. Good, you might think, that should make them easier to spot and avoid; but that’s not quite the point. The aim is to raise people’s awareness of the prevalence of dog mess on the pave-ments (although you’d be hard-pushed to find anyone who wasn’t aware of the problem through bitter experience).

“This is an awareness campaign,” said alderwoman Marie-Rose Geuten. “Dog owners have to

realise it’s their job to clean up what their dogs leave behind. Our people

will also be speaking to owners and handing out flyers with a map showing where the dog toilets and plastic bag dispens-ers are.”And just in case you were

worried that the streets of Etter-beek will shortly resemble the

starry night of Van Gogh’s paint-ing, have no fear. The fluo spray is

biodegradable, and the painted, erm, piles, will be cleaned up this week. \ AH

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\ POlITIcs

money time Whenever the federal govern-ment meets in Hertoginnedal, discussions get serious. Governments have been shaped and the state has been reformed in this former monastery in Oudergem.But most of all, it has been the place where budget matters have been sorted away from the media’s prying eyes. This time is no different. The federal government’s meeting has been dubbed “money time” (in English) by the Flemish press. The federal budget, it emerged last week, is lacking some €3.2 billion. This is not only unac-ceptable to the European Union, it also threatens the cohesion of the Michel govern-ment, which has vowed to have a balanced budget by 2018.In situations like these, three solutions are possible: budget cuts, new/higher taxes or deciding not to balance the budget by 2018. None of these are particularly attractive. Take the first one. Cuts are something with which this government is already asso-ciated. Cutting more means running the risk of becoming downright unpopular. CD&V, the party that has vowed to be the government’s “social face”, will not hear of it. Neither will Maggie De Block (Open VLD), the popular health minister, who has her own plans for the rising cost of health insurance. Taxes are an even greater taboo. No-one wants to suffer the same fate as Flemish energy minister Annemie Turtelboom, who has a tax named after her. As the centre-right rose to power, it promised to cut taxes. When Johan Van Overt-veldt (N-VA) recently proposed to lower company taxes, this was rejected by CD&V, which blame the budget problems on the finance minister himself. On to the third option: forget about balancing the budget. According to federal budget minister Sophie Wilmès (MR), Belgium could negotiate a European deal regarding this. But her Flemish coalition part-ners are reluctant, as it would mean reneging on their elec-toral promises.The opposition is only too happy to remind everyone about these promises, espe-cially a famous quote by N-VA’s Bart De Wever. Show me the money, he said (in English), in a debate with the francophone socialists, casting doubt about their budgetary management. The quote is now coming back to haunt them, as the deficit is even higher than it was when PS was still in power. And when the going gets tough, this federal government gets… bickering. No wonder prime minister Michel opted for some quality time at Hertoginnedal. \ Anja Otte

5tH column Flanders signs ILO agreementregion partners with labour organisation to improve rights of workers

The government of Flanders has signed a new collaboration agreement with the International Labour Organization

(ILO), with a focus on the position of women and young people. Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois received ILO director-general Guy Rider in Brussels on the eve of International Women’s Day last week.The Geneva-based ILO, which brings together governments, employers and workers, has been helping to improve labour standards through-out the world for nearly 100 years. The new agreement commits Flanders to support of at least €900,000 every two years for projects that help increase social benefits and champion

dignified work. One of the first objectives will be to obtain greater

recognition and appreciation of the work done by women in the care sector. Flanders has earmarked €400,000 for projects that ensure that caring for children and the elderly in their communities, for example, is actually recognised as work. Flemish support, Bourgeois said, “improves the position of women in society and also with regard to their partners. It allows them to feel more secure when they have children, and those children will have better opportunities in the future and in turn be healthier. The new collabo-ration agreement is an important step towards a more co-ordinated, focused and coherent policy regarding the international organisations that are important to Flanders.”

alan hopemore articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

© Belal hossain rana/nurPhoto/corbis

a woman working in a leather factory in hazaribagh, India, considered one of the most polluted cities on the planet

German president Joachim Gauck paid an official three-day state visit to Belgium last week during which he toured the German car constructor Audi in Vorst, as well as the port of Antwerp and a youth centre in Mechelen. President Gauck was received by the king and queen at a ceremony on Tuesday, followed by a meet-ing with prime minister Charles Michel. On Wednesday, he visited Audi Vorst where the new electric SUV will be constructed, before heading for Antwerp where he was received by mayor Bart De Wever.Gauck later took a boat tour of the port and took part in a round table discussion with executives from the port and its chemi-cal companies. The discussions centred around energy efficiency and waste treatment. “Antwerp has grown into the larg-est integrated chemicals cluster in Europe, thanks in part to the strong links with the chemical industry in the Rhine and Ruhr regions,” said Yves Verschueren, managing director of industry federation Essencia. “Given the

growing worldwide competition, Belgium and Germany are going to have to co-operate even more in order to maintain their strate-gic position.”After a lunch served by students from Antwerp’s Piva hotel school, the president accompanied King Filip on a visit to the Regionaal Open Jeugdcentrum Mechelen, which works with socially disad-vantaged young people. On Thursday, Gauck’s day was taken up with visits to Liège and to the German community in Eupen. This was the third offi-cial visit of a German president to Belgium, following Gustav Heine-mann in 1974 and Roman Herzog in 1998. \ AH

German president visits port, Audi and Mechelen youth centre

Liesbeth Homans, the Flem-ish deputy minister-president in charge of home affairs and integration, attended a two-day international meeting in London last week concerning strategies to combat radicalisation. A measure of the extent of young people turning to radicalism is the number who have been convinced to go to Syria to fight on the side of Islamist factions, including IS. An estimated 300 fighters have gone to Syria from Belgium; the number for the UK, with about five times the popula-tion, is 700. Of major concern is what happens if and when those fighters return. Homans met with Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the British under-secretary in charge of counter-ing extremism. Ahmad began by assuring Homans that Belgium has no image problem in the UK, despite international news reports on the terrorist links with Molenbeek.

Homans was briefed on the Brit-ish approach to radicalisation. “Social workers and teachers are obliged to share informa-tion if they have reason to believe anyone with whom they are work-ing is becoming radicalised,” she said. “Unfortunately, that’s still unthinkable in Flanders because of professional confidentiality. In my opinion, privacy ought to end when security is in danger.” The UK has also brought different populations of Muslims together, she said, using internet and TV to communicate alternatives to a radical viewpoint, which “show success stories related to diver-sity”. Ahmad said that he was impressed by Flanders’ policy on mandatory integration courses. “That sort of obligation, including language courses, is not possible in the UK, but Lord Ahmad found the idea interesting, for example in the case of imams,” Homans said. \ AH

Home affairs minister in London to discuss radicalisation

CD&V’s Yves Leterme, who twice served as prime minister of Belgium, has stepped down from politics, after presiding over a city council meet-ing last week in Ypres. Leterme is now based mainly in Sweden, and his duties make it impossible to continue a political career in Belgium, he said. Leterme was minister-president of Flanders from 2004 to 2007, and later moved on to the federal stage, becoming PM in 2008 for nine months, and taking up the post again in 2009 when sitting PM Herman Van Rompuy became president of the European Council. After the federal elections in 2010, Leterme was asked by the king to lead a caretaker government during the record-breaking impasse in which Belgium functioned without a federal government coalition for 18 months. He left office in late 2011 to become deputy secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which took him to Paris. The term ran for two years and was then renewed. In the meantime, Leterme stood in Ypres in local elections and was returned as mayor, with Jan Durnez standing in for him in his absence. In 2014, he became secretary-general of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in Stockholm, which monitors elec-tions and issues advice on drafting constitutions. \ AH

Former PM Yves Leterme steps out of politics

The government of Flanders has launched a car-sharing project in an effort to cut its costs and lighten its carbon footprint, Liesbeth Homans, minister for administrative affairs, has announced. For some time, the government has been looking for a way to get the most out of its fleet of 4,000 cars, which are used during the day but lie idle after working hours. Sharing was raised as an option, but there were too many practical problems. Since January, six government departments spread over three buildings have been car-sharing, she wrote in answer to a parlia-mentary question from opposition member Joris Vandenbroucke. “This project aims to make more efficient use of the existing fleet, with a smaller fleet to come in the future, better deployed and organised,” she wrote. In addition, the government will make use of the public car-sharing system Cambio, with stations installed beside all major government buildings in Brussels and the provincial capitals: Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Hasselt. Vandenbroucke said he was “satisfied” with the first steps taken but urged Homans to go further. “Who dares wins,” he said. “Flanders has to set an example.” \ AH

