What's on this week: 27 October-2 November

The Filem’on international film festival for young audiences is back for an 11th edition. More than 130 films, in all formats and of all genres for children and teens between six and 16, will be screened at Cinemas Aventure and Galeries, the Weils, Cinematek, Nova and other venues such as schools and cultural centres. The theme this year is time and as well as new films in competition there will be classics (such as The Neverending Story), visual performances and digital and analogue workshops. Judging the entries will be national and international juries of teens with jury members coming from Germany, Romania, Bosnia, Luxemburg and Poland. Careful: once you peruse the programme you're going to want to be a kid again. The selection is truly mouthwatering.

The Freedoms Festival at the Théatre National is, as usual, political and artistic, intercultural and creative, festive and subversive, serious and light-hearted. This year the theme is anti-system: has the concept been co-opted so as to be meaningless? On Friday there will be a debates on the end of work vs. the end of employment and on terrorism: reduced to pure nihilism?; two screenings, one on the busiest maternity ward in the world, another on the Syrian refugees in Lebanon and concerts by Puggy and Glu. And on Saturday, there are debates on the banking system, populism, burnout, and complicity in the media, screenings on survival in Iraq, migrants and corruption and concerts by different Jamaican artists.

An international nonprofit, Allegrarte, is an online gallery for contemporary art - the purpose of which is to provide a platform for young artists. On the website users will have access to pictures of each available work, detailed descriptions, prices and technical specifications. Allegrarte will invest its profits to support artists through the organisation of exhibitions, studio visits and events. To launch the site, there will be an actual exhibition of the works of 20 of the artists in an Avenue Louise mansion. Read more about the project here...
27 October-3 December, Avenue Louise 292, Brussels

La Manufacture 111 Brussels is an urban culture centre which provides artists with residencies as well as exhibitions, concerts and shows. Their new show entitled ArtWork BXL features three of their resident artists. Raphael Federici (France) allies "noble" techniques with aerosol, illustration, sculpture, even leatherwork and woodwork to create something he calls "pop expressionism". Djamel Oulkadi (Belgium) has combined Muslim Arabic calligraphy with Op art, and fellow Belgian Solo Cink has melded calligraphy with what he calls sacred geometric shapes.
Until 23 December

Wim Vandekeybus's seminal dance piece In Spite of Wishing and Wanting (1999) with its haunting David Byrne soundtrack and flawless mixing of film and live action is back this Friday for a performance by Vandekeybus’s dance troupe Ultima Vez at the Westrand Cultural Centre in Dilbeek, 20.30

Fortified wines such as sherry and madeira are not very trendy these days which is unfortunate because there’s a lot to like. If you are curious to experience them, there’s a tasting this Friday in Laeken at 19.30. Information and registration at info@vinilegium.be

On Friday it’s Moebius Gathering #2 - which is all about creating “a gathering for artists, writers, thinkers, curious minds… a place where they can meet each other and share their arts and crafts in a beautiful and safe environment with a caring public. A place where deep emotions and profound experiences can be reached.” There will be exhibitions, music, performances, organic brunch and the very special Belgian Mobius beers. Open 18.00-01.00.

For the first time, the Festival Lezarts Danses Urbaines (pictured) will take place at KVS. Break dance, stand dance, pop lock, krump and other hip hop styles. Not just Belgian groups but also groups from Senegal and beyond. Saturday from 16.00.

At The Brass in Forest it’s the BRIK Festival until 5 November. For the opening Saturday starting at 13.00 there are guided tours, workshops and exhibitions followed by live concerts from 20.00, plus the beers of Wuppertal and 100% homemade Belgian burgers.

J.S. Bach was an admirer of the writings of Martin Luther and in 1739 he composed a series of Lutheran chorals that were transcribed for the organ. Belgian organist Wouter Dekoninck has further transcribed the music for orchestra and choir. In this 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation, the Dominican Monastery in Brussels is presenting this “Grosse Messe 1739 für Bach und Luther” sung by the Hildebrandt Consort this Saturday at 20.00.

Strokar, the street art nonprofit created by Alexandra Lambert and Fred Atax, is holding a street art festival until Sunday featuring 50 top artists and collectives with the work exposed in the windows and inside of 30 businesses on a circuit including Rue Dansaert and Chartreux, the Old Grain Market and Place Saint-Géry. Plenty of activities are planned including the possibility of winning one of the artworks. Headquarters for the festival at “33” which is at Rue des Chartreux 23.

George Parker is an illusionist and mentalist from the Netherlands. He also describes himself as a "corporate alchemist". He'll be bending reality in a show in Auderghem this Saturday which "weaves magic and storytelling into a flowing theatrical experience".
28 October 20.00, Le Trac, Auderghem