Between October 25 and 27, 2024, the WALC partners came together in Gaasbeek, Belgium, not too far from the capital Brussels. WALC is an artistic cooperation project, co-funded by the European Union, Creative Europe, starting in January 2024 for four years, with seven partners from five countries.
Nestled just 15 kilometers outside of Brussels, Gaasbeek welcomed us with its misty mornings, rolling landscapes, and the warmth of its community. Over three days, the Walking Arts and Local Communities (WALC) project partners gathered in this picturesque village for a meeting that transcended discussions and planning.
Each morning began with walks through fields bathed in sunrise. We crossed paths with grazing animals, soaked in the earthy scent of damp soil, and marveled as the castle slowly emerged from the mist. These moments became the heartbeat of our gathering, reminding us of the profound connection between walking, community, and creativity.
Our gracious host, Anna Luyten, opened the doors of the School of Gaasbeek, creating a welcoming space for brainstorming, creative games, and discussions that flowed freely. Amid this collaborative atmosphere, we embraced the exciting challenge of shaping the Open Call for WALC’s next major event: Prespa Encounters 2025. Together, we finalized its theme, Walking Home – Walking in Transition, and explored topics celebrating walking in all its dimensions; walking as healing, resistance, connection, and celebration.
Beyond the sessions, Gaasbeek offered moments of discovery. We visited the local farmers’ market, stumbled upon treasures at a flea market, and wandered through an art exhibition at the nearby castle. We explored abandoned spaces and engaged with small enterprises and local entrepreneurs, uncovering stories that honored the land and its history while inspiring visions for the future. These excursions weren’t mere diversions; they embodied WALC’s essence: being present, uncovering narratives, and imagining possibilities.
As our time together drew to a close, we left Gaasbeek with full hearts, minds brimming with ideas, and strengthened bonds. The village offered the perfect setting to walk, reflect, and create together.
Until we meet again next June, we carry with us the sunlight, the soil, and a shared purpose to guide us through the next chapter of this four-year journey.
Thank you to our host, Anna Luyten, and everyone who made our Gaasbeek meeting unforgettable. Here’s to many more steps together on this incredible path!
You can learn more about WALC, and perhaps even contribute, in the WALC online archive, and the WALC website.
APA style reference
Walking Arts & Local Communities (WALC) is an artistic cooperation project, co-funded by the European Union, Creative Europe, starting in January 2024 for four years. With seven partners from five countries, WALC establishes an International Center for Artistic Research and Practice of Walking Arts, in Prespa, Greece, at the border with Albania and North Macedonia, backed up by an online counterpart in the format of a digital platform for walking arts.
WALC builds on the previous work of hundreds of artists and researchers already practicing Walking Arts as a collaborative medium, and having met at the significant previous walking arts events and encounters in Greece, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, and during online activities at walk · listen · create.
We acknowledge the support of the EU Creative Europe Cooperation grant program in the framework of the European project WALC (Walking Arts and Local Community).
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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Beautiful, Anna, thank you for your words, the way you speak about the whole community including the plants, of of we humans with such acceptance and insight.