Non-Fiction Writing

Do you want to become a confident public speaker? To communicate better and connect? And have fun? Join **Dacia Toastmasters** for an inspiring evening of speeches, impromptu challenges and helpful feedback – all in a warm, international atmosphere. We are a supportive Toastmasters club where communication and leadership skills grow together – through practice, encouragement and community. Next meeting: 📅 First Monday of the month 🕗 19:00 – 21:00 (doors open at 18:45) 📍 Marriott Courtyard Brussels EU Rue Joseph II / Jozef-II straat, 1000 Brussels (Conveniently located near metro Arts-Loi / Kunst-Wet) Why join **Dacia Toastmasters**? ✔️ Practise public speaking with prepared speeches and quick-thinking exercises ✔️ Improve your communication and leadership skills ✔️ Receive constructive feedback in a positive setting ✔️ Meet a vibrant, multilingual community Our meetings are in English with a taste of Romanian and open to everyone. Whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth, you’ll find a place to grow. Guests are always welcome. Just bring your curiosity. 📩 RSVP now and join us for a memorable evening!

Drinking & Networking in Brussels. For newcomers, temporary in town - couch surfers and regulars to meet & socialize. What a better day to start the week than drinking & socializing starting on Monday evening?

**🎟️ Cost:** First session is FREE! If you are repeating, the cost is 15 EUR **Reserve your free spot (max 15 participants).** Please register officially to get the exact address: [https://innersparklife.com/drum-meditation-bru/](https://innersparklife.com/drum-meditation-bru/) Are you looking for a safe space to press pause on the busy world? 🌙 Come join *Inner Spark* for a deeply relaxing evening designed to help you release tension and return to your center. Hosted by Pablo and Monika in a beautiful meditative ashram space ✨ You don't need to be a meditator to join. The steady beat of the drum does the work for you, helping your mind quiet down and your body soften. This 75-minute session uses the ancient power of the drum to help you enter a state of deep relaxation and mental clarity. It is perfect for anyone feeling anxious, overthinking, or simply in need of a mental reset. 🧠✨ **The Journey:** 1. **Arrival:** Land softly with a cup of hot tea ☕ 2. **Intention:** Focus your energy with a Tarot card guidance 🔮 3. **The Drum:** Lie down and let the rhythm wash over you 🥁 4. **Integration:** Wake up slowly and share if you feel called to 💫 **📅 Date:** 1 June 2026 **🕤 Start:** 19:30h (Please arrive a few minutes early to settle in) **📍 Location:** Brussels (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre) **🎟️ Cost:** First session is FREE! If you are repeating, the cost is 15 EUR **✅ Good to know:** * Mats, blankets, and cushions are provided. * Wear comfortable clothes. **Reserve your free spot (max 15 participants).** Please register officially to get the exact address: [https://innersparklife.com/drum-meditation-bru/](https://innersparklife.com/drum-meditation-bru/) **Want more?** Join our private Skool community here: 👉 **[https://www.skool.com/inner-spark-tribe-6042/about](https://www.skool.com/inner-spark-tribe-6042/about)**

Do you want to become a confident public speaker? To connect and communicate better with others? And have fun? Come and join Atomic Toastmasters! You'll find a supportive learn-by-doing environment. It doesn't matter if you are an experienced speaker or if you are a beginner. We are there to support you, to make you feel good about yourself and to help you learn in a way that's fun. Every event we have lovely Table Topic sessions (impromptu speeches) and 3 to 4 prepared speeches. Through practice, peer evaluation and educational tools, we learn how to present our messages effectively, concisely and professionally. After the meeting, we usually sit together and socialise at the bar “Le Petit Paris”. We are excited to welcome you every Monday if you became a member of the club. Atomic Team

**Welcome to The Club.** A **curated** social community in Brussels for people who want real connections, memorable experiences, and **better energy than the usual random meetup chaos**. Most of our events happen in **private homes**, gardens, hidden places around Brussels, or unusual locations outside the city. The goal is simple: create the kind of atmosphere where people actually talk, laugh, connect, and want to come back. We organize things like: • gourmet lunches & dinners • picnics & roadtrips • cooking nights • walks around Brussels • karaoke & movie nights • debates & discussions • card and social games • occasional “chaperoned” social evenings where people can meet naturally in a safe environment The difference is that we personally curate and vet new members. The host actively introduces newcomers, helps people integrate into the group, and keeps the atmosphere respectful and relaxed. We have zero tolerance for creepy behavior, unwanted pressure, spam, random uninvited people, or drama. *Unfortunately, posting too many details publicly on Meetup or on the internet in general quickly attracts bots, scammers, fake profiles, crypto weirdos, and people who completely ruin the vibe for everyone else.* That’s why most of our real coordination happens privately through our ***vetted WhatsApp community***. To join, simply scan the QR code in the image. If you are on your phone and cannot scan it directly: • take a screenshot of the image • open the screenshot in your photo gallery • most phones can automatically detect QR codes from photos by long pressing or using Google Lens / iPhone scan feature Then request access to the group and introduce yourself briefly. See you soon

Rejoins-nous pour découvrir le Touch Rