A season of Encounters

An upbeat spectacle which is slowly breaking apart, 'Signal to Noise' summons a delirious late-night churn of fragments – dances, rehearsals, altercations, scenery changes and unexpected weather reports. AI voices are enlisted to perform the text – their unreal chatter and patter mixing interior monologues, unfinished jokes and off-topic interviews. It all sounds right, more or less human, more or less real. What could go wrong?

The six performers lip-sync all the voices, sometimes carefully, sometimes with unhelpful abandon, bringing life to these disembodied, never-bodied speakers. In the process they summon a strange and compelling world where the question of what’s human and what’s not, what’s real life and what’s just pretending is never far away.

Etchells' musical score mixes everything from filmic atmospheres to noise, xylophones to slowed classical strings, beats, trumpets, grunge guitars, and birdsong, but as ever with the company, the performers are the heart of the work - animating it with the energy and inventiveness that Forced Entertainment have made their calling card.

Created as the group celebrate their 40th Birthday, the show is a powerful mix of performance magic and off-hand deconstruction, a simple idea unfolded to open a unique space for the thoughts, laughter and reflections of spectators.

In every_body, choreographer Alexander Vantournhout, alongside collaborator Emmi Väisänen, delves into everyday movements. They elevate simple actions like handshakes and walking into a complex canvas of bodily dynamics. The duet transforms an ordinary handshake into an intricate choreography of arms, elbows, and shoulders, while a seemingly endless walk showcases the versatility of leg and footwork. In 'every_body', the duo crafts a tapestry of choreography, turning even the subtlest of movements into something remarkable.

The performance is further enriched by the sonic landscape created by composer and guitarist Geoffrey Burton. Multidisciplinary fashion artist Tom Van der Borght designs both the costumes and the surreal setting where 'every_body takes' place.

Over the last decade, Alexander Vantournhout has built a diverse oeuvre. His work includes ensemble pieces like 'Foreshadow' (2023) and 'SCREWS' (2019), as well as solos 'VanThorhout' (2022) and 'ANECKXANDER' (2015). 'Every_body' (2024) is his fourth duet, following projects like 'Through the Grapevine' (2020), 'La Rose en Céramique' (2018), and 'Raphaël' (2017). The new creation marks the next step in his journey to dissect and reinterpret everyday movements, continually challenging and redefining the limits of human physical expression.

How can béarnaise sauce teach us something about sexual desires? Berlin-based performer and creator Sophie Guisset seeks to find out for us. With 'Vanilla,' she explores the relationship between pleasure, sexual desire, and food.

Together with performers Enis Turan and Cee Füllemann, Guisset navigates through different rooms filled with sensual experiences. Personal and imaginary stories come to life with proteins - or is it lubricant? - apple pies, and sauces that arouse the performers. Along with a range of fetishes and stories, they ignite the imagination.

'Vanilla' looks beyond the boundaries of what we consider "normal" sexual behavior. With remarkable openness and playfulness, sexuality and fetishism are brought out of the shadows.

The Swiss-Spanish duo Tanya Beyeler and Pablo Gisbert are the driving force behind the collective El Conde de Torrefiel. Together, they have been challenging European theater for years with performances that blend theater and music with dance, music, and storytelling. 'La luz de un lago' goes even further and pushes the boundaries of our imagination.

'La luz de un lago' immerses the spectator in the imaginary of a film that is sustained through stage, words and presence. The plot of 'La luz de un lago' is woven by the fragments of life of characters who live in different places and times. The stories appear and disappear, they are inside each other as in a matryoshka of narrativity, a mise en abisme in the deep water of time: a couple who meet at a concert in Manchester, two secret lovers in Athens, a transsexual woman in Paris and a premiere at the Fenice Opera in Venice. 'La luz de un lago' is about love, work and violence in a world that visually collapses between mirages, trompe l'oeil and hallucinations.

With an innovative staging that challenges the limits of language and theatrical conventions, La luz de un lago invites the audience to witness a chain of invoked but elusive images, using scenographic walls, projected text, voice-overs and an immersive sound composition. Throughout the work, the constant struggle to find clarity in a world full of blurs is reflected. 

As usual in the artistic proposals of El Conde de Torrefiel, vision and listening enter into collision, in a turbulent oscillation where a crack opens up in the meaning and gives way to the possibility of a place for the spectator's imagination: the only possible image on stage. 

How can violence be depicted without endorsing it? Davi Pontes and Wallace Ferreira lead a trilogy that resists physical, imaginary, and epistemological violence. The third and final part, 'Repertoire N.3,' is a fiery critique of the structural oppression faced by Black bodies.

