MAKING PEACE IN THE CULTURE WARS

A.C. GRAYLING

Salon / Ideas | Thurs 20th Nov | 6.30-8.30pm

*Doors open at 6.30pm. The speaker will start at 7pm.

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The ‘war on wokeness’ may feel like a new phenomenon, but in fact, it’s been around for centuries. People have been ‘cancelled’, in one way or another, since the beginning of time – it’s human nature to form tribes, create an Us vs Them, and serve as judge, jury and so on. And yet, it feels like today we can’t talk about anything. How did we end up here?

Nuanced and historically grounded, philosopher Anthony Grayling searches for middle ground in an otherwise incendiary debate. Looking at the history of cancellation, from Ancient Greek ostracism through hemlock cups, witch trials and the House of Un-American Activities, his is a timely examination of the state of our public culture and the chilling effect it's having on intellectual discourse.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER

A.C. Grayling is an outstanding British philosopher and public intellectual, as well as a prolific author (over 30 books) and frequent writer, columnist, broadcaster and commentator on all of the main national media in the United Kingdom. He contributes to the ongoing reflection on how we should live and about possibilities for good lives in good societies. In 2011 he founded and became the first Master of New College of the Humanities, an independent undergraduate college in London. He was previously Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London, where he taught from 1991. He is also a supernumerary fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford. He has been a judge on the Booker Prize twice, in 2015 serving as the Chair of the judging panel. He is a Vice President of the British Humanist Association, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

GOOD READS

Discriminations, Making peace in the culture wars (2025); Who owns the moon, In defence of humanity's common interests in Space (2024); Philosophy and Life, Exploring the great questions of how to live (2023); For the Good of the World, Why our planet's crises need global agreement now (2022); The Frontiers of Knowledge: What We Know about Science, History and the Mind (2021); The Good State, On the Principles of Democracy (2020); Democracy and Its Crises (2017); War: An Enquiry (Vices and Virtues) (2017); The Challenge of Things: Thinking through troubled times (2015); Ideas That Matter: The Concepts That Shape the 21st Century (2010); Liberty In The Age Of Terror (2009); The Mystery Of Things (2004); Meditations for the Humanist: Ethics for a Secular Age (2002); and more...

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FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Medium (40-70)	Available on request

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[Music] Brussels Muzieque Concert: Piano Trios

When
21/11/2025
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

PIANO TRIOS

Brussels Muzieque

Music / Sun 21st Nov / 7.30pm
Doors open 7pm

*Dinner available after the concert, please book in advance

Brussels Muzieque continues its season on November 21st at Full Circle Theater with a programme of piano trios performed by Meruert Karmenova (violin), Eduardo Tonietto (cello), and Nadia Weintraub (piano).

The evening opens with Haydn’s Piano Trio in G major, Hob. XV:25, the famous “Gypsy” trio, whose fiery Hungarian-style finale remains one of the composer’s most popular chamber works. The programme also features Edvard Grieg’s Piano Trio, EG 116, an early work left unpublished during the composer’s lifetime and only discovered in 1978, offering a fascinating glimpse into his youthful voice. Closing the concert, Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101 presents music of intensity and compact power, reflecting the composer’s mature style.

Together, these three works span from classical elegance to Romantic passion, offering a rich journey through the piano trio repertoire.

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ADDITIONAL INFO


FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCES
Bar & snacks & light food	60-80 people	Available

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[Art] Vernissage: RESIST | The winners

When
28/11/2025

6:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Location
Full Circle House, 89 Ch. de Vleurgat, 1050 Ixelles

Register

Vernissage

RESIST

with emerging and established artists

Art / Fri 28 Nov / 6-9:30 pm

Join us for the launch of the Resist art exhibition

"Resist" is an exhibition about the transformative, the subversive, the transgressive. through creative expression, we reclaim the right to dissent, to desire, to dream - and to make resistance both concept and lived experience.

Artists in this vernissage invite us to imagine new ways of seeing, thinking and being, through countless forms.

FREE ENTRY

Drinks available from our bar

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[Ideas Festival] Creative Art Workshop

When
29/11/2025

10:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Location
Full Circle House, 89 Ch. de Vleurgat, 1050 Ixelles

Spaces left
60

Register

Creative ART Workshop

with Silvia Alba

Ideas Festival  / Sat 29th Nov / 10:30 am-4 pm

Join us for a powerful mixed-media workshop where we use the art of embroidery to explore the theme of 'resist'.

Discover how simple materials and techniques can become tools of expression and sense-making. In this hands-on session you'll work with fabric, needle and thread, explore universal symbols of defiance and strength, and transform simple materials into a personal statement piece. With the guidance of Brussels-based creative Silvia Alba you’ll take part in the creation of a unique, collective work of art that tells stories of resistance and resilience.

No prior experience is needed – just bring your passion to create and resist what needs to change.

GET THE WEEKEND OR DAY PASS

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ABOUT THE ARTIST

Silvia Alba is a Brussels-based artist, designer, linguist and visual storyteller. She specialises in live illustration, graphic recording, murals, and animation. She works globally and is also very engaged locally through the project Les Walls, which aims to tackle the integration of marginalised communities in the city via creative projects. Her expertise is vast and varied. She’s also experienced in multidisciplinary design with a focus on illustration and graphic facilitation, collaborating with organisations to distil complex information into visual stories.

