Culture beat – November 20

The Brussels branch of British book chain Waterstone’s invites you to get a head-start on your holiday shopping as it launches this year’s Christmas catalogue. The after-work event begins at 18.00 on Thursday and promises a festive atmosphere, light refreshments and great prices on all non-discounted books.

British musical comic Rob Deering headlines the stand-up night at Théâtre 140 on Saturday with an extended set featuring his habitual electric guitar. But will his reputed charm and lyricism win over the Brussels crowd? Deering’s website recalls a visit to the country during in his previous guise as a theatre director “Non-comedians sometimes express terror at the idea of getting up behind the mic in front of a drunken crowd on a Saturday night, but to Rob it feels like home compared to a Catholic school in Belgium on a November morning.” Deering can probably expect a warmer reception at the Schaerbeek theatre. As MC David Lemkin points out, “We do market to the English-speakers, but there is still a majority of native-tongue punters. I don’t brief the comics much; only to say that very specific UK references will be lost on some, but not all folk.” Kicking off the evening is rising star Abandoman, an Irish freestyler who also packs a musical punch.

With holiday obligations fulfilled, you’re free to indulge guilty pleasures. There’s still time to catch over-the-top Flemish singer Guido Belcanto’s performance at Uccle cultural centre Candelaershuys on Thursday evening. The long-haired veteran of the Belgian rock-and-schmaltz scene has been entertaining audiences for decades with a persona that can only be meant ironically. Or is it?

Bozar’s Music Marathon boasts concerts, open rehearsals, meet-and-greets and more, all packed into seven days. The programme begins on Saturday with a sprint, namely Moussem Sounds. The day-long festival is curated by Berchem’s Moussem Nomadic Arts Centre and features 12 full hours of urban, fusion and world music on three stages. The marathon then forges ahead with a dozen more performances by classical, experimental and world artists.

The English-speaking world is finally getting hip to one of Flanders’ best-loved poets of the 20th century. Just this month, American publisher Archipelago Books released Even Now, a collection of Hugo Claus’s poetry translated by David Colmer. The Australian writer presents the book to Claus’s countrymen (and women) at Passa Porta on Tuesday. Added bonus: Flemish actor Jan Decleir will be on hand to read a selection of Claus’s work in the original Dutch.

This weekend is your last chance to visit the home and interior fair Cocoon at Brussels Expo. Dozens of vendors are here to satisfy all your home needs (and wants). Whether you’re looking for furniture, storage, security, deco or just a bit of interior-design inspiration, you’ll find it here. The centrepiece is the Cocoon House, designed just for the occasion to show products in their natural environment.

Outside Brussels

Namur has already begun observing the centenary of World War One with twin exhibitions at the Félicien Rops Museum and the Maison de la Culture. Visions de la Grande Guerre presents the war as experienced by two young German artists who volunteered to serve in the trenches and lived to regret it. The Rops Museum exhibits 100 works by Berlin-born artist George Grosz, who would later emigrate to New York in protest against the resurgent militarism of the 1930s. The Maison hosts paintings and prints by Otto Dix. Both run until January 5.

Three Charleroi institutions (CAL Charleroi, Cinéma Le Parc and contemporary arts centre Vector) team up this weekend to kick off the second edition of La Quinzaine des Médias. The multidisciplinary festival unravels, as the name suggests, over the course of a fortnight. This year’s theme is video games. Participants meditate on the role of these, the modern world’s latest technological (and cultural) innovations. The programme includes film screenings, exhibitions, lectures, performances and plenty of lively debates.