Flagey centre under threat

1 September 2004

BRUSSELS – The innovative Flagey cultural centre in Brussels may have to close its doors if Belgium’s French community does not fork out more subsidies, it was reported on Wednesday.

The chief administrator of the Flagey centre, Bernard Boon Falleur, has announced serious subsidy shortfalls in his presentation of the budget for last year and 2004-2005.

Flagey needs EUR 1,500,000 worth of subsidies each year to survive but in 2004 the sum only topped EUR 583,000, he said.

Of this sum, EUR 500,000 came from the Flemish community, EUR 40,000 from the Brussels administration, EUR 9,000 from French-speaking Brussels, and EUR 34,000 from the French community as a whole.

Flagey would have to close if no extra funds were found by the end of 2004, he cautioned.

“The French-speaking political world has to face up to its responsibilities,” said Boon Falleur.

He added that Flagey, opened three years ago, had received 138,000 visitors in the last season.

A total of 101,000 people entered the premises for public events, and 37 000 for private events.

France de Kinder, the artistic director of Flagey, this week said the grand themes of centre’s coming season would be jazz, traditional music and cinema.

She said there would also be more emphasis on classical music and an educational cinema project for schools.

Flagey is housed in the old Belgian radio building on Place Flagey in the Brussels commune of Ixelles.

Subject: Belgian news