With references to martial arts and capoeira, Pontes and Ferreira challenge the status quo and offer an alternative vision of a world where Black lives are finally recognized and honored. They break stereotypes about violence and show how marginalized groups experience the world.

Be captivated by an anti-colonial choreography that pushes the boundaries of modern dance and paves a path to a future where equality and dignity take precedence.

A strange spectacle on ice and a slippery stage combine in the two-part performance "Fluids," the first collaboration between Finnish art collective WAUHAUS and Estonian dance production company Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava.

The performers’ bodies navigate a highly slippery stage. They are vulnerable, constrained in their movements, and meld into one another as they dance. Using J-Lube, a highly effective lubricant, they are compelled into an unstable movement language that constantly teeters between awkwardness and grace.

How can we be moved by another person? How can we let ourselves be surprised by emotions instead of always trying to control the course of our lives? "Fluids" invites the audience to experience empathy, intimacy, and failure.

Chernobyl, April 26, 1986. The explosion of a reactor drastically changed the lives of the people in and around the city of Pripyat. Almost everyone was evacuated and never returned. Everyone except Pétro and Nadia. With "Zvizdal," the Antwerp theater group BERLIN paints a warm, deeply human portrait of a stubborn couple who refused to leave their home after the nuclear disaster.

Nearly forty years later, Pétro and Nadia still live in their old village, a ghost town. For five years, BERLIN regularly traveled to Chernobyl to interview them and gain insight into their lives and choices. How do they endure a life of isolation for years on end? We see Pétro and Nadia, now well into their 80s, enduring in a contaminated zone and chosen solitude. No running water, electricity, phone, or mail. Instead, they rely on superstition, vodka, swearing, singing, and the ailments of old age.

"Zvizdal" is the sixth installment in the "Holocene" series, in which BERLIN tries to capture our era. Film, poetry, and documentary blend with theater and fiction. The result is a universal story about loneliness, survival, poverty, hope, and love.

From the spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane and Bheki Mseleku to pantsula, the South African dance that gave an entire generation a voice during apartheid. With "blue nile to the galaxy around olodumare," choreographer and dancer Jeremy Nedd explores the Black diaspora and immerses us in a cosmic, Afrofuturistic experience.

Collaborating with the dance collective Impilo Mapantsula, Nedd bridges jazz as an expression of African American self-determination with pantsula, a powerful movement language known for its virtuoso footwork. Improvisation is central to both the music and the dance.

The performance draws inspiration from cosmic phenomena: from the birth of a galaxy to the death of a star. By connecting the energetic and lyrical jive style of pantsula with echoes of past protests against oppression, the performers reflect on the compression of space and time, and our illusions of progress toward the future.

MERIDIAN BROTHERS, hailing from Bogotá - Colombia, is a contemporary “neotropicalist” group formed in 1998 from the interests of Eblis Álvarez (composer and multi-instrumentalist) as a musical laboratory for a small audience and at the time distributed in cassette format. From 2007 the project became a live act formed by María Valencia (wind instruments, percussion and keyboards), Eblis Álvarez (vocals, guitar and direction), Mauricio Ramírez who joined the band in 2016, replacing Damián Ponce (Drums), Alejandro Forero (keyboards), César Quevedo (bass) and in sound engineering, Alejandro Araujo (replacing Juan Camilo Montañéz). 

Scottish with Pakistani-Norwegian roots Nadine Shah is often described - both in voice and mystique - as a mix of PJ Harvey and Nick Cave. She debuted in 2012 with two EPs featuring her brooding, atmospheric blend of midnight loner pop and indie rock, followed by the album "Love Your Dum and Mad" in 2013.

On her third (Mercury Prize-nominated) 2017 album, 'Holiday Destination,' she confronted right-wing nationalism and the conservative government around the ongoing plight of refugees. Shah is no stranger to speaking out for causes she strongly believes in, be it promoting mental health awareness or women's rights.

Her latest album is called "Filthy Underneath" and chronicles a period of unprecedented turbulence in Nadine Shah's life and has a decidedly vibrant and powerful drive. She lets the demons she has conquered during her thirty-seven years of life pass before her with a balletic beauty. Nadine co-wrote the music with partner in crime and producer Ben Hillier, focusing on melody and movement.

Formed in the late 90s by Poia and Urlo, UFOMAMMUT blends heavy riffs with psychedelic nuances, crafting a cosmic sound. Their latest album, Fenice, symbolizes rebirth, featuring new drummer Levre. Departing from cosmic themes, Fenice offers an introspective journey through six interconnected facets. Synths and experimental vocals play a central role, showcasing the band's evolution. Each track on Fenice feels inevitable, reflecting UFOMAMMUT's mastery of sonic exploration. Poia and Urlo, also founders of Malleus and Supernatural Cat label, infuse Fenice with a rejuvenated essence, delivering gargantuan riffs and immersive sonic landscapes.

