Embracing cultural diversity: how ‘Enter Festival BXL’ engaged citizens in Brussels
Project: widen audiences by embedding into event programming
The Purpose
To engage citizens in festival programming, creating work relevant to and reflecting the city’s culturally rich and diverse neighbourhoods.
The Challenge
As Brussels diversifies, its cultural offering diversifies too. It is important not to programme cultural work that reduces people only to their ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. In response to these issues, the public policy research organisation Demos has created a new kind of multidisciplinary arts event: ENTER Festival BXL. It engages the public in curating cultural events for the city, choosing which parts of a multi-district festival should be performed in their neighbourhood.
Residents were then given a budget and invited to choose which of the artistic options should take place in their neighbourhood. Demos have a broader strategic aim of engaging citizens in the democratic process and empowering the public sector to work for the common good.
The Plan
The participative process began by involving citizens in the creative process. The call for ideas was communicated in three languages, to encourage understanding and involvement. In 2018, the fourth year of the ENTER Festival, 209 proposals were received, which were sifted down to 80 by an 18-person editorial board of creatives. The longlist of options was then presented to residents in four very different areas of Brussels: Haren, Laeken, St. Peter’s Woluwe and Begijnhof, which formed the four festival zones. Residents were then given a budget and invited to choose which of the artistic options should take place in their neighbourhood.
The Impact
Demos have a broader strategic aim of engaging citizens in the democratic process and empowering the public sector to work for the common good. It is working with government bodies, including the City of Brussels and Brussels Capital Region, as well as residents of local neighbourhoods. ENTER offers a blueprint for future art festivals and continues to develop methods of putting art into the hands of the public.
Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022
Images Courtesy @ City of Brussels
