Kunstenfestivaldesarts

Kunstenfestivaldesarts
Name	Kunstenfestivaldesarts
Caption	Poster for Kunstenfestivaldesarts
Location	Brussels, Belgium
Founded	1994
Dates	Spring (annual)
Genre	Contemporary performing arts, theatre, dance, performance art

Kunstenfestivaldesarts Kunstenfestivaldesarts is an annual Brussels-based contemporary performing arts festival presenting international theatre, dance, and performance art across multidisciplinary venues. Founded in 1994, the festival has fostered exchanges among artists from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, engaging institutions such as Théâtre National de la Communauté française, La Bellone, and Bozar. It operates within networks including IETM, Circostrada, and collaborations with companies like SADLER'S WELLS, Teatro Nacional María Guerrero.

History

The festival emerged in 1994 amid a growing European circuit for contemporary performance linked to events such as the Avignon Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Festival d'Automne à Paris. Early editions featured works from collectives associated with Forced Entertainment, Complicité, and artists connected to institutions like Royal Court Theatre and Schmidt Theater. During the 2000s it expanded artist residencies with ties to Staatstheater Hannover, Comédie-Française, and touring partners including Festival d'Avignon and Arsenal de Metz. The festival's programming reflected dialogues sparked by global exhibitions at venues such as Venice Biennale and Documenta, while engaging with discourses promoted by European Cultural Foundation and policies of the European Commission cultural directorates.

Organization and Governance

The festival is administered by a board including representatives from Brussels cultural bodies such as Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, regional authorities like the Brussels-Capital Region, and partners from institutions including BOZAR and Théâtre de la Ville. Governance has involved advisory input from curators affiliated with Festival d'Automne à Paris, Kunstenfestival networks, and academic collaborators from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Université libre de Bruxelles. Funding streams historically have combined support from the Flemish Community, Walloon Region, private sponsors including foundations modeled on Fondation Roi Baudouin, and international grants from entities such as European Cultural Foundation and Creative Europe.

Programming and Artistic Direction

Artistic direction rotates through curators associated with institutions like Pina Bausch ensembles, choreographers from Rosas, dramaturgs connected to Royal Shakespeare Company, and visual artists who have shown at Tate Modern and Centre Pompidou. The program blends premieres from companies such as Compagnie Jérôme Bel, Pina Bausch Tanztheater, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and solo projects by artists who trained at schools like École des Beaux-Arts de Paris and Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique. It foregrounds thematic cycles that dialogue with exhibitions at Venice Biennale, debates hosted at Maison des Arts de Créteil, and research labs partnered with universities including Universiteit Gent. Co-productions have involved opera houses such as La Monnaie, contemporary dance centers like Centre chorégraphique national de Toulouse, and festivals such as Festival d'Automne à Paris and Kunstenfestival Luzern.

Venues and Locations

Programming utilizes a constellation of Brussels venues: Théâtre National de Bruxelles, La Bellone, KVS (Kaaitheater), Bozar, Ancienne Belgique, and independent spaces like Artistes en Ville and WIELS. The festival has staged site-specific works at cultural landmarks including Place Sainte-Catherine, Mont des Arts, and collaborations with museums such as Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique and Musée Magritte Museum. Partnerships extend to regional theaters like Théâtre de Liège and international residencies at venues such as Sophiensaele and Hebbel am Ufer.

Notable Productions and Collaborations

Highlighted projects include co-productions with Forced Entertainment, choreographic works by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, interdisciplinary pieces by Jan Fabre, and collaborations with companies like La Ribot and Gob Squad. The festival has hosted premieres that later toured festivals such as Venice Biennale, Edinburgh International Festival, Biennale of Sydney, and Theatre de la Ville. Artist residencies have linked creators to research centers like Rosas Research Centre, media labs at ZKM, and academic exchange with École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. Collaborative projects have also involved orchestras and ensembles including Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and experimental music collectives associated with IRCAM.

Awards and Recognition

The festival has received acclaim and awards comparable to honors awarded by institutions like Princess Margriet Award-type foundations and recognitions from cultural bodies such as European Festivals Association and IETM. Individual productions presented at the festival have been shortlisted for prizes including Laurence Olivier Awards and Prix de la Critique equivalents in Belgium and France. Directors and choreographers showcased at the festival have been later honored with awards from institutions such as Bessie Awards, César Awards (for film collaborators), and fellowships offered by organizations like Guggenheim Foundation and Soros Foundation.

Category:Festivals in Brussels Category:Performing arts festivals