Government of Flanders turns to car-sharing

© wolfgang kumm/dpa/corbis

German president Joachim Gauck with workers in training at the audi factory in Vorst

march 16, 2016

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Offbeat and onstageslam poetry helps introduce flemish youngsters to poetry and literature

continued from page 1

Because it uses concrete imagery, combined with commentary on current events and personal anec-dotes, slam poetry appeals to a wide audience. The slammers vent their frustrations and criticisms in a candid manner, adding extra depth and meaning with vibrant imagery and rhythm. “It’s not merely about competing against other slammers,” Michels, 25, says. “We’re also trying to woo the audi-ence.” Luck plays a crucial role, she admits. “Sometimes your style of slam hits the mark, and some-times it doesn’t. It all depends on the crowd.”Many professional slam poets started out by taking part in competitions. Antwerp’s annual competition Naft voor Woord, formerly known as Frappant TXT, is one of the more sought after. Besides a grand prize of €1,500 and a lot of local exposure, the winner is guaranteed more performance opportunities and a chance to publish their text.The competition is open to slam-mers aged 18 to 30, and elimina-tion rounds take place at the end of this month. The final will be staged at the end of April. Moya De Feyter was the winner of last year’s edition. “There’s nothing I like more than writing,” she says. “The stage makes for an exhilarat-ing outlet for my work because of the direct confrontation with the audience.”Naft voor Woord, which is spon-sored by Antwerp province and Creatief Schrijven, launched Michels’ career. “It’s a very popu-lar event with quite an eclectic

group of contestants,” she says. “Some produce pure slams, others drift toward hip-hop; still others remain very poetic. It’s fun to see such a diverse mix of genres and people.”The close interaction is what chal-lenges many slammers to never stop revising their poetry. “It’s what keeps my writing alive,” says De Feyter. “I haven’t published any of my work yet because it’s contin-uously evolving. The stage is my research facility, a place to test the waters before putting my words on paper.”Sometimes a poem can become a story, she explains, which can then evolve into a performance. “This is the fun part of any unpublished work. No-one can claim it; it can be something different every time.”Although the subject matter can

be quite diverse, for De Feyter, writing comes instinctively. “It something that just flows, and I don’t really think about it. Before a performance, however, I rehearse in front of a mirror, just as an actor would do. Because when I’m on stage, that’s when it becomes a real craft. The words just come to life.”And while social awareness pops up quite regularly in texts, it isn’t a must. “One of the reasons that

I come off as an oddity in slam poetry is that my texts aren’t polit-ical,” De Feyter says. “I don’t reflect on current events or make social statements; I’m not planning to change the world. I just hope I can make people fall in love with liter-ature.”Like De Feyter, Michels says that writing slams comes to her natu-rally. “I write a lot about my frus-tration at current events, and I use very visual language,” she says. “I’m not a rapper or a poet in the traditional sense. Images are as important as the story.”Greyson, on the other hand, admits that he’s mainly inspired by language. “Particular words or sentences stick with me, and the rest just follows,” he says. “I love discovering links between language, sounds and rhymes.

I don’t write anything based on things I’ve been through. Love, the city and social issues are my main subjects.”All three of the poets have different styles. Greyson loves sharing the stage with musicians who convey emotions on a more abstract level. “When you use words, even really obscure ones, the performance is still quite explicit,” he says.

“Music is one of the most powerful forms of expression, while poetry is usually a form of criticism – whether it’s directed at society or yourself.”For all the thrill, not every poet who comes to a competition ends up on stage. Greyson also sees poetry slams as a way to gain perspec-tive on his own work. He’s writ-ten texts since he was in primary

school, he says, “mostly song lyrics and random texts”.But in 2010 he met pioneer-ing Flemish slammer Seckou Ouologuem at a competition. “I was blown away by what he could do with words. It wasn’t classic poetry – it was dynamic, vibrant and so relatable. I enrolled in a few of his workshops, and that’s how I started.”For a long time, however, slam wasn’t seen as a serious literary genre. According to Michels, who is also a novelist, that’s finally chang-ing. “Over the years, I’ve noticed that more and more people are coming to open mic nights,” she says. “Slamming is becoming more popular, especially among young people.”Noticing the trend, she teamed up with Greyson and found Artype, an organisation that aims to turn slam poetry into a professional craft. “We’re combining slam with other genres, such as classical music and visual arts, to reach a wider audience.” Some literary institutions have started to follow suit. “We’re always looking for ways to promote less conventional forms of literature among younger Belgians,” says Noemi de Clercq of the Flemish Literature Fund (VFL), a Flemish government agency that works to promote Dutch-language litera-ture.Because of its accessibility, slam poetry is seen by VFL as the ideal way to make literature more appealing to younger genera-tions. The fund is now working to take slam poetry out of the liter-ary shadows and put it in the spot-light. Last year, the organisation ran a pilot programme in second-ary schools, putting slam poets in front of classrooms. “By the time they’re 14, many young people stop reading for pleasure,” de Clercq says. The response to the pilot project, she says, from poets, teachers and students “has shown that slam poetry can be a fun way to introduce youngsters to poetry and literature”.The programme was subsidised by VFL, and the speakers – who performed and talked to students about their craft – were selected by a jury of slammers, including Michels. Due to its success, the programme will continue, and De Feyter and Greyson, among others, were added to the list of poets who will visit schools.The dream of turning slam poetry into a recognised genre may soon become reality. According to de Clercq, VFL now plans to include slam poets on its list of recom-mended authors. “We want to make it clear that slam poetry is an integral part of the literary field.”

\ cOVer sTOry

BuitEnland.vfl.BE

Poetry is a form of criticism – whether it’s directed at society or yourself

© Flemish literature Fund

Is it any wonder teenagers are listening? Flanders is sending this group of slam poets into secondary schools to help drum up interest in literature

© koen Broos/carmienmichels.be

“Trying to woo the audience”: carmien michels

\ 6

The government of Flanders has approved changes to the system of granting subsidies for compa-nies to help them do business abroad. The changes include reducing the number of subsidy instruments from eight to four. The govern-ment’s foreign trade agency, Flan-ders Investment & Trade (FIT), is given a two-track role. FIT will provide generic support for four activities: exploratory trips outside the European Economic Area, participation in foreign trade shows and niche events, setting up an overseas prospect-ing office and creating prod-uct documentation and digital communications material. The second track concerns project-oriented financing applied for by companies, enter-prise groups and chambers of commerce on a case-by-case basis, with a special interest in growth countries and develop-

ing economies. According to Claire Tillekaerts, director-general of FIT, research by the University of Leuven has shown that businesses that receive export subsidy sell on average 20% more than those that go it alone. “Flanders lives from its exports,” said minister-president Geert Bourgeois, whose portfolio also includes foreign relations. “The FIT subsidies for international enterprise are hugely popular with Flemish exporters. To use the available resources more effectively in the future, we have worked out a new subsidy system with particular emphasis on beginner exporters and growth economies.”FIT is planning a series of infor-mation evenings to explain the new rules, in Hasselt (23 March), Ghent (13 April), Antwerp (3 May) and Bruges (2 June). \ Alan Hope

Government reforms subsidies for international businesses

\ BUsIness

materials solvayThe Brussels-based chemical group has signed a five-year contract with Boeing to supply composite materials used to lighten large aircraft. The agree-ment follows Solvay’s acquisi-tion of the US Cytec company, specialised in composite mate-rials.

Floor coverings lanoThe carpets manufacturer, based in Harelbeke, West Flan-ders, is said to be in merger talks with the UK’s Victoria group, specialised in woven and tufted carpets and floor coverings.

merger Picanol/TessenderloThe merger between Ypres-based textile machines manu-facturer Picanol and chemical group Tessenderlo has been rejected by shareholders. Luc Tack, who owns some 90% of Picanol and 34.5% of Tessend-erlo failed to convince share-holders of the benefits of a merger.

catering Pain QuotidienThe successful Brussels-based bakery and eatery, with world-wide sales of €320 million, is in negotiations with an unnamed investor seeking to participate in the company’s development. Pain Quotidien is expected to open 30 more outlets this year, including stores in Miami, San Francisco, Boston and on Wall Street.

Textiles sioenThe technical textiles manu-facturer, headquartered in Ardooie, West Flanders, has acquired a 90% share in the Italian Manifattura Fontana company, specialised in geotextiles and woven prod-ucts used in the civil engineer-ing market.

seafood morubelThe Ostend-based shrimp and seafood group has acquired Germany’s Ristic fish farms and processing company, including a shrimp farm in Costa Rica.

stocks Bel 20The Brussels stock market index of the 20 largest capi-talisations is to see changes on 20 March, with the arrival of biotech firm Galapagos, Dutch bank ING and nappies producer Ontex replacing the Befimmo property group, the D’Ieteren car distributor and Delta Lloyd bank.

Week in business App highlights value of cultural

diversity to employersnewcomer unemployment is ‘lost talent’, say uhasselt researchers

Researchers at the Centre for Applied Linguistics at Hasselt University (UHasselt) have developed an app that

familiarises employers, managers and HR staff with the issue of cultural diversity. The app, called Werk.kleur.rijk (Work.colour.rich), provides testimonies from companies and their workers.Through video fragments on the app, both Flemish managers and staff with a migration background present the advantages of and the conditions for cultural diversity. They provide practical tips to avoid pitfalls – arguing, for exam-ple, against rules on the use of language on the

work floor and during breaks.“Via these concrete cases, people can solve difficult situations or anticipate them,” explained UHasselt in a statement. The project was started because of the high unemployment rate among people with a foreign background in Flanders and because of research on discrim-ination during recruitment proce-dures. Too much talent is being lost

to cultural prejudices, said UHasselt.According to Jos Stalmans, managing director of enterprise platform VKW-Limburg, many entre-preneurs appreciate the potential of a diverse staff but don’t know how to start. “They real-

ise the advantages, such as a better response to the expectations of a diverse range of

clients,” said Stalmans. “Tools like this can support them.”

The app was developed in collabora-tion with the Flemish employment

agency VDAB as part of the European Commission project “Cultural diversity on

the Flemish work floor”.

Two associations representing businesses located in Brussels’ pedestrian zone, in force since last summer, have lodged a complaint with the Coun-cil of State aimed at overturning plans to make the zone permanent. According to a spokesperson for one of the groups, the purpose of the complaint is not to stop the development of the zone but to highlight mobility problems associated with closing the central avenues from Fontainasplein to De Brouckere. The closure forces through traffic into a broad loop around the centre, using narrow cobbled streets. However, many businesses are unhappy about the pedestrian zone in general. Posters in shop windows along the avenues and beyond declare “Pedestrian Zone = Death to business”. Local shopkeepers, like local resi-dents, bemoan the lack of consultation before the zone was converted overnight last June. Businesses are also complaining that the city never carried out a study of the impact the zone would have locally. Those complaints are already the subject of cases brought to the Council of State and still pending. \ AH

Businesses take pedestrian zone to Council of State

Inward migration is the “only way to maintain or increase the numbers of the workforce”, according to a new study by the government of Flanders’ depart-ment for labour and social econ-omy (WSE). The report is based on demographic trends that see the native population growing progressively older and the birth rate remaining below replace-ment level.The study, “The Flemish labour market after 2020”, notes that demographic trends in other parts of the world, such as Africa, ensure the continuation of migration streams coming to Europe. Coupled with trends at home, migrants will increasingly be responsible for maintaining or even increasing the workforce. However, for that to happen, the currently low level of participa-tion of migrants in the labour market will have to be addressed. “In 2013, the employment rate for people in Flanders with Belgian parents was 72%, while the employment rate of first-generation non-Europeans was

around 45%,” the department said. “The figures for the second generation are unfortunately not much higher.” The figures point to the chal-lenges facing education, labour policy and integration. Accord-ing to the latest forecasts, the study points out, the workforce in Flanders can expect a fall from 2018 through to the end of the 2030s because of the greying of the population. But worldwide population growth and the continued globalisation of the world econ-omy will provide enough migra-tion movements to ensure that the available workforce in Flan-ders in 2060 will have returned to the levels of 2015, the study claims. \ AH

Migration “only way to keep workforce numbers up”

Internet giant Google is funding Providence+, a collaborative project of Flemish public broadcaster VRT, news website NewsMonkey and digital research institute iMinds. Providence+ will develop tools with which to analyse, predict and improve the impact of online news.As part of the first phase of its Digital News Initiative Innovation Fund, Google invested €27 million in 128 media projects in 23 European coun-tries. It has allocated €2.26 million to projects in Belgium.Providence+ will study news stories to determine which work best on which platforms and when, the ideal strategy to spread news on social media and the reach of an article the longer it is up. “Our journalists will get access to tools that provide crucial insight into how to reach our public via the right channel and at the right moment,” said VRT’s news editor, Emmanuel Rottey. Providence+ will build on the results of Providence, a research project from 2014-2015, for which the same partners collaborated. “We devel-oped algorithms that accurately predict the consumer potential of arti-cles and whether they will go viral,” explained Piet Demeester of iMinds.NewsMonkey will develop tools to increase the impact of viral content. New tools will also give editors a better view on the ideal moment to publish. \ AF

Google funds Flemish research project into impact of online news

andy furnieremore articles by andy \ flanderstoday.eu

march 16, 2016

\ 7

Flanders’ annual Dag van de Zorg offers the public a positive, hands-on view of life in hospitals and care centres around the region.

On 20 March, health-care facilities across Flanders will be opening to the public

for the annual Dag van de Zorg, or Care Day. The event was launched in 2012 to educate the public about the work done behind the scenes by health-care professionals in various facilities. Supported by the government of Flanders and care and welfare umbrella organisations, it’s held on the third Sunday of every March. “It has become more prominent every year, and we had about 250,000 visi-tors last year,” says Els De Smedt, one of the event’s organisers, who is hoping for a similar figure this time.For many, the thought of hospitals conjures up negative or stressful images: the panic of being rushed to emergency, apprehension about test results or the stress of a sick family members. The aim of Dag van de Zorg is to counter people’s apprehensions by presenting a more positive, uplifting hospital experience. “We want to show the sector in a positive light,” says De Smedt. “Health-care workers are there to explain all about their daily roles.” Various organisations will be participating on the day, from major hospitals to smaller institu-tions such as nursing and respite homes, disability centres and facil-

ities dealing with mental health care.One of the participating sites is the Imelda Hospital in Bonheiden, near Mechelen, which has been taking part in the event since it began. General manager Bart Pardon says its involvement has provided bene-fits for both the facility and the public. “Visitors will be allowed into the operating theatre to see how neuro-surgeons and urologists work, and they can even try out our surgery robot,” he says. “The geriatric ward

will be doing demonstrations on older people recovering from illness, while our physiotherapists will show how they help people heal after surgery. Visitors can do exercises on the outdoor track next to the hospital.”Imelda Hospital staff will also show their dispensing system for nurses’ clothing and the maternity unit, where they carry out in vitro ferti-lisation.There will be children’s activities in many of the institutions, espe-cially the larger ones. At Imelda, Pardon says children will be able to follow a trail and carry out assign-ments. “It’s good for them to know what happens behind the scenes at

a hospital,” he says.De Smedt says smaller centres such as nursing homes tend to be visited by families with elderly or infirm members who can no longer live at home. “These people need to see what is on the market so they can compare,” she explains. Medical students are one of the key groups the event is looking to attract. De Smedt says that college and university lecturers encourage them to attend “so they can see for themselves the type of work that they can expect to do”.

Imelda Hospital is particularly looking forward to welcoming students, with Pardon embracing the chance to meet prospective employees. “Like most hospitals, we are in constant need of nursing staff, and Dag van de Zorg can help convince future nurses to come and work with us,” he says. “We have an information booth for potential employees, and we can show them around specific departments they might be interested in working in.”It’s a positive experience, says Pardon, for everybody involved:

“It’s energising to see potential employees looking for work and to see employees showing the world what they do, day in and day out.”As well as finding out what to expect when they use a hospital’s services, visitors to Dag van de Zorg will also learn about how to avoid going to hospital in the first place. Pardon says the health-care sector has an important role to play in this regard. “The first assignment for a hospi-tal should be to find a cure and help people with problems, but the second should be about prevention of illness,” he says. “This is another aspect of the tour. It’s a very educa-tional experience.” Visitors to the Imelda Hospital will learn about the important roles played by food and physi-cal health in preventing illness. “There will be inside and outside fitness trails, where physiothera-pists will show people how they can train,” Pardon said, adding that a diabetic team will also be present to advise people on the sugar levels contained in food. In the week before Dag van de Zorg, its organisers hold their annual conference, which is geared towards professionals in the sector. The theme of this year’s confer-ence is “Care in motion”. De Smedt: “Aside from new technologies, the care industry has new working methods and new structures. It’s a sector on the move.”

Caring and sharingcare day gives hospital visitors a glimpse behind the scenes

antibiotics abuse causes resistant bacteriaResearchers from the Univer-sity of Leuven have shown that the more frequently bacte-ria are treated with antibiot-ics, the more of them survive. The surviving bacteria go on to develop a tolerance to multi-ple drugs. Because of over-consumption and misuse of antibiotics, said the research-ers, resistant bacteria are increasingly common. But even when no resistant bacte-ria are involved, infections sometimes flare up again after a course of antibiotics. The researchers found that the number of tolerant cells in a population increases as bacteria are exposed to anti-biotics more often: Daily doses have a bigger impact than weekly doses. Fortunately, the number of cells with multi-drug tolerance decreases again as soon as the antibiotic treat-ment ends.

new blood test for peanut allergyScientists at Antwerp Univer-sity and Antwerp University Hospital have developed a blood test to predict the seri-ousness of a person’s peanut allergy. The allergy is relatively common, among both chil-dren and adults, but in differ-ent gradations, from harmless symptoms, like an itchy throat, to life-threatening ones, like severe swelling of the face and shortness of breath. Results of the Antwerp study show that different antibodies present in the body point to different levels of allergic reactions. The test works especially well on children younger than seven, the researchers said.

