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Brussels has a problem with rubbish, but residents in Molenbeek are taking matters into their own hands to make their corner of the city cleaner and greener. Authorities in Schaarbeek are chipping away at the issue, too.

Sipping his morning coffee at the Barbeton cafe just across the canal from Molenbeek, Barry Sandland makes no claim that he’s on a crusade to clean up his

Brussels neighbourhood. “I ride a bicycle, and I don’t have a car, but I’m not rabid,” says the 50-something Canadian, who moved here from Toronto in 1999. “I think I’ve just always been on the green side of things. Grow flowers, keep your street clean, recycle

stuff, don’t buy what you can’t afford; I’m that kind of guy. The garden is just something to keep me busy.”That garden occupies an empty parcel of land in Finstraat, opposite the loft where he lives. “It was an old car park, and the owners couldn’t run it anymore,” he says, “so it became an abandoned lot.” Broken fridges, kitchen cabinets and tables also littered the ground. Sandland asked the owners if he could take a metre along-side the fence to plant a garden. “They basically told me to do whatever I wanted.” He dug a trench, bought some soil and started growing roses, tulips and daffodils. “Now the people who live there, instead of seeing piles of garbage and debris, they see a garden.”

Two years on, the plot has also given him the opportunity to get to know his neighbours. “The lady who lives next door offered to take some of the garbage away, and I thought, ‘I love you, this is fantastic’. One day I was working there and a guy came up and offered me a bottle of water. Then a little kid came with a silver tray and a teapot on it, and I had Moroccan tea for lunch.”The narrow strip of flowers isn’t the only one in the area. Down the street another neighbour runs an even more impressive plot with statues and murals, and Finstraat has its very own informal garden society. Despite his unwavering optimism, however, Sandland is under no illusion that Molenbeek is devoid of problems. “I attended a meeting once where 50 of my neighbours

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LEND A PAWMeet the assistance dogs transforming lives through loyal companionship and clever training

SNAP HAPPYBozar’s biennial Summer of Photography is back, exploring city life and urban vibes

Clean sweepa group of Brussels residents are on a mission to clean their streets once and for all

Bartosz BrzezinskiMore articles by Bartosz \ flanderstoday.eu

© Courtesy Barry sandland

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\ CuRRenT AFFAIRs

A court in Brussels has sentenced 15 members of a terrorist cell uncovered in Verviers last year to prison terms of up to 16 years. The men were accused of

planning a terrorist attack, possibly with Brussels Airport as the target. The three main defendants were sentenced to 16 years and fined €30,000 each. Souhaib El Abdi and Marouan El Bali had close links to two suspects who were killed in a shootout with police in Verviers in January last year. El Abdi was also linked to the trafficking of fighters to Syria. Mohamed Arshad was responsible for providing the lodgings in Verviers where the raid took place, as well as for furnish-ing guns and chemical products that could be used to manu-facture the explosive TATP. The defendants also included 12 men accused of being members of a terrorist organisation. Their sentences ranged from 2.5 to eight years. Algerian-born Omar Damache, who

the court heard had played a crucial role in helping jihad fighters travel through Greece on their way to Syria, received

the longest sentence. The court also heard how a mobile phone belonging to one of the accused contained a drawing of a building at Brussels Airport. The drawing also showed a man with a baggage cart, labelled “bomb”. According to the prosecution, the Verviers cell planned to attack the airport with other cells, with up to 10 suicide bombers. In the attack that took place in March this year, the bombs were brought into the airport on baggage carts, with two of the three terrorists detonating their bombs once inside. The other man escaped but was later arrested. The court pointed out in its ruling that some of the men had had very little religious background before linking up with Islamist extremists, but were instead known to police as habitual criminals. “Their so-called religious conviction is often a pretext for carrying out violent attacks in Syria and in Europe,” the court said.

Terror cell members jailedfifteen members of cell receive prison sentences of up to 16 years

Seven Iranian migrants who were being trafficked in a container truck telephoned the police in Zeebrugge from inside the container, after they started to run out of oxygen, the prosecutor’s office in Bruges said. The seven were being transported from Iran by human traffickers and were heading for the United Kingdom via sea transport from Zeebrugge. The truck in which they were travelling was carrying crates of wine. The container had been disengaged from the truck and was waiting on the dockside when the men, otherwise in good health, began to notice a lack of oxygen. It is likely

that they had not been in the container for the whole journey; many human traffickers load passengers into lorries in lorry parks along the roads of West Flanders for the last leg of their passage to the UK.Recent weeks and months have seen a sharp increase in the numbers of migrants trying to get to the UK through Zeebrugge’s port. Belgium’s criminal code was recently amended to make any unauthorised entry to a port an offence. Both the lorry parks and the port of Zeebrugge are subject to regular police surveillance to combat human trafficking. \ AH

Just over seven in 10 cyclists in Flanders are dissatisfied with the shocks and vibra-tions felt on the region’s cycle paths, according to a survey by cyclists’ union Fietsers-bond and the University College Odisee among 2,500 cyclists in 173 municipalities.About half the cycling paths in Flanders are made from concrete and many others from clinker cement, both of which require seams that become more bumpy over time. The materials are, however, aesthetically attractive and easy to maintain. According to Fietsersbond, asphalt is cheaper and more comfortable to ride on. A quarter of cycle paths in Flanders are built using asphalt. More than 20% of the municipalities indicated that they wanted to repair cycling paths but did not have the budgets for it. Municipalities receive subsidies from the govern-ment of Flanders to increase the size of cycle paths and help separate them from road traffic, but not for repairs. Fietsersbond called on the government to provide subsidies for improvements to the comfort of cyclists using the paths.Public works minister Ben Weyts acknowledged that the subsidy policy could be improved. He is increasing the annual budget of cycling infrastructure in general from €90 to €100 million. But, he pointed out, he cannot force municipalities to use a specific material. \ Andy Furniere

More than one in five (23%) Flemish non-profit and commu-nity organisations have reported that it is “probable” or “very probable” that they will have to halt their activities over the next five years. A reduction in government subsidies is the main reason for the current concerns, according to a study by Antwerp University. The research, which is part of a larger European project, surveyed nearly 700 civil society organisations on their work, political function and challenges. The survey includes sports and sociocultural organisations, unions, non-profits and employers’ organisations. Federal organisations are a little more optimistic than those working at the Flemish level, with 20% fearing their disappearance in five years. The researchers, professor Jan Beyers and PhD student Fred-

erik Heylen, were surprised by the figures, “particularly as Belgian civil society organisations have quite significant budgets in comparison with other countries”, Heylen said in a statement. About 63% of the organisations have an annual working budget of more than €100,000.The reason cited most for the organisations’ worries is a reduction in government subsidies. More than 70% of the Dutch-speaking organisations said this was their main chal-lenge. The subsidies make up an average 39% of the organi-sations’ working budget.The research was carried out with the financial support of the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research and the European Research Council. \ AF

the municipality of Sint-Joost in Brussels has only one street park-ing spot for every 10 inhabitants, compared to a regional average of one for every five residents

tanning salons out of 37 recent inspections were not up to code. Twelve were down for serious breaches such as admitting minors or using lamps that exceeded radi-ation limits

invested by Flemish Brabant prov-ince in two cycle highways between Leuven and Tienen, covering a distance of 4.6km of the eventual 20km route. Work begins in 2019 and will take one year

a year to live in Tassel Hotel in Brus-sels, the first Art Nouveau house designed by Victor Horta, which is up for rent. The 1893 house was built for Horta’s friend, university professor Emile Tassel

diameter of the tunnel drill chris-tened Margriet, which arrived in Antwerp last week to bore two tunnels 28 metres under the Albert Canal for water pipes and electric-ity cables

Refugees call police from inside container at Zeebrugge as oxygen runs out

Cyclists unhappy with state of bike paths

More than one in five Flemish non-profits expect to fold within five years

alan HopeFollow Alan on Twitter \ @AlanHopeFT

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Presiding judge Pierre Hendrickx during the judgement session in the trial of the terrorist cell

© Courtesy Damiaanactie

july 13, 2016

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fAcE Of fLANDErS

Thomas Van Der Plaetsen is the picture of triumph over adver-sity, as he clutches the decath-lon gold medal he won last week at the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam.The image was not nearly so cheerful less than two years ago. In October 2014, the young star was summoned into a sombre meeting with doping officials who told him he had failed an out-of-competition drugs check. That was devastating enough for the 2014 World Indoor Champi-onships bronze medallist and Belgian athlete of the year: though he knew he hadn’t taken anything illegal, it would be tough to prove his innocence. But what came next was even more crushing. The abnormal result was due to the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin, the product of a condition that was until then undiagnosed: testicular cancer. Van Der Plaetsen immediately began treatment: surgery to remove the tumour, followed by chemotherapy. He lost his hair, and much muscle, and the recovery was gruelling.Soon after completing the course of chemotherapy, he went down to the track and was only able to jog one lap. He describes it as the lowest moment of the past year.

But he persisted. He returned to decathlon competition in July 2015, almost nine months after his last chemotherapy session, defending his World University Games title in the Korean city of Gwangju.The Amsterdam title is part of Ghent-born Van Der Plaetsen’s steady recovery plan. He won the European crown with 8,218 points, ahead of Czech Adam Helcelet on 8,157. “It’s diffi-cult to say if this is my greatest win ever, but it is definitely the one I cherish the most,” he said. “After everything that happened last year, that’s why this has so much significance. It’s a fantas-tic comeback,” he said. Now 25, he is looking at this summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. And with European gold, he has to be in with a chance at the highest level. Elsewhere, Belgium won the 4x400m relay, in 3.01.10, just ahead of Poland and Great Brit-ain, though none of the team of the three Borlée brothers – Kevin, Jonathan and Dylan – and Julien Watrin reached the podium in the individual 400m. And Bruges-born Philip Milanov, followed up last year’s World University Games gold with a silver in the men’s discus. \ Leo Cendrowicz

thomas van der Plaetsen

You wouldn’t need to have a great memory for faces to remember Rouslan Toumaniantz. He’s the man who hit the headlines in 2009 when he tattooed 56 stars on the face of 19-year-old Kimberley Vlae-minck from Kortrijk. Toumaniantz’s own face is no oil painting. He has earlobe stretchers, a heavy nose-ring, seven piercings on his bottom lip and four on the top, nostril piercings, and tattoos on every available square centime-tre of skin. Not a face you’d forget in a hurry. However, it is eye-catching. So much so that he was the clear choice for a campaign team from America First, an organisation that

supports Donald Trump, when they went onto Google Images and searched for something like “crazy face”. We see Toumaniantz above the slogan “I can’t get a job because Trump is a racist”, presumably a

sarcastic dig at those who blame Trump for all the ills of the US before he’s even been awarded the Republican Party’s nomination. Toumaniantz responded on Face-book (in English): “Hi everybody, I’m Rouslan from Belgium and here is some of my work. I’m a tattoo artist, not a politician.” Pointing out that he didn’t care in the least about politics in his own country, let alone about American politics, he added: “Thx for understanding. Thx for sharing if you like my work.” He attached some photos of his work, and the post was shared 11,735 times and liked more than 12,000 times. As one commenter put it, “Great advertisement”.

losing face OffSIDE

WEEK IN brIEfThis year’s Democracy Prize awarded by the Ghent-based organisation Democracy 2000 has been given to the International Consortium of Investigative Jour-nalists, the group that produced the Panama Papers detailing tax-avoidance practices by banks, politicians, business people and some celebrities. The consortium includes two Flemish journalists: Lars Bové of De Tijd and Kristof Clerix of Knack.

