Kunstenfestivaldesarts kicks off at Halles de Schaerbeek

The international art event Kunstenfestivaldesarts (KFDA) is kicking off on Friday with a free opening party at Halles de Schaerbeek in Brussels.

Until 1 June, the festival will take place at various venues in Brussels, with the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg (KVS) the central hub. The festival embraces the diversity of the city's 128 nationalities.

"While the KVS is a key location for artists and audiences, the KFDA is primarily a roving festival, operating throughout the city," said artistic director Dries Douibi.

The festival will offer performances in a variety of venues, from WIELS in the municipality of Forest, to Bozar in the city centre, to the unique setting of the old, abandoned Movie Club cinema in Forest - one of the oldest cinemas in the region.

The festival programme will present 36 projects, 27 of which are world premieres. They showcase the work of local and international artists who have lived and worked in Brussels for some time.

Douibi highlighted the collaboration between Brazilian artist Lia Rodrigues and the Zinneke Parade, Brussels' biennial folklore parade, describing it as the first partnership of its kind in the festival's history.

^{The Window of Spaceship In-Between by Toshiki Okada, a play included in the KFDA programme © PHOTO HANDOUT KFDA / HIDETO MAEZAWA}