The Practice of Democracy by Danae Theodoridou unfolded across Brussels from 12-22 September with participatory performances and pop-up interventions, as part of MolenFest: A Taste of Molenbeek for Brussels 2030. Thank you to everyone for their participation!

An Analogue Campaign (on public speaking)
Pop-up interventions took place at various locations in the city, where unexpected speeches were delivered not by politicians, but by young city dwellers. These young people had worked on their speeches during a six-day workshop, focused on politics and social coexistence. Their stories challenged audiences to rethink democracy and how we live together. The workshop kicked off in Molenbeek with an enthusiastic group, and their speeches were shared from 12-20 September across the city.

An Attempt to Devise a Democratic Assembly (on assembling)
14 September at the Town Hall of Molenbeek
19 September in the Brussels Parliament
This participatory performance featured a script co-created with young people from Brussels, capturing their thoughts on democracy. Participants were assigned roles—speaker, listener, or moderator—and given the freedom to express their own ideas. The performance unfolded as a reflective game on the concept of “meeting” and the central role of the body in politics, presented in collaboration with Mb2030 Youth Coalition. It was conducted in English.

The Adversaries (on conflict)
21-22 September, K1
The Adversaries was a participatory performance installation that brought two small groups into a playful conflict while a third group observed and shared perspectives. This setup encouraged participants to view conflict as a crucial element of democracy, exploring and negotiating an existing conflict to create a new, shared space based on different viewpoints.

Photo credits:

Adversaries 1: The Adversaries, creation D.Theodoridou, Kanal – Centre Pompidou, September 2024 in the frame of MolenFest

Adversaries 2: The Adversaries (2024), creation D.Theodoridou, Kanal – Centre Pompidou, September 2024 in the frame of MolenFest

Adversaries 3: The Adversaries (2024), creation D.Theodoridou, Kanal – Centre Pompidou, September 2024 in the frame of MolenFest

Adversaries 4: The Adversaries (2024), creation D.Theodoridou, Kanal – Centre Pompidou, September 2024 in the frame of MolenFest

Analogue Campaign: An Analogue Campaign, creation D.Theodoridou, speaker: Alae Al Mashid, Kanal – Centre Pompidou, September 2024 in the frame of MolenFest

Analogue Campaign 2: An Analogue Campaign, creation D.Theodoridou, speakers: Panagiota and

Manar El Yahiaoui Afaquir and Panagiota Theofilopoulou,  Kanal – Centre Pompidou, September 2024 in the frame of MolenFest

Assembly Molenefest 2024: An Attempt to Devise a Democratic Assembly, creation D.Theodoridou, Kanal – Centre Pompidou, September 2024 in the frame of MolenFest, photo: Pauline Arnould

Assembly Kostas Giokas: An Attempt to Devise a Democratic Assembly, creation D.Theodoridou, May 2023 in the frame of Athens City Festival, photo: Kostas Giokas

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