Pollution leads to low birth weightPregnant women exposed to air pollution run a higher risk of having a baby that is below the normal birth weight, according to research carried out by PhD student Esmée Bijnens from Hasselt Univer-sity. Bijnens examined the connection between environ-mental factors and the health of newborns and found that babies born to women exposed to higher concentrations of air pollution during pregnancy had a greater chance of being underweight in proportion to the duration of the pregnancy. The researcher also discovered that the farther a woman’s home is from the nearest traf-fic, the longer the telomeres in her placenta tissue. Telom-eres are sequences of DNA that protect genetic material and become shorter as people grow older. \ Andy Furniere

Week in innovation

\ InnOVaTIOn

dagvandEzorg.BEowen staffordFollow Owen on Twitter \ @Owenstafford

across Flanders20 march

Visitors to last year’s Dag van de Zorg get up close with a brain surgeon

Visitors will be allowed into the operating theatre, and they can even try out our surgery robot

march 16, 2016

\ 9

From 0 to 100thomas more students design a battery-powered race car

students try out new orientation testStarting next week, 8,000 students in the sixth year of secondary school will try out a trial version of the new orien-tation test, which aims to help them make better choices regarding higher education. The test will guide them by analysing their interests, cognitive skills like reasoning and non-cognitive skills like study habits. Only final-year pupils will take part because their immediate progress can be followed up. The orienta-tion test has been developed by the universities of Leuven, Ghent and Antwerp, and Artevelde University College in Ghent, which already have similar tools. While the test will become obligatory for final-year students, the results will be non-binding.

Vsk says no to stereotypes in textbooksSecondary school student organisation Vlaamse Schol-ieren Koepel (VSK) has launched a campaign to change images in school books to more realistically repre-sent the diversity that makes up Belgian society. Accord-ing to the VSK, most school books in Flanders present only traditional family struc-tures, conservative gender roles and a homogeneous racial makeup. Such stereo-types influence students, said VSK, giving them the impres-sion that this is the way things should be. VSK students are gathering hundreds of exam-ples of stereotypes in school books and plan to confront educational publishers over the coming weeks.

UGent launches food training project in asiaGhent University and the Flemish agri-food expertise centre Food2Know are collab-orating with 12 partner organ-isations from Europe and Southeast Asia for the Eras-mus+ project NutriSEA. The European partners will set up a network around food issues with academic institutions, industry and governments in Cambodia, Myanmar and Viet-nam. The partners will train their colleagues in multiple disciplines, including entre-preneurship, food safety, food quality and tech transfer. The consortium will also work to improve international collab-oration and mobility. Partners and students from Southeast Asia will carry out study visits in Belgium and other Euro-pean countries. \ AF

Week in education

\ eDUcaTIOn

The University of Leuven (KU Leuven) is in 12th place in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for Europe and number 35 in the world. The annual ranking is published by the prestigious weekly magazine Times Higher Education, based in London.The ranking describes Leuven as “a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied research”. The university, the website says, “aims to actively participate in public and cultural debate and in the advancement of a knowledge-based society. It puts its expertise at the service

of society, with particular consideration for its most vulnerable members.” Ghent is the next highest-ranked Flemish university on the European list at 52, followed by Antwerp at 97. The Free University of Brussels (VUB) comes in the section 150-160, which are not individually ranked. On the world list, mean-while, Ghent came in at 118 and Antwerp at 190. VUB is in the 301-350 section of the world list.The UK dominates the European rankings, with 46 universities listed, ahead of Germany on 36. The list is headed by Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London. \ Alan Hope

The race car built last year by Formula Electric Belgium was among the fastest in

the world. This year, a team of 37 engineering students from KU Leuven and Thomas More University College in Mechelen have come together to build a worthy successor. For now, it is only a digital prototype, but when it’s complete, the car will boast a sleek aerodynamic design and an entirely electrical engine. Dubbed “Umicore Isaac” after one of the team’s sponsors and the famed British scientist Isaac Newton, the racer should be ready by June. It will then depart for Formula Student, the largest student competition in the world.Races will take place on actual Formula One circuits, which include the Silverstone in the UK, Hocken-heim in Germany and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain.In 2015, the car’s predecessor “Umicore Luna” (pictured) finished fourth in the overall ranking. Although the students are confident about this year’s design, the chal-lenge won’t be easy. Some 600 other schools are currently working on their own prototypes.The competition is part of a post-

graduate programme on innova-tion and entrepreneurship that’s offered at most Flemish universities. As part of their curriculum, students are allowed to work on an entrepre-neurial project of their choosing – with little to no supervision from instructors.How difficult is it to build an electric race car? “The real challenge lies not in constructing one but in ensuring that it achieves a good performance on the track,” says Andreas Wauters, manager of the Flemish team. The students have already designed a 3D prototype, so they can figure out all the elements before construction begins.

Once it’s finished, the car will weigh 200 kilograms and produce upward of 160 horsepower. That’s nearly five times less than the typical Formula One race car, but Umicore Isaac will be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.7 seconds, leaving most conventional road vehicles in the dust.There is just one trade-off. The car has a limited range of 22 kilometres, so for longer distances, it will need extra power. “We will have to put additional batteries on board,” Waut-ers says. “This of course increases the weight, which in turn lowers the overall performance.”The short range won’t be an issue in

the upcoming summer races. “The jury will judge each car on several criteria,” explains Wauters. “The actual performance in the race is just one of them.”For safety reasons, the cars will also not be allowed to race together. “And we can’t use professional drivers,” Wauters adds. “The technology is the focal point here, not the driving abilities. Only the students – at least those with a driving licence – will be at the wheel.”Every team can earn a maximum of 1,000 points. Up to 300 points are given during an off-track inspection, in which the design, appearance and comfort are rated. The remaining 700 points are allotted in tests, which include acceleration and endurance, but also how the car handles, like on the curves. The Flemish team has chosen to focus on performance and reliability. It has developed an active suspen-sion system that dampens wheel movement, which should result in improved ride quality and handling. The prototype is also aerodynamic for better grip on the track.Wauters: “We call these improve-ments a marriage between green innovation and performance.”

KU Leuven in top 12 of Times Higher Education ranking

Why parenting counselling?Women with complications during pregnancy or people who want to have children but have difficulty conceiving are often sent directly from the general doctor to a fertil-ity centre, without receiving any form of psychosocial support. Parenting counsellors will listen to these concerns in a safe and intimate atmosphere. They will inform potential parents about options available to them and, if necessary, refer them to a special-ist. The support can range from couple counselling to sex therapy, and may include assistance with fertility treatment.

Are parenting counsellors only for people who are trying to conceive?While the main target group are couples who are having trouble conceiving, the counsellors can also provide advice to those who are questioning whether they should have a baby at all, like single people and women who are chronically ill. Women who have gone through miscarriage or whose work negatively affects their overall mental health can also find help. The counsellors can even answer questions on adop-tion and foster care, and guide you through a healthy pregnancy.

Who is the study programme intended for?The study programme is primar-ily directed at nurses, midwives

and social workers, but psychol-ogists, sex therapists and general physicians can also benefit from it. People without a relevant medi-cal background will have to pass an admission interview. I hope the new postgraduate programme will lay the groundwork for a network of counsellors all over Flanders, so people don’t have to travel far to find help.

What motivated you to start it?I was adopted as a baby from India by a Flemish couple, and now I want to assist other Flemings who want to have children. In addition to the study programme, I recently established the Kinderwens centre in Diest, Flemish Brabant, where people who want to have children can receive much-needed assis-tance. \ Interview by Andy Furniere

Q&aShanti Van Genechten is a midwife and founder of Expertisecentrum Kinderwens Vlaanderen, an organisation that counsels aspiring parents and is managing a new postgraduate programme in parent-ing counselling at PXL University College in Hasselt

© George Gielen

KindErwEnsvlaandErEn.BE

© Johan Bakker/wikimedia

senne starckxmore articles by senne \ flanderstoday.eu formulaElEctric.BE

© courtesy Formula electric Belgium

last year’s race car designed by the students finished fourth in the overall ranking

\ 10

\ lIVInG

Let batter commencecharity cake bake-off returns with proceeds for expat help service

Across Brussels, residents have taken up the challenge of creating show-stopping

music-themed cakes in the name of charity. Eighteen teams from the international community are about to battle with batter and fight with frosting in the third edition of the Great Brussels Charity Bake-Off.The competition is organised by the British Chamber of Commerce’s young networking wing, Brussels New Generation, and the theme this year is music: All the cakes have to represent a song, band or musical pun from the 1970s, ’80s or ’90s. If that wasn’t enough of a challenge, three top chefs will judge the cakes on a variety of criteria. The event at legal firm Linklaters is open to the public, so everyone can see and taste the cakes. Brussels non-profit Community Help Service (CHS) is the bene-ficiary of the charity event. Its English-language helpline relies on donations, and chair Geoff Brown says that the Bake-Off ’s support “was a welcome surprise. Unlike the French-, Dutch- and German-language helplines here, we don’t receive any subsidies, so we have to seek funds elsewhere – from promo-tional sales such as our calendar, fundraising events, sponsorship, advertising on our website and donations.” Since its launch in 1971, CHS has been a lifeline for members of the international community. Its free and confidential 24-hour helpline for children, adolescents and adults is a unique service, providing English-speaking callers with reli-able information and emergency support. “Calls can be about basic things such as ‘I need a doctor in Woluwe’, or support for loneliness, bereave-

ment, depression, addiction, rela-tionship problems and people contemplating suicide,” says Brown. “We have to be ready for everything.”The self-financing mental health centre is equally equipped to tackle a spectrum of issues in person, with many of its psychiatrists, clin-ical psychologists and psychother-apists working in languages other than English. Among its expand-ing services is the assessment of learning difficulties, in French and German, as well as English. For Brown, one of the centre’s important qualities is its team-work. “I think it’s very positive that the therapists can get together and help each other,” he says. “They can handle pretty much anything that turns up.” While clients were once predom-inantly Anglophone expats, the

centre saw just over 700 new clients in 2015 of 38 nationalities. For coun-selling, CHS can take into account individual financial circumstances. Brown: “No one is turned away for lack of funds.”Brown, from Northern Ireland, has been active in the organisation since his retirement from financial services in 2011. Volunteering at CHS was high on his list of priorities. “I just thought it was something that could suit me,” he says. “I was accus-tomed to playing a role at work with people who were having trouble, and I’m a good listener. That’s one of the main criteria on the helpline, along with being empathetic and non-judgemental. It really is a very

rewarding experience.” With more than 65 people, CHS is continually looking to recruit volun-tary staff and runs regular training and mentoring sessions. “For the helpline, volunteers work on aver-age 10 hours a week, while for the office it varies from half a day to two days a week,” says Brown. “People joining us have differing interests and skills, and the main thing is that they have the right kind of chemis-try to get on with callers or clients and within the organisation.”