Belgium needs a special anti-terror unit based in Brussels, the public prosecutor for the capi-tal, Jean-Marc Meilleur, has said. The major terrorism cases being investigated by the judicial police are interfering with other forms of police work, he said, including organised crime, human trafficking and fraud. Justice minister Koen Geens and home affairs minister Jan Jambon have said they will wait for the results of the parliamen-tary commission looking into the attacks of 22 March before making any changes.

Brussels’ pedestrian zone has been awarded a prize for urban planning from the European Coun-cil of Spatial Planners. The zone won for “upgrading the pedestrian and cycle access in the heart of the city, committed to the change of use of Anspachlaan and the artic-ulation of residential and tourist areas through social and environ-mental upgrading of public space”.

Smoking will be banned in most areas of Antwerp Zoo later this month, zoo authorities have announced. A similar ban comes into force in animal park Planck-endael in Mechelen in August. The only exceptions to the ban will be six marked areas in the zoo and eight in Planckendael.

North Station in Brussels is now the busiest in the country, taking over first place from South Station, according to the national rail

authority NMBS. Last year North Station saw a weekday average of 63,104 passengers, an increase of 8% on the year before. That came on top of a 24% increase recorded in 2014. At the same time, South Station saw a 1% increase in traffic.

Ghent University has put a ban on travel to Turkey for its students and staff on university business, following the recent bomb attack at Istanbul Ataturk airport. Organ-ised trips and exchange visits to the country by 19 Erasmus students have been cancelled. The foreign affairs ministry has not issued an advice to the public not to travel to Turkey, but advises “increased vigi-lance”.

The Brussels-Capital Region is Belgium’s worst offender in the breach of the smoking ban in bars and restaurants, with one in four inspections revealing an offence, compared to 17% across the country. In Flanders, West Flan-ders comes close to Brussels, with 23% failed inspections, followed by East Flanders with 21% and Limburg with 20%. Hasselt was the worst-performing city (35%), while Leuven scored only 5%.

The government of Flanders has approved a plan to carry out its own fiscal regularisation for inheritance tax, finance minis-ter Bart Tommelein has said. In return for immunity from prose-cution, tax avoiders will be able to declare their inheritance income and pay off taxes owed in addition to a supplement, which cannot be appealed. The money taken in, Tommelein said, will be used to lower inheritance tax rates, which in some cases can run to 65%.

Mohamed Abrini, alleged to be “the man in the hat” who fled the scene at Brussels Airport after the terror-ist attacks on 22 March, will not be extradited to France for the time being, the Cassation Court has ruled. The court objected to

the lack of explanation of a clause in the ruling approving his extra-dition which covered his right to serve any sentence handed down in France in a Belgian jail. Abrini is also accused of helping organise the attacks in Paris last November. He will be delivered to French authori-ties once the lower court approves a new warrant. Meanwhile, forensic scientists have discovered traces of the chemical triacetone triperoxide (TATP) in blood from the suicide bombers at Brussels Airport and Maalbeek metro station.

Despite increased security follow-ing the March terrorist attacks, inspectors from the directorate-general for aviation found seri-ous gaps in security in five inspections carried out at Brus-sels Airport in April, according to internal emails leaked to La Libre Belgique. The inspectors found it was possible to come into contact with checked baggage without a security badge, shoes were not being X-rayed when the security gate alarm went off, and there were problems with checking hand luggage.

Ethical and sustainable sports clothing is nearly impossible to find in Belgium, according to consumer organisation Test-Aankoop. An increasing number of products are produced in Cambo-dian sweatshops, where workers are underpaid and overworked, while being exposed to heat and chemical vapours. Test-Aankoop questioned some of the largest manufacturers of sporting goods but received no examples of good practice in response.

Greg Van Avermaet held the Tour de France’s coveted yellow jersey for three days last week. Van Avermaet, 31, from Lokeren, took the prize after winning stage five, a 216km stretch. Fellow Flem-ish cyclist Thomas De Gendt was second in stage five and held the polka dot jersey as king of the mountains for three days.

© jasper jacobs/Belga

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The Flemish government has approved a grant of €450,000 for the International Food Policy Research Institute in Malawi, for the devel-opment of agricultural advisory services. The project aims to improve the productivity of Malawi farmers by keeping them informed of sustainable agricultural techniques in a co-ordinated way, rather than the fragmented way information is disseminated now. Flemish development co-operation with Malawi is centred entirely on agriculture, the main occupation of most of the country’s population. As most people are dependent on small farms, they are vulnerable to climate change – a situation helped by access to better information. “This year the food shortage in Malawi will be even greater than usual because of the climate phenomenon El Niño,” said Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois, announcing the grant. “6.5 million people, about 40% of the population, may have to rely on food aid in the next year. Flanders is one of the main donors to Malawi and we take respon-sibility in these difficult times, not only through this project, but also by providing emergency relief.” \ AH

Families will not see a loss of income from the reform of child allowance, Flemish welfare minister Jo Vandeurzen has pledged. He was reacting to claims from the Centre for Social Policy at Antwerp University (UAnt-werp) that some families could lose €133 a month under the new rules. In May, the government of Flanders approved a plan to switch from a system using a sliding scale – from €90 a month for a first child to €249 a month for a third – to a flat-rate system of €160 a month for each child. That system is set to begin in 2019. According to UAntwerp’s research, an average family with two children will lose €133 a year under the new system, while larger families lose up to €1,500 a year. Only the richest 20% and the poorest 10% will benefit from the new system, according to the study. The research is based on a number of faulty premises, said Vandeurzen, and the system allows for corrections later should that prove necessary. “Nobody will be worse off,” Vandeurzen said. \ AH

Flemish energy minister Bart Tommelein has published the Flemish government’s energy plan for 2020, with an emphasis on renewable sources. The plan is Flanders’ road-map for reaching its 2020 climate objectives, and calls for 280 new wind turbines and 6.4 million new solar panels. The plan calls for increases of one-third for solar power and 40% for wind energy, compared to 2014 figures. The growth of solar panels will be encouraged by offering cheap energy loans for the installation. “If everyone in Flanders were to install a solar panel today, we would reach our goal by tomor-row,” Tommelein said. “The plan is ambitious, but not unrealistic. We have no time to lose.” The targets will be evaluated every year between now and

2020, the plan says. “That means we can make adjustments where needed,” Tommelein said.Previously, the government had adopted a target of 40% by 2030 for the reduction of carbon diox-ide emissions from vehicles and from energy consumption in buildings and technical infra-structure. The 40% cut is based on 2005 levels. The idea was for the government to make its own contribution to the changes it was asking of the rest of society. “We want to set a good example by giving ourselves an ambitious target, linked to concrete meas-ures in the short term,” said envi-ronment minister Joke Schauv-liege. “I am calling on all of our social partners to announce their commitments in time for the second Climate Summit in December.” \ AH

Tourism agency Toerisme Vlaanderen and its Dutch coun-terpart, NBTC Holland Market-ing, have signed a declaration of intent to increase co-operation. The agreement was signed in The Hague by Flemish tourism minister Ben Weyts. Co-operation between Flan-ders and the Netherlands is aimed at strengthening their joint competitive position on the international tourism market, attracting more visi-tors together than they might separately, and cutting costs by sharing organisational tasks. Weyts later had talks with Henk Kamp, the Dutch minis-ter for economic affairs, and the conversation covered a possible

joint tourism mission. In the meantime, one of the first areas of collaboration will be the preparation of the Year of Rubens in 2018, rapidly followed by the Year of Rembrandt in 2019. “Toerisme Vlaanderen is hard at work on a major tour-ism-cultural project focusing on the Flemish Masters,” Weyts said. “They are strong world ambassadors, symbols of our age-old tradition of craftsman-ship, creativity and innovation.” With NBTC, he continued, “we can place our Flemish Masters side by side with the Dutch Masters at the centre of the world market, and that’s good for both of us”. \ AH

Flanders approves €450,000 grant to support farmers in Malawi

Nobody will lose out with new child allowance, welfare minister pledges

Climate road-map for 2020 puts emphasis on renewable energy

Flanders and Netherlands celebrate Rubens and Rembrandt together

\ POlITICs

spitting image Only weeks ago, the streets in Flanders were full of Belgian flags. On Flanders’ national holiday, 11 July, there were Flemish lion flags hanging from windows. Most Flemish people see no contradiction in that. They feel both Belgian – especially when the national football team is playing – and Flemish. Flemish nationalists are an exception to that. They feel Flemish first and foremost. Most of them care very little for Belgium and can’t wait for Flan-ders to become independent.On the eve of the national holi-day, Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois of national-ists N-VA called for the consti-tution to be declared open for revision before the 2019 federal elections. This is a necessary step for another round of state reform, which the nationalists hope will eventually dissolve Belgium. According to Bourgeois, Belgium consists of two democracies. To illustrate this, he recalled the recent strikes, which lasted much longer among French-speakers. “The language border has become a strike border and the Flemish spit on that,” he said. It was a slip of the tongue, which over-shadowed the 11 July festivities. The other Flemish parties reacted strongly. “As CD&V, we do not spit on people,” vice minister-president Hilde Crevits said. Others called for the holiday to be a celebration and for Bourgeois to speak not as a nationalist but as minister-president. Bourgeois reacted: “I was using an image to complain about a problem,” he said. “It's beyond belief that anyone might think I or my party would spit on people.” The Bourgeois administration is in fact in better shape than it was last year. Bart Tommelein, who replaced Annemie Turtel-boom as Open VLD vice minis-ter-president and finance and energy minister, has brought a new dynamism to the team. Rather than agonising about the debt brought on by over-subsidising solar panels in the past, he is pushing towards more renewable energy, while the government has come up with agreements on the reform of child allowance, secondary education and the provinces. However, there are still clouds over Bourgeois I, which still has to decide on the UPlace leisure and shopping centre just outside Brussels. UPlace lacks support, as it is feared it will cause extra traffic jams and draw away customers from local shops. N-VA insists on granting it all the necessary permits, though, as the issue has become a symbol of legal certainty. \ Anja Otte

5TH cOLUMN Minister-president calls for increased regional powersgeert Bourgeois says Belgium needs to reform constitution once again

Minister-president Geert Bourgeois says Belgium needs to reform its constitution again in 2019, handing

more powers from the federal to the regional governments. He was speaking in Kortrijk on the eve of Flemish Community Day on 11 July. Despite an agreement at federal level to call a moratorium on language community issues to ease the functioning of the coalition – which includes Bourgeois’ own Flemish nationalist N-VA party for the first time – divisions between Flemish and French-speaking communities remain, Bourgeois said. “We have to remain alert and defend the interests of the Flemish people,” he said. The way to do that, he said, is to reform the Belgian state again, handing new powers to the regions. That will be the N-VA platform for the elections in 2019, when voters will be asked to elect federal and regional representatives. Speaking on VTM News, he talked about recent strike action by prison officers and rail staff,

which was mainly followed by French-speaking unions. “I think people vividly recall the outrageous strikes in the prisons and on the railways,” he said. “The language border has become the strike border, and the people of Flanders spit on it. They will not accept not being able to go to work and not being able to move around as they please.”

