Public Forum: The Right to the City + BrIAS 26 Closing ceremony

Important notice: The Forum and the Closing Ceremony have separate registration links. Click on the images for their respective registration links.

The Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies (BrIAS) invites you to a forum on The Right to the City: making Brussels culture a space of freedom, inclusion and democratic resistance.

About the Event

English

At a time when democracies are facing increasing fragility, the role of art and culture in their preservation and reinvention appears more essential than ever. In Brussels, a global city with remarkable cultural vitality, this question is particularly pressing: while artistic wealth abounds, it remains unequally accessible, and the balances that sustain it are now being tested.

How can the cultural sector remain a space of freedom, inclusion, and democratic resistance?

This forum brings together researchers, cultural practitioners, policymakers, and public administrators to reflect on the links between artistic practices, cultural policies, and democratic life. It explores culture both as a mirror of social tensions and as a driver of transformation.

The forum focuses on two key dimensions: (1) equality of access to culture as a driver of democratic engagement and social cohesion; (2) artistic autonomy as a driver of democratic freedom and resistance.

Français

À l’heure où les démocraties sont confrontées à des dynamiques de fragilisation, le rôle de l’art et de la culture apparaît plus essentiel que jamais. À Bruxelles, cette question est particulièrement vive : la richesse artistique est réelle mais inégalement accessible.

Comment le secteur culturel peut-il rester un espace de liberté, d’inclusion et de résistance démocratique ?

Le forum réunit chercheur·euses, acteur·rices culturels et décideur·euses autour des liens entre pratiques artistiques, politiques culturelles et vie démocratique.

Nederlands

Nu democratieën steeds meer onder druk staan, is de rol van kunst en cultuur belangrijker dan ooit. In Brussel is dit bijzonder zichtbaar: de artistieke rijkdom is groot, maar de toegang blijft ongelijk verdeeld.

Hoe kan de culturele sector een vrijhaven blijven voor inclusiviteit en democratisch verzet?

Het forum brengt onderzoekers, cultuurmakers en beleidsmakers samen rond de relatie tussen kunst, beleid en democratie.

Date: Friday 29 May 2026
Location: Boulevard Général Jacques 210, 1050 Brussels
Registration: https://tally.so/r/NpJ97Q

Programme

Agenda

Forum Sessions

Part 1 – Access to culture as a fundamental right

Despite mediation efforts, large segments of the Brussels population remain excluded from cultural participation. This session highlights grassroots initiatives working to make cultural access a civic reality rather than a privilege.

Part 2 – Artistic autonomy and democratic resistance

This session addresses growing pressures on the cultural sector, including funding constraints and ideological challenges, and reflects on how to safeguard artistic independence as a pillar of democracy.

Closing Ceremony

• Welcome speeches
  Prof. Marius Gilbert (ULB)
  Prof. Em. Frank Deconinck (BrIAS)
  Prof. Serge Jaumain (BrIAS)
• Keynote
  Carlotta Scioldo
• Closing remarks
  Prof. Silvia Erzeel (VUB)
  Prof. Emilie van Haute (ULB)

Partners

Forum organized by BrIAS in collaboration with RABKO, OHME, and GRESAC.