Cultural Agenda

Find out more here about our cultural events!

Photography, cinema, music, theatre and literature… the Alliance Française de Bruxelles-Europe organises events promoting the French language throughout the year and develops partnerships with Brussels cultural institutions. Our events are free of charge and open to all.

We are also founder members of EUNIC Brussels (European Union National Institutes for Culture), network of European cultural institutes, within which we carry out cultural activities encouraging linguistic diversity.

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Our events


For the 27th edition of the Kunstenfestivaldesarts, which takes place from 7 to 28 May in nearly 30 venues in Brussels, three French artists are supported by the French Embassy and the French Institute: François Chaignaud, Chassol and Noé Soulier.

François Chaignaud: 7, 8 and 9 May
Chassol: 15, 16 and 17 May
Noé Soulier: 21, 22, 23 and 24 May …


Commissioned by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and on the occasion of the French Presidency of the European Union, a morning of debate on the future and freedom of the press will be organised on 3 May 2022 in an emblematic Brussels café, the Greenwich café, in partnership with the French Institute. The date of 3 May is also an opportunity to emphasise the symbolic dimension, as it is World Press Freedom Day. 

The meeting will bring together two journalists from French and Belgian media outlets and will be moderated by a student from a local journalism school: the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

The aim of this scheme is to strengthen the links between French and local media and to contribute to a better integration of academic and professional networks in the field of journalism. This year's theme is "Doing journalism differently": it will address the issue of new media that are reinventing journalism today in a context of political, economic and technological developments in the European Union.

Date: Tuesday 3 May 2022
Time: 10.30-12.00
Place: Café Greenwich, Brussels (Rue des Chartreux 7, 1000 Brussels)  …


The 29th edition of the Nuits Botanique festival will take place from 27 April to 16 May 2022 on the four main stages of the Botanique: the Big Top in the park, the Orangery, the Rotunda and the Grand Salon: more than 20 Nights of concerts are on the programme!

A total of 200 bands will be performing on the festival stages, with a third of them being Belgian bands.

All the entire programme of the more than 80 concerts can be found via this link: Les Nuits 2022 | Botanique

Let's point out a few evenings not to be missed: Gaëtan Roussel, Antoine Wielemans, Fishbach, Bagarre, Iliona, Pierre Lapointe, Hubert Lenoir, Vendredi sur Mer, Jacques, Pomme and Safia Nolin, but also La Fève and Oboy, Scylla, Papooz, Sega Bodega, Ascendant Virgo, and many others. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) …


22 March 2022 | 18:00

Conference with simultaneous translation in French and English, Free of charge
Palais des Académies, Brussels.
In partnership with the Royal Academy of Belgium.

As part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy of Belgium, the French Embassy in Belgium and the Royal Academy of Belgium are organising a series of four conferences on the future of Europe.

In this project for a Europe of knowledge, science is ethical and integral; it is a common good that can belong to every citizen. It unfolds through a variety of disciplines and diverse researcher profiles, and is valued according to its intrinsic value, not the number of publications.
At the heart of this Europe of knowledge, European universities will provide an institutional framework for European cooperation in higher education and research. In this context of the establishment of a European paradigm of open science, the Royal Academy of Belgium and the French Embassy in Belgium propose a dialogue bringing together the central actors of this transformation in France and Belgium:

- Sylvie Retailleau, President of the Université Paris-Saclay,
- Marin Dacos, Coordinator for Open Science at the French Ministry of Research and Innovation,
- Véronique Halloin, Secretary General of the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS,
- Nicolas Cudré-Mauroux, General Manager Research & Innovation, Solvay

Moderated by Didier Viviers, Permanent Secretary of the Royal Academy.  …


On the occasion of the International Francophone Day, the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the Organisation internationale de la francophonie and Wallonie-Bruxelles International, in partnership with the Délégation générale du Québec à Bruxelles, invite you to a special evening on 17 March 2022!

On the programme: a show at Halles Saint-Géry and two exclusive screenings at the Palace cinema.

More information and registration: https://www.wbi.be/fr/news/news-item/soiree-francophonie-2022-printemphonia …


In the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, BOZAR  welcomes Émergences.fr, an exhibition proposed by La Villette. The show aims to present the expertise quality and international influence of French art schools, and will highlight the strong convictions and varied techniques of a selection of recently graduated artists.

More than ever, issues of gender, ecology and our relationship with technology are central to this new generation of artists who draw us into their quest for identity and portray a powerful desire for change. They seek to challenge us, to question us, and to collectively define a new society, while pursuing their aesthetic and poetic experiments.