Other politicians were quick to respond to Bourgeois’ statement. “In CD&V we don’t spit on people, even if we disagree with certain choices made on the other side of the language border,” said Hilde Crevits, a member of Bour-geois’ government. Bart Tommelein, another fellow minister, pointed out that Bourgeois was speaking in his own name, not that of the Flem-ish government. Bourgeois responded that he “was using an image to complain about a problem,” he said. “It’s beyond belief that anyone might think I or my party would spit on people.”Flemish Community Day is also the occasion for the government to announce the recipients of community honours, given to people who have contributed to the positive image of Flanders. This year, honours are awarded to 10 people. They include philosopher Etienne Vermeersch, child psychologist Peter Adriaenssens, athlete Marieke Vervoort and former politician Miet Smet.

alan HopeFollow Alan on Twitter \ @AlanHopeFT

© nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga

july 13, 2016

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Clean sweepmunicipalities combine education and tough fines to tackle rubbish problems

continued from page 1

voiced their complaints about people who drive over here from miles away, pull their vans over and throw out entire kitchens – just stacking them up and wait-ing for the city to come and take them away.”Illegal dumping is a dilemma for Molenbeek. In 2014 alone, local authorities picked up more than 2,000 tons of abandoned rubbish – including couches and kitchen appliances – at a cost of more than €250,000. It’s no surprise, then, that many of the street sweepers Sandland has met in his neigh-bourhood feel overwhelmed and overstretched.And Molenbeek isn’t even the worst when it comes to rubbish. Nearby Schaarbeek, with just 40,000 more inhabitants, collects nearly twice as much illegal waste every year. And overall, the Brus-sels-Capital Region doesn’t have much to boast about.

In a 2012 report conducted by consumer organisation Test-Aankoop, neighbouring Ander-lecht and the City of Brussels ranked as the dirtiest places in Belgium. In another report by the European Commission from 2010, of the 75 European cities surveyed, only five urban areas performed worse than Brussels in terms of cleanliness. In Western Europe, only Athens and Palermo were dirtier.The situation has improved since, but progress is slow, held up by a number of underlying issues. “Just look at how complex Brussels is,” says Flemish journalist Helena de Groot. “You have 19 municipali-ties, and they each have their own rules and regulations and teams of street cleaners, and then you have Net Brussel, or the regional authority, which has its own cleaners who sweep the big arter-ies and collect the bags.”On top of that, she adds, “cleanli-ness around public transportation is overseen by the transit author-ities. As a result, you might have a street where one end is cleaned by the municipality, the other by the region and in the middle you might have a tram stop”.Brussels is also a transit city, she points out. “A lot of people are here for shorter periods of time or come from very diverse levels of society. Either they don’t get attached enough to care, or they

don’t know what the rules are. So if they see other people littering on the street, they’ll do that, too.”De Groot now lives in California, but three years ago, while living in Brussels, she made a radio docu-mentary on the topic of dirty Brus-sels. “You also have a host of issues such as the ones related to sublet-ting,” she says. “I visited certain areas where you have families of six, seven people living in tiny one-room apartments in dire condi-tions. Recycling is arguably not their priority.”And there’s another issue: “If you see how little physical space they have,” she says, “you realise that if they have to throw some trash away, well, they just can’t wait for collection day, so they have to put it outside.”Solving the problem of rubbish can be a daunting task, but one neighbourhood believes it has found the right recipe. Schaar-

beek, the second-largest munici-pality in Brussels, has combined two seemingly opposite philoso-phies of prevention and repres-sion to combat illegal dumping.The local cleaning division has one team responsible for educating residents. They organise school visits where they clean the streets with pupils and teach them to respect the community and the street sweepers who are part of it. “The children need to know that the Coke can they throw on the ground doesn’t disappear magi-cally; it’s Mustafa, or Mamadou, or Paul who has to pick it up,” says Geert Pierre, assistant head of Schaarbeek Netheid. “It’s a little thing, but it’s important because the children then go back to their homes and talk about it with their parents.”But prevention on its own would be naive, he admits. A second team of four is responsible for identifying and punishing the actual offenders. Among a host of investigative methods, they set up cameras around the neighbour-hood that record people in the act of throwing out illegal waste.In one video, a man drags a couch from his apartment on to the pave-ment and leaves it there in broad daylight before scurrying away. If they can identify the culprit, the team go to their house, with the smoking gun in hand, and slap them with fines that start at €120.

In the last seven years since the introduction of the policies, repre-sentatives from other municipali-ties have turned to Schaarbeek looking for solutions to their own problems. “We have become like a role model for others,” Pierre says. As we talk, a civil servant from Etterbeek is just leaving the office next door. “We don’t have the system of fines, so I wanted to learn a thing or two about it,” he tells me in passing.Pointing to a map of Schaarbeek in his office that shows coloured lines and patches representing the divisions between the municipal and regional jurisdictions, Pierre says there should be just one unified cleaning division. “We can sit here talking about complex-ity being the biggest problem but,

at the end of the day, the average resident doesn’t care who cleans the streets. They just want them clean.”The results of his department’s efforts can seem impressive. Even though Schaarbeek collects twice as much illegal waste as Molen-beek, since 2010 it has managed to reduce that number by more than 20%, from over 5,000 tons to just under 4,000. “Our core business is cleaning,” says Pierre, “and before we can punish the residents we have to know that our job is done well. We have to lead by example.”Back in Barbeton, Sandland is on the same page. “All you have to do is make a place look nice, and people will show respect. It’s a variation on the broken window

policy. If you fix something, people will begin to respect it. And as soon as you don’t fix a problem, you leave an invitation for more to come.”He eventually decided to join the garden society that meets in his neighbourhood three to four times a year. “One day we knocked on every door on my street asking if we could take a bit of the pave-ment in front of the houses and put a plant and a crawler there,” he says. “Every single house said yes.” Then the city came in, he says, “and added some soil, and this year we’re looking at the vines growing to two metres tall. Maybe in five years’ time, our street will have transformed itself from one of the filthiest in Molenbeek into a green garden area.”

\ COVeR sTORy

© Photos courtesy Barry sandland

Before and after: Barry sandland transformed this dumping ground in Molenbeek into an urban garden, kicking off neighbourhood efforts to improve the area

People drive here from miles away, pull their vans over and throw out entire kitchens

\ 6

The federal government has approved changes to work policies concern-ing students who have part-time jobs. From next January, students will be allowed to work a maximum of 475 hours a year while retaining their student status for social security. The current law allows them to work for 50 days. The change has been under discussion for some time, with employers call-ing for more flexibility to allow them to put students to work when they are needed. Only 3.5% of students ever complete their quota of 50 full days. A full day is considered at least two hours worked. Students will now be able to get the maximum benefit from the new quota. The new rules also allow for overtime, which is not allowed at present, except in food service. Working students pay only 2.7% of their pay for social security, compared to 13.1% paid by other workers. The employer’s contribution for students is 5.4%, compared to 30-35% for full-time workers. \ Alan Hope

The planned shopping, business and leisure complex Uplace in Machelen, just outside Brussels, will not suffer any delays despite the cancellation of the project’s building permit, the company has announced. The start of construc-tion due to take place around the end of this year will go ahead as planned, it said. Flanders’ Council for Permit Disputes rescinded the develop-ment’s permit last week, based on a complaint filed by a number of parties opposed to the complex, including the City of Vilvoorde. It’s the latest in a long line of obsta-cles to the progress of the shopping centre, which will be in Flemish Brabant. “We have every confidence that an application for a new permit on the basis of a new approved zoning plan will be dealt with in a positive manner,” a spokesperson for Uplace said. Uplace was granted a permit by the previous Flemish government in 2011. Opponents to the project – concerned about the traffic situ-ation on the Brussels ring road and the effect on shops in nearby town centres – immediately filed a complaint. In the interim, another case against the project filed with the Council of

State partly cancelled the regional planning programme (Grup) for the zone where Uplace is located. The Council for Permit Disputes has now ruled that the Uplace permit has no legal basis since the Grup has been partly cancelled. “The complaint is already four years old, and based on old arguments,” a Uplace spokesperson said. The government of Flanders approved a new Grup in January this year, which puts right the faults found by the Council of State, but the latest judgement takes no account of that. Uplace can simply apply for a new permit on the basis of the new Grup. “We have every confidence that it can be delivered within an accept-able timeframe,” Uplace said. Uplace plans to begin construction at the end of this year, a decade after the plans were first announced, and the complex will take about two years to complete. “Uplace will go forward with the project,” said Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois, speak-ing in the Concertation Committee, which brings together represent-atives of all three regions. “If they apply for a new permit, that will be dealt with in a properly objective manner by the minister in charge, Joke Schauvliege,” he said. \ AH

Workers who commute for more than two hours a day are more at risk of stress and fatigue than those whose commute takes less time, according to a study by the Innovation & Work Foundation. The study is based on data provided by the Flemish Workability Monitor of 2013.The researchers found that some 67% of workers who live in Flan-ders spend less than one hour a day commuting. About 10% commute for two hours a day or more, particularly those in highly skilled posi-tions. About one in five employees with a higher education diploma commutes more than two hours a day, while less than one in 10 of employees without such a degree has such a long commute.The researchers found that a long commute has a negative influence on daily functions and on well-being in general. Some 18% of the long commuters experience difficulties maintaining a work-life balance, which is twice as many as those commuting less than one hour a day.The workers with a lengthy commute also report feeling more stress at work – 38% compared to 27% of those with easier commutes. As a consequence, those with long commutes are absent from work more often. Nearly 13% of those with long commutes regularly consider changing jobs.The study pointed out, however, that working conditions and specific tasks have much more impact on well-being than the commute. \ AF

Belgium’s banks should hire the services of “ethical hackers” to improve cyber-security by discovering the weak points in their systems, according to the National Bank of Belgium (NBB). Ethical hackers – also known as white hats – are experts in the art of breaching computer security. Unlike malicious hack-ers (or black hats), they use their skills to test systems in order to improve security. According to a report in finan-cial daily De Tijd, BNP Paribas Fortis and KBC are looking for computer specialists to carry out research into security. This is in response to the call from the NBB for banks to organ-ise “wide-ranging security tests in which independent experts investigate the efficiency and quality of security, by means of realistic attack scenarios”.Belgian law forbids any breach of

computer security to gain access to computer systems, whether ethical or not. Financial sector federation Febelfin has yet to take a position on the matter, but a spokesperson said the organisation would be ready to call for new legislation if neces-sary to ensure ethical hacking under the right circumstances was protected from criminal prosecution. \ AH

Changes to regulations on student jobs

Uplace: Loss of building permit ‘won’t affect timing of construction work’

Long commute takes toll on employees’ well-being, study finds

Banks should hire hackers to tighten cyber-security, National Bank says

\ BusIness

Telecoms ProximusProximus CEO Dominique Leroy has signed an agreement with 17 European telecoms companies to proceed with the development of a 5G mobile network to take over from the current 4G, which has been delayed in Brussels because of concerns over radiation limits. The new 5G will offer speeds of up to 10GB per second. Tests will begin in 2020.

logistics katoen natieThe Antwerp-based logistics company has taken over the Talke Group in Belgium and the Netherlands for an undis-closed sum, the group has announced. The German Talke Group is specialised in chem-icals transport and has facili-ties in Kallo and Zwijndrecht in Flanders and Moerdijk in the Netherlands.

