Brussels in English

Lock your liquor cabinet and hide the wine, Belgium’s dry month is at the door. It might at first seem unfair: You take away our friends, our cinemas, our haircuts … and now our beer? But Tournée Minérale is not meant to punish us or to deprive us, assures Tom Evenepoel of De Druglijn. Belgium’s alcohol-free month is meant to point out to us just how omnipresent drink is in our lives.

Anima, the much respected Brussels international festival of animated films, is back but in a completely different form courtesy of the pandemic. Karin Vanderydt, one of the two festival directors, tells us what to expect. https://animafestival.be/en

Artists, curators and activists have taken to the airwaves at Kanal Centre Pompidou, which is running a new radio platform called Studio K for the next four weeks – and possibly beyond. We hear from curator Yann Chateigné.

Local fundraiser Meals4healthcare is stepping up its appeal for donations to deliver meals to healthcare workers on the frontline of the battle against coronavirus. One of the campaign's organisers, Full Circle co-founder Bridie Nathanson, explains all.

- 'Justice for Ibrahima' protest turns violent -  Belgium moves to enshrine rights for disabled people in constitution -  Waiting lists grow for transgender care at specialist hospitals

Maybe you saw them pop up on social media: Those quintessential little wooden mannequins creatively transformed – sometimes with props – into sculptures bursting with personality. They were made by artists in support of Infirmiers de Rue, an organisation providing medical care to the homeless. And now you can see them all together at the exhibition 1,000 Petits Bonshommes at Halles Saint-Géry. The...

Headlines around the world were dominated this week by the protest in Washington, DC, which saw Trump supporters storming the Capitol building, home to the Senate and House of Representatives that make up Congress. After the extraordinary scenes in Washington DC this week, our guest on The Bulletin radio on Friday was Onelica Andrade, from Democrats Abroad Belgium.

Several dozen Brits in Brussels braved the cold and rain for a candelit vigil on New Year's Eve to mark the end of the Brexit transition period. Wearing EU-flag facemasks, the group gathered opposite the British Embassy on Avenue d'Auderghem for speeches, a minute's silence and renditions of Ode to Joy and Auld Lang Syne. Our reporter Kate Havrlik was there.

How can we improve health and quality of life in Brussels? During the lockdown, the City of Brussels decided to transform all the streets in the pentagon-shaped city centre into residential areas, which entailed the prioritisation of pedestrians and cyclists and a speed limitation for cars of 20kph. After a few months, this decision was partly revoked. What is the opinion of Annekatrien Verdickt,...

Anyone who wants to fully understand why Belgian fries are so celebrated should give Patatak a try - a chip shop with an original year-old location on the Parvis in Saint-Gilles and a brand new location downtown next to Cirio by the Bourse. We talk with owner Adrien Dewez. www.patatak.be

Where do all the exotic ring-necked parakeets in Brussels come from? The Brussels-Capital Region has seen a rising number of exotic ring-necked parakeets in the city, currently estimated at around 12,000. But Brussels is not the only city in the Low Countries where the numbers of these bird species has increased over the last couple of years. Where do these parakeets come from and what is their na...

The House of European History is presenting Fake for Real, an exhibition which retraces the history of forgery and falsification in Europe from the Trojan Horse to the deep rabbit holes currently created on the internet. Simina Badica, curator of the House of European History and co-curator of the exhibition tells us all about it. www.historia-europa.ep.eu

As the UK prepares to exit the EU, Britons in Brussels are wondering how Brexit will impact their right to live, work and obtain social security in Belgium. How will Brexit affect Brussels? Journalist Saffina Rana explains. Hear the full Brussels Explained podcast at De Buren. https://deburen.eu/magazine/2953/what-are-the-consequences-of-brexit-for-brits-in-brussels-brussels-explained-with-saffina...

The Parcours Street Art of the City of Brussels keeps growing and growing, now numbering over 120 works adorning façades and pavements across the city. Every year the music and culture festival Balkan Trafik! invites a street artist from the Balkans to create a piece of street art in Brussels. This year Serbian artist Jana Danilović has produced a mural entitled Up! in the Marolles neighborhood. A...

As we are all very aware, 2020 has been a daunting year for cultural institutions and events but the Foundation for the Arts is ready for a blockbuster 2021 - and the 2021 edition of their very popular annual Brussels Cultural Guide is here to prove it. We spoke with the director of the foundation Guy de Bellefroid. www.agenda.brussels

Housing young professionals is a booming business. So how does Brussels’ property sector live with the constant stream of international newcomers in search of short-term housing – and what’s it like to be one of them? Sarah Crew reports

Want to look good while supporting local designers with a social conscience? Look no further. Sarah Schug reports

Since Belgium’s euthanasia law was introduced in 2002, more than 22,000 people have chosen to die this way, ending unbearable psychological or physical suffering on their own terms. Two experts in end-of-life care and ethics talk us through the history, the safeguards – and where to turn for support and a listening ear. Lisa Bradshaw reports

We sat down with Juliana Santos Wahlgren to talk about racial discrimination in Belgium, the Black Lives Matter protests, and what’s next. Linda Thompson reports.

Six months ago, international schools in Belgium were suddenly confronted with a problem nobody had expected. We take a look at how they have tackled the challenges of Covid-19, drawing on all their advantages to ensure their students thrive. Karen McHugh reports.

Belgium officially has a new princess, and the next monarch will be the first Queen of the Belgians. As a gradual reckoning finally takes place of the atrocities of Leopold II’s reign, we take a brief tour through the high points and dark chapters of the country’s royal family. Leo Cendrowicz reports

Whether you live in a rented city-centre apartment or your own detached house in the suburbs, there are plenty of measures that can cut energy use, save money and reduce our environmental footprint. Sarah Crew reports

Founded by novelist Sulaiman Addonia, the Refugee Writing Academy gives people a safe place to express themselves through literature and find a way back to the interests of their former lives. Lisa Bradshaw reports

While Belgium has been among the countries worst hit by the pandemic, the crisis has cut through many of the usual government contortions the country is known for. So how is the federal government handling the crisis and are regional and local government measures aiding or aggravating the situation? Ian Mundell reports.

Feeling like an insider instead of an outsider is the best thing that can happen to an expat living abroad. But getting there isn’t always easy and moving abroad comes with a set of challenges. How does this impact the mental health of expats? Bulletin editor-in-chief Sarah Crew explains in the latest Brussels Explained session. Listen to the full podcast at https://deburen.eu/magazine-archief?typ...