What's on this week: 19-25 January

At the Jacques Franck Cultural Centre in Saint-Gilles it’s time for the Chouette Festival (pictured), two days of lively music in the dead of winter. It starts on Friday with three groups, first Le Bal de Marie Galante, with music of the French Antilles, then Yôkaï, music from the East tempered by African beats and finally Baro Bialo, three musicians melding their roots of Peruvian, West African and Bulgarian music. Between the acts the Formidable Fanfare will play acoustic swing at the bar. Then on Saturday it’s Morning Glories, a Netherlands-based trio hailing from the US, Canada and France who use hardware as instruments and mix yodelling with 1930s blues, followed by the Hoboes at the bar and in the halls, and finally High Jinks Delegation will be presenting their new album that mixes ragtime, blues, jazz and country.
19-20 January

Some might say that the American Dream is a bit tarnished these days - but if you would like to relive the glory post-second world war days then make your way over to Autoworld to see American Dream Cars and Bikes before the show closes in a few days. Vehicles of the 1950s and 1960s displayed in a unique and surprising décor.
Until 28 January, Autoworld

Congolese Rumba was the infectious, vibrant music of Kinshasa and from the 1950s to 1970s the OK Jazz Orchestra (which became the TP OK Jazz orchestra, TP standing for Tout Puissant) was the premier proponent of the genre; a genre that had profound effect on African popular music throughout the continent. This Sunday, 25 veteran musicians from the orchestra will be presenting Rumba Lumumba with performances of 20 of their greatest songs and anecdotes of the life of Patrice Lumumba. A rare opportunity to see these musicians doing what they do best. Concert followed by an after party.
21 January 18.00, Bozar

On Sundays this winter at La Tricoterie, they are offering Peintres du Dimanche (Sunday Painters) where everyone sits at a huge table and learns how to paint and draw with emphasis on technique, viewpoint, subject, composition, light and colours. For beginners and not beginners of all ages. Don’t forget to bring an apron.
Sundays 15.00 until March. Reservations mandatory.

If you are looking to partake in a civic activity, Migration Policy Group (MPG) is kicking off its non-Belgian voter registration campaign for the upcoming local elections. They are looking for volunteers to register non-Belgians. If you have even a few hours each month from now until August, you can reach and convince hundreds of people. MPG will offer training and the chance to meet EU citizens through local events and online. All you need is good English skills and a desire to empower EU citizens and improve Brussels. Knowledge of EU languages and local EU groups/communities are also a big plus. Trainings and meet-ups will run in January and February.

Every two years, the Zinneke Parade takes over downtown Brussels with zinnodes (crews) from all the neighbourhoods. If you like to move, to dance, to create together with others, then you might consider joining a crew for Zinneke 2018. How to participate? By joining the dance and movement workshop at GC De Maalbeek(participation is free). The participants of this group will be part of the Zinnode Etterbeek-Ixelles. You don’t have to be a dancer, you can just want to invest in a great multi-cultural and fun project. You will need to commit to coming regularly (one Wednesday evening out of two), and especially to be present on 12 May for the parade. The first workshops (24 January, 7 February) are open to everyone to come to try the fun of the Zinneke, to ask questions etc. From then on, you will be asked for a firm commitment for the duration.
Wednesday 19.30, Rue du Cornet 97, Etterbeek

Starting Saturday it’s the DjangoFolllies, the annual birthday party celebrating the birth in Liberchies outside Charleroi of great guitar virtuoso Django Reinhardt, the father of Gypsy Swing, a form of jazz that conquered the world. Concerts in 26 venues across the country until 15 May.

In 1912, Victor Horta designed a store for Wolfers Frères, the preeminent jewellers in Brussels. Among other creations Wolfers designed peerless Art Nouveau jewellery. Now 105 years later, the store’s interior, in storage since the original store was turned into a bank, has been reconstructed in the Cinquantenaire Museum so that once again we can admire the store in its original form. The harmony of the colours desired by Horta emerges once again: the deep red polished Cuban mahogany, the dark green velvet, and the golden accents of the bronze decorations, all in total accord with the mauve colour of the walls.
Until 31 December

Elles Tournent #10 is a four-day film festival at the Vendôme which will present 45 films including previews, Belgian premières, classics, hidden gems, documentaries, fiction, shorts, feature films and animation. What do they all have in common? They are all directed by women.
25-28 January

This week is your last chance to visit the exhibit The Hungarian Bauhaus and its Heritage. The 30-something art pieces show the impacts and influences this artistic style has on graphic design, industrial design, architecture and intermedia. The Bauhaus was a modernist art school in the 20th century that taught the artistic approach of art’s relationship to society and technology. The pieces displayed also give insight into the role Hungary played in the movement.
Until 24 January, Rue du Treurenberg 10

21 January is the last day of the Brussels Motor Show at Heysel - a showcase of cars, motorbikes and any other means of unique transport imaginable. People of all ages can come out to the showroom and find the motor vehicle of their dreams. This 96th edition of the show has dedicated a complete section to the solutions in the field of micro mobility and shared mobility. The We Are Mobility Exhibit will be open to the general public the last four days of the show (18-21 January).

The Historical Archives of the Council of the European Union are offering a unique look into the history of modern Europe. Beginning this week, people can access an online exhibit of photographs and documents of the Messina Conference, which brought together foreign ministers of Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - the six countries of the European Coal and Steel Community. The conference was held in 1955 in Sicily and it laid the foundation for the Rome Treaties and helped create the European Economic Community. By this exhibit being open to the public, it will help residents gain access to the records and allow them to do research to further show the importance of preserving this unique history.
Until 25 January

The Belgian National Orchestra perform some of the best violin selections from the 20th and 21st centuries with special guest, violin prodigy Esther Yoo at the Palais Des Beaux-Arts.
19 January 20.00 and 21 January 15.00