Europalia

Europalia

October-December

Since its founding in 1969, the European arts festival known around the world as Europalia has presented a comprehensive survey of the diverse cultural and artistic aspects of a specific country. The first several festivals were devoted to European cultures: Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Spain, and Austria. But in 1989 the decision was made to devote the festival to a major culture from outside Europe: Japan. In 1993 the festival's founders moved its focus to the American continent, devoting the three-month festival to a display of cultural events representing Mexico.
While most of the festival events take place in Brussels, other cities in the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, and Germany also host events, which include art, photography, and craft exhibitions; theater, dance, and orchestral performances; literary and scientific colloquia; and film retrospectives. Europalia '93 Mexico, for example, offered 14 exhibitions, 76 concerts, eight ballet performances, 22 theatrical productions, 17 literary events, 187 films, and nine traditional folk events. Discussions with the well-known writers Octavio Paz and Carlos Fuentes were a highlight of the festival.

CONTACTS:
Europalia
Koningsstraat 10
Brussels, B 1000 Belgium
32-2-507-85-95; fax: 32-02-513-5488
www.europalia.be/home.php?lng=en

SOURCES:
IntlThFolk-1979, p. 45