Brussels festival invites locals to shut up and listen

While technology gives us ever more methods of accessing information, it’s not so common these days for people to sit down and listen – really listen – to what’s going on around them. Zwijgstil is a chance to do just that.

Some events are purely passive, like the 20-minute “listening massage” organised by sound artists to inspire mindfulness. Or in a darkened room you can take an audio journey round famous places in Flanders, or sit and listen to authors reading fragments of their books in special listening cabins.

Feeling a bit more active? At the Belvue museum, image interpreters will guide people with restricted vision round the exhibits, while teams of three can sign up for Muntpunt’s lunchtime Literary Listening Quiz; identify fragments from famous novels and win book tokens.

Local celebrities are in on the act, too. Flemish actor and singer Pieter Embrechts talks to musician Isolde Lasoen, author Saskia De Coster, Raf Walschaerts of Kommil Foo and Raf Keunen, the man behind the soundtrack to Rundskop, about their most memorable “sound moments”, the voices and noises that have affected their lives.

Actor Bert Verbeke will resurrect the role of town crier, with the aid of a microphone and the day’s newspaper, radio show De Madammen will be broadcast live in Muntpunt, and audio describers from the VRT will be demonstrating their work.

And if you fancy putting your voice to good use by joining the ranks of those who donate their time to read out books for the visually impaired, sign up to take a voice test.

Activities are primarily in Dutch; some require no words at all.

21 October at Muntpunt and across Brussels