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Culture beat - June 6

14:51 07/06/2013
Discover Brussels’ avant-garde fashion, journey into outer space, kick up your heels at a dance festival... and check out two of America's finest female singer-songwriters

Forget the Antwerp six, Belgium’s fashion scene is now flourishing across the country. Brussels designers and artists take centre stage in a first edition of the festival MADIFESTO, running until June 16. Organised by Brussels’ fashion and design house MAD it is aimed at the general public and professionals. The main event is tonight’s La Cambre’s annual fashion show Mode(s). For a peek behind the scenes of a fashion shoot don’t miss Mad, Made, Made-up, Make-up. An exhibition Fashion Photography starts on June 14 and on June 15, models, make-up artists, hairdressers and photographers unite in a mock studio to create the atmosphere of a real show.

It’s back to the future with a concert film of Stanley Kubrick’s enigmatic 2001: A Space Odyssey at Bozar on Monday. Brussels Philharmonic perform live the equally-groundbreaking soundtrack from the 1968 masterpiece. Frank Strobel directs the orchestra and Vlaams Radio Koor and Chœur Symphonique Octopus in their interpretation of the eerie powerful score by Ligeti, the Strauss brothers and Khatchaturian.

D stands definitely for dance in this annual meet of exciting Belgian and international choreographers entitled D Festival 03. It kicked off on June 6 and continues until June 21 at Théâtre Marni and Théâtre Les Tanneurs. The dance and performance festival consists of five choreographies from Italy, Belgium, Brazil and France. First up is Les Tanneurs’ artist in residence Maria Clara Villa-Lobos with her satire XL, because size doesn’t matter. The festival finale at Place Sainte-Croix, Flagey is an opportunity for everyone to strut their stuff when Kosmoscompany stage a free public performance on June 21 at 18.30.

English bookshop Waterstone’s invites Luuk van Middelaar, political philosopher and speechwriter to Herman Van Rompuy, to talk about his new book, The Passage to Europe How a Continent became a Union on June 13. He is joined by Luke Baker (Bureau chief Reuters Brussels). Winner of the European Book Prize 2012, the tome is a sweeping and unorthodox history of contemporary European politics. There is an introduction by Martin Porter, General Manager of Edelman Brussels and co-founder of The Centre. Confirm attendance at events@brussels.waterstones.com

Louisiana country-rock singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams is back at the Ancienne Belgique this Friday, for the first time in six years. The won’t be backed by a full band for this tour; instead, it will be her and California’s Doug Pettibone on guitar. Williams’s latest album, Blessed, was released in 2011 (and featured appearances by Matthew Sweet and Elvis Costello), so she has no new release to promote, but it will be fascinating to see this multiple Grammy winner play her best-known songs in a stripped-down format.

Outside Brussels

Like London buses, you wait ages for female R’n’B superstars to visit your country and then they all come in quick succession. Beyoncé and Rihanna have both recently played Antwerp’s Sportpaleis, and there is no doubting their talent and/or appeal, but have they been namedropped by the great Bob Dylan? No they haven’t, but Alicia Keys has. The New York singer-songwriter-pianist is touring her critically acclaimed Girl On Fire album, and there are a few tickets left for this Saturday’s gig, although not many – so hurry.

Written by Sarah Crew and PM Doutreligne