
When the world needs us to sit together, listen and connect
Johan Van Steen Photography Contest at BOZAR
At BOZAR, the awards of the Johan Van Steen Photography Contest were presented at the end of April. The 5-member jury with Mr. Tim Dirven (photographer), Ms. Tamara Berghmans (Photo Museum Antwerp), Ms Viviane Smekens (honorary director of Scholengroep Brussel), Mr. Luckas Vander Taelen (journalist and politician) and Ms Kristin Verellen judged 80 submissions of photography students from 9 Brussels schools .
Benoit Desmet won the first prize with the photo Escaped from the glass bell, HOPE wears a white dress, in which he subtly plays with grays and illusions. The second prize went to Simon De Schepper for the photo Warm embraced by the light on my path. The third prize was given for Thomas Van Den Bergh for his work titled Hope roots.
The Photography Contest is an organized by Scholengroep Brussel and Cvo Coovi, in partnership with Circles – We Have The Choice.
Photo: Winning entry – Benoit Desmet
Escaped from the glass bell, HOPE wears a white dress

Price Photography Johan Van Steen & Exhibition
Welcome to the first edition of the Photography Price Johan Van Steen, an initiative of Scholengroep Brussel – CVO Coovi and We have the choice. From the 26th of April to the 3rd of June at BOZAR there is an exhibition with the pictures of the winners and a selection of the work of Johan Van Steen.
Re-connection Ritual 22 March
On the 22nd of March 2018 We have the choice organized a Reconnection Ritual in the Horta Hall at BOZAR, with choreographer Lisbeth Gruwez (Voetvolk) and dervish Osman Catik (Derwish Advisory): an encounter between East and West. It was an invitation to form a ‘We’ which embraces the ‘I’ alongside hundreds of fellow citizens and young dancers from all over the world.
The ritual was streamed live on the facebook page of BOZAR
A short poetic impression below (footage and editing: Laura Zuallaert)

Interview with Kristin Verellen – RTBF
Interview with Kristin about ‘Waar blijf ik met dat licht van mij’ at the RTBF : you can listen to it here. (in French)
Interview with Kristin Verellen in Humo
Read the article here (in Dutch)

Ready to explore the silence “In Between” the melodies?
A little while ago one of the biggest “Circle”-events took place, during the Waerbeke conference in Antwerp. Steven Vrancken’s live music was a very welcome support for everyone to be able to drop deeper into the silence, and the heart-to-heart connection.
On March 1, Steven was again a partner for We have the Choice: his voice and piano supported the words of Mohamed El Bachiri at the book-launch of Waar blijf ik met dat licht van mij?
If you want to experience Steven’s music to the fullest, you are most welcome to his concert in Ghent, March 24th. Wouter Vercruysse on cello and Edwin Vanvinckenroye on violin / vocals, are the featured guest musicians. More info & tickets: www.stevenvrancken.com

Who am I without light ?
Waar blijf ik met dat licht van mij? (Who am I without light, edited by Lannoo), a book with photography by Johan Van Steen and poems by Kristin Verellen, is a tribute to love, the fragile beauty of life and the deeper connection between people. An exhibition of Johan Van Steen’s photographs will be held at KVS_Box until March 28.
The book is for sale at all our activities, in the KVS_BOX until 28 of March and in the bookshops.

Kristien Verellen was on the Flemish broadcast
Kristien Verellen was on the Flemish broadcast: Canvas, De Afspraak.

Circles – We have the choice @ Bruzz
Video:
Articles :
- Article on the exhibition
- Article in the Reconnection Ritual /with Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, PARTS & Rosas
Interview with Kristin Verellen, Stien Michiels & Fatima Zibouh

Reconnection Ritual @ Horta Hall BOZAR
An initiative of Circles – We have the choice with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, PARTS & Rosas
thanks to BOZAR


Photo: Bruzz, Jef Van de Veire
Ambassadors for Peace 2017
Kristin Verellen & Circles – We have the choice, Christophe Busch & Kazerne Dossin and Mohamed El Bachiri are the new Ambassadors for Peace, an initiative of Pax Christi Vlaanderen. On Thursday 14 december 2017 they will be honoured in Brussels.
