2024
From October 4th to 6th, 2024, LaVallée hosted the third edition of the multidisciplinary festival In.out.sider, dedicated to promoting diversity through an eclectic and inclusive program. The festival continued its tradition of offering innovative programming that diverged from mainstream line-ups, featuring experimental live performances, hybrid sets with unfamiliar sounds, and musical experiments that encouraged the audience to remain open to new discoveries. Beyond its core musical offerings, In.out.sider 2024 also presented film screenings followed by discussions, exhibitions, and workshops. The event was entirely free.
The festival commenced with a pre-opening event on September 28th at the cultural space Flow in Lille. This free event featured a roundtable discussion on the artistic practices of people with disabilities, followed by a performance resulting from a residency by artists Choolers Division and Death by Fog.
The music program, curated by Ideal Trouble and Moli del Tro, showcased a diverse array of Belgian and international artists. Highlights included Charlène Darling, whose songs created tension through unexpected twists and vocals; La Belle Bouffe, a musical and culinary performance led by La Belle Brute with participants from centers Le 8e jour and Notre Village; and the Wild Classical Music Ensemble, a Belgian experimental rock band blending punk/rock riffs with frenetic rhythms. The festival also featured multidisciplinary artist Ha Kyoon, known for powerful sets blending hardcore techno, EBM, and krautrock; and Mika Oki, whose DJ sets spanned genres like drum and bass, UK garage, 2-step, and grime.
In addition to musical performances, the festival offered a variety of other events. La Belle Brute hosted a radio discussion, inviting various collectives to discuss radio broadcasting for a live public show. The film "Marion ou la métamorphose" was screened, followed by a discussion with the film team. Workshops included participatory and accessible dance sessions by L'Atelier Leon and a circus workshop introducing participants to balance track techniques.
Building on previous editions, In.out.sider 2024 continued to focus on the inclusion of marginalized individuals in artistic programs, offering a platform for experimental music, film, visual arts, and workshops that encouraged broader reflection on diversity and inclusion in the arts.
2023
From October 5th to 8th, 2023, LaVallée hosted the second edition of the multidisciplinary festival In.out.sider, which promotes diversity through an eclectic and inclusive program. The festival offered an innovative program that was far from the classic mainstream line-ups. Experimental live performances, hybrid sets with unknown sounds, and musical experiments pushed the audience to keep an open mind to discoveries. Beyond the musical programming that formed the core of the event, In.out.sider also offered film screenings followed by discussions, an exhibition, and workshops. The event was co-organized by LaVallée and Urban Boat (France) and was entirely free.
The music program, partially curated by the Berlin-based artist Zoë McPherson, brought together Belgian and international artists with diverse and surprising styles. What did they have in common? They all questioned the notions of outsider and margin, whether through innovative musical practices or hybrid sounds, as proposed by Nazar and Mun Sing, or through artists with disabilities like the Belgians Chevalier Surprise and Wanino. The Friday evening was closed by the cult Dutch artist, DJ Marcelle.
The festival also featured two film screenings followed by discussions with the directors: "Ma vie en papier" by Vida Dena and "L'Énergie Positive des Dieux," a documentary about the group Astéréotypie, by Laetitia Moller. Several plastic art pieces created by artists participating in the festival were also presented to the public.
Lastly, to build on the first edition of the festival, which focused on the cultural practices of people with disabilities, a week of workshops was organized prior to the festival. Music creation workshops were organized by the association Notre Village, involving a mixed group of musicians, some with disabilities and some without. The festival's scenography was created in advance of the event during four art workshops involving participants from Créahmbxl and the Centre Sésame.
2022
From October 13 to 16, 2022, LaVallée hosted the first edition of the multidisciplinary festival In.out.sider, exploring the theme of disability within artistic practices. Through a diverse program of music, an exhibition of outsider art, as well as conferences and workshops, the festival aimed to increase the visibility of artists with disabilities in current cultural programming. Co-organized by LaVallée, Urban Boat (France), and Krakke Festival (Berlin), the event was entirely free and was part of the Nuits Sonores Bruxelles program.
The music program, curated by the Krakke Festival, brought together artists with disabilities and able-bodied artists. Over three days, Belgian and international names performed at LaVallée and on the cultural barge Urban Boat, moored on the canal just a few steps away. The barge departed from Lille for 5 days of navigation and residence with the music group RON PON before presenting the result of this journey during the festival. Among the featured artists were DJ Flush, MFX, Bläck Dävil, DJ Locati, Wellen.Brecher, Alienata, and Umwelt, as well as Belgians Aidons Antoine, Choolers Division, Indigo Magic Orchestra, and Ugne&Maria.
The festival also hosted an outsider art exhibition in the spaces of LaVallée from October 13 to 23, bringing together, for the first time, five Belgian ateliers, including three French-speaking ones (Creahmbxl, Creahm Liège, Centre Sésame) and two Dutch-speaking ones (Zonnelied and Kunstwerkplaats De Zandberg). Curated by the commissioner Jonathan Loppin (FR), a visual artist behind several artist-run spaces and co-founder of the SHED, a contemporary art center in Normandy, the exhibition showcased works from two artists from each atelier.
To continue the reflection on disability and greater inclusivity in the cultural sector, In.out.sider offered workshops and a conference, some aimed at professionals and others at the general public. The younger audience was not forgotten, thanks to DJing initiations on Saturday and Sunday with the label Ick Mache Well, featuring the artists RON PON and Brutpop.
The first edition of In.out.sider won the Visit.brussels award for the best co-creation event.