Mobility ZipcarThe world’s largest car-sharing network debuts in Belgium on 14 September, after the Brus-sels-Capital Region granted a five-year licence. Zipcar customers use an app to find cars from the fleet of 200 Peugeot 208s.

Property OPOffice des Proprietaires (OP) has expressed an interest in buying the Global Estate divi-sion of Optima Group, after Ghent-based Optima bank declared bankruptcy. The Brussels-based OP said the acquisition would allow it to develop a presence in Flan-ders.

Mobile OrangeOrange Belgium CEO Jean-Marc Harion has stepped down to become CEO of Orange Egypt. Harion has been at the helm of Orange, formerly known as Mobistar, since 2011. His term ends on 31 August. In the meantime, the board will meet to discuss a replacement.

Transport De lijnThe Flemish public trans-port authority will only buy buses running on electricity, hydrogen or hybrid from 2019, according to a document sent to members of the board. De Lijn was criticised last year for an order of 238 diesel buses, some of which have still to be delivered.

WEEK IN bUSINESS Nanotech investment fund

awarded €30m supportimecXpand will help develop internet of things start-ups

The government of Flanders is investing €30 million in an investment fund driven by Leuven-based nanotechnology

company imec. ImecXpand targets companies in the Internet of Things sector: evolutions in nano-electronics and sensor technology that allow physical objects to connect and react to each other. The aim is to set start-up companies in this field on the right track. “ImecXpand will support start-ups that want to develop imec technology and bring it to the market, but because of the risks involved they don’t have access to current funding methods,” said Luc

Van den Hove, CEO of imec (pictured). “It will also support ideas from outside imec that can, combined with imec technology, lead to a start-up.”The Flemish government is investing €30 million in the initiative. “The Internet of Things can improve the quality of our lives and jobs almost automatically,” said economy minis-ter Philippe Muyters. “There is still a wealth of opportunities in smart health, smart manu-facturing, smart transport and smart cities.”The goal is to raise a total of €100 million through imecXpand. For additional support, imec is looking to private partners and the EU.

andy furniereMore articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

© Courtesy imec

july 13, 2016

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Researchers at Antwerp University are studying how we use language online and

putting it to use in fields as varied as marketing, child protection and anti-radicalisation.Collecting vast amounts of data from social media, members of the Computational Linguistics & Psycholinguistics research group have been looking at how language technology can detect dangers on the internet for young people such as cyber bullying or sexually trans-gressive behaviour. They use author profiling to reach conclusions about a text’s author based on how they write. “We analyse a lot of data and look at how different socio-demographic groups use language,” explains Guy De Pauw. It’s fairly obvious that young people write differently online from older people, he says, but you can also analyse the differences between gender, for instance. “For people with bad intentions, it’s very easy to pretend to be somebody they’re not. We look at language features that are not under your conscious control.”Previous research has shown that in very broad terms, females use more personal pronouns (I, you, we) while males use more quanti-fiers (one, many) and determiners (a, an, the). These aren’t hard-and-fast rules, but if you feed all that information into a computational model, you can identify some-body’s age and gender with a fair degree of accuracy.“If we have several thousand messages that we know to have

been written by females, the computer can construct a model around that data,” says De Pauw. “And if you keep adding to the data, the computer will adapt to the language rather than us having to tell it what to look for.”

That’s a very powerful technique, he continues, “especially for situ-ations such as sexual predators. Someone with bad intentions may know how youngsters chatted five years ago, but this changes all the time.”

Their technology can also be used in the fight against radical-isation. “The methods are the same,” explains colleague Tom De Smedt. “By studying texts written by people who we know are fight-ing in Syria or otherwise spreading

hatred – because they are posting inflammatory tweets or pictures of weapons – we can see they use certain language and combina-tions of words.” Using this data, they can trawl vast amounts of text to identify poten-

tial radicalisation. “It must be used cautiously,” De Smedt adds, “but we are exploring opportunities for collaboration with security and intelligence agencies.”The technology is to a large degree language-independent: all you need is the data. The team mostly focus on Dutch and English in a research context; their spin-off Textgain, launched at the end of last year, aims to commercialise this expertise. “Textgain allows us to extract facts, opinions and demograph-ics information from social media, newspaper articles and so on in a wide range of languages,” explains De Pauw. “That type of information has invaluable applications in big data and e-marketing.”The service is broadly aimed at anyone who has so much text they cannot possibly read it all, but who knows there’s useful informa-tion in it. “There’s no way anybody can read all the tweets that are published about the iPhone, for example,” says De Smedt, “but our technology could have a machine read it all, take out the salient points, find out whether people are being positive or negative, estimate who those people are, whether they are older or younger, male or female...”On a grammatical level, he adds, the machine knows what has been written, but it also needs to under-stand the topic and the content of the text. “That’s the ultimate goal: to have a computer understand what is actually in the text. Tech-nology is not there yet, but we are definitely fast approaching it.”

Anonymous no moreuantwerp researchers develop software to identify online culprits

Flanders’ energy minister, Bart Tommelein, doesn’t like to beat around the bush. If the region is to achieve its climate goals, he says, it has to get serious about solar power. So in June, when “the most energy-efficient house in Flan-ders” was officially inaugurated, the minister wasn’t going to miss it.When you visit a house of the future, you gener-ally don’t expect it to be a windmill dating to the 19th century. But that’s exactly what De Steenen Molen (The Stone Mill) is, albeit without its vanes, which were removed during renovation.The building in Brecht, Antwerp province, is made up of two parts: a compact house and a small restaurant with a bed and breakfast. Floris Verbunt and his wife have just moved into the house and run the business together.Verbunt’s father, Gie Verbunt, is the CEO of Izen, a company from nearby Lille that specialises in energy systems, including solar panels, heat pumps and solar boilers. He put all of his profes-sional expertise into the project.“When we decided to renovate the mill, we wanted to use every technology that’s out there,” says Gie. “The house is very well insulated, and the heating comes from solar collectors and

a heat pump, both of which also produce hot water. On top of that, the heat from the venti-lation system is recycled and injected into the water boiler.”While these may not be the most revolution-ary techniques, the clever way in which they are installed and work together make De Steenen Molen (pictured) a truly ultra-low energy build-ing. But Gie, whose company is the market leader in residential rooftop solar panels in Flanders, took it a step further.“We didn’t just slap some panels on the roof,” he says. “We transformed the entire roof into an unalloyed solar plant.” The roof is indeed the show-piece of the house. It consists entirely of glass-to-glass solar cells (most PV cells have a synthetic back), which make the installation perfect for harvesting energy from scattered sunlight, typical of Flanders.Because the house generates more energy than it consumes, the consumption value (known as E-value) lies far below zero, at minus 61. For comparison, newly constructed buildings need to have a value no greater than plus 50.“This is a magnificent example of creative think-ing by the construction and energy sectors,” says

Tommelein. “It’s clear that renewable technolo-gies play a key role in our ambition to consume less energy. It’s nice to see that day-to-day comforts can go hand in hand with energy effi-ciency. This is absolutely the future.”The energy surplus from the solar roof is used to run the restaurant. “But we could also use it to power an electric car, if we had one,” says Floris. The surplus also allows the building to be entirely self-sufficient. “We could even detach the house from the electrical grid,” says Gie. “For our company, this is the ideal way to show what we have to offer.” \ Senne Starckx

Flemish entrepreneur turns old windmill into solar powerhouse

Drinkable seawater a step closer Researchers at Ghent Univer-sity have developed technol-ogy to desalinate seawater and at the same time generate energy. Until now, the desali-nation process has required a lot of energy, but this break-through brings sustainable drinking water production from seawater a step closer. For her PhD, bio-engineer Marjolein Vanoppen exam-ined how to reduce the energy consumption of traditional desalination. To get salt from seawater, you generally need a membrane – a selective parti-tion that lets water through while stopping salt – but that requires a lot of energy. Vanop-pen solved this problem by installing a membrane that first stops the water and lets the salt pass, reducing the amount of energy consumed and generating more in the process.

Crevits calls for solar panels in schoolsFlemish education minister Hilde Crevits has challenged schools to propose meas-ures to help the region reach its climate goals. Installing solar panels in schools could go a long way towards meet-ing the goals, she told the Flemish parliament last week. Currently, 14% of schools in Flanders generate energy. The 2013 school buildings monitor shows that schools have a total surface area of 16.6 million square metres, a majority of which is occupied by build-ings. The government agency for infrastructure in education, Agion, will now examine how to best promote the installa-tion of solar panels on school roofs.

VuB roots out plagiarismThe faculty of economic and social sciences at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) detected 34 acts of plagiarism among the 627 Master’s theses submitted at the end of the 2015 academic year. There are 16 cases so far this year, a number VUB expects to increase after the second exam period at the end of the summer. Ghent University discovered only 10 cases across the entire insti-tution this year, and Antwerp University just six. The reason for the difference is that the VUB faculty has begun screen-ing every thesis with plagia-rism-detection software. Joël Branson, dean of VUB’s faculty of economic and social sciences, said many students follow a one-year programme with less research time, which might lead them to plagiarise. \ Andy Furniere

WEEK IN INNOvATION

\ InnOVATIOn

© Courtesy De steenen Molen

dEstEEnEnmolEn.BE

sally tipperMore articles by sally \ flanderstoday.eu

tEXtgain.com

© Courtesy Textgain

Guy De Pauw (left) and Tom De smedt are determining which online users have bad intentions

We look at language features that are not under your conscious control

july 13, 2016

\ 9

Into the blueugent launches ocean research unit and English-language summer school

andy furniereMore articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

language divide on medical studiesThe 60-40 divide in the number of doctors allowed to graduate each year from the Flemish and French-speaking univer-sities is “untouchable”, Flem-ish minister-president Geert Bourgeois has warned. The agreement was intended to be a reflection of the relative weight of population, but the federal public health minis-ter Maggie De Block is seek-ing to adjust that balance to 56.5% and 43.5%. The proposal has met with opposition from the Flemish GP union VGV as well as the government of Flanders. While French-speak-ing universities do not require an entrance exam, Flemish students must pass one to be allowed into medical studies. Last week, more than 5,000 students took the exam. For the first time this year, they can access their detailed results online.

young Flemings troubled by expectationsAccording to a survey by the Flemish Youth Council among 1,100 people between the ages of 14 and 25, 37% of young-sters experience psychologi-cal problems and 60% feel they cannot meet others’ expecta-tions. A full 41% of respond-ents said they had problems at school, while one in three reported problems at home. Some eight in 10 youngsters said they try to burden others as little as possible with their troubles, and half try to deal with problems by themselves. A GP is almost never consulted concerning these difficulties and, of the 37% with psycho-logical issues, only 29% sought professional help.

Trial to recognise refugees’ diplomasThe Flemish Interuniver-sity Council and the Flem-ish branch of the National Academic Recognition Infor-mation Centre (Naric) have launched a trial project to recognise more diplomas held by refugees. Newcomers in Flanders can request the recog-nition of their higher educa-tion diploma from Naric-Flan-ders. The system, however, has limitations, especially if the refugees are not in possession of the required paperwork to prove their education. The trial candidates will be required to follow an English-language Master’s programme related to their diploma. After one semes-ter, the university’s lecturers and supervisors will advise Naric on a specific programme of study for the refugee to earn a Flemish degree.