With over 800 concerts around the world and appearances at the most prestigious extreme music festivals (Hellfest, Roskilde, Copenhell, Roadburn,...) 1 EP and 5 albums, CELESTE can be considered one of the most important bands of the famous French Avant Garde black metal scene.

CELESTE brings a mix of Sludge / Post-hardcore with hints of Black Metal and doom. 

Total darkness in atmosphere, and you can take that quite literally. CELESTE's live shows are unique because the band plays in total darkness, with only a few red headlights (and once troboscope).

Heavy in all aspects...

Lander & Adriaan is a Belgian duo with drummer Lander Gyselinck (Stuff.,Beraadgeslagen,LABtrio) and Adriaan Van de Velde (Pomrad, Mauro Pawlowski, J. Bernardt). Their common fondness for slick digital synths and 90s underground dance music genres brought them together to submerge in symbiotic jams during the very first lockdown in 2020. After a bunch of very successful under-the-radar concerts, they recorded an album in the summer of 2021 that was released in the spring of 2022. Their gently disturbed mashup of 90s dance music genres like Chicago juke, Detroit techno, UK-Funky, Classic rave with corny jazz fusion and mundane jazz improv brings you to a pleasantly disturbed realm of unguilty pleasures, sheer weirdness and pure excitement. 

‘Post Nudism Rave’ they call it. Others call it ‘free rave’, ’confusi-trance’ and ’sophisti-rave’. A  shiny 3D pixie fantasyland juxtaposed with a gritty dark smokey underworld of slimy aliens and smelly trolls. You’ll be experiencing the quantum thrills of interplanetary ambient drones, sweet drumming frenzy, pulpy saccharine melodies, mushy basslines, all gently weaved into raw sweat-drippy dance music. Get (half) nude and dance!

For this show we put this inimitable duo on a stage in the middle of our round club, surrounded by audience and the sound system. And if that's not enough, tickets for Lander & Adriaan also give access to the nighlife event back-to-back with the show... You know what to do!

These days, Berre sells out big venues, but two years ago, Berre's live music was still mainly heard in public. He started as a street musician and shared his covers on TikTok, including from his parents' garage. These videos quickly went viral, making his distinctive voice literally go around the world. His debut single "Say My Name" became an instant success, making it to full-fledged artist overnight. Streams for his subsequent singles, including "Better Off Alone", "Thrill Of It All" and "Kissing Strangers" also ran into the millions.

Those who came too late for tickets to the sold-out shows at AB and Pukkelpop know what done: tickets go on sale on Wednesday 24 April at 11am....

During this tour, they will be joined by percussionist Tlacael Esparza, who has joined as a permanent member. Fans can look forward to new work. Tickets go on sale starting Friday, May 17 at 10 a.m.

In the summer of 2011, American guitarist Dave Harrington was part of Nicolás Jaar's live band that toured Europe and Australia in support of his breakthrough debut album "Space Is Only Noise. During that tour, both experimented every spare moment to create a new palette of sounds. The result? A dark and stealthy mix of electronica and psychedelic-tinged rock on a bed of Jaar's haunting vocals from which their self-titled EP sprouted in 2011. They also miraculously remixed Daft Punk's full-length album 'Random Access Memories' which was listened to millions of times: "The project transcends the standard remix record and the duo is widely praised for their ability to balance originality and playfulness" (Focus Knack).

Then in 2013 they released their debut album "Psychic," preceded by the single "Golden Arrow. The record received a 9.0 from Pitchfork and the New York Times called it "the soundtrack to a lost David Lynch sci-fi movie."

The long-awaited second album, "Spiral," followed in 2021, preceded by singles "Liberty Bell," "The Limit" and "Lawmaker. After eight years, DARKSIDE announced their return to European stages, with headlining shows in Paris, Toulouse, Manchester and London.

Moor Mother

Camae Ayewa aka Moor Mother is a poet, artist, musician and activist operating out of Philadelphia. Her music is an atmospheric patchwork of spoken word, electronics and instrumentation, which Sun Ra enjoys in the afro-futuristic afterlife. Her lyrics are activist and philosophical commentaries on history, consciousness, identity and politics. 

Moor Mother has been active since 2012 and is has recently released her ninth full-length album, 'The Great Bailout'. A record on which she sketches some uncomfortable historical scenes. The title refers to the astronomical amount Britain paid to slave owners in 1835 is compensation of slavery being abolished. A sum that punched such a hole in the British treasury that it wasn't fully paid back until 2015. With tax money, of course.

