Fabrice du Welz
Belgian award-winning filmmaker Fabrice Du Welz makes dark, often violent, heavily atmospheric films about deplorable acts that manage surprisingly to reinforce our general feeling of humanity. His first feature length film Calvaire (2004) is based on the same news item that inspired Psycho and Texas Chainsaw Massacre and was selected for the Semaine de la Critique at the Cannes Film Festival, ...
8m Jun 18, 2017
8m
Europe in Brussels: Luxembourg
Celebrations for Luxembourg’s National Day will begin, as custom has it, the night before 23 June. The small country is home to less than 585,000 people yet you can still find Luxembourgers right here in Brussels. We met with Abby, who just recently found her Luxembourg roots and was happy to connect with her new-found family.
3m Jun 18, 2017
3m
Relay for Life
A 24-hour non-stop relay organised by the international community of Belgium this weekend raised tens of thousands of euros for cancer research, prevention and treatment. Relay for Life was brought to Belgium from the US in 2011 and has grown ever since. We head to St John's International School to speak to those involved.
4m Jun 18, 2017
4m
Brusselicious
In 2012 Visit Brussels chose Brusselicious as its theme and from that year of culinary events the Tram Restaurant and the Eat Brussels! festival have become successful annual affairs. Now Visit Brussels is creating the Brusselicious Label. With no existing label, for tourists and locals alike, it is sometimes difficult to know, out of the 3000 restaurants in the city, which ones are the best fo...
4m Jun 18, 2017
4m
Give Music a Chance
Give Music a Chance was an eclectic, family-friendly music bash taking over the gorgeous grounds of Waterloo’s Campus d‘Argenteuil on Saturday. It's not only a festival but also a charity event. All proceeds are going to social projects in Vietnam and Myanmar, giving young people in areas affected by poverty or conflict the opportunity to make music. We meet the organiser.
2m Jun 11, 2017
2m
Restaurant Vincent: the Îlot Sacré is getting its soul back
Over the years, the Rue des Bouchers became a tourist trap filled with characterless restaurants serving lousy food and employing aggressive touting tactics to catch unwary tourists. But things are finally changing. The city has embarked on an ambitious plan to upgrade the streets of the Îlot Sacré, while enforcing regulations to weed out the worst restaurants and at the same time attract quali...
4m Jun 10, 2017
4m
Europe in Brussels: Portugal
According to 2016 statistics, approximately 38,000 Portuguese expats are currently living in Belgium, and their impact can be easily seen.
3m Jun 10, 2017
3m
Tradfest Belgium 2017
Tradfest is the largest traditional Irish music and culture festival to be run in Belgium, organised by the Irish embassy. Ambassador Éamonn MacAodha explains what's in store for this 2017 edition from 12-18 June.
3m Jun 04, 2017
3m
Europe in Brussels: Denmark
Danish expats in Brussels and people in Denmark will be celebrating their Constitution Day on 5 June. The holiday dates back to 1849 when the Danish Constitution was signed, which established a constitutional monarchy. We meet two Danish expats to find out about the tradition.
4m Jun 04, 2017
4m
Europe in Brussels: Sweden
Grab your blue and yellow and watch as Swedes in Brussels gear up to celebrate Swedish National Day on 6 June. The day commemorates two historical events while giving otherwise humble Swedes a chance to show their patriotism. We meet Frédéric Melchior - Swedish and Luxembourgish by birth but Belgian by choice.
2m Jun 04, 2017
2m
Ipswich Choral Society in Brussels
The Ipswich Choral Society are visiting Holy Trinity Brussels (Ixelles) on 2 June. They are the second oldest choral society in the UK, having been founded in 1824. The group's vice-president is Stevie Wishart, a renowned composer and based in Brussels.
3m May 25, 2017
3m
Europe in Brussels: Italy
Italians, one of the biggest expat communities in Brussels, are celebrating a national holiday on 2 June. We talked to the Italian deputy head of mission in Brussels to find out more about this day and their presence in the EU’s capital.
3m May 25, 2017
3m
Where Are Sounds?
There's a new exhibition at the Central(e) in Brussels that is unusual in its focus on a particular form of contemporary art: works that study the interaction between sound and images. Canadian curator Nicole Gingras explains.Through October 9centrale.brussels
4m May 25, 2017
4m
Trump Not Welcome protest in Brussels
Police estimate that 9,000 people attended a "Trump Not Welcome" protest to coincide with the US president's arrival in Brussels on Wednesday evening.