KEY LINKS

Silvia Draws

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[Ideas Festival] MUSIC: Singer Gudrun Roos (aka Suzette) & pianist Jasper Huysentruyt in Concert

When
29/11/2025

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Location
Full Circle House, 89 Ch. de Vleurgat, 1050 Ixelles

Spaces left
60

Register

SINGER GUNDRUN ROSE (SUZETTE)
& PIANIST JASPER HUYSENTRUYT

Music Concert

Ideas Festival / Sat 29th Nov / 8-10 pm

Revel in a unique concert blending timeless jazz standards, French chansons, bossa nova, and original compositions and lyrics by Suzette & Jasper.

Their collaboration reflects artistic refinement and a shared passion for music with depth and character.

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GET THE WEEKEND OR DAY PASS

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ABOUT THE MUSICIANS

Gudrun Roos, also known by her musical alter ego Suzette, is distinguished by her poetic presence and warm, jazzy voice. She trained in jazz vocals at the Conservatory of Ghent and has since performed with various ensembles and in a wide range of musical theater projects. Under the pseudonym Suzette, she has developed her own repertoire, where the lyricism of French chanson, the subtle sounds of bossa nova, and the refined nuances of jazz beautifully converge.

By her side is pianist and composer Jasper Huysentruyt, trained in both classical music and jazz. After fourteen years of professional activity in Chile, where he performed with his trio at all major jazz festivals and released several albums, he returned to Belgium. Jasper has built a strong reputation in both the Latin American and international jazz scenes, with concerts spanning from the Atacama Desert to Patagonia, and albums that subtly weave together nature, classical, and jazz influences. His playing is praised for its versatility and expressive subtlety.

Eighteen years ago, singer Gudrun Roos and pianist Jasper Huysentruyt first took the stage together. Starting September 2025, they will once again present a series of joint concerts.

LINKS

Suzette Music

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[Ideas Festival] Creative Writing Workshop

When
30/11/2025

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Location
Full Circle House, 89 Ch. de Vleurgat, 1050 Ixelles

Spaces left
59

Register

Creative Writing Workshop

with Fintan O'Higgins

Ideas Festival / Sun 30th Nov / 11:00 am - 12.30 pm

This is a workshop for experienced creative writers and for those who are new to the art. You will come into the workshop with a blank page and come out with the kernel of an idea, or a character, or a germ of a story. You won't be able to believe that you can make so much progress in so little time!

If you came last year, join again - we'll be mixing up the discussion.

And finally, if you came last year AND you have produced a fully fledged story, come back and share it with us.

GET THE WEEKEND OR DAY PASS

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ABOUT THE HOST

Fintan O’Higgins has written for the UK’s oldest TV series, ‘Coronation Street’, and has led workshops in drama, poetry and prose fiction. He also developed playscripts, and feature films. His television drama writing experience also includes popular TV series such as ‘Emmerdale’ and ‘Hollyoaks’. In the past year he has also written a novel and his play 'Green Eyed Monster' is due to be performed in Brussels next year.

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[Culture] Resist Writing Contest: The winners

When
30/11/2025

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

Location
Full Circle House, 89 Ch. de Vleurgat, 1050 Ixelles

Register

CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST

RESIST

The winning entries

Culture / Sun 30 Nov / 12:30-1 pm

Meet the writers, hear their words of resistance

Join us for an electrifying moment as the winners of the Resist Writing Contest take the stage with their words of resistance!

From powerful personal stories to bold imaginative takes on defiance, through fiction, non-fiction and poetry, winning pieces capture the spirit of standing firm, speaking up, and pushing back.

Come celebrate with them and be inspired.

FREE ENTRY

Drinks available from our bar

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[Ideas] Ideas Festival 2025 WEEKEND or DAY Pass

When
30/11/2025

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Location
Full Circle House, 89 Ch. de Vleurgat, 1050 Ixelles

Register

FESTIVAL OF IDEAS 2025

RESIST

Fri 28th - Sun 30th Nov

You already know us, you know what we do, and that by coming YOU make this a great event!

Get your pass for the entire weekend today!

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[Culture] Book Club: The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits

When
11/12/2025
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Full Circle Book Club
hosted by Eleonora Balsano

The Rest of Our Lives
by Ben Markovits

Culture | Thurs 11th Dec | 7:00-8:30 pm

Monthly meet up to discuss a great read, along with drinks & good company.

*Doors open at 6.30pm. The book club begins at 7pm.

'Why aren't all novels like this?' - THE CRITIC

What's left when the kids grow up and leave home? When Tom Layward's wife had an affair he resolved to leave her as soon as his youngest daughter turned eighteen. Twelve years later, while taking her to Pittsburgh to start university, he remembers his pact, and keeps driving West. An unforgettable road trip novel, The Rest of Our Lives beautifully explores the nuance and complications of a long term marriage. A mix of funny, poignant and thought-provoking.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ben Markovits is a British-American author and grew up in Texas, London and Berlin. He left an unpromising career as a professional basketball player to study the Romantics and write novels. He has taught high school English, worked at a left-wing cultural magazine, and written essays, stories and reviews for The New York Times, Esquire, Granta, The Guardian, The London Review of Books and The Paris Review and others. He has published several novels meanwhile winning prizes and accolades such as the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction, a Pushcart Prize for short story. He lives in London and teaches creative writing at Royal Holloway, University of London.

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