After Brussels and Istanbul in 2010, the third edition of the Human Cities Festival will be hosted in Brussels from 15 until 30 March 2012. The city of Brussels will run under the title “Reclaiming public space”. Scientific and cultural actors will stress bottom-up initiatives set up by citizens, artists and associations that re-shape the forms and appropriation of public space.

This international happening and scientific gathering is supported by the EU Culture Programme 2007-2013 and the European network of partners, La Cambre Horta from the ULB (BE), Pro Materia (BE),  Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia - UIRS (SLO), Cité du Design from St-Etienne (FR) and Politecnico di Milano (IT) with the kind collaboration of Time Circus (BE).During two weeks time, local and international cultural actors from different disciplines will converge together (urban planners, architects, sociologists, anthropologists, public authorities, philosophers, historians, geographers,...). “Human-centred” initiatives like art interventions, design, installations, urban walks and pedagogical or public art workshops will be individual or collective, material and immaterial (neighbourhood festivities, services, mobilization, performances, testing of the enabling toolkit, video screenings…). A wide range of local and international organisations will contribute to the success of this spring festival in Brussels from which will result short and long term impacts on the city and on the urban context of its European partners.

The Festival will begin holding the International Symposium under the theme of “Civil society reclaims public space” on the 15th and 16th March at the Royal Library of Brussels with contributors from independent research groups, networks or institutions from all over the world.

Pro Materia asbl
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