WEEK IN EDUcATION

\ eDuCATIOn

Ghent University (UGent) has brought together its marine and maritime research

activities at its Ostend science park, GreenBridge, to get the most out of its expertise in oceans and seas. A two-week English-language programme should also attract more international attention.The Blue Growth cluster is named after a long-term EU strategy in which seas and oceans are iden-tified as key drivers for the econ-omy because of their potential for sustainable innovation and growth. Around the world, govern-ments and companies are increas-ingly looking to the water to find solutions for shortages in food, resources and energy. “About 70% of the Earth’s surface consists of water, but humankind has mainly plundered and polluted the oceans,” says UGent professor Colin Janssen, scientific co-ordi-nator of the Blue Growth clus-ter. “Respect for this environment is essential in UGent’s long-term strategy to benefit from the oppor-tunities it provides.”Janssen was also the driving force behind the Marine@UGent consor-

tium, in which research groups from six of the university’s 11 facul-ties work together on marine and maritime research. These groups are active in aquaculture, marine biotechnology, seabed mining, coastal defence and offshore wind, wave and tidal power.“UGent is the most active university in these fields in Flanders,” Jans-

sen says. “About half of the Flem-ish scientific publications on these topics are linked to UGent.”The aim is that research at the new cluster will lead to solid technology and business activities. “The vicin-ity of the sea makes it easier for researchers to test their applica-tions,” says GreenBridge CEO Mari-anne Martens. Various partners plan to install a wave tank at GreenBridge, which will allow models of coastal engi-neering and offshore structures

– such as breakwaters, energy converters and offshore wind turbines – to be subject to waves, tidal currents and wind. The prox-imity of research centres like the Flemish Marine Institute and rele-vant companies should be an advantage as well. “Flanders may only have about 60 kilometres of coastline, but it has a wealth of

expertise in the marine and mari-time domains,” says Martens. “We want to link all these centres of expertise and foster innovation through collaboration.”GreenBridge also houses an incu-bator for new companies, which will help to turn research ideas into business initiatives. It currently has 20 projects, one of which is Lami-naria, an Ostend company working on technology to harness energy from waves. Subcon Europe – a company with Australian roots – chose Ostend as a base to explore the European market. Subcon specialises in developing artificial reefs that form the basis for offshore energy appli-cations without harming marine organisms. While the incubator currently offers space to a variety of enter-prises, the plan is to focus more and more on blue growth. “In five years’ time, our incubator should be known as Flanders’ blue growth incubator,” Martens says.GreenBridge is also reaching out to international students around the world with a new English-language programme for up to 20 participants, which will take place in September. It lasts two weeks,

with one maritime module and one marine module. Students can also opt to take only one module. The interdisciplinary programme consists of lectures and practical courses. “Participants will carry out exercises on marine spatial planning on the beach, perform tests on wave energy in a lab, visit an offshore wind farm and exam-ine platforms that can be used at sea for multiple purposes,” explains Noémie Wouters, spokesperson for Blue Growth.The courses on aquaculture and blue energy will also contain an element on business development. Participants will receive practical advice on how to establish a spin-off company and learn about the experiences of entrepreneurs like Laminaria CEO Steven Nauwe-laerts. The lecturers will also share their experience concerning the valori-sation of research through work-ing with companies or the govern-ment. Wouters says this formula has already attracted students from as far afield as Sri Lanka, Madagas-car, Australia and Kenya. The summer school is partly deliv-ered via an online portal, created by UGent to facilitate access to marine and maritime training initi-atives all over Europe. The database contains about 900 initiatives from 40 countries.Lecturers come from UGent, the Free University of Brussels (VUB), the University of Leuven, the Belgian technology industry’s knowledge centre, Sirris, and from abroad. The initiative is supported by Flanders Knowledge Area, the agency for mobility and co-oper-ation in higher education in Flan-ders and the Technical University Alliance for economic transfor-mation in West Flanders. Dredg-ing company Deme sponsors the programme.

What do you think about this decision?Agriculture and horticulture, care and welfare, and Stem subjects have all been earmarked as study domains, but there is no equiv-alent for language and culture. I find that an unfortunate deci-sion. We live in the 21st century, which is often called an informa-tion and communication society, one that makes ever more complex demands on our linguistic and cultural competences.

Is it possible the government thinks these competences are too important to be isolated?I hope so. It’s true that linguis-tic and cultural competences are crucial for everyone in today’s job market and in everyone’s societal and personal life. So it’s important that all students in the second and third grade improve their language and culture skills. I don’t doubt that.In fact, it would be fairly easy to integrate these skills in all eight proposed domains. Students

have to learn to deal with written and digital information in a criti-cal way, whether they’re studying engineering, farming or nursing. They also need to learn to report in a clear and coherent manner, and discuss and debate with style. Our ambition has to be to transform domain-orientated education into a system that thoroughly develops language.

What about students who are passionate about language and culture itself?That’s the challenge: offering deeper linguistic and cultural skills to those students. We should make sure that we don’t deny opportunities to those who have the ambition to become a journal-

ist, an author, a language teacher, a cultural worker or even a media specialist. I think these students deserve to be taught language and culture on a higher level than the ones in the eight proposed study domains. So I still want to see an extra ninth domain where language and culture are the focus. \ Interview by Senne Starckx

Q&AKris Van den Branden, programme director of the University of Leuven’s language teacher training department, is concerned about the status of language and culture in Flanders’ recently reformed secondary education, which will be built on eight “study domains” – but language and culture isn’t one of them

© Courtesy GreenBridge

The Blue Growth summer school has attracted students from around the world

Flanders may only have 60 kilometres of coastline, but it has a wealth of expertise

BluEgrowtH.ugEnt.BE

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\ lIVInG

Shopping containersmeet convoi, antwerp’s newest, hippest shopping centre

Tucked neatly behind Waagnatie, on the banks of the Scheldt, you’ll

find Antwerp’s newest, hippest shopping centre. Convoi has been created from more than 50 shipping containers, which provide space to 40 businesses selling fashion, food and design.But there are no chains here. At Convoi, the tenants are mostly young, local entrepreneurs look-ing to try out an idea or product. “I wanted to make it as simple as possible,” says Kim Soeffers, the driving force behind the project. “Convoi gives them a space to test and evolve. Each container comes ready to use with lighting, wi-fi and a selection of fittings. All they have to do is bring their products.”Containers can be hired for peri-ods ranging from a weekend to a year, with prices starting at €400 a week. For customers, the short contracts create a dynamic shop-ping experience that changes from week to week.One such shop, Float, offers scarves, bags, jewellery and accessories created mainly by local designers. “We have a shop in the centre of Antwerp, but I’ve taken a container for a week to test the concept,” says owner Ambrosius Smets. “As a small business, we like to take as little risk as possible, and this gives us that option.”Soeffers is clear about the type of tenants she wants to attract. “Candidates need three things: to be an entrepreneur, to have the guts to follow their dream, to have a VAT number,” she says. “I don’t believe you can consider yourself an entrepreneur if you’re sitting on a payroll. You need to go for it, and Convoi makes that easy.”

Reema Shah, designer and direc-tor of Kapriss World, fell in love with the concept of Convoi as soon as she heard about it. “I believe it will attract the younger genera-tion, and there are so many differ-ent shops,” she says. “I’m offering my new line of silver jewellery for two weeks. If it works well, I will do it again with a new collection.”Another container is home to 24 Bottles, a line of reusable steel water bottles and accessories from Italy. Lennart Creël, who distributes this and other brands, sees Convoi as an opportunity to experiment. “We want to know how the consumer reacts to our products and build brand ambas-sadors,” he says. “We’ve initially taken the space for five weeks.

After that we might feature another of our brands.”The containers are positioned in groups of five. “I designed it this way so shop owners can share experiences and work together,” says Soeffers. “The idea is to cross-fertilise ideas and learn from each other. I also encourage the bigger brands to share their knowledge and advice with the smaller businesses.”ZenithOptimedia, a media agency based in Brussels, sounds like a strange tenant for a shop-ping centre, but account director Joke De Block begs to differ. “We tried to get some of our clients interested in Convoi, but larger companies don’t understand the concept of a pop-up,” she says. “So

we’re using this as a base where we can invite them to experience it and see the opportunities.”Like all good shopping centres, there are places to buy a coffee or something to eat. There’s also a bar where you can watch ships pass by on the Scheldt.Convoi will stay in its current location on Rijnkaai until March 2018 before moving somewhere else in Belgium. “Our aim is to have a series of centres around Europe, so the entrepreneurs can travel from one to the other,” explains Soeffers. “What doesn’t work in Antwerp might be a best-seller in Barcelona. People need to look further than their own markets, and we’ll give them that opportunity.”

Ripe, local blueberries are one of the joys of summer: sprinkled on your morning cereal, blended into a smoothie, baked into muffins or pies, or eaten by the handful. They’re not only delicious but are packed with vitamins and anti-oxidants. The only downside is that they can be pricey, even when they’re in season. The solution: picking your own. It’s fun, it’s affordable, and the season is about to start.On a warm summer day last year, I made the trip to Blueberry Fields, an organic farm in the Kempen, just north of Hasselt, where the damp, low-lying ground is ideal for growing these fruit-bearing bushes native to North America. They’ve been growing blueberries there, without pesti-cides, for more than 30 years.At the entrance, we received plastic buckets and were told to follow the signs to the pick-your-own field, which rotates according to which bushes are ripe at any given time. Another farm worker

directed us to the row of fruit we’d be plucking.It didn’t take us long to get the hang of picking the tiny, round berries, but I now know why they cost so much in the shops. It’s fiddly work, and there’s a fair amount of hunting under leaves and reach-ing into bushes to get to the fruit. In less than an hour, though, we had filled our buckets, which each held between three and four kilograms of blueberries. Back at the farm

shop, the buckets were weighed, and we paid the current wholesale price, which was around €5 a kilo. Whatever couldn’t be eaten in the next couple of days went into the freezer, to be used throughout the year. The farm shop sells the fruit fresh, as well as a variety of other products made from blueberries: juice, jam, syrup, chocolate, tea and even honey from their own bees. Depending on the day, you can enjoy a blueberry muffin or a slice of blue-berry pie with a cup of coffee on their terrace. On weekends, there’s a food truck serving gourmet fare – prepared, of course, with blueberries. Another pick-your-own blueberry field in Limburg is Blauwe Bessen in Meeuwen-Gruitrode. In West Flanders, visit O’Bio in Wielsbeke or Purfruit in Dentergem. \ Diana Goodwin

bITEBlueberry season is here, and you can pick your own

Heritage walkDuring this guided tour of the picturesque beach town De Haan, you’ll learn about its development “from dunes to villas”. Unlike most other Belgian coastal resorts, De Haan has preserved its Belle Epoque character, with many architectural gems. Reserva-tions suggested via toerisme@dehaan.be. 20 July 10.30-12.30, De Haan Visitors Centre, Konin-klijk Plein; free

\ tinyurl.com/gp9mgcf

Bike & Beer Learn about Belgian beer culture, visit the new De Koninck beer experience centre, taste local brews and discover the best beer cafes in Antwerp – all during a three-hour bike tour. Reserva-tions required via the website. Saturdays until October 14.00-15.00, Steenplein-Zuiderterras, Antwerp; €34

\ antwerpbybike.be

3D world Magic & FunYou and your family will have a blast posing in various illu-sionistic scenes taken from current events and popular culture, or with dinosaurs or funny characters. New this year: A 3D video where you play the starring role, interact-ing with animals in Antarctica. 16 July to 28 August 11.00-18.00, Tentcomplex Zeeduik-Maria-kerke, Ostend; €10

\ 3dworldbelgium.be

Paddleboard yogaTired of the same old yoga practice? Need to challenge yourself? Then try doing your downward-facing dog on a paddleboard floating in the water. Wetsuits for hire on site. The lessons will take place with a minimum of four participants, weather allow-ing. Reservations required via the website. Fridays until September 10.30-11.45, Sail-center Limburg, Maasdijk 1, Ophoven; €22.50

\ sailcenterlimburg.com

Tuk-Tuk ToursIt’s the newest way to enjoy the Flemish coast: in an elec-tric tuk-tuk (an open-sided, three-wheeled passenger cart, traditionally found in Thai-land). Tours start at the Casino in Middelkerke and take 30 minutes, going to Westende-Bad and back with commen-tary and stops along the way. 15-17 July 9.00-22.00, Casino, Epernayplein, Middelkerke; €5

\ tinyurl.com/h5mawq3

WEEK IN AcTIvITIES

Across Flandersuntil august

© Courtesy O’Bio

BluEBErryfiElds.BE

dan smithMore articles by Dan \ flanderstoday.eu wEarEconvoi.com

© Courtesy Convoi

july 13, 2016

\ 11

A helping pawdogs in flanders are learning to help people with illnesses and disabilities

National charity Dyadis, which trains assistance dogs for people in need, is looking for volunteers to help socialise the devoted and reliable companions.