Eight French art and design schools, an exceptional showcase for young creation, are represented in this exceptional showcase of young creation: the Beaux-Arts de Paris, the Arts Décoratifs de Paris, Le Fresnoy – Studio national des arts contemporains, the École nationale supérieure de la Photographie, ENSCI – les Ateliers, les GOBELINS, FEMIS and ENSA Paris-Malaquais.

From Saturday January the 29th 
Online reservation mandatory 

More information : https://www.bozar.be/en/calendar/emergencesfr …


At the beginning there is only a theatre room, three people, a text, Chekhov perhaps: nothing extraordinary, it could be a rehearsal. Suddenly a fourth character arrives.

He claims to be a knight errant and calls himself Don Alfonso Quichano. His horse is a wheelbarrow and his sweetheart is called Andy. This is the beginning of a series of adventures in which these four beings are both the authors and the subjects.

Todos Caerán is about a stubborn search for identity that is undeterred by failed attempts and bitter disappointments. It is an absurdist road trip through different eras, situations and literary styles. The only landmark is the theatre: that's where the protagonists keep coming back to, as if it were only in the place of performance and sharing that there was any hope of meeting oneself.

From Wednesday 16 to Saturday 26 February at 8:30 pm

Info and booking: Todos caerán | Balsamine …

Discover "ESCAPE" in the exhibition area of the Alliance !

Discover "ESCAPE" in the exhibition area of the Alliance !

🖌️ The exhibition space of the Alliance Française Brussels-Europe is getting a new exhibition from this week!

🌟 Presented in partnership with the French Institute, the exhibition "ESCAPE, voyage au cœur des cultures numériques" invites you to discover a dozen creations and to look at the digital world with a critical eye, to take a step aside and escape its grip for a moment, to rediscover our free will; to press the "Escape" button.

👉 The exhibition is open to the public, free of charge, and accessible during the Alliance's opening hours.
We look forward to seeing you there!


Within the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy of Belgium, the French Embassy in Belgium and the Royal Academy of Belgium are organising a series of four conferences on the future of Europe.
It will allow to address the major European perspectives; to imagine possible futures and concrete opportunities for a Europe of Culture, a Europe of Knowledge; and to collectively reflect on the relationship of Europe to the rest of the world, in particular to the Arab world.

The French Embassy in Belgium and the Royal Academy of Belgium are pleased to invite you to the first conference of this cycle, "The Europe of Culture", which will be held on 17/01 at 6:30 pm, online.

How to define the European cultural policy for the next decade? How can Europe support cultural production and serve the development of a European cultural space? What mission for culture and creators in today's and tomorrow's Europe?

These are all questions that will be answered by three high-level speakers:
- Laurence des Cars, President and Director of the Louvre Museum,
- Peter de Caluwe, General Director of the Théâtre royal de la Monnaie,
- Moderator: Françoise Baré, Head of Culture and Lifestyle at RTBF.

The conference is free of charge, open to all audiences, and will be accessible upon registration via the link below.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LbUC_FC_Rq6aCJLuFFLiFw  …


Thursday 25 November at 8pm - Follow the Césaire ceremony live! 

Go here for the live broadcast of the Césaire to the BEST YouTubers OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE! (+ a live concert by Lou B.) On 25 NOVEMBER at 8pm, the Maison de la Francité la Francité is organising the first major Césaire ceremony in Brussels, designed to reward those who work on the Internet to the discovery of the French language in its different facets. The best "Youtubers of the French language" will be awarded a "Césaire The best "Youtubers of the French language" will be awarded a "Césaire" in five categories: Writing & Publishing; Eloquence & Rhetoric; Learning & Mastering French French; Books & Reading; Humour & Language Games. The Ceremony will be followed by an EXCEPTIONAL CONCERT by LOU B., who will performing some of the most beautiful songs of the French language. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) …


Of the five piano concertos written by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, the Third is the best known. He completed it in 1921 and played the piano part himself at its premiere performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The Belgian National Orchestra will present one of the most promising pianists from France, Lise de la Salle, for this virtuoso tour de force.
This concerto will be bookended with performances by the Belgian National Orchestra of two rarely performed works: the Concerto for Orchestra by the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, and the Symphony: Mathis der Maler by Paul Hindemith.
In three movements, Hindemith depicts the Angelic Concert, the Entombment, and the Temptation of Saint Anthony, corresponding to the three parts of the Isenheim Altarpiece, the most famous work of the Renaissance painter Matthias Grünewald. …


From November 9 to 27 discover the "Ars Musica" festival, the Belgian festival that makes voice and contemporary creation its credo! 

Each year, the festival's program presents an overview of musical creation in collaboration with its Belgian, European and extra-European partners. Numerous concerts allow the diffusion of a multifaceted repertoire, both local and international.

On November 9, a polyphonic opening concert will take you on a journey from San Francisco to Burkina Faso: https://www.arsmusica.be/fr/events/ligetis-concert-douverture/

More information on their website: https://www.arsmusica.be/fr/  …


From the 19th of October to the 13th of November

Postponed until the autumn, this eleventh edition of Hors Pistes invites you to discover the circus in all its forms. A blend of theatre without words, cartoons and dance, acrobatic lifts, burlesque tele-orchestrion, clowns without red noses, raw magic, low trapeze, trampoline with multiple tracks, the biennial highlight that Les Halles devotes to the circus arts bets on eclecticism to offer a wide and joyful panorama. Bodies in freedom, virtuoso movement, poetry, smiles and laughter: everything we need to breathe at last, after being marked by confinement. This event takes place at the Halles de Schaerbeek.

Do not hesitate to discover the programme on their website: Hors Pistes #11 | Les Halles de Schaerbeek …


For its first major exhibition, the Palace has chosen to focus on the atypical career of a major figure in French cinema: Louis de Funès. Produced by the Cinémathèque française in Paris, where it was a great public and critical success, the exhibition will run at the Palace from 2 October 2021 to 16 January 2022.

The exhibition shows and deciphers the sources of inspiration and the comedic springs of Louis de Funès, in particular through his burlesque genius of observation which led him to the top of the box-office at the age of 50. This exhibition is an invitation to discover the actor in all his facets through a collection of nearly 150 works. These include the car from Le Corniaud, the costume from Rabbi Jacob or the one, recognisable among all, from La Soupe aux choux. But also photographs, period documents, sculptures, drawings, paintings... and, of course, film extracts that make you want to (re-)see all these great classics!  …


From 8 to 30 November 2021, the French Embassy in Belgium and the Directorate General for Digital Transformation of the Belgian FPS BOSA are organising a series of conferences entitled "Homo Numericus" aimed at strengthening bilateral exchanges on the subject of digital technology.

This event is organised under the patronage of Mathieu Michel, Belgian Secretary of State for Digitalisation, and Cédric O., French Secretary of State for Digital Transition and Electronic Communications. A few months before the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this initiative will give Belgium and France the opportunity to exchange on their respective priorities in the digital field in order to identify new opportunities for cooperation at European level.

This event will take the form of 7 debates on the influence of digital technology on our society and the changes it brings in sectors such as education, work, politics, health and culture. "Homo Numericus" is part of the programme of the SPF BOSA, the AI4Belgium coalition and the programme of the French Institute "Novembre numérique".

Discover the programme on the website https://homonumericus.francebelgiqueculture.com/ and follow the social networks (@francebelgiqueculture). For any questions, please contact: homo.numericus@bosa.fgov.be and scac.bruxelles-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr  …

The Alliance's exhibition gallery is reopening

The Alliance's exhibition gallery is reopening

From Tuesday 19 October to Friday 3 December, come and discover the exhibition "Machines à bulles" !

Aimed at a public of all ages, the "Machines à Bulles" exhibition allows visitors to discover a selection of works illustrating the new reading experiences that make up the richness and uniqueness of French creation. Thus, L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat revisits a short film from silent cinema, the artists of Instraviata pay tribute to opera, and those of the Lectura Plus project celebrate heritage.

Dive into the "endless drawing" imagined by the young illustrator Elly Oldman: a 15-metre long, interactive and evolving fresco, to be discovered on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinfinitedrawing/

Practical information:
- free admission
- opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 6.30pm and Friday from 8.3am to 12.30pm
- Location: Alliance Française de bruxelles-Europe, Av. des Arts 46 1000 Brussels - Exhibition gallery 


Thursday 21 October 2021 at 8.30 pm | Online conference 

The Alliances françaises of Spain, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, East Flanders, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Lodz and The Hague, together with the Accueil de la Haye, are pleased to present you a series of lectures on the essentials of French culture.
Let yourself be guided by the lecturer Giulia Franceschini to discover Mme De Pompadour !

To register, just one link: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSfx9w4zKm0.../viewform...  …


Tuesday 12 October 2021 at 8 pm | Launching evening of the Belgian Goncourt Prize

The 6th edition of the Belgian Goncourt Prize, the literary prize for Belgian students, will take place on Tuesday 12th October at the International House of Literature in Brussels Passa porta. On this occasion, Camille Laurens will talk to the students of the reading committees of the French and Dutch speaking universities and colleges. universities and colleges.  …

 

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