Join the Molenbeek for Brussels 2030 Spring Assembly
17 – 20 April 2024

Discussion + Informal drink
Why do we want Molenbeek to be the European Capital of Culture in 2030?

🗓️ 17 April , 15.00 – 19.00
🚩 Karreveld Castle, Avenue Jean de la Hoese 3, Molenbeek

The application deadline is fast approaching: on September second, we will submit our candidacy to become the European Capital of Culture in 2030 to the European jury. It is now time for an update on our progress! The co-mission holders Fatima Zibouh and Jan Goossens, along with the entire Molenbeek for Brussels team, will share the ambitions about the candidacy, outline the four key themes, and share the vision for Molenbeek with all its richness and challenges.

Which milestones have we already reached and what lies ahead in our journey? How can we harness the power of art and culture in this ambitious social and urban project, with the support of Molenbeek and Brussels residents? We invite you to join us for a reflective discussion in a celebratory atmosphere at Karreveld Castle in Molenbeek on Wednesday, 17 April, from 15:00 to 17:00. This will be followed by an appetizer and a convivial moment until 19:00.

Speakers

Fatima Zibouh (Molenbeek for Brussels 2030) is co-head of mission for Brussels’ bid to become European Capital of Culture. With a doctorate in political science, Fatima Zibouh is a specialist in inclusion and diversity, and its cultural dimensions.

Jan Goossens (Molenbeek for Brussels 2030) was appointed co-mission holder of Brussels2030 in 2021. He studied literature and philosophy in Antwerp, Leuven and London. He was artistic director of KVS in Brussels from 2001 to 2016, and general director of the Festival de Marseille from 2016 to 2022. Since 2015, he has also been co-artistic director of the festival Dream City in Tunis, together with Selma and Sofiane Ouissi. Jan Goossens has been working on the intersection of artistic creation and metropolitan coexistence, in Europe and in the ‘Global South’, for more than two decades.

Annemie Schaus is the rector at ULB. Her research and teaching within the Faculty of Law and Criminology at ULB focus primarily on public law, the intersections between domestic law and international law, particularly the implementation of international treaties in a federal state, and the protection of freedoms and fundamental rights, the majority of which are rooted in international and European law. She also coordinates a Clinic for Rights and Liberties within this Faculty, awarded the Socrates Prize in 2019.

Jan Danckaert has been professor of Applied Physics at Vrije Universiteit Brussel since 2005 and was vice-rector of Education and Student Affairs under previous rector Caroline Pauwels (1964-2022). In 2022, Jan Danckaert was elected as rector of VUB for a four-year term. As rector, he focuses on scientific freedom, social impact and sustainability. Jan Danckaert aims to further strengthen the position of VUB as an urban engaged university, branching out into the increasingly super-diverse Brussels region. According to Jan Danckaert, we live in a world in transition, with climate change, geopolitical tensions, and the digital revolution. “To deal with today’s major challenges, Europe needs a new renaissance: an era in which people are guided by curiosity, openness and connectivity.”

Electoral debate
2030 on the horizon for culture in Brussels

🗓️ 18 April , 20.00 – 22.00
🚩 Charleroi Danse – Salle des Machines, Rue de Manchester 21, Molenbeek

With 2030 as the horizon, the upcoming elections will chart the course for the years to come. With this political debate, we invite all political parties to share their artistic and cultural policies with us.

On the agenda: the establishment of a single cultural desk in Brussels, the promotion of an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable sector with adequate workspaces for artists. This debate aims to be participatory, offering the public the opportunity to ask questions and interact.

This event is organized by RAB/BKO (Brussels Arts Network) and EBxl (ULB Brussels Studies Network). Join us for a lively and constructive discussion on the future of cultural policy in Brussels.