Public entry to the Bake-Off is €10, and registration is required. The CHS helpline is 02 648 40 14.

Beer and chocolate: two of Belgium’s flagship products, now brought together by a Fleming with a day job in aviation and a sideline in food and drink.Werner Callebaut spent two years training as a chocolatier, followed a few years later by a course to become a beer sommelier. “I’m one of the few people in Belgium who studied to specialise in both beer and chocolate,” he says. “I started doing pairing events for beer clubs, and it was such a success that I set up my own company. I’m not talking about using beer to make chocolate, or chocolate to make beer, I’m talking about match-ing existing products.”He now offers courses in matching beer and choc-olate, as well as more general introductions to the two for experts and amateurs, including brewery tours, tastings and private events. In his pairing sessions, he provides two beers for each choco-late: one in harmony and one in contrast, to illus-trate how the flavour profiles work together. Examples of beer and chocolate in harmony: the

new Duvel Tripel Hop and a dark praline with a ganache of red pepper and Japanese yuzu; a Lief-mans Goudenband or a Rodenbach Grand Cru, sour beers that match ideally with a white praline filled with dark chocolate ganache and cuberdon.“Beer and chocolate make each other better,” says Callebaut (pictured). “Until recently, nobody was

doing anything in this area, but now I really think this will be the year of beer and chocolate.”Back in 2013, chocolate maker Valentino joined forces with Anders brewery to create a new beer specifically to match one of their chocolates. They were at the recent Chocolate Salon in Brus-sels with several existing beers and a selection of pralines, Callebaut explains. “They had Hoegaarden, which was paired with a dark praline with Cointreau. The orange peel you find in Hoegaarden is also in Cointreau,” he says. “Then you had a milk chocolate with nougat; it went perfectly with a Barbar, which has a subtle honey taste. And there was a buttercream truffle matched with Sint-Bernardus Abt 12, a dark beer with a creamy background.”More and more, he says, chocolate makers are looking into matching their product with beer. “It’s the ultimate seduction. The quality of beer and chocolate is so obvious; we don’t question it because we’ve always known it. It’s always been a trademark of our country.” \ Sally Tipper

bitetwin pleasures: food expert brings beer and chocolate together

winking at BrusselsKnipoogdag translates into English as “wink day”. Funny name aside, this annual event aims to get Dutch-speak-ing residents of Belgium to explore and appreciate their capital city. The afternoon programme is free, with tours, concerts and even free entry to museums and galleries in Elsene. Closing party at Flagey starts at 17.00. 20 March 14.00-18.00, across Brussels

\ knipoogdag.be

Banff mountain Film FestivalOriginating in Canada, this travelling festival showcases the best in outdoor, adventure and extreme-sports movies. Eight filmmakers from around the globe take you to the most breath-taking places on earth, seen through the eyes of athletes and explorers. It’s been touring all month, hits Antwerp next week and moves to Hasselt in April. 22 March 20.00, De Roma, Turn-houtsebaan 329, Antwerp; €19

\ banff.be

world restaurantNot an actual restaurant, but an annual fundraising event for Broederlijk Delen, a non-profit that supports sustaina-ble development in the south-ern hemisphere. Features Colombian cuisine, and live music is provided by Boliv-ian band Kollasuyu Nan. 19 March 19.00-23.30, Familia-zaal Hamme, Pieter van de Jeugdlaan, Hamme (East Flan-ders); €18

\ wereldrestaurant.be

Belgian sport Diving expoWhether you’re an experi-enced scuba diver or just starting out, don’t miss this opportunity to book a diving holiday, try out the latest equipment, learn the newest techniques and connect with other divers, here and abroad. 19-20 March 10.00-18.00, Kinepolis, Groenendaallaan 394, Antwerp; €12

\ duiksportbeurs.be

resource4artThis free exhibition takes up-cycling to a whole new level. See how rubbish can be re-used to create art, fash-ion, design objects and even musical instruments. Register for workshops to learn how to make a vase from leather scraps or a lamp from comic books (€10). 19-20 March, AA Dock’s, Internationalelaan 7, Brussels; free

\ resource4.be

Week in activities

BiEroladE.BE

sarah crewmore articles by sarah \ flanderstoday.eu

Brederodestraat 13, Brussels21 march

© courtesy Brussels new Generation

march 16, 2016

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One foot in the pastExhibition at memorial museum Passchendaele offers unique view of trench warfare

A new exhibition in Passchendaele recalls the horrors of one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War – but you need to get your feet dirty to really feel it.

In 1916 – the halfway mark in the Great War – the situation in Flanders Fields was mostly “All Quiet on the Western

Front”. Throughout that year, like two fierce dogs eyeing each other up from opposite sides of a street, the two armies bristled, growled, barked and occasionally leapt at each other. But on the whole, they were kept firmly on their leashes.It was a different situation further down the front in northern France. Here, the dogs of war had most definitely been unleashed – and the generals had seemingly thrown away the leads. Together, the battles of Verdun and the Somme lasted virtually the whole of 1916 and led to almost two million casualties. But in Flanders it was time to consolidate, to dig in and defend the captured land. The German army in particular constructed elaborate defensive lines stretching along the front. The most notable of these were the Albrecht, Willem and Flandern I, II and III lines, for which they drafted in more than 100,000 Belgian citizens as labourers. The lines took the form of long trenches fortified at regular intervals with concrete bunkers and machine-gun posts and topped with rows of barbed wire. The infantry units manning the lines were backed up by artil-lery massed to the rear. The following year, the Allies encountered enormous difficul-ties attempting to breach these defences, and lost thousands of men in their attempts. These German defensive lines are the focus of the special exhibition Building the Front at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 (MMP17) in the village of the same name, part of the municipality of Zonnebeke. “The exhibition explains why and where these German defensive lines were built, and what materials were used for their construc-tion,” museum curator Steven Vanden-bussche explains. “In addition, during the annual Museum Weekend here, on 23 and 24 April, visitors will be able to see a team actually building a German concrete bunker using original drawings and materials.” MMP17 is housed in the beautiful Zonnebeke castle, which lies in extensive parkland. All three floors are fully utilised to display historical objects, soldiers’ letters, war docu-ments, posters, original uniforms and all sorts of weaponry. These are supported by black-and-white movies from the war and hundreds of original photographs. The Dugout Experience takes visitors under-ground through disconcertingly claustro-phobic tunnels to provide a taste of what life was like in the British army’s quarters – below ground because there was nothing left above ground. Outside are faithfully recon-structed German and British trenches.You may be asking yourself why visit the MMP17 when the much larger In Flan-ders Fields Museum is only eight kilome-tres down the road in Ypres. “The In Flan-ders Fields Museum is definitely an excellent entry point for visitors to this region,” says Vandenbussche, “who want to know the overall history of the First World War.” At MMP17, he continues, they focus more specifically on the Battle of Passchendaele

in 1917, one of the most horrific battles of the entire war. “As the museum is based in the middle of the battlefield, this gives us a unique perspective. Through maps, photo-graphs, illustrations and maquettes, we clearly relate the key events of the battle to local landmarks.”The museum pays homage to all the nation-alities that fought in the battle, with mini-

exhibitions on the armies of Belgium, Brit-ain, Germany, France, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Australia and Canada.The relative peace in Flanders of 1916 didn’t last. Determined to break through the German defensive lines, in the summer of 1917 the British detonated 19 mines in nearby Messines and launched more shells at the German army than they did during the whole of the Battle of the Somme.The objective was to capture the ruins of Passchendaele village. It was a nightmare mission. Torrential rain turned the ground into a quagmire, and the thick, stinking mud swallowed man and machine. Wave after wave of Allied forces were mowed down. Troops were called in from Australia and New Zealand, only to perish within days. Passchendaele became known as “Passion-dale” – the valley of suffering. Eventually, on 6 November, fresh Canadian troops succeeded in seizing the village.Victory came at a huge cost. Eight kilo-

metres of ground had been won. Casual-ties numbered 245,000 Allied and 217,000 German soldiers.Naturally, 2017 will be a big year for the museum, with memorial ceremonies planned for the many nationalities involved in the Battle of Passchendaele. “We will also have a cultural programme called Silent City Meets Living City,” says Vandenbussche.

