Walks & workshop

Walks and workshops are included in the Ecopolis ticket. However, reservation is necessary. Secure your spot by registering here.

Minority walk with Omar Fassi Fehri (EN)

The Minority Walk is a tour of the center of Brussels to discover the public space of the capital, told through the lens of how the oppression of various minority groups is still taking place, in different ways, representations, mechanisms and images. It’s around a two-hour stroll, with various stops (some famous and some curious…), with the aim to engage debate, raise consciousness, question our privileges and/or situations of discrimination, experiment, and share.

The Brussels of witches: feminist guided walk (EN)

In the 14th century, as we move out of the ‘dark’ Middle Ages and into the Modern Age and the Renaissance, women are plunged into darkness – or rather into the flames of the stake. How were women’s skills and knowledge transformed into acts of witchcraft? How did the living conditions of free women change? What female figures reveal other possible worlds? What does our urban public space reveal about that time… and about witches today? Find out in this guided walk by art historian Chiara Tomalino from L’architecture qui dégenre.

L’architecture qui dégenre, a platform founded in 2018 by Apolline Vranken, is the initiator of the Belgian edition of the Journées de Matrimoine. The non-profit organization organizes and realizes guided tours, training, lectures and animations on the themes of gender, the city, architecture, history, art and culture in general.

Two homes, one guide (walk) (NL)

Our intercultural guides of  Twee (t)huizen, één gids (Two Homes, One Guide) will make you discover Brussels in a most unusual way. They do not focus on history but on how they themselves experience the city. They will show you neighbourhoods that matter to them while also talking about their countries of origin.

Tatyana moved from Ukraine to Belgium some 22 years ago and at once fell in love with Brussels because of its rich and omnipresent history, culture and vibrancy. The walk starts at Saint Catherine’s Church and Tatyana will take you along the former canal showing you her favourite spots. The walk ends with a tour of KVS theatre, for which she has a personal preference. A drink at KVS Café Congo will be the perfect conclusion to you walk.

This walk is organized by FDMO (Federation of global and democratic organisations)

Workshop ‘Limits to Growth’ (NL/EN)

Floods, forest fires, melting glaciers, etc.: we are increasingly faced with natural disasters. The consequences are disastrous and indisputable: we are exceeding the limits of our planet. To keep our planet livable, we urgently need to rethink our way of living. In this workshop we will encounter inspiring voices from Latin America (in line with the ‘Buen Vivir’ philosophy) who show that another way of life is possible. A life in which ‘well-being’ is central instead of ‘growth’. In the workshop, we will look together for ways in which we can live with fewer non-renewable resources, with the aim of taking a critical look at our consumer society and actively considering alternative models of society. We will also look into the ‘Right to say No’ and the ‘Right to Repair’ movements.
In collaboration with Catapa and Right to Repair Europe, celebrating International Repair Day on October 15th.

Panel discussions and performance

Colonisation as exploitation of people and nature

Colonalisation is more than a system of dominance over a population and territory.  ‘Coloniality’ as a conceptual framework makes a single system of thought exclusive : western man dominating nature and other population groups has erased other ways of being and the connectedness with the more-than-human-world. What is called ‘development’ today, is often a continuation of the colonial process of appropriation and suppression of land, nature and people.

In this panel discussion, writers and artists from various backgrounds will discuss what this means and will focus on the many narratives that survived colonialism while offering alternatives. They will talk about what the  ’decolonialisation’ movement involves.

With: Dalilla Hermans, Bayo Akomolafe, Jumana Emil Abboud, Mihnea Tănăsescu and Olave Nduwanje (moderator)

Different jobs, one planet. Stories of strong commitment

Whatever your studies, whatever your job, there are always plenty of opportunities for strong commitment to creating a better world. An architect need not only design houses but may also promote a more feminine approach to urban life. A lawyer may lead the way in the fight against chemical pollution of the environment. And what about a financial analyst’s call for blowing up the banks? Or a weathercaster engaged in climate action?

On the panel:  Apolline Vranken, Jérémy Désir-Weber, Thomas Goorden and Caroline Van Peteghem (moderator)

Conclusion by Eric Corijn in a brief key-note.

TANK TINK / ONE: The environmental impact of war

War turns gigantic areas into inhospitable no-go zones. Its impact on humans as well as on nature and biodiversity is dramatic. Ecopolis will feature playwrights and performers Enkidu Khaled and Joachim Robbrecht in the premiere of their play on the impact of war on the environment. Along with artists, journalists and activists from different corners of the world, they examine the relationship between warfare and environmental crises in a hybrid and polyphonic lecture-performance.

With: Sara Dziri, Anika Schwarzlose, Ogutu Muraya, Caroline Ngorobi, Chris Keulemans, Brian McKenna.