A vigilant guardian, a helping hand, a constant companion: assistance

dog June is the best thing to have happened to Muriel Jaqmin in years. The 46-year-old from Dilbeek, Flemish Brabant, has had multi-ple sclerosis for 15 years, a condi-tion that has left her hemiplegic, meaning she can’t use the left side of her body. She and three-year-old June adopted each other six months ago. It’s a decision that has changed Jaqmin’s life.“Day to day, June helps me get into bed and brings me objects I’ve dropped,” she explains. “If I fall, she knows she has to bring me an emergency phone so I can call for help, and she warns me if she thinks intruders are trying to get into the house. She makes me feel much safer, and I know I can count on her.”The two were brought together by Dyadis, a national charity that trains and funds assistance dogs for people with illnesses and disa-bilities that restrict their mobility. The idea is to increase a person’s autonomy and enable them to live independently, through training the dogs to carry out a variety of practical tasks around the house and outside.That might be helping someone out of bed or out of a shirt, fetch-ing objects from another room, collecting the post, picking items off the supermarket shelves, open-ing doors or cupboards, switching on lights, even pulling washing out of the machine and into a basket. They are also taught to fetch help if their master needs it, from neigh-bours or passers-by.And of course, they offer company. “The love of a dog is something incredible. June is the best thing that’s happened to me in recent years,” Jaqmin says. “She gives me so much affection, and she never gets tired of cuddles and being stroked. We’re very close; she’s a part of me. She’s always by my side to check I’m OK.”Dyadis, based in Sint-Pieters-Woluwe in Brussels, trains about 10 assistance dogs each year, and the process takes two years per dog. They choose puppies from approved breeders, and, aged two months, the young dogs are sent to live with “puppy-walkers”. These are volunteer families or individu-als who spend up to 18 months socialising the dogs and getting them used to normal daily activi-ties both at work and at home.

In theory, anyone can be a puppy-walker, explains Dyadis spokes-person Danny Vancoppernolle. Realistically, though, it has to be someone who can spend time with the dog; leaving the dog alone for 12 or more hours a day isn’t going to help it prepare for a life assist-ing an owner.

“Some of our volunteers take the dog to work,” he says. “Others work part-time, some live alone, some are retired. Some are disa-bled themselves, but they do it to help others. We pay for everything; it’s your time that we want.”Puppy-walkers go with their

charges to weekly group lessons, for basic training and so that the dogs can socialise. When they’re 18 months old, the dogs go into a kind of canine boarding school, arriving on a Monday morning for a week of more specialised train-ing, and leaving on Friday evening to spend the weekend with a foster

family. When the training is complete, there’s a graduation ceremony, before the masters and dogs set off on their new lives together. Dyadis staff stay in touch to provide support when it’s needed.One volunteer puppy-walker who

gets round a hectic professional life by taking her dog to work with her is Carla Dejonghe of Open VLD, a member of the Brussels parliament. She and Lotus are a familiar sight around the city. This is Dejonghe’s second time look-ing after a Dyadis puppy; the first, Itch, has been placed with a new master.“I take Lotus with me in the car, we take the metro, tram, bus, we go shopping together… she’s not afraid of those things,” Dejonghe says. “The dogs have to get used to being with someone all the time and learning all these different aspects of life.”What are the benefits of being a puppy-walker? “You know they will soon be helping someone who really needs them,” she says. “When I see Itch’s new owner, he looks at Itch, and he almost starts to cry because he’s so happy to have him.” But a puppy-walker’s time is temporary, which “is sad in a way,” she says, “because you love the dogs and they have to leave you.

But seeing how much he is loved and needed makes it easier”.Dyadis mostly works with labra-dors and golden retrievers, Vanco-ppernolle explains. “They love to retrieve! As an assistance dog, they have to pick things up and bring them to someone, and as a breed, that’s what they’re programmed to do.”They’re also naturally very friendly, he continues. “They like all differ-ent kinds of people. Some breeds only like one kind of master, or only one person. They don’t want to work for everyone. But labra-dors don’t care. They’re always eager to work.” The waiting list for a dog is one to two years. And of course, having an assistance dog is not the answer for everyone. “A lot of people don’t understand that a dog is a living animal,” says Vancoppernolle. “It’s not a robot, it can’t do everything, it can’t work all the time, it needs a dog life too. It smells, it sheds hair, and it can’t wash the dishes. But it’s wonderful for people who like dogs.”

© Courtesy Dyadis

Muriel jaqmin, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, says her assistance dog june is the best thing that’s happened to her in years

The dogs have to get used to being with someone all the time and learning all these different aspects of life

sally tipperMore articles by sally \ flanderstoday.eu

dyadis.org

40 i best of belgium 2016

BuSineSSIf you plan to

set up

your own business in

Belgium, allthe rules

and regulations can be

off-putting.Here we

list the contact details

of organisations who

can advise you in your

new venture. We also

provide information on

EU institution offices,

relocation agencies, bank

s

and accountants

040_047_BB16_Di business.indd 40

2/06/16 12:15

12 i best of belgium 2016

Culture can be had for a song too. Most Brussels

museums – including the Royal Museums of Fine

Arts and family favourite the Museum of Natural

History – waive admission on certain days.

The first Wednesday and Sunday of the month

is a popular choice. A further 32 museums are

free all year round. These include some niche

institutions like the Museum of the National

Bank of Belgium and the Confederate Museum.

brusselsmuseums.be

Brussels and its communes sponsor free

concerts and festivals varying in scope from

neighbourhood block party to national holiday.

Individual communes host their own events,

there’s the annual Iris Fest, the biannual Zinneke

parade, and the European institutions’ free

Europe Day open house featuring information

and entertainment. Other free activities include

Fête de la Musique in June and Heritage Days

in September. The biggest free event of the

year, however, is National Day, 21 July, when

tens of thousands of Belgians celebrate their

independence at open-air venues across the city.

For those keen to get out of the crowd, Brussels

Greeters offers a more personalised city

experience. The free service matches visitors

with amateur local guides who can take their

guests off the beaten path. The concept was born

decades ago in New York but has since spread

around the world. Several other Belgian cities

(Antwerp, Liège, Charleroi, Mons and Namur)

are also part of the Global Greeter Network.

greeters.be

The local community can be tapped for goods

as well as know-how. The Freecycle Network is

another concept that originated in the US before

plugging into communities around the world,

and is a forum for recycling unwanted products.

The only criteria: all posted items must be free,

legal and appropriate for all ages. You’ll find

books, clothes, appliances and furniture – all free

and ready for local pickup.

freecycle.org

europe day

blow hairdressing

2/06/16 11:58

56 i best of belgium 2016

educationBelgium has a host of

excellent schools, with

many international schools

in and around Brussels.

Here we provide you wit

h

information on some of the

popular schools for expat

s,

along with language

courses, universities,

colleges andbusiness

schools

056_071_BB16_Di education.indd 56

2/06/16 12:19 best of belgium 2016 i 27

mim

While many tourists flock to Brussels’ Museum

of Musical Instruments (MIM) to peruse its

7,000 instruments stacked over five floors of

a neoclassical complex, a significant majority

of sightseers instead take the elevator straight

to the top of ‘Old England’ to experience the

museum’s renowned sixth floor: its restaurant

and cafe (above). Tourists can take in the

breathtaking views of the capital as well as the

elegance of the Art Nouveau building from the

terrace around the dome. There’s no need to pay

an entrance fee to access the top floor, but you

might be coaxed into ordering some carbonnade

flamande to take in the view a little longer. KH

mim.be

BeLvue

Occupying the interior courtyard of this elegant

18th-century townhouse, the Green Kitchen

restaurant (below) is a garden sanctuary in

the busy museum quarter of Place des Palais.

While the museum is devoted to Belgium’s

national history, the restaurant menu features

a self-service salad bar (priced according to

weight), soups, sandwiches and hot dishes.

Favouring fresh seasonal produce, it’s perfect for

vegetarians and healthy eaters. At weekends and

holidays, there’s a brunch menu and if you’re

visiting the museum, show your entrance ticket

and benefit from a meal package for breakfast,

lunch or tea. Sc

belvue.be

026_029_BB16_museum cafe.indd 27

2/06/16 12:06

At newsstands or at www.thebulletin.be

best of belgium 2016 i 27

Lvue

Occupying the interior courtyard of this elegant

18th-century townhouse, the Green Kitchen

restaurant (below) is a garden sanctuary in

the busy museum quarter of Place des Palais.

While the museum is devoted to Belgium’s

national history, the restaurant menu features

a self-service salad bar (priced according to

weight), soups, sandwiches and hot dishes.

Favouring fresh seasonal produce, it’s perfect for

vegetarians and healthy eaters. At weekends and

holidays, there’s a brunch menu and if you’re

visiting the museum, show your entrance ticket

and benefit from a meal package for breakfast,

lunch or tea. Sc

belvue.be

ALSO INSIDE: YOUR ESSENTIAL 45-PAGE eXPat diRectoRY

DePot bRuXelles X

best of belgium2016 • €4,95

Best of BelgiumtHe iNsiDeR’s guiDe to touRism AND lifestYle

BELGIQUEC’EST CHICFashion, food and family fun:Belgium delivers with style

Find the funniest comedy gigs 8 top free events & attractions Dive into open-water sports Eurovision highs & lows

001_001_BB16_cover_.indd 3

Best of BelgiumPlus expat Directory 2016

The insider’s guide to lifestyle,tourism and culture

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in Flanders?

If you can’t think of anything at all, you’d better check out our new e-book

Quirky Flanders offers 20 unexpected – or downright odd – activities or sights across the

region you can get busy taking part in right now

Visit the Flanders Today website to download the e-book now! For free!

www.flanderstoday.eu

july 13, 2016

\ 13

\ ARTs

Under the lenssummer of Photography festival explores the meaning of urban spaces

Spearheaded by Bozar, the biennial Summer of Photography festival spotlights international urban photography, raising questions about how people live together in cities.

