Feral is a festival that reflects on today’s urgent political and social issues, and how artists take them into their hands. It is a programme of artistic interventions and encounters that uses art to influence everyday life in Brussels. Feral can take place on a boat, on a farm, in a swimming pool or an old monastery. Feral is urban, interstitial, peripheral and feral.

Editorial

At demonstrations all over the world floats a pirate flag with a straw hat. This flag is from the manga series One Piece and has spread throughout struggles and revolutions as an international symbol of Generation Z, embodying the fight against corruption, inequality and authoritarian governments.It was precisely this image of the Jolly Roger with a straw hat that inspired us to explore the figure of the pirate for Feral 2026.

As this flag appears at political demonstrations, what demands does it represent? What place does freedom of expression have in the public sphere? What practices, forms of organisation and values does it evoke today?

Historically, piracy was a movement of revolt and mutiny against authority. Fighting on the water, hiding on land as runaway maroons amongst escaped slaves, pirates formed communities of resistance that gave rise to other possibilities, to other versions of the world.

What remains of this legacy today? Who, in Brussels, are the contemporary pirates? From hacking practices to citizen-led initiatives, from forms of collective care to artistic and ecological experiments, we are seeing the emergence of practices that subvert existing frameworks to produce new knowledge, share resources and build community. We are witnessing new forms of engagement where artistic creation, collective action and the building of the commons intertwine.

Through our selection of speakers, who are artists, researchers, activists and practitioners on the ground, we will form a temporary assembly of pirates. Together, we will explore the places, practices and stories in Brussels that are experimenting with alternative ways of inhabiting the world, of caring for one another and of organising collectively.

Echoing our programme :

Figures of Fascism and Anti-Fascist Solidarities - 17 > 19 Sept

As a prelude to Feral, a three-day study programme organised by Bojana Cvejić in collaboration with Kaaitheater, explores the globalisation of fascism and current anti-fascist responses. The programme features talks by La Candidate Sans-Papiers, Dora García, Valeria Graziano & Tomislav Medak, and Sarah Schulman. The perfect warm-up for Feral.

Nyege Nyege - MIRROR WORLD - 25 & 26 Sept

During Feral, the Ugandan music label Nyege Nyege is comes to Brussels (La Fabriek) with its MIRROR WORLD festival, an immersive event celebrating African dance music, diaspora cultures and artistic exploration. A great way to round off a day at Feral.

Credits

Support: Cocof, FWB, Actiris

Team

Marine Thévenet - Artistic and general direction

Anna Czapski - Texts and dramaturgy

Emmanuelle Nizou - Dramaturgy

Charlotte David - Production and coordination

fede fantini - Production

Juliette Framorando - Production

Beth Gordon - Communication

Marie Steinletz - Communication assistant

Flore Herman - Coordination Feral Magazine