Speakers

Jan Busselen (PVDA-PTB), Benjamin Dalle (CD&V), Isabelle Emmery (PS), Aline Godfrin (MR), Bram Jaques (Groen), Mounir Laarissi (Les engagés), Véronique Lederman (DéFI), Pierre-Yves Lux (Ecolo), Ans Persoons (Vooruit), Chloë Van Hoegaerden (OpenVLD), Karl Vanlouwe (NVA), and others

Moderators: Margot Otten en David Courier

1.
Open Workshop
Heritage Conversations

🗓️ 19 April, 12.00 – 13.00
🚩 Crossing of the canal and Rue de Manchester

“This is Us. This is Brussels.” starts with the question “Suppose Brussels were 1,000 people?” and builds, based on this data, a “human archive” with the stories of 1,000 people to make the Brussels and Brusselers of the 2020s visible: a super-diverse, young, multi-layered, and complex city at the heart of Europe. The project seeks to discover and create new alliances and find the “us” in their stories. www.thisisus.brussels

The first 200 contributions of Brussels residents have been collected by a very diverse team of “heritage brokers” and made accessible in the “human archive” of the project. It is time now to start working with the “us” in these lives, visions of the city, heritage stories, and desired futures in Molenbeek through “Heritage Conversations” and “This is Us. This is Brussels. Talks.” On March 7^th, we organised the first session of our “Heritage Conversations” using the “This is Us. This is Brussels.” mobile in the streets of Molenbeek. On the 19^th of April, from 12h to 13h, we will host a conversation about the Canal at the crossing of the Canal and Manchester Street.

2.
Open workshop
Building the Bridges: Together Towards Molenbeek for Brussels 2030

🗓️ 19 April, 14.00 – 17.00
🚩 La Fonderie, 27 Rue Ransfort, Molenbeek

Join us and take part in a dynamic, collaborative experience designed to shape our shared future. Forget the traditional conference – this event is crafted to be interactive, inclusive, and inspiring.

Picture yourself gathered in a space where your voices, ideas, and experiences take center stage. Join us for a vibrant exchange of ideas on the pivotal themes shaping Molenbeek for Brussels’ future: Social Justice and Equality, Superdiversity and Multilingualism, the Blend of Nature and Urban Life, and the balance between Security and Freedom. Let’s ignite inspiration and drive meaningful conversations together! Artists, cultural sector professionals, and academics are encouraged to participate.

1.
Open Workshop
Sharing visions for Molenbeek and Brussels region in 2030

🗓️ 20 April , 12.00 – 14.00
🚩 Charleroi Danse – Salle des Machines, Rue de Manchester 21, Molenbeek

After two Summer Assemblies focused on co-creation and exploring issues with stakeholders from across the Brussels region, the Spring Assembly arrives in Molenbeek to discuss the candidacy dossier soon to be submitted.

What does this cultural project mean for the residents of Molenbeek? What promises does it hold? What questions and challenges does it raise? And how can it help favouring exchanges between Molenbeek and other municipalities in the Brussels region? This workshop will involve exploring the project and sharing expectations and experiences behind Molenbeek’s bid as the European Capital of Culture.

Open to Molenbeek residents and participants/contributors from the 2022 and 2023 Summer Assemblies. Come join us for a friendly moment of discussion and sharing!

2.
Open Workshop
“This Is Us. This is Brussels.” Talks

🗓️ 20 April , 14.00 – 19.00
🚩 Cassonade, Rue de Manchester 25, Molenbeek

“This is Us. This is Brussels.” starts with the question “Suppose Brussels were 1,000 people?” and builds, based on this data, a “human archive” with the stories of 1,000 people to make the Brussels and Brusselers of the 2020s visible: a super-diverse, young, multi-layered, and complex city at the heart of Europe. The project seeks to discover and create new alliances and find the “us” in their stories. www.thisisus.brussels

The first 200 contributions of Brussels residents have been collected by a very diverse team of “heritage brokers” and made accessible in the “human archive” of the project.

It is time now to start working with the “us” in these lives, visions of the city, heritage stories, and desired futures in Molenbeek through “Heritage Conversations” and “This is Us. This is Brussels. Talks.”

On April 20^th, 2024, from 14h to 19h, we will organise three “This is Us. This is Brussels. Talks.” These hour-long dialogues will be an opportunity to delve deeper into “us”, themes frequently mentioned in the interviews.

14h – 15h: Homesickness
16h – 17h: Football
18h – 19h: Returned to Brussels

Each talk starts with a brief presentation of the project “This is Us. This is Brussels.”, followed by testimonials of two interviewees from our archive who brought up the subject of the talk while telling their stories about their lives in Brussels. Each talk also includes an inspiration moment during which a scientist and a representative of an organization in Molenbeek will share their points of view, as well as a dialogue with the audience on what the theme tells us about Molenbeek, about Brussels, and how it can play a role in a European capital of culture.