Bozar pursues its mission to shine a light on the world with the latest edition of

its international photography festival. Every two years the capital’s leading arts centre stages a major reflection on contemporary photography in a sweeping multi-venue event. This summer is no exception, with exhibitions and activities extend-ing beyond the walls of Bozar to museums and galleries across Brussels, involving 30 partners and more than 65 artists. The event focuses on the relationship between people and space in the unifying theme Urban Vibes. Two years ago the biennial exam-ined gender in Woman: The Femi-nist Avant-garde of the 1970s, a collaboration with Austrian electricity company Sammlung Verbund, which specialises in feminist and public space art from the 1970s. Bozar repeats the successful partnership in the event’s central exhibition Open Space/Secret Places. Curator Gabrielle Schor selected works by 27 artists, who each employ varying techniques to explore people and space. Many of them are in-depth and highly personal works that blur the lines between contemporary art and architecture. They are divided into four cate-gories: Historic, which records changing landscapes and memory; Psychological, confront-ing individual personal fears and aspirations; Spaces in Between, signifying an absence of human beings; and Creating Spaces, site-specific installations. In the historical group, German conceptual art duo Bernd and Hilla Becher show their rigorous study of industrial architecture in single images of gas tanks, each one photographed from the same angle, lending the soaring struc-tures a sculptural quality. In the psychology section, Brazil-ian Ernesto Neto’s installation is a disturbing interpretation of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious. In a tribute to Freud and Vienna, Neto has created two cubes out of mosquito net material, one positioned within the other and connected via lycra tubes. In the cage-like interior, a model rocking chair sits atop a stack of books, adorned by a cloth figure, similarly connected to the cube via tubes. Stones lie scattered on the floor, apparently taken from

the Sigmund Freud Park in Vienna.The extensive show raises ques-tions about how people live together in cities, a burning issue in the biennial’s second flagship exhibition, Dey Your Lane! Lagos Variations. It is a contemporary snapshot of the energetic Nige-rian capital, currently undergoing a population explosion. After the stark vision of urban spaces, this exhibition is initially an onslaught on the senses: Colourful images hang from the

ceiling like banners, while prints of photos are pasted to the walls, of equally larger-than-life scenes. For curator Azu Nwagbogu, the show illustrates the energy of Lagos and explores “the real concern for public space versus the space reserved for the privi-leged”. The title of the exhibition is an expression that translates as

“mind your own business”, an example of the notion of indi-viduality that equally character-ises the city and economic hub. It has stimulated creative energy in fields other than art, such as music, fashion and film. A total of 24 African and international artists show the multiple facets of the city. Among other exhibitions under the Summer of Photography umbrella at Bozar, Vincen Beeck-man: The Gang is a result of the Flemish photographer’s descent on unlikely places in urban Brus-sels with a “gang” of amateur photographers. Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai signs off a series on the 1995 death of Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in Chronicle of an Assassina-tion Foretold. It is also the subject of his latest film, Rabin, the Last Day. Ghent-based Dutch artist Bart Lodewijks, meanwhile, occupies public space, armed only with sticks of chalk. In 2015, he created large-scale drawings on the roofs of Bozar and Strombeek Cultural Centre. The only trace left of them are photographs by Dirk Pauwels, which are on display along with a mural by Lodewijks.On the roof of Bozar now is “Light-house for Lampedusa”, an instal-lation by German Thomas Kilpper. The symbolic seven-metre make-shift structure is made from the debris of refugees’ vessels as they disembarked on European shores. It serves as a reminder that, for many, the search for a new place or territory is also a story of survival. Kilpper hopes to even-tually construct a real working lighthouse on the Italian island of Lampedusa.Other notable Summer of Photog-raphy exhibitions include The Suffering of Light, a retrospective of US photographer Alex Webb’s work at Le Botanique. A member of the prestigious Magnum agency, he questions the notion of borders in dramatic, colourful images of Mexico, Haiti, Caribbean and Latin America. In (Velo)cities at De Markten, an examination of time and motion in urban spaces provides a vision of the future of cities, with works by Hungarian, Czech, Slovak and Polish artists. Summer of Photography also offers a programme of activi-ties, including concerts, talks and guided tours. On Thursdays, exhi-bitions are open until 21.00. End the evening atop Bozar’s roof bar and enjoy your favourite tipple while admiring a panoramic view of the city.

Antwerp seniors’ dreams fulfilled A dream came true for 25 seniors in Antwerp last week, who were provided with a hot-air balloon ride thanks to Zorgbedrijf Antwerpen, an umbrella organisation for care centres and home help. It issued an invitation last year to everyone over the age of 65 living in Antwerp to send in their lifelong dreams. Three of the submissions to Mijn Droom (My Dream) were selected. A balloon ride was the first, and it will be followed by two more dreams: two women in their 70s asked to be extras in the TV soap Thuis, and another 70-some-thing gets to take part in a fashion show. ZBA will be launching a second edition of Mijn Droom in the autumn.

Brussels Philharmonic performs score for High-RiseBrussels Philharmonic has provided the soundtrack for the movie High-Rise, a dysto-pian satire about a 1970s insu-lar community living inside a London high-rise building where the higher you live, the better off you are. The film is based on the novel by the late British author JG Ballard. The philharmonic recorded the score for the film by British director Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sight- seers) at Galaxy Studios in Mol last year. The score was writ-ten by British composer Clint Mansell, known for his award-winning work on Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream. The soundtrack is available to purchase, and the film is showing now across Belgium.

Cycle across Grand Canyon at TechnopolisHands-on science centre Technopolis in Mechelen has a new summer attraction called Canyon Ride, which simulates a bike ride on a cable spanning the Grand Canyon. Developed by 3D and virtual reality firm Nanpixel of Roeselare, Canyon Ride extends the centre’s current installation that allows visi-tors to ride a bike on a cable five metres above the ground. The new attraction sees visi-tors putting on the Oculus Rift, a virtual-reality head-set, and riding a stationary recumbent bike that gives the impression of riding on a cable miles above the famous canyon. Thunder and light-ning, birds and falling rocks challenging the user, who is urged to finish the ride within two minutes.

WEEK IN ArTS & cULTUrE

Bozar and other venuesBrussels

until 4 september

© joachim koester/sammlung Verbund Collection/Galerie jan Mot Brussels

sarah crewMore articles by sarah \ flanderstoday.eu

Portrait of noble Igwe from Iké udé’s series The 10, part of Dey your lane!, and joachim koester’s “The kant walks, 2003-2004”, part of Open space/secret Places

\ 14

\ ARTs

A chorus linescala, the choir that became famous for covering rock songs, celebrates 20 years

The all-female choir Scala, launched by two brothers from Aarschot, is celebrating a landmark anniversary with a major tour and a new album of covers.

“I’ve only ever failed one exam in my life: choral conducting,” Stijn Kolacny says. With his brother Steven he’s the

driving force behind Scala, the all-female choir that’s celebrating its 20th anniversary with a tour and a new CD. Steven plays piano, Stijn is the conductor. “For years, I didn’t find it funny. Now I can live with it,” he says with a smile. “I must admit, I have an unconventional approach. It’s not how you should do it – at least not according to the rules of classical choral conducting.”But then again, Scala is not your conven-tional choir. In 1996, Stijn and Steven, then respectively 20 and 26 years old, decided to start a youth choir. From Aarschot, Flem-ish Brabant, they were playing as Pianoduo Kolacny, having recorded several CDs of music by the likes of Johannes Brahms and Franz Schubert. “We trained for six to eight hours a day. It was a solitary activity,” Stijn recalls. “At first, Scala was a hobby for the weekends. Musically, we took it very seriously, but it also had to be fun. In those early years, Scala was a cross between a choir and a youth movement.”He vividly remembers those days. “In the first rehearsals, I played piano while Steven was conducting. But after three weeks, we switched places. Technically we were on the same level, but Steven is a better accompa-nist, without giving up his individuality. His piano playing is an essential part of Scala. If you look for copycats online – and there are plenty of them – you’ll notice they try to imitate not only the singing but also Steven’s playing. Of course, it’s never the real deal.”Stijn knows exactly when Scala gained momentum: the 2000 edition of the Flemish Choir of the Year competition. Scala won the final, which was broadcast live on television. Subsequently, they recorded their debut, a Christmas album, and by the end of that year they had 20 shows planned. “Apart from a few concerts we’d organised ourselves, we had no experience with playing live,” says Stijn. “Logistically, we weren’t ready to go on tour. Mobile phones and the internet weren’t widespread at the time. More than once we would be impatiently waiting in the bus to leave for a gig, and we had no idea if the singers were going to show up.”The identity-defining change happened in

2001. That’s when the choir started perform-ing contemporary pop songs. “It was Steven’s idea, and honestly, I was vehemently opposed to it,” Stijn recalls. “I feared that we would lose our specialised, classical audience and wouldn’t be able to tap into a new one.”He changed his mind during the final of the Choir of the Year in Vancouver, BC. Steven had pushed “I Think I’m Paranoid” by Garbage on to the set list. “The jury hated it and placed us last. But the concert hall – filled with 2,000 people, mostly young singers from the other choirs – went completely wild for it.”

Flanders fell for Scala in 2002, after their second album, On the Rocks, with songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Creep” and “Every Breath You Take”. Whereas Pianoduo Kolac-ny’s music was played on classical radio station Klara, now they were featuring on the playlists of Studio Brussel. “There was a hype, with all the pros and cons that come with that,” says Stijn. “We divided people. If you liked us, you loved us; if you didn’t, you hated us. ‘Kurt Cobain would turn in his grave,’ people told us about our version

of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. But last year Cobain’s daughter asked us if that version could be used in a documentary about her father.” Since their version of Radiohead’s “Creep” was used in the trailer of The Social Network six years ago, Scala have become a house-hold name in Hollywood, featuring on the soundtrack of more than 40 films and tele-vision series.But long before that American breakthrough, Flanders had embraced Scala, with countries like France and Germany quickly follow-

ing suit. “That’s the basis for the longevity of our success,” Stijn says. “Thanks to the many concerts abroad, we’ve been able to keep developing live.” That’s essential, he continues, “since we’re first and foremost a live band. If you want to understand us, you really have to see us on stage. Scala is more than just music. We have a big light and video show, and we’re not a static choir. The movements of the singers are choreographed. All this heightens our characteristic expressive sound.”

During those first years of the last decade, Scala stopped being a youth choir. Now they have 150 singers, all women aged 16 or older. To be clear: They don’t perform with 150 sing-ers. The choir tours year round, at home and abroad. Normally there are 12 to 16 of them on stage, with Stijn responsible for the selec-tion of singers. “It’s based on musical and practical elements,” he explains. “I have to balance the different type of voices. Is a person free to tour three weeks in a row? If we go to South Korea for a second time, I’ll opt for different singers than the first time. Things like that.”There is no maximum age to sing with Scala. “As long as they’re committed, they can continue. When people leave, it’s generally because their lives change and there isn’t enough room in it for Scala anymore.”They find new members during an annual audition or in their youth choirs. Indeed, the brothers haven’t forgotten the youngsters. “We lead a number of children and youth choirs, with some 150 members in all. It’s like a training centre. The way we work can be compared to a football club, with youth teams and a first team. Some of them move from the youth teams to the adult one.”FC Scala in the Champions League? Who knows.