2m May 25, 2017
2m
The Jolly Roger Social Club
We meet a British author in Brussels who has written a true-crime thriller about a serial killer in an expat community … not here in Brussels but in Panama on the Caribbean coast. Nick Foster describes how he came across the story, what was involved in the research - and how you could see it on TV sometime soon.
3m May 21, 2017
3m
The Great Get-Together in Brussels for Jo Cox
Brussels will commemorate the first anniversary of the death of British MP Jo Cox with the Great Get-Together, held in tandem with 19,000 similar events around the UK. Come along on Sunday 18 June for a picnic in Leopold park to celebrate her life and work. Two of the organisers Iona Hamilton and Jonathan Hill were our guests in the studio to explain what's happening.https://www.facebook.com/ev...
6m May 14, 2017
6m
Flemish chef Sofie Dumont
Award-winning celebrity chef Sofie Dumont has the very popular daily cooking show Sofie in de keuken van on VTM where she promotes her version of delicious healthy food with an emphasis on how to feed children healthy food that they will want to eat. We caught up with her at Pistolet Original where she has created a special Summer pistolet which intertwines her culinary memories of her Brussels...
3m May 13, 2017
3m
Monumental new tapestry on display in Brussels Cathedral
London born Australian artist Irene Barberis first got interested in the Book of Revelation in the 80's and was surprised to find out that "no females had worked with the full cycle of the Apocalypse and I wanted to fill the gap. I started imagining a new work pf art, full of light evoking rather than illustrating the Book of Revelation; something that would englobe the visitors in light." So, ...
3m May 13, 2017
3m
Classic Album Sundays in Brussels
Classic Album Sundays started in London in 2010 and has grown to cities around the world including Brussels. The concept: get together in a pub, turn down the lights and enjoy a classic vinyl album from beginning to end. The next Brussels event celebrates the 20th anniversary of Radiohead's OK Computer, at Le Cercle des Voyageurs on 21 May. Organiser Gina Lapsley explains more.www.classicalbums...
3m May 13, 2017
3m
Europe in Brussels: Poland
Poland's Constitution Day is on 3 May. Two of the 70,000 Poles in Belgium tell us about the tradition and how to find a slice of Polish culture in the city
3m May 07, 2017
3m
Indonesian food extravaganza at Callens Café
The Rites of our Ancestors is an Indonesian food tour to five European cities which will make its Brussels' stop at Callens Café. As there are very few Indonesian food possibilities in Brussels this is a great opportunity to discover this culinary heritage in all its variations. Three of Indonesia's most talented young chefs will be creating and cooking this introduction to the rites of their a...
5m May 07, 2017
5m
Gili the Mentalist
The "Flemish Derren Brown", Gili is a mentalist and visual comedian who performs to audiences in Dutch, French and English. He is currently touring Flanders and spoke to The Bulletin about how magic can break down language barriers.
2m Apr 30, 2017
2m
Europe in Brussels: the Netherlands
One of the largest expat groups living in Brussels, the Dutch, celebrate their national holiday on 27 April. There are 140,000 Dutch nationals living in Belgium - Hans Hack is one of them.
3m Apr 30, 2017
3m
European Canteen Market
There's a new weekly afternoon and evening market (noon to 9pm) every Wednesday on the Place Jean Rey in the European District with both products to take home as well as meals to eat on the spot. Among others we hear from English, Irish, Algerian and Greek vendors describing what they are offering as well as from Alderwoman Marion Lemesre. The seating and tables are the European Canteen furnitu...
4m Apr 28, 2017
4m
The Brussels Short Film Festival 2017
This year celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Brussels Short Film Festival brings together the best in new short films from Belgium and abroad, a retrospective of the best of the last 20 years, along with themed programmes on music, fairy tales and getting naked. And there's a major focus on UK films this year. Céline Masset cofounder of the festival brings us up to speed.
6m Apr 23, 2017
6m
Eireann Dance Academy in Brussels
Belgian ballet dancer Nathan Baillieul became interested in Irish step dancing in 2000 and began to train rigorously to perfect his talent. He was the first Belgian to take part in the World Championships in Irish Step Dancing 2011 in Dublin, became a qualified teacher of Irish dancing and opened the Eireann Dance Academy in Brussels and Antwerp. It offers classes to children and teenagers from...
3m Apr 22, 2017
3m
MEPs 'sweat for Europe' in sauna sessions with public
The Finnish Cultural Institute, the Alliance Française and the Goethe Institute have come up with a creative initiative called Sweating for Europe: a three-day event where a firetruck converted into sauna will be the setting for informal conversations between MEPs and the people in Brussels. The sauna will be parked outside the European parliament on Monday and Tuesday (24-25 April), before hea...
2m Apr 22, 2017
2m
Christian Schulte-Loh: German comedian plays Brussels
"One of the most subversive acts ever", Christian Schulte-Loh steps on stage on Tuesday night to challenge the stereotype that "Germans are not funny - at least not on purpose". He will be joined by Rory O’Hanlon, one of the rising stars of Irish comedy. Christian spoke to us on Skype about his experiences playing to different audiences - and how difficult it was to crack the UK comedy market.
3m Apr 14, 2017
3m
Handymade in Brussels
Intelligent recycling, job creation, job training, social insertion, quality design for everyone and renewal in the once "difficult" Anneessens neighbourhood in the central city, all from one project. Find out about that project called Handymade and how you can participate by buying a unique bag that is also part of the Grand' ¨Place.L'Ouvroir, 78 rue Bodeghem. Shop open Mo - Th 8am to 3pm & Fr...
3m Apr 14, 2017
3m
Les Enfants de Salus Sanguinis
In Belgium, every year, about 325 children are diagnosed with cancer. For Kathleen Moucheron and Veronique Hellemens this was exactly the diagnosis they received when their sons were only two years old. They met each other in Saint Luc hospital in Brussels at the coffee corner which was set up by an organisation called Les Enfants de Salus Sanguinis and seven years later they are now volunteers...
3m Apr 08, 2017
3m
Hopla! 2017
Brussels' circus festival Hopla! is back in the streets of Brussels with the best in circus arts. Finnish duo Wise Fools is premiering Trashpeze, their triple trapeze high flying meditation on power and justice. They tell us why they're both wise and foolish. Background music to the interview is a beer bottle duet and a glasses duet by Duo Gama who will be presenting their act Déconcerto during...
4m Apr 05, 2017
4m
Leo Not Happy
We meet Adel, founder of Leo Not Happy -- a community of socially minded people determined to clean Brussels up.
8m Apr 02, 2017
8m
Le M.U.R.
The M.U.R. [Modular, Urban and Reactive] is a concept created by the French association of the same name. It consists in "transforming a billboard into a kind of open air museum. The objective is to shatter the symbolic barriers that separate the public from art." During the vernissage of the piece by Belgian artist Defo Dalbino (a new artist does a piece each month over the work of the previou...
2m Apr 01, 2017
2m
Brass'Art opening night in Molenbeek
On Molenbeek's main square, on the anniversary of the Brussels attacks, was the grand opening of Brass'Art Digitaal Café. This project is making a community asset out of three buildings. Molenbeek mayor Françoise Schepmans and some of the project's backers tell us more.
3m Mar 26, 2017
3m
Building bridges between expats and Belgians
A "collective intelligence workshop" on 1 April aims to invite expats living in Brussels to help shape local policy. The day of discussions at Pianofabriek in Saint-Gilles is part of a new initiative by the Flemish and French-speaking government. The aim is to experiment and advance new ways of participatory democracy to design policy proposals together. Organisers Guy Janssens and Guilhermo Se...
2m Mar 26, 2017
2m
US ex-diplomat campaigns for fair treatment of Brussels attack victims
A former US ambassador whose son-in-law was killed in the Brussels airport attack says Belgium should acknowledge "a horrible failure" and follow the example of the 9/11 compensation fund in treating victims equally and without delay. On 22 March last year, James Cain and his wife Helen were told by their eldest daughter Cameron, 26, that she had secretly married her partner Alexander Pinczowsk...
2m Mar 26, 2017
2m
Europe in Brussels: Greece
Greece celebrated its national day on 25 March. There are approximately 20,000 to 22,000 Greek nationals in Belgium. We meet one of them to find out more about the Greek community here.
2m Mar 26, 2017
2m
Treaty of Rome anniversary: March for Europe in Brussels
On Saturday (25 March), a March for Europe was held outside the European parliament on Place du Luxembourg, with simultaneous events happening in Rome, Berlin, London and more, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which created the European Union as we know it. "It is time to stand up for the equality, solidarity and justice that Europe promises," the organisers say. "It is time...
5m Mar 26, 2017
5m
Schuman sculptures mark 60 years of Treaty of Rome
A series of 15 steel statues have been unveiled in the Schuman district, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which was signed on 25 March 1957. The series of statues, located on the four corners of the Jean Monnet crossroads behind the Berlaymont, are titled "European Citizens" and were created by German artist Suzanne Boerner. We hear from Marion Lemesre, the Brussels alde...
1m Mar 26, 2017
1m
The Brussels Binder
What is Brussels Binder? An initiative to end the absence of women in the Brussels policy debate by building an online database of female policy experts and journalists. This database should be free and publicly accessible. We spoke to Jacqueline Hale on the day before their fundraiser to learn more...
4m Mar 19, 2017
4m
Molenbeek Memorial Interfaith Concert on 22 March anniversary
On the first anniversary of the Brussels attacks there will be an interfaith concert in Saint John the Baptist Church in Molenbeek. Concertmaster Dirk Seghers tells us "the idea is to let citizens of Brussels sing together as a testimony of cohesion and their support for all the victims."For the most part, the performers are not professionals but dedicated amateurs. Rayan, a Molenbeek youth who...
3m Mar 17, 2017
3m
Brass'Art digital cafe in Molenbeek
Molenbeek is blossoming with various initiatives in the wake of the bashing the borough underwent after the Paris and Brussels terrorist attacks of late 2015 and early 2016. Brass'Art Digitaal Café is one of those initiatives. This project is taking three buildings, two of which have notorious pasts, (one was the site of a "sleep merchant"'s exploitation of destitute people and another was the ...
2m Mar 17, 2017
2m
Co.Station workshops for parents and children
Co-Station Brussels is a startup that helps other startups. They aim to promote digital innovation and growth. One way they are doing that is with workshops for children and parents. We met their chief operating officer to find out more.
2m Mar 12, 2017
2m
Freeletics Brussels: free workouts in Parc Cinquantenaire
Started off as a German start-up in 2013, Freeletics is a body weight only training programme and a smartphone app. It consists of tailored workouts given by a virtual coach and a feed where users can follow and give each other a ‘clap clap’ for completed workouts. In a few years, the concept has become a global fitness movement followed by people forming a strong community. Common workouts are...
2m Mar 12, 2017
2m
Europe in Brussels: Ireland
Ireland joined the European Union in 1973 and the Irish embassy estimates that there are between 10,000 and 15,000 Irish people living in Belgium. On the occasion of St Patrick's Day, we meet the Irish community of Brussels.
3m Mar 12, 2017
3m
KVS dramaturge Tunde Adefioye
Double expat (Nigeria to the United States to Belgium), Tunde Adefioye finds a home in Brussels. As one of the KVS' three City Dramaturges he brings his breadth of cultures to help shape the city's performance arts output. One of his avenues is SLOW (Slam Our World) where he is "using Brussels as a conceptual canvas." The next SLOW is June 1&2. http://www.kvs.be/en/slow-02
4m Mar 04, 2017
4m
American Theatre Company - The Crucible
Brussels’ American Theatre Company has chosen a most appropriate time to revive Arthur Miller’s classic 1953 play The Crucible. When it was first staged, the American playwright’s version of the Salem witch trials was recognised as a thinly veiled allegory of contemporary fear-mongering, particularly as practised by notorious US senator Joe McCarthy. Now the right is once more on the rise and i...
2m Mar 04, 2017
2m
BXL Euroleague - European football in Brussels
10 years since its inception, the BXL Euroleague is now a major fixture on the football calendar. This amateur league was originally set up to bring EU institution colleagues together for a friendly kickabout. Now, 21 European teams are involved in the competition and the sides aren't just limited to EU workers. A feat of organisation, the BXL Euroleague aims to promote camaraderie and cooperat...
4m Mar 04, 2017
4m
EU interns protest in Brussels for fair pay
EU interns gathered outside the European External Action Service building on Place Schuman on Monday to protest against unpaid internships. The demonstration in Brussels coincided with gatherings elsewhere in the world and was coordinated with the Global Intern Coalition on the UN day of social justice.
3m Feb 23, 2017
3m
BANAD: Art nouveau and art deco in Brussels
The Brussels Art Nouveau and Art Deco Biennial has been a great success, in fact too great a success as many more people than could be accommodated wanted to participate. The solution was to turn the biennial event into an annual festival, move it from October to March and increase the number of buildings open to the public. And there will also be events scheduled during the week, not only on t...
4m Feb 22, 2017
4m