Sun Ra Arkestra

He was one of the key figures in the avant-garde jazz of the 1960s, along with artists such as Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Albert Ayler. From the mid-1950s, Sun Ra led The Arkestra (an intentional re-spelling of ‘orchestra’), an ensemble with an ever-changing line-up and name. His music touched on almost the entire history of jazz, from ragtime to swing music, from bebop to free jazz. He also pioneered electronic music, space music and free improvisation, and was one of the first musicians, regardless of genre, to make extensive use of electronic keyboards.

After his death, the Akrestra was led by tenor saxophonist John Gilmore and then alto saxophonist Marshall Allen and saxophonist Knoel Scott.

‘Battle of the Titans’ promises an epic evening of friendly battles between Belgian spoken word artists. We give a stage to both the big names of the genre and a new generation that is getting louder and sharper. 

With artists such as Esohe Weyden, Hind Eljadid, Bekvegter, Lisette Ma Neza, Samira Saleh, Soukaïna Bennani, Mon, Seckou Ouologem, Manu Moreau, Siebrand, Giovanni Baudonck, Droge P and Yannick Moyson, the most polished voices of the moment will be on stage.

In haar nieuwe boek 'Klassenjustitie. Hoe blind is Vrouwe Justitia?' houdt vast panellid Yasmien Naciri ons juridisch systeem tegen het licht. In haar zoektocht naar rechtszekerheid en gelijke rechten behandelt ze misconcepties, mythes en reële uitdagingen in ons Belgisch rechtssysteem.

Hoe groot zijn de blinde vlekken van rechters en advocaten? In hoeverre is er sprake van een gebrek aan gelijke kansen en toegang tot het recht? Gedragen media zich steeds vaker als rechter? Hoe beïnvloeden zij het oordeel en de perceptie rond rechtszaken? Het zijn slechts enkele thema’s die in dit boek worden besproken. Complex, uitdagend en vooral een aanzet tot kritische reflecties over de fundamenten van onze liberale democratie. Het boek werpt een blik op de onbewuste vooroordelen, systematische ongelijkheid en het gevoel van (on)rechtvaardigheid in onze samenleving. Geen enkel taboe blijft onbesproken en dat doet Naciri door in gesprek te gaan met mensen die burgers verdedigen, oordelen vellen en straffen bepalen.

Naar aanleiding van het boek gaan we in De Arena in gesprek met ons vaste panel, deze keer bijgestaan door cd&v-voorzitter en federaal parlementslid Sammy Mahdi en afdelingsvoorzitter van de rechtbank van eerste aanleg Oost-Vlaanderen – afdeling Gent Hans De Waele. 

Het vast panel zijn internationaal strafpleiter Walter Van Steenbrugge en ondernemer Yasmien Naciri. De gesprekken worden gemodereerd door Lisbeth Imbo, het publiek mag (be)oordelen.

Welkom in DE ARENA!

Op dinsdag 29 oktober vergezellen Ibe Rossel, Angelo Tijssens en Arno Van Vlierberghe presentator Ruth Joos. Samen bespreken ze drie boeken, zorgvuldig geselecteerd door onze redactie.

Als Vooruitlezer mogen we deze maand Lize Spit verwelkomen, die een fragment zal lezen uit haar langverwachte nieuwe boek: 'Autobiografie van mijn lichaam'. Verder wordt de avond muzikaal opgeluisterd en tijdens de tombola maak je bovendien kans om één van de besproken titels te winnen.

Kinderen hebben terecht rechten, vastgelegd in het Verdrag inzake de Rechten van het Kind, maar dat mag niet betekenen dat verantwoordelijkheid uit het oog verloren wordt. Naast het recht op inspraak en bescherming, hebben kinderen ook de plicht om onze regels en waarden te respecteren. Dus, wie grijpt in als dat misloopt? De ouders, de school, de politie of de rechtbank?

Daarbovenop rijst de vraag hoe we omgaan met culturele tradities die botsen met kinderrechten. Tradities kunnen nooit een excuus zijn om die rechten te schenden. 

Aan wie is het - ouders, leraren, beleidsmakers, politie, rechters ? – om grenzen te stellen? Hoe begeleiden we de jeugd naar een toekomst waarin rechten en plichten hand in hand gaan? Waar vinden we elkaar? 

Als gasten verwelkomen we schrijver en journalist Margot Vanderstraeten en voorzitter van het Kinderarmoedefonds Noël Slangen. Ons panel bestaat uit Walter Van Steenbrugge en Amir Bachrouri. Lisbeth Imbo modereert. Het publiek (be)oordeelt.

Welkom in De Arena!