Scala’s new album, Solstice, is out now; the choir are on tour in Flanders and Germany from 7 August

ignatzThe Drain • Kraak

A voice devoid of all hope drives an irrevo-cable despair through the music of Ignatz, the alter ego of Bram Devens. It comes as no surprise that Ignatz’s new album is once again an exercise in glumness. Still, it’s no simple repeat of the past. The lo-fi folk songs are more fleshed out than ever, stripped of all possible frills. When Ignatz

is howling at the moon, it’s very difficult not to be moved in every fibre of your being.

\ ignatz.be

steffie van cauterHonger • self-releasedMusical bric-a-brac, that’s how Steffie Van Cauter describes her music. Sorrowful accordion, stumbling percussion, other-

worldly sounds and a highly recognisable voice characterise Honger (Hunger) by this jack-of-all-trades: she’s a visual artist, theatre performer, animator and now surprises with this challenging and inven-tive album. She sings in French, German and Dutch, or, more accurately, a dialect that reveals her roots in the Waasland (in the northeast of East Flanders). One to discover!

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MOrE NEW ALbUMS THIS WEEK

The pier has survived worse and will likely weather many more storms

stijn kolacny conducting scala in Montreal

christophe verbiestMore articles by Christophe \ flanderstoday.eu

july 13, 2016

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fESTIvAL

fESTIvAL fESTIvAL

cONcErT

Dutch experimental folk group Grey Lotus have grown in size and stature since forming in 2008. What was once a studio project comprised of vocalist Joost Verhagen and multi-instru-mentalist Daan Arisz has evolved into Haarlem’s most adventurous live band, a robust sextet starring

the cream of the crop of the local music scene. With the recording of a third album in full swing, Grey Lotus make a rare live appearance south of the border to perform at Antwerp art cafe Papa Jos. The venue is a hidden gem frequented by students and local artists. Free entry. \ GV

Now in its 173rd edition, this festi-val is the most anticipated annual event in Ghent – possibly even all of Flanders. For a fortnight the streets of the historic city centre come alive with music, street theatre, comedy, exhibitions, food, drink and nonstop revelry. Several open-air stages accommo-date national and international

music stars while every street corner serves as a stage for local performers. Every year the largely free festival welcomes over one million visitors. This year’s musi-cal highlights include an open-air concert by Flemish blues veteran Roland Van Campenhout and daily performances by neoclassical duo Pigeon. \ Georgio Valentino

The film series may be over, but Harry Potter continues to cast his spell. A new

exhibition in Brussels gives fans of the boy wizard an up-close-and-personal look at his world.Harry Potter: The Exhibition is a showcase of the artistry and crafts-manship that went into creating the props and costumes that appeared throughout the movies. Following stops in cities from Sydney to Seat-tle to Singapore, the touring show arrives in Brussels just in time for the summer holidays. With hundreds of props from the movies, there’s plenty to titillate fans with a pining for Hogwarts: The exhibition displays items includ-

ing Harry’s original wand and glasses, the Marauder’s Map, the Golden Snitch, Gryffindor school uniforms and costumes worn at the Yule Ball. That’s before you get to the interactive exhibits, offering a chance to toss a Quaffle or uproot a Mandrake. So far, about 3.5 million fans have visited the touring exhibition that began in 2009 in Chicago. The crea-tors were given exclusive access to the movie studios during the shoots and were able to copy props, costumes and sets.More than 100,000 advance tickets have already been sold for fans in Brussels who want to check out the costumes and artefacts, enter the

Quidditch arena, tour Hagrid’s hut (pictured), encounter Buckbeak the hippogriff and look into the many eyes of a giant acromantula spider.Actors James and Oliver Phelps, who played identical twins Fred and George Weasley in the films,

were on hand for the opening last month, where they hailed the local Potter fans. “We were here for one of the film premieres, and they were by far the loudest we had ever heard,” said James (or Oliver). \ Leo Cendrowicz

Brussels cultural centre Recyclart was born in 2000 from a combi-nation of city initiative and Euro-pean funding. Its objective: to turn the disused Brussel-Kapellekerk rail station into a grassroots urban arts centre. Recyclart’s summer programme unfolds every Thurs-day and Friday for six weeks. In addition to concerts and other performances, there are barbe-cues, bread-baking workshops, film screenings and interactive neighbourhood walks as well as a communal plant garden, a DIY market and a massive tempo-rary scaffolding installation titled “Dear Pigs”. And it’s all for free. Some events require online regis-tration. \ GV

Hogwarts ’n’ all

Harry Potter: The Exhibition EvENTBrusselsBal National 2016: Annual summer party on Vossen-plein, featuring Filip Jordens’ tribute to Jacques Brel, concerts by Les Vedettes and Kate Ryan, among others, and a rocking DJ set by Daddy K. 20 July 19.00-2.00, Vossen-plein

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fAMILYkortrijkYoga workshop: The work-shop 10,000 luchtballonnen for kids (4-6) is a colourful yoga adventure, introducing little ones to deep breath-ing, relaxation and massage while leaving plenty of room for creativity and fun. 14 July 9.30-12.00, Budafabriek, Dam 2

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fILMZeebruggeFilmophetstrand: Free open-air cinema at the beach, including two chil-dren’s films in the afternoon and one featured film in the evening. Thursdays until 25 August, Zeebrugge beach, Zeedijk

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MArKETAntwerpFeestmarkt Antwerpen: Cosy evening market behind the yacht harbour, with more than 50 stands selling a diverse range of items, from clothing and jewellery to leatherware and pet supplies. 15 July 16.00-21.00, Antwer-pen Jachthaven (behind the MAS Museum)

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cONcErTBrusselsBen Harper & The Innocent Criminals: The American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for his mix of blues, folk, soul, rock, reggae and social activ-ism presents the Call It What It Is Tour, named after the long-awaited album that reunites the band after its first album nine years ago. 18 October 20.00, Vorst Nation-aal, Victor Rousseaulaan 208

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Turdus Philomelos: Belgian band offering a combina-tion of rural folk chamber music and accordion-heavy, klezmer-type arrangements on violin, melodica, sax, bass and drums, resulting in a dreamy, southern sound, melancholic yet melodic. 16 July 16.00, Beursplein

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M Museum’s rooftop summer bar is officially open for business. The panoramic pop-up was inaugu-rated four years ago and has since become an annual event. Visi-tors are invited to sip a refresh-ing cocktail and eat a tasty snack while watching the sun set over the city centre. Then the party really starts. The programme is brimming with nightly entertain-ment, from concerts by the likes of country artist Marjan Debaene and New Age singer Liesa Van der Aa to talks by artists exhibiting downstairs, namely photographer and documentary filmmaker Lieve Blancquaert. \ GV

gentse feesten

Bar a muze

grey lotus

recyclart Holidays

\ AGenDA

Brussels expo EXPoHarryPottEr.BE

until 11 september

Across Ghent gEntsEfEEstEn.BE

15-24 july Papa jos, Antwerp16 july, 20.00

M Museum, leuven BaramuzE.BE

14 july to 21 augustRecyclart, Brussels rEcyclart.BE

until 5 august

get tickets now

july 13, 2016

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The shock decision by the British people to leave the EU has even caused a minor ripple in Mini Europe, the Brussels theme park where

landmark European buildings are created in miniature. De Big Ben, hoort die nog wel thuis in Mini-Europa – Does Big Ben still belong in Mini Europe, nu Groot-Brit-tannië voor een Brexit stemde? – now that Great Britain has voted for a Brexit? asked De Standaard.Well, it seems we don’t need to panic just yet, accord-ing to Thierry Meeus, director of Mini Europe. Als ik het goed heb – If I understand correctly, zit Groot-Brittan-nië op dit moment nog in de Europese Unie – Great Brit-ain is still a member of the European Union en zal dat nog zeker twee jaar duren – and will definitely remain so for two more years. Er moeten nog beslissingen worden genomen – There are decisions that still have to be made, en wie weet – and who knows? Misschien gaan ze wel nooit weg – Maybe they’ll never leave.But if the UK does go, it’s not just the EU that will shrink. Several models will have to be removed from Mini Europe, Meeus said. We hebben de Houses of Parliament – We have the Houses of Parliament, die net gerestau-reerd zijn – which have just been renovated. We hebben de Big Ben, uiteraard – We have Big Ben, of course. Er is ook Stratford-upon-Avon met de huizen van Shake-speare – There’s also Stratford-upon-Avon with Shake-speare’s houses, en er is het kasteel van Dover – and there’s Dover Castle. They will all have to go, Meeus insists, along with a miniature British intercity train and – the latest attrac-tion – a miniature Brexit demonstration in front of the Houses of Parliament.

The models are safe for the moment, though, he said. Voorlopig gaan we alle maquettes houden – For the time being we are going to keep all the models, net als de Brexit-animatie – along with the Brexit demonstration die we hadden opgezet in de aanloop naar het referen-dum – which we created during the referendum.But what if the British really do Brexit? Een mogelijk-heid is een soort van hek plaatsen – one possibility is to put up a sort of fence, Meeus explains. Let op, nu verlaat u de Europese Unie – Watch out, you are now leaving the European Union. En dan moeten we daar uitleg bij geven – And then we’d have to explain. Dit was een vroeger lid – This was once a member maar nu niet meer – but not any longer.Misschien kunnen wij in een tentoonstelling uitleggen waarom de Britten zo gestemd hebben – Maybe we could organise an exhibition that would explain why the Brit-ish voted the way they did. En de vraag stellen – And ask was dat nu een goed idee of niet? – was that really a good idea? That’s a very big question for a small theme park.

Talking DutchBig trouble in mini Europe

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THE LAST WOrD

a man’s gotta do“People only know me one way. Every time I step outside I’m dressed the same – waistcoat, belt, bootlace tie, hat. Even for a funeral. I wouldn’t know how to be any different.” Freddy Mary is better known as the Cowboy from Dilbeek

credit war“Until we have our own, we can borrow that sort of bomb from neighbouring countries. When ours are delivered, we can simply pay them back.”The Belgian Air Force has borrowed precision bombs from other allies for use in Iraq, while waiting for a delivery due in late 2017

whole lotta rockin’“My parents took me everywhere. Having a baby is no reason to stay at home.” Bart Rooms, father of ten-month-old Victor, is one of a growing number of parents taking their offspring along to Flanders’ summer festivals

wedding bells“Just married!”Jazz pianist and composer Jef Neve married his partner Andy Dhondt in Ghent at the weekend

LIKE US

Midé @MidePoetryLeuven, it’s been good! Can’t believe my year abroad is over. Thank you for being my home.

Peter Simmons @Mr_PeteroyI have a few friends in Antwerp, hope they’re still friends anyway!

Pete Denton @PeteKookSo Ghent is pretty stunning.

In response to: Smoking ban by August in Antwerp Zoo and PlanckendaelKrisztina Fehér: Finally!

In response to: Talking Dutch: Big trouble in Mini EuropeFrédéric Fatoux: Storm in a (Belgian) tea cup.

vOIcES Of fLANDErS TODAY

In response to: Brussels residents on a mission to clean the streetsJosepha Guillaume: Molenbeek? Yes, Molenbeek!

PHoto of tHE wEEk

ON PArADE young participants in the Ommegang historical parade in the centre of Brussels. More than 1,400 performers gathered on the Grote Markt to relive the 1549 procession of Charles V through the city

derek BlythMore articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu miniEuroPE.com

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© nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga