BABELBÜHNE (2020)

Platform for mutilingual encounter in Antwerp City-North during summer season

BabelBühne is a sustainable outdoor sculpture made up of terraces and water features, inspired by the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The Bühne is the follow-up story to the collaborative building project Tower of Babel (summer 2019), which was an ode to multilingualism and linguistic confusion. BabelBühne is a meeting place for all languages in a green urban oasis, a melting pot of all kinds of arts, tones and tastes. Since the summer of 2020 people can enjoy literary afternoons, multilingual children's reading, live neighbourhood radio and cosy dinners with some nice music. BabelBühne also literally gives a sense of multilingualism, because twice a week a worldly kitchen serves some colorful fresh meals. Because of corona we have to spend the summer at home, but BabelBühne lets us travel the world within our own city!

>> Follow BabelBühne on Facebook and Instagram.

>> Click here for an impression of the first season of BabelBühne.

WHERE?

Archipelsite (entry near Damhof), just across Lange Lobroekstraat 77, 2060 Antwerp City-Dam.

Public transport | tram 12, metro 2, 3, 5 en 6 >> "Schijnpoort"

CREDITS

Many hands make light work:

BabelBühne is a collaboration between Rooftoptiger, Maud Vanhauwaert, Behoud de Begeerte, Bib Permeke, Antwerpen Danst, Kras Dam, Samenlevingsopbouw Antwerpen Stad, Buurtwerking Elegast Den Dam, Radio Centraal, Archipel Kunstenwerkplek, De Moestijn, Fameus, Atlas Integratie & Inburgering Antwerpen, Open School Antwerpen, Loods Des Doods, Rode Kruis Vlaanderen – o.c. Linkeroever and many more.

It's a realisation with the support of Antwerp District, City of Antwerp, Antwerp Book city, Permeke Library, Het Oude Badhuis, and Literature Flanders, and many many BabelSympathisers who helped us through crowdfunding.

And of course a big thank you to our crew and all the volunteers. 

Coördination:

Sara Dandois - overall coördination
Maud Vanhauwaert - BabelBad
Ayham Qomoq - BabelFabel
Steve Bosmans - Radio Babel
Bram Rombouts - scenography
Charlotte Cornelissen - volunteers and business support
Aline Verbeke and Karolien Jansen - communication
Ineke Tyriard - crowdfunding
Bo Beintema - social work
Katrien Geens and Sim Heyrman - world kitchen
Inge Kerfs and Astrid Vingerhoets - bar
Abdel Aziz Jeffali - maintenance and sanitary unit
Stefano Petucco and Els Selleslach (intern) - music technicians
Cris Martens (intern) - events
Adel Setta and Siege Dehing - photography

Creation:

Bram Rombouts, Sabbo and Odiel Verleye, James Lethbridge, Jesse Frans, Maarten Bouwkamp, Mamadou Jallow, Britt De Jonghe, Friedemann Koch, Dimitri Klink and Dave Rex Tee, with the great assistance of Miroslaw, Miles, Max, Lamine, Roelie, Matthijs, Diede, Melissa, Tine and Mbajek, Jalal, Samuel, Maryna, Ligam, Johan and Fabienne, Jos, Dodo, Ahmed, Helena, Esse, Deborah, Bess, Nina, Steve, Dirk, Sophia, Mimouna, Sadeq, Zagui, Michaele, Abdulrahman, Naser, Nestor, Danico, Mohammad, Yemane, Robel, Fleur, Murra, Carolina, Sem, Davey, Beau, Ann, Amadou, Hans, Matti, Adama, Farid, Louai, Mustafa, Brit, Tania, Shukrija, Alidza and many more people, sometimes just passing by...

PROGRAMME SUMMER 2020

BABELFABEL

Wednesdays for children from 4 to 12 y, organised together with Bib Permeke. Storytellers take the children on a multilangual journey by reading out loud exciting tales in Dutch and other languages.

Story tellers: Sien De Smet, Tamayo Okano, Alhasan Al-Saeedi, Virginie Iribagiza, Patricia Lopez Loaeza, Daphne and Hasan Autba.

BABELBOUF

Fridays from 18h-21h
With BabelBouf, both cooks and musicians offer us the best of many different worlds. Visitors slide at the table in the open air for a freshly prepared meal from the kitchen, after enjoying a musical/poetical appetizer. Maud Vanhauwaert also organises an open mic: five poets take over the Bühne and make their voices be heard, in any language whatsoever!  

Cooks and helpers: Hakimullah, Nafas Gul, Loes, Abdulrahman, Abdulgader, Paul, Amita, Raul, Alie, Wafa, Mahesh, An, Govinda, Gulamiz, Maryem, Alhaj and Abdulrahman, and a big shout out at Biohofke for the donation of their food surpluses.

Artists: Luca Kortekaas, Marcelo Moncada, Jorinde Cielen, Deborah Federico, Lieke Knoops, Philippe François, Caro Chapelle, Sven Van Staeyen, Karsten de Vilder, Diego Faes, Carl Cappelle, Pedro Pozos, Ludovique Nyamabo Mulamba, Jonas Meersmans, Miki Lamiroy, Floris De Smet, Bert De Smet, Seppe Verbist, Oswald Martens, Joseph Sango, Nathaniel Helo Rego, Stefano Petucco... and our regular dj Pierre Van Mossevelde.

BABELBAD

A literary salon in open air, curated by a poet/author, honoring multilingualism. Poet/performer Maud Vanhauwaert assists them throughout the session. On Saturdays we dive into the unknown...

BABELPUTCH

Every Saturday, the Bühne gets somehow hijacked by local talents and their own artistic languages: all kinds of artistic disciplines, from underground beats to eccentric performances and rap.

ZWERFBIB
20/8 - 26/9
Whoever feels like sitting, hanging, lying down and reading a book in the shades of the Bühne, can come over anytime: the library is always open, and you can also lend a book if you want to.

SUMMER 2020

>> More info soon

PAST

Fr 25.09 18h-21h | BabelBouf | Palet + Theater show 'Dit is het' by Het Zesde Bedrijf
Sa 19.09 19h-22h | BabelPutch | KunstZ  | BabelBouf | Afghanistan + Rake's Progress
Sa 12.09 19h-22h | BabelPutch | Cypher by Bagera
Fr 11.09 18h-21h | BabelBouf | India / Chez Mahesh + Feathers & More
We 09.09 15h-17h | BabelFabel | In Search of the Sea Gull  
Sa 05.09 19h-22h | BabelPutch | Doom over BabelBühne by 9Volt Battery Club and (R.I.P.) OnderGronds
Fr 04.09 8h-21h | BabelBouf | Jemen + Trastiempo
We 02.09 15h-17h | BabelFabel | Letter from Herman
Su 30.08 11u-13u30 | BabelBrunch | Peru + Community center Elegast Den Dam broadcasts Radio Babel
Sa 29.08 15h-17h | BabelBad XXXXL | with Maud Vanhauwaert and many others
Fr 28.08 18h-21h | BabelBouf | Syria + De Takken
We 26.08 15h-17h | BabelFabel | Wachten op de matroos
Su 23.08 11h-13h30 | BabelBrunch | Veganation + Pedro Pozos and Ludoviq
Sa 22.08 15h-17h | Kick off BabelBühne
Fr 21.08 18h-21h | BabelBouf | Mexico + Marcelo Moncada and Luca Kortekaas
We 19.08 15h-17h | BabelFabel | De nachtegaal