The Big Conversation on our city

Sometimes our city seems torn by a spicy cocktail of standstill and sudden change. Construction sites and government formations never seem to end, while cultural venues are being very suddenly closed down. While policies push people into displacement, the amount of vacant square meters stays the same.

But that’s not the whole picture. In other corners positive change is growing everyday, slowly but surely getting stronger. From tenant mobilisations to architectural feminism, or from imagining a public bath house to really building a pool for your neighbours. Who gets to dream up the future of the city? And who puts it into practice? Who are the true (project) developers of our neighborhoods?

We are asking 12 opinion makers to share their experiences and visions during a Big Conversation. Let’s get a good look at some of the (under)currents shaping urban spaces today, and develop strategies for the future of our city.

To make sure everyone gets a chance to have their say, discussion groups are limited to 10 people per table. A big communal table will be kept at the heart of the space to enjoy some food and exchange thoughts with other participants.

Get into conversation with

Tasneem Nagi – KU Leuven
about everyday homing practices of displaced people (EN)

Niels Coppens – Free54
about reclaiming public space through imagination (NL, EN, FR)

Pepijn Kennis – Fair Ground Brussels
about how to develop the city for people, not for profit (NL, EN FR)

Astrid and/or Jozef Wouters – Decoratelier
about hands-on community participation in temporary projects, and what developers might learn from it (NL, EN FR)

Bie Vancraeynest – Toestand
about how it would be if De Beurs/La Bourse became a bath house (NL, EN FR)

Eva Forceville – Bral
about city activism in the past and the present (NL, EN)

Johnny Leya – ERG
about coloniality and the city (NL, EN)

Filip Momikj and Mohammad Hammash – Stripping Architecture
about gentrification today and the intimate relation between public authorities and private developers (EN)

Khushboo Balwani and Ellen Anthoni – BrusselAvenir
about the city in the future (EN, FR)

Apolline Vranken – Matrimony Days
about the feminist city and how to degender public spaces (EN, FR)

Céline Drieskens – VUB
about the right to housing and tenant mobilisations in Brussels (NL)

14:00 (doors)
14:30 welcome & introduction
15:00 round 1
15:50 break
16:20 round 2
17:10 break
17:40 round 3
18:30 plenary closing
19:00 (end)

Looped screening
Brussels, its people, and their neighbourhoods
find out more >>

Artistic interventions
by Kubra Avci and Zaïneb Hamdi

Finger food
by Cassonade