“Our goal is to have 12,000 volunteers stand-ing in Tyne Cot Cemetery: one person next to every headstone.” It will be a unique way to remember those who died in what is generally viewed as a pointless bloodbath.MMP17 is an excellent museum. But to be honest, I struggle with war museums; I rarely feel connected to the soldiers. The reason is that, by their nature, war museums have to be sanitised versions of reality. The Dugout Experience at MMP17 was fascinating, but tidy and dust-free. The replicated trenches were interesting, but smart and clean, with the bottoms of the trenches covered with smoothly planed wooden boards so visitors’ feet don’t get muddy. To feel a connection, I knew I had to do some-thing else. I had to get my walking boots on.Two historical trails start from MMP17. To the south, an eight-kilometre circular foot-path takes you through Polygon Wood, scene of a massacre of British and Austral-

ian troops during the Battle of Passchen-daele. To the north, a nine-kilometre route takes you to Tyne Cot Cemetery, where many of the battle’s dead are buried.I started with the southern route. The wind whistled through my coat, the rain misted my glasses, and the fields of Flanders looked desolate and muddy. Probably a little like in 1916.Except that 100 years ago the conditions would have been infinitely worse, and at the end of my day, I could return home. The soldiers here were in this landscape all day, all night, all week. But not much longer than that. A soldier’s average life expectancy in the trenches was six weeks. Staying on the neatly maintained gravel foot-path was not really enough. I wandered off the path and stood in a muddy field. Watch-ing the water seep up to my laces, I finally felt a connection with the past. Was this the same mud that those young men had trudged through? And perished in? Was I standing above their bones?In the afternoon I took the northern route along the old Passchendaele railway line to Tyne Cot Cemetery. Schoolchildren weaved silently in and out of the endless rows of white gravestones. An elderly lady knelt down on the grass, kissed a headstone and gave a tearful sign of the cross. So visit MMP17. Watch the movies and listen to the tapes. Study the maps and the faded photos. Learn about trenches and dugouts. Marvel at the uniforms and the weaponry. But don’t forget to go outside. Stand in a muddy field. Sit in the woods. Touch the gravestones. Connect with the past.

PasschEndaElE.BE

denzil waltonFollow Denzil on Twitter \ @allwriteDenz

As the museum is based in the middle of the battlefield, this gives us a unique perspective

The artillery room in the memorial museum Passchendaele 1917

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There is an app for Flanders Today, you know, which makes it super easyto keep up with daily news and features anywhere at any time on yoursmartphone or tablet

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If you download the pdf, it looks just like the paper you’re holdingin your hand (but your fi ngers won’t get all black)

IF YOU GO DIRECTLY TO A SECTION, ARTICLES LOOK LIKE THIS

CHECK OUT OUR COOL-LOOKING,EASY TO MANOEUVRE APP HOMEPAGE CHECK OUT OUR COOL-LOOKING,EASY TO MANOEUVRE APP HOMEPAGE

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march 16, 2016

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Cauldron bubbleBruegel’s witches (and friends) land in Bruges exhibition

Witchcraft, superstition and persecution are the themes of an atmospheric exhibition of art and artefacts in Bruges’ Sint-Janshospitaal.

Bruges seems to have drawn the short wand when it comes to hosting Bruegel’s Witches.

Rather than getting the exhibition for Halloween last year, when it was spooking the citizens of Utrecht in the Netherlands, the show arrives at Sint-Janshospitaal just as spring is on its way. An effort will be made for the tradi-tionally witchy Walpurgis Night, on 30 April, but you can almost hear the curses being muttered in the tourist office.That said, the exhibition does a lot to get you in the mood. The entrance is up a winding stone staircase, which echoes with sepulchral chanting. At the top of the stairs is a tunnel of fabric, printed with images of a witches’ sabbath, leading into the darkness. Electric candles on the floor show the way, and a Hand of Glory (with lightbulb flames coming from its fingers) flickers on the wall.Sometimes exhibitions insist on gloom to protect delicate paint-ings or prints, but here it’s all part of the atmos-phere. There are even electric candles you can carry around; more for effect, it turns out, since

they’re too weak to help in decipher-ing the exhibition guidebook.The show itself is a combination of art and artefacts, often a sign that there isn’t enough art to go around the venue. But the great significance of books, charms and other objects in the history and lore of witchcraft means that the glass cases contain some of the exhibition’s highlights. There are copies of tracts warning against witches and books such as the Malleus Maleficarum, a noto-rious guide to hunting them. Then there are tools for practising witch-craft and the associated trades of fortune-telling and conjuring, and objects for warding off evil.The two sides of the struggle are not always easy to distinguish. One of the most sinister objects in the exhi-bition is a protective whistle made from a dried rat’s foot, its ceramic mouthpiece covered in Latin text and decorated with a death’s head. And what’s with the walking phallus badges worn by medieval pilgrims?The largest and most dramatic artefact is a wooden pillory in the shape of a cloak, carved with figures intended to protect against

evil. Women being punished for prostitution or adultery

in the late 17th century would be made to sit

inside, restrained by a metal hoop around

their necks.The way the pursuit of

witches was used to justify the

persecution of women who did not fit in, either because of their looks or their behaviour, is a further theme of the exhibition. In partic-ular it explores the cases of Mayken Luucx and Maycken Karrebrouck, two women from Bruges burned as witches in 1634. The bland portraits of city elders, hanging nearby, take on a new dimension when you read that they were actively involved in torturing, trying and executing witches.But where does Bruegel come into all this? The exhibition argues that while images of witches are common enough throughout the middle ages, it is Pieter Bruegel the Elder who brought all their now familiar attributes together for the first time. He did this in designing two prints – “St James and the Magician” and “St James the Fall of the Magician” – published in Antwerp by Hierony-mus Cock in 1565.Each image is full of demonic action, but to one side of “St James and the Magician” there’s an open fireplace with a cauldron, a cat by the hearth and a woman riding a broomstick about to disappear up the chim-ney. All that’s missing is the pointed hat, which doesn’t appear in art for another 200 years.Paintings and illustrations of witches before and after Bruegel are produced to show the extent to which the Flemish master set the

tone for the rest of the 16th and 17th centuries. Even as the intent shifts from dire warnings of evil to enter-tainment, the elements that Bruegel brought together persist.This can be seen in a series of 17th-century paintings of witches’ kitchens by Frans Francken II and David Teniers II. Here evil is replaced by the mild titillation of young women disrobing in order to have a magic salve applied to their bodies, giving them the power of flight. It’s all very jolly, until you real-ise that Franken produced one of his paintings in Antwerp in 1631, barely a year after the city burned its first and only witch.The exhibition ends with a quick run through the subsequent cultural history of witches, from the Wizard of Oz and accounts of the Salem witch trials to Suske en Wiske and Disney (but not Harry Potter, perhaps due to the powerful magic of copyright). The final room gives kids the chance to dress up like witches and ride a broomstick flight simulator.

Jan De cock forced to sell Brussels art InstituteFlemish artist Jan De Cock has listed his Brussels Art Insti-tute (BAI), which is also home to his studio, up for sale. De Cock created BAI in the mid-1990s in an old paper factory in Anderlecht. He invested €500,000 of his own money and took a loan to pay for extra classrooms and a jazz bar. The project narrowly missed being approved for a subsidy of €900,000 this year, while lender KBC called in a €1 million loan. De Cock, 39, said he hopes to sell it to someone who will allow it to continue to be used as an arts education space. “I’ve tried everything to avoid this sale,” he told brus-selnieuws.be. “But even with all the contacts I have, I can’t make it work. This is the begin-ning of a major crisis in the sector of culture and educa-tion.” Some 400 students of the Sint-Lukas School of Arts are currently using the BAI while their school in Schaarbeek is being renovated.

Tuxedomoon collaborator Bruce Geduldig dies at 63American actor and perfor-mance artist Bruce Gedul-dig passed away last week in Sacramento, California, on his 63rd birthday. Known worldwide for his pioneer-ing multimedia work with avant-garde music collective Tuxedomoon, which moved from San Francisco to Brus-sels in the 1980s, Geduldig also collaborated with Belgian partners on projects spanning the artistic spectrum. He had a chart hit with the Brussels electronic outfit The Weath-ermen and directed music videos for other artists. He was particularly prolific in his final years, appearing in films by Ghent-based director Kris De Meester, Brussels-based filmmaker Martine Doyen and Flemish choreographer Wim Vandekeybus.

Geel awards honorary citizenship to Jef neveFlemish jazz pianist Jef Neve was given honorary citizen-ship by the town of Geel last week. Born in the town, the musician is only the third person ever to receive the honour, after museum cura-tor Jan Hoet and composer Armand Preud’Homme. Neve lived in Geel until the age of 18, when he left to study music in Leuven. His parents and brother still live there. “I’m extremely proud of this beau-

tiful town,” Neve tweeted. “The people here have their hearts in the right place.”

