Culture beat – December 12

Over the holiday period, you can fill your boots with Christmas cheer and explore the market-filled area of Sainte-Catherine with guided tours (French, Dutch and English) organised by visit.brussels. The hour-long tours take in the Winter Wonders Christmas village and the historic quarter, including the beguine convent. English tours until January 4: Saturdays at 15.000; December 13, 18, 25, 27, January 1 and 3. Departure point  Sainte-Catherine church, €6 per person, maximum 25 people.

Two free exhibitions open in Bozar next week. The first Kader Attia. Continuum of Repair : The Light of Jacob’s Ladder, is inaugurated on December 19 in the presence of the artist. The Franco-Algerian explores the concept of repair by associating religious and scientific knowledge, the underlying principal of evolution, he believes. A book accompanies the imposing installation (RepaiR, Black jack editions, Brussels, 2014). The second, is Timbuktu Renaissance, which presents 16 manuscripts saved from the Unesco-recognised Malian city, ransacked in 2012 by Jihadists. The original objects reveal a written history of Africa and are among the most representative of the ancient city, once a hub of Arab-African trade as well as a centre of learning. The texts are presented in English, French and Dutch. Complementing them are photographs of the works, and of the sanded-in city’s architecture and present-day Koran schools. There are screenings of extracts of the award-winning film Timbuktu by Abderrahmane Sissako (currently in cinemas) and The Last Song Before the War. Until February 22.

If you’re staying in Brussels over the holiday season, consider catching a movie or two at the Bozar cinema Cinematek. A Mike Leigh cycle (until January 2) has just started and includes a full retrospective in parallel with the release of his latest film Mr Turner. The British director is a cult figure in global cinema. His work is characterised by its social engagement and accessibility: tragicomic dramas that are sensitive and complex. The Belgian Film Critics Association (UFK) celebrates its 60th anniversary with screenings of films that have won its grand prize for Best Film of the Year over the past 60 years, including Bin Jip by Christian Collin and In the Mood for Love by Stefan Eraly (until February 28). And a Tim Burton cycle provides entertainment for all the family from December 24 to 30.

If you’re not suffering from a surfeit of seasonal festivities, join @seven’s Santa’s Christmas dance party at Le Bouche à Oreille on Friday December 19. Free welcome glass of mulled wine or cava, Santa hats (while stocks last) and a carol singalong. Reserve your Christmas dinner (vegetarian option available) by email or phone 0475 674291.

Outside Brussels

Brussels doesn’t have a monopoly on winter markets. In Liège and Wallonia’s eastern cantons (Malmedy, Eupen and St Vith), the German tradition imbues festivities. The Christmas Village in the centre of Liège claims to be the biggest and oldest in Belgium, and includes an ice sculpture festival (featuring a tribute to the late dowager queen Fabiola) and a Santa Claus-themed mini-golf course. Until December 30. Don’t leave Liège without experiencing Christmas past at the Musée de la Vie Wallonne. The immersive programme plunges you into the Wallonia of yesteryear with historical re-enactments, fairy tale readings, Christmas carols and local crafts and cuisine. Young ones can enjoy performances by the famous Liège puppet theatre and learn about the tradition through a series of workshops. Actually, these traditional marionettes will delight the child in all of us. December 15-January 5.

Three new exhibitions have opened at Charleroi’s Musée de la Photographie. Women Are Beautiful celebrates 20th-century American artist Gary Winogrand’s eponymous book. Published in 1975, this collection of candid snapshots of women in New York City helped legitimise street photography as an art form (pictured  above). In Les Amazones du PKK, contemporary photographer Colin Delfosse turns the documentary lens toward the female militants of the Worker’s Party of Kurdistan (PKK). Finally, Les Arméniens – Images d´un Destin, 1906-1939 presents rare photographic evidence of the Armenian holocaust. Until May 17.