Brussels in English

Oklahoma, a Rogers and Hammerstein favourite, is this season's performance from the Brussels Light Opera Company (BLOC). 22-25 November, Auderghem Cultural Centre, Boulevard du Souverain 183

The Brussels Shakespeare Society is bringing Hamlet back to the stage this season, directed by Sven Delariviere. In true Shakespeare style, the Brussels Shakespeare Society bring us a performance where women play men and men play women and though there maybe “something rotten in the state of Denmark”, there is nothing rotten in this year’s production and “to be or not to be” may be the question. ...

David Hernandez is a Brussels based American dancer, performer and choreographer currently working with Moya Michael on Coloured Swan 2: Eldorado, a dance/theater/performance piece having its EU première at KVS this month.  He took time out from his rehearsals for Coloured Swan as well as other performances to talk about his background and his art.  http://www.dhplus.net/ www.kvs.be  

This autumn’s offering from the American Theatre Company is Yasmina Riza’s Tony Award winning play, God of Carnage. Two couples meet one evening to discuss a playground fight between their sons during which one boy has lost his two front teeth. The discussion starts off cordial and polite but as the evening wears on and alcohol loosens inhibitions, polite conversation and social etiquette dissolve...

A giant sculpture celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been unveiled in the middle of Schuman roundabout. Artist Cristobal Gabarron's sculpture, Enlightened Universe, consists of a six-metre-high reflective sphere and brightly coloured metal cutouts of human like shapes holding hands and dancing around the sphere. Deborah Seward, Director of the United...

Quentin is the brains behind Mamé Noka Coffee Roasters, a Brussels social enterprise that calls its coffee "more than fair trade". Quentin began his project in the rural Boyo region of Cameroon. He agreed with a network of five villages to buy their entire coffee production, about two acres of plants each. Mame Noka's coffees can be found at Sequoia bio stores and selected cafes around the city.

A new exhibition in Brussels lets you discover - or relive - the effervescent, paradigm-shifting, multi-faceted world of the late 1960s, from Swinging Sixties London to San Francisco's Summer of Love, Woodstock and the May 1968 Paris protests. Revolutions - Records & Rebels 1966-1970 is a comprehensive exhibition of the cultural, social, artistic and technological revolutions that occurred dur...

An era of prohibition, flappers and jazz, the roaring twenties in America were iconically described by F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby; a story of love, loss and tragedy. The story is entwined with complex characters and romanticized descriptions of lavish parties. Anyone who has read the book, probably dreamt of an invite to Jay Gatsby’s mansion for a night of drinks and dancing. A London...

One of the great features of the Eat! Brussels Drink! Bordeaux annual  festival is that you can sample the food prepared by some of the best and most innovative chefs in Brussels for a small fee. This means that you can decide if you like a particular restaurant’s food without having to spend a lot of money. You can then confidently book a meal based on the  tastes you had. Rouge Tomate is one of...

Our series on up-and-coming musicians takes us to France. We meet French singer-songwriter Sage, former lead singer in the band Revolver. He has collaborated with fellow French artists including The Shoes and Yuksek and was in Brussels recently as part of a European tour to promote his new solo album.

As the renovation of North Station continues, some vintage elements of the building are being carefully disassembled and offered up for sale to the public. Rotor Deconstruction are salvaging much of the station’s interior, including tiles and light fixtures. They clean the recuperated elements up and resell them. http://www.rotordc.com

Most of us are not aware that the five meter high 15th century weathervane at the top of the city hall spire, depicting Saint Michael defeating the Devil is a copy. The last time the original was restored over twenty years ago it was replaced. The original was housed in the tower itself, until recently, when it was moved across the Grand’ Place to the Museum of the City of Brussels for the new exh...

With a smoky voice and a style combining pop and soul with jazz and blues, singer-songwriter Typh Barrow has been described by some as the Belgian Amy Winehouse. Born Tiffany Baworowski in Brussels to a Polish father and a Belgian mother, the 31-year-old has been writing songs since she was 12, performing since the age of 14, and has just brought out her debut album. The Bulletin caught up with he...

The City of Brussels is failing to provide an adequate service to newly arrived expats, who face long delays, unfriendly staff and communication problems, according to new research by the business federation Agoria.  The organisation asked foreign workers from its member companies to tell all about their experience dealing with the Belgian municipal administration - and there was one commune which...

The 16th edition of the all night cultural extravaganza called Nuit Blanche is taking place in the Marolles neighborhood this year. It will be featuring 22 performances inside and outside landmark buildings by 13 Belgian and nine international artists involving 119 performers. In the courtyard of the old fire station across from the flea market, Reckless Sleepers, a Belgian British group with memb...

As the use of social networking is becoming more and more acceptable while in the company of friends, the art of conversation seems to be dying. So, where in Brussels can you go to have a meaningful conversation, to discuss your ideas or share knowledge and opinions, without being interrupted by the familiar ping of a social media alert? Frans Nijs, Annamaria Erdei and Béla Dajka are all Art of Ho...

In 60 years, endless balls have been kicked, countless laughs shared and thousands of lives from across the world intertwined. Since 1958, BSA has expanded to include football, lacrosse, basketball and, as of this year, cricket. The organisation is entirely volunteer based and for children aged from four to 12.  www.bsasports.org

Not as famous as its older sister the Saint-Hubert Royal Galleries, the Passage du Nord is definitely worth a visit especially after years of top to bottom restoration. Director Xavier Verhaeghe explains what's been done. http://www.passagedunord.be/indexen.html  

While sheep may be typically found in the countryside, one local shepherd plans on walking his flock around the perimeter streets of Brussels. This autumn, David D’Hondt hopes to walk his own herd along the Green Walk of Brussels, a 60km circular route, which aims to preserve the natural heritage of the city.

Kool Koor, (Charles Hargrove) a New York-born Brussels-based artist is considered by many to be one of the most influential and pivotal urban artists of the original NYC urban scene. Originally known for his space-age-inspired works, which range from surreal scenes to intricate works of abstraction, his style is unique and instantly recognizable. He is one of the original graffiti pioneers whose w...

Winner of the European Jury Prize at this year's Brussels International Film Festival, The Return by Malene Choi Jensen is a docu-fiction treatment of the massive adoption of Korean babies by Europeans and Americans during the late Seventies and mid Eighties. Jensen, an adoptee herself, talks to us about her movie. https://briff.be/en/film/the-return/

Nupur Tron Chowdry fell in love with the Horta designed Hôtel Frison in the Sablon and she's busy restoring it. But she is also planning an ambitious cross cultural program to bring Indian and Belgian cultures together, using the house as the physical heart of the endeavour. Nupur@nupurconsulting.com www.foundation-frison-horta.be

You need to move your belongings across the city, or get rid of an old piece of furniture, but you don't have a car. That's where Dwump.com comes in. The Brussels start-up's founder, Ukrainian expat Illya Rozenbaum, explains how it works and where the idea came from.

A major new campaign launching in Brussels this week aims to convey the positive and inspirational stories behind migration to the city - and fight against certain stereotypes in the media about people from minority backgrounds. Success Within You features profiles of foreigners who have made their mark, from business to politics and culture, raising awareness of what diversity brings to our socie...

A new app is fighting against food waste in Belgium, one meal at a time, by connecting consumers with vendors who have surplus food. At the end of each business day, restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and bakeries can list their leftover food for a discounted price on Too Good To Go, a concept originally developed in Denmark. Jonas Mallisse is in charge of Too Good To Go here in Belgium. He expla...