Week in arts & culture

ian mundellfollow Ian on Twitter \ @Ianmundell

sint-JanshospitaalMariastraat 38, Bruges

until 26 june

© kunsthistorisches museum, ViennaDavid rijckaert III, “mad meg or sweeping hell clean”, after 1650

© mas, antwerpen

© noordbrabants museum

BEzoEKErs.BruggE.BE

march 16, 2016

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Alex in Wonderlandhooverphonic may have lost another singer, but they’ve gained six more

Belgium’s most popular name on the electro-pop scene discuss career breakups, artistic collaborations and their new album, which features no fewer than six guest singers and a diversity of musical styles

Hooverphonic are back, and the electronic group behind the hits “Mad About You” and “2Wicky” are

bringing a number of surprising changes with them. For starters, the band is now a duo, and their new album, In Wonderland, is perhaps the most varied one yet – with no fewer than six guest voices. “At a certain point in your life, you start seeing things differently,” says the band’s leader, Alex Callier. With just himself and guitarist Raymond Geerts remaining, it is the first time in the band’s 21-year history that they will perform as a duo. In their ongoing successful career, Hooverphonic have seen seven members come and go, including five singers.The story with the band’s female vocalists reads like a fast-paced record. The first three came and went in the first three years. In 1998, Geike Arnaert became the voice of the band, but she departed in 2008 to pursue a solo career. Two years later, Noémie Wolfs filled the spot. The band released two albums that included major hits like “The Night Before” and “Amalfi”. But last year, the collaboration came to an end.Although Wolfs didn’t quite match with the rest of the group in terms of style, Callier argues that that wasn’t the main reason behind her departure. “We just weren’t seeing eye to eye anymore. There are no hard feelings, and we still talk when we see each other. But the chemistry you need to feel between the band members was gone.”Callier says the decision to part ways was mutual, but he regrets that Wolfs has since “stated that she was the one who chose to leave”. Crisis breeds opportunity, however, and the break up, he adds, has worked out for the best. “Noémie is bringing out some solo stuff, and we’ve recorded an album that we couldn’t have put together before.”Meet In Wonderland. Musically, it is argu-ably the most varied album Hooverphonic has ever released. “Thanks to streaming services, we’ve gone back to the era of indi-

vidual songs,” Callier says. “Albums have become less important, especially for the younger generations.”The change compelled the band, who head out on tour on 6 April, to opt for a less uniform album, something that “feels like an eclectic soundtrack for an art house film”. When they were making it, Callier says, “we felt like kids in a candy store”.Two songs on the album, “Moving” and “God’s Gift”, were written more than 10 years ago. “They were meant for the album No More Sweet Music, but they didn’t fit Geike’s voice,” explains Callier, referring to the band’s vocalist at the time. Instead of looking for another female singer, Callier says, “we wanted to seize the oppor-tunity to finally release these records” and opted for a male singer.Then they dug up even more songs they hadn’t used in the past and went looking for more singers. In the end, six voices, male and female, can be heard on the new album.Does this mean the quest for a lead vocalist is over? “You never know,” Callier says. “But it will have to be a damn good singer. That’s the nice thing about being a musician – you know where you start, but you never know where you’re gonna end up.”He’s quick to dismiss any notion that In Wonderland is a collection of remnants of

a bygone era. “We have selected these songs purposefully,” he says. “They’re not leftovers. Don’t forget that you can cook up a delicious new meal with whatever uneaten food you find in the fridge.”As for what the critics might think, he couldn’t care less. “We’ve been nurturing these songs for years. We couldn’t release them because our formula was limited, but those limitations are gone now.”In Wonderland is a vivid and poignant album that runs just past the half-hour mark. It is a collection of five singles with an A and B side, and comes in both digital and physical forms, CD and vinyl. There is even a box set version of five seven-inch records, but it’s limited to 300 copies.“It’s an album that reflects perfectly who we are,” Callier says. “We have very diverse tastes in music. I can easily switch from ‘Wichita Lineman’ by Glen Campbell or Françoise Hardy to the new semi-psyche-delic album by Ray LaMontagne.”The free spirit of the album runs the risk of disappointing some dedicated followers. When the band released the song “Cocaine Kids” as a teaser last year, they heard from plenty of their fans, Callier says. “A lot of them wrote that if the whole album was like that, they wouldn’t buy it.”Sitting next to Callier is Geerts, the only

other founding member still active in Hooverphonic. But the solemn guitar-ist keeps to himself and doesn’t say much during the entire interview. As usual, Callier does most of the talking. It is this relationship between Callier’s loud and persuasive character and Geerts’ more reserved one that has led to the misconcep-tion that Hooverphonic is mainly about the former. While Callier does most of the song-writing, he is quick to dismiss such specu-lations. “High winds blow on high hills, right? I really believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We make all deci-sions together and really complement each other.”This wasn’t always the case for Hoover-phonic. Following the release of their second album in 1999, the other founding member, Frank Duchêne, left the band. “The problem with Frank was that he wanted to hold the same spot in the band as me. But an orches-tra can’t have two conductors.”Callier, on the other hand, knows his role: “Writing, producing and mixing songs. That’s a very privileged position. If I did it as a solo artist, it would never be the same.”

Hooverphonic play Brussels on 6 April, Antwerp on 14 April and Ghent on 21 April

christophe verbiestmore articles by christophe \ flanderstoday.eu hoovErPhonic.com

few BitsBig Sparks • [PIAS]

Three years after releasing an eponymously titled debut, the Antwerp band Few Bits are back with a new album filled with sparkling pop songs. The effervescent music on Big Sparks is contrasted by the melancholic voice of front-woman Karolien Van Ransbeeck, whose voice brings to mind the great Hope Sandoval of the American band Mazzy Star. Even though Few Bits’ songs are generally more up-tempo, sometimes even summery, they do have some more intimate songs in store, and they are at least as convincing as the more vibrant tunes. The album will be released on 25 March.

wim mertensWhat Are We, Locks, to Do? • WMM

Last summer, Wim Mertens released Charaktersketch, the first part of a trilogy. What Are We, Locks, to Do? is the second and comes off quite differently. After the first’s chamber music, Mertens opts here for solo piano and vocals (and a few whistles). He sings in his characteristically high-pitched counter-tenor, using a self-created language that at times resembles real words, though mostly it doesn’t. The titles of the songs do provide some clues as to what they’re about (“Mixed with Hellebore”, “But the Archer Himself Feeling the Arrow's Point from Another Bow”). The songs are inspired by the work of Callimachus, the Greek poet from the third century BC.

more neW albums tHis montH

© courtesy Greenhouse Talent

a host of guests will join raymond Geerts (left) and alex callier on the hooverphonic tour this month

march 16, 2016

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classical

performance event

festival

This week-long festival features the work of contemporary Flem-ish dance collective Manyone. Member artists Sarah Vanhee, Mette Edvardsen, Alma Söder-berg and Juan Domínguez, along with co-ordinator Natalie Gielen, incorporated in 2013 with the aim of creating a shared subsidy struc-ture that would double as a labora-tory of collaboration. The project bears fruit with this showcase. The fab four present over a dozen cross-disciplinary performances and installations, illustrating the autonomy nurtured by group soli-darity. The artists also discuss their practice as “choreographers who don’t create dance”. \ GV

Each edition of the biennial festi-val Cordefactum is curated by the Centre for the Crafting of Musical Instruments in Puurs to highlight a different group of classical instru-ments. This edition celebrates the violin, the viola da gamba and the lute. The programme boasts nightly concerts as well as daytime lectures, workshops and exhibi-tions. Among the international

line-up of performers are award-winning lute and voice duo White Sparrow. Formed in Helsinki in 2011 as a collaboration between Canadian mezzo-soprano Debi Wong and Norwegian lute player Solmund Nystabakk (pictured), White Sparrow have toured the world performing works by Renais-sance composer John Dowland. \ Georgio Valentino

The culinary landscape has never been more diverse, with molecular gastronomy at one end of the spectrum and a vogue

for street food at the other. This year’s De Nacht van de Geschiedenis (History Night) satisfies the public’s craving for both good food and more information about what we eat with the theme “Taste”. Roughly 200 activities across Flanders invite you to explore food, flavour and changing tastes throughout history. Local food traditions are a major focus, with many activities based on specialities like beer and chocolate. Take one of several brewery tours or attend one of many workshops how to pair beer and food, beer and cheese or beer and chocolate.In Koekelare, one can learn how to prepare haring met patat in de pel (herring with jacket potatoes) and enjoy this folk recipe with a local

beer and regional dessert. For the dedicated gourmand, there are exclusive culinary experi-ences with top chefs. Famed cooking school Ter Duinen in Koksijde is offering a three-course menu featuring “forgotten vegetables”. And in Alken, food archaeologist Jeroen van Vaer-

enbergh will introduce you to the foods of our ancestors.The annual event is organised by Flemish cultural institution Davidsfonds, which chose the theme to coincide with its publication of Smaak! Een geschiedenis in 120 recepten (Taste! A History in 120 Recipes) by Ghent University historian Annelies Van Wittenberghe.“It’s an unconventional cookbook that tells our culinary history through recipes,” explains Tine Vanhelst, director of Davidsfonds. “Each recipe is based on a text from a historical cookbook.”The author will present a handful of reci-pes from the book at Sint-Andries church in Antwerp, placing them in their wider economic and cultural context, along with practical tips on how to prepare them. Participants will also get to try some of the dishes and take the reci-pes home. \ Diana Goodwin

The grassroots political move-ment Hart Boven Hard was born in 2014 as a reaction to the austerity policies proposed by the Flemish government. It has since spread over the whole of Belgium and become a voice for the average citizen whose standard of living is threatened by Europe’s turn toward individualism and hyper-competition. This parade through the federal and Flemish capital hopes to draw attention to the movement’s proposed alternatives to austerity. These include a return to solidarity, sustainable growth and shared prosperity. Last year’s parade saw some 20,000 citizens come together for the cause. \ GV

Taking a bite out of history

De Nacht van de Geschiedenisconcertantwerp Pomrad: Pop music and light show by the Antwerp musician and performer Adriaan van de Velde and his nostalgic hip-hop/funk trio. 18 March 20.00, Desguinlei 25

\ desingel.be

BrusselsAzmari: Ethiopian jazz and other Afro beats come together to create a dense and hypnotic atmosphere during this free concert. 17 March 21.00, Soul Inn, Plattesteen 18

\ facebook.com/soulinnbrussels

performanceantwerpOur Town: Students from Antwerp International School perform the 1938 classic by American playwright Thorn-ton Wilder about life in the small village of Grover’s Corners (in English). 17-19 March, AIS, Veltwijcklaan 180

\ ais-antwerp.be

OstendDans.Impact: A full evening of contemporary dance awaits at this annual competition for the title of Contemporary Dance Ambassador of Flan-ders, featuring seven dance groups from across the region. 20 March 19.00, CC De Grote Post, Hendrik Serruyslaan 18

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visual artsBrusselsAndres Serrano: Retrospec-tive dedicated to the contem-porary American photogra-pher whose work never ceases to raise the most controversial questions about modern soci-ety. Featuring some 100 photo-graphs that follow the artist’s creative path. 18 March to 21 August, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Regentschaps-straat 3

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familyBrusselsMammoetatnu: Four actors laze in the grass, gaze up at the clouds and contemplate the biology behind everything they can imagine, from brown polar bears and stinky roses to third nipples and walking fish (in Dutch; ages 10+). 19-23 March, Bronks, Varkensmarkt 15-17

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Some stories continue to enthral audiences centuries after they are first told. Charles Perrault’s 17th-century fairy tale Sleeping Beauty is one of them. The tale remained on the page for over a century until the Romantic school began composing verse and music around it. Then, in 1890, the maes-tro of 19th-century choreogra-phy, Marius Petipa, adapted it as

a ballet, complete with a timeless score by Tchaikovsky. Royal Ballet Flanders presents the 1987 produc-tion by Brazilian choreographer Marcia Haydée, who retained the technical complexity and the orig-inal score of but added contem-porary elements. The production runs in Ghent before moving to Antwerp. \ GV

cordefactum

sleeping Beauty

it all happens in your head

hart Boven hard Parade

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across Flanders davidsfonds.BE

22 march

stedelijk conservatorium, mechelen cordEfactum.BE

18-20 marchVooruit, Ghent vooruit.BE

22-26 march

Opera Gent & stadsschouwburg antwerp oPEraBallEt.BE

23 march to 17 aprilstarts at north station, Brussels hartBovEnhard.BE

20 march, from 14.00

© Joachim Beuckelaer, 1564, staatliche museen kassel

march 16, 2016

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Eric Vekeman, 64, used to run a grocery store in the pretty village of Zegelsem. When he retired, he needed somewhere convenient to park his

car, so he decided to turn the empty shop on the ground floor of his house into a garage.Ik heb hier mijn leven lang een voedingswinkel gehad – I’ve run a grocery shop here all my life, he told De Standaard. Toen die sloot – when it closed, wilde ik de ruimte ombouwen tot een garage – I wanted to turn it into a garage, mét automatische kantelpoort – with an automatic swing door. But the authorities weren’t so enthusiastic. Van de gemeente kreeg hij geen vergunning – The local coun-cil refused him planning permission, om zijn voedings-winkel te verbouwen tot garage – to change his grocery store into a garage.They said it would spoil the look of the village. Het dorpsgezicht in het hart van de Vlaamse Ardennen is beschermd – The view of the village in the heart of the Flemish Ardennes is protected by law. En dus mag ik niets veranderen aan mijn huis – And that means I can’t make any changes to my house. Zélfs geen poort steken – Not even a garage door.So Vekeman came up with a creative solution. Ik ben een knutselaar, hé – I like DIY, you know? Ik heb er twee jaar elke dag aan gewerkt – I’ve worked on it every day for two years. Nu kan ik mijn voorgevel gewoon opendraaien – Now I can just open up the front of the house. In wat de voedingswinkel was, staat nu zijn BMW – His BMW is now parked in what used to be his grocery store. Achter een groot raam – Behind a large window, een vensterbank – a window seat, en een bakstenen

muurtje – and a low brick wall. You can admire his handiwork on YouTube.Vekeman proudly demonstrates how it works. Hij schuift het grote winkelraam helemaal open – He pushes the big shop window wide open, daarna doet hij hetzelfde met het muurtje – then does the same with the low wall. In minder dan twee minuten kan de BMW naar buiten bollen – In less than two minutes, he can roll out his BMW. But some people are never satisfied. Het moet nog snel-ler – It has to be faster, Vekeman told De Standaard. Ik droom ervan om mijn poort  te automatiseren – My dream is to build an automatic door.Er stoppen hier veel mensen – A lot of people stop here, die zich afvragen hoe die auto in mijn huis geraakt is – and ask themselves how that car got into my house. Zij zien niet dat mijn gevel kan opendraaien, hé – They don’t know I can open that little wall.Which shows what can be done if you think outside the box.

Talking Dutchno parking? we’ll see about that

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tHe last Word

what’s in a name? “No problem. We’ll throw that word out. From now on I’m Buffalo Mel. But I’ll wear my feathers with as much pride as before.”Melissa Joos, who as “Squaw Mel” forms half of the mascot couple of football club AA Gent, has changed her name following a request from Native American journalist and activist Suzan Shown Harjo

spick and span“When I first arrived, I couldn’t believe my eyes. A lot of these cells are cleaner than the average Flemish office.”VTM “cleaning diva” Sien De Clerck is giving a course in house-cleaning to the inmates of Ghent prison

lonesome doves“Why are there so few who are called? Because nobody wants to spend his evenings alone with four walls and a TV. The TV is fine when there’s football on, but it’s no good to share your cares with.”Hugo Vangeel, 74, has joined other former priests in voicing concerns about required vows of celibacy

the real deal“Civilians can never have the same impact on children as we can. The uniform makes a big impression.”The decision to stop using police officers to teach road safety will be a loss to Flanders’ schools, according to chief inspector Christiaan Styns of the traffic division

a. No, and that exclusion should be part of any contract. Extra-curricular activities are as much a part of school life as classes

b. Yes. They’re paying for the maintenance of the school, so they should get to decide how it’s used. That's only fair

Perhaps not surprisingly, there is overwhelming support this week for the idea that school buildings should be at the disposal of school authorities. The question arose recently when the private funders involved in the Scholen van Morgen (Schools of Tomorrow) public-private partnership asked that schools limit activities that take place in the schools it paid to

build to school hours – meaning no extra-curricular activities, like sport clubs or community meet-ings. The reasons are simple: insur-ance liabilities and wear-and-tear.Through a deal with the govern-ment, BNP Paribas Fortis and AG Real Estate fund the building of new schools, which means they own them. They lease them to the region, and after 30 years, the

region owns them.It’s a good solution for much-needed new schools in Flanders – but should private partners be allowed to influence a school’s decision-making powers? You clearly say no, possibly remember-ing your own schools as communi-ties in which children learned not only how to do long division but also a host of other life-lessons.

Polldo you think that private-sector partners should be allowed to decide on the use of the new schools they fund?

\ next week's question: Anti-cancer non-profit Kom op tegen kanker has called for smoking to be banned in many open-air spaces such as amusement parks and railway platforms. What do you think?Log on to the Flanders Today website at www.flanderstoday.eu and click on VOTE!

CONNECT WITH US LIKE USTweet us your thoughts @FlandersToday

Kylian @MrKylianThis mansion looks amazing. #Oudenaarde, you’ve surprised me!

Ellen Andersen @ellen_andersen1Antwerp Central Station... one of the most beautiful railway stations in the world

In response to: Talking Dutch: No parking? We’ll see about thatJose DE Clercq It now has become a tourist attraction.

In response to: KU Leuven in top 12 of Times Higher Education rankingSimon Davidoff: And to top it off surrounded by the best beers in the world, Belgian fries served with mayo. Makes me wish I was young.

In response to: Life is like a box of chocolatesOlivia Sadie de Vos: I thought it was to get people to pick up their dog poop!

voices of flanders today

In response to: Brussels businesses take pedestrian zone to Council of StateDís Sigurgeirsdóttir: As much as I was against this in the beginning, I now absolutely love the car free zone and the idea of greener Brussels. Bring it on! I have to say, however, that this was poorly executed.

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derek Blythmore articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

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