Beursschouwburg

Ahead of the second edition of the film festival Caillou, taking place from 26 to 29 March 2026 in Mona, Beursschouwburg invites us to reflect on the current state of Brussels’ city centre. Unlike most cities, the very heart of Brussels is still home to social housing and working-class neighbourhoods—but the question is: for how long? The urgent situation of the five blocks neighbouring Beursschouwburg, which are on the verge of demolition, as well as the social housing blocks in Beekkant, powerfully demonstrate how the privatisation of housing and public space is increasingly excluding people and forcing them to leave. During the weekend of 6 and 7 March, Caillou takes over Beursschouwburg with films, talks, a listening session and (role-playing) games that explore, propose and put to the test strategies of territorial resistance.

Let's get into the culture’s symbols of resistance and the herstory of the movement. DJ Fatoosan comes back with a second edition of "Fatoosan presents", this time curating a night dedicated to women DJs passionate about sound system culture and keeping it alive in our country and beyond. For this panel talk, Fatoosan is inviting local legends Counscious B, Rrita Jashari and Ojoo, alongside a very special guest: Linett Kamala. Linett is one of the first female DJs to perform on a sound system at Notting Hill Carnival in the mid-1980s! A respected figure in the music industry, she is known for championing underrepresented groups in music and sound system culture. For over 40 years, Linett has been celebrating and promoting Jamaican culture through the production of memorable events across the UK. We can’t wait to come together and share this very special moment with you!

In Iran, dancing has been officially prohibited since the start of the Islamitic Revolution. All dance companies have been forced to cease their activities. Many dancers and choreographers have fled abroad. Those who still live there have to be very resourceful. How are they keeping their art form alive? With This is not a dance, Nastaran Razawi Khorasani builds on her documentary-performative oeuvre to deal with censorship. She links a journalistic approach to a physical visual language by bringing the voices of choreographers and dancers living in Iran to the stage. How do they practice their profession, what dangers do they face, what freedoms are they fighting for? What can be shown, what must remain hidden? As the music and lights build towards a frenzy, Nastaran attempts to keep her dancing body in check. This is not a dance is a tribute to the body that wants to move. A tribute to art that simply must be made, in whatever way, shape or form.

Practical guide for aspiring performing artists, subjective travelogue in the field, and a touch of self-help book. Sometimes I find myself explaining to someone at 2 a.m. what a subsidy is. Or how train tickets become cheaper if you have the increased allowance – and what that is exactly. Or in which months you should email a cultural centre if you want to sell a performance. Then those people often say: ‘Huh, why didn’t I know this?’ And: ‘Why isn’t all this just explained somewhere in simple words?’ So I started writing it myself. Because I had to figure these things out myself as a new creator, I can speak from experience. I know better than Kunstenpunt or Cultuurloket what a starting creator struggles with, because I’ve only been doing this for a few years myself. I can explain it better because some things in practice are quite different from the theory.

A feast of Brussels based films dealing with city life & gentrification, construction works & workers, and urban planning & dreaming.

A space to share our anger, grief and fears with over 40 artists and thinkers, but also to raise our voices together. If I must die you must live to tell my story… — Refaat Alareer (1979–2023), poet killed in Gaza Initiated by Mohamed Toukabri, Eva Blaute, Annalena Fröhlich and Matthieu Vergez this edition of Embrace takes weaving as its guiding thread: weaving as resilience, repair, and connection in times of violence and silence. All proceeds go to [LINK text='Social Developmental Forum' href='https://www.instagram.com/sdf.pal'] working on the ground in Gaza, supporting those most directly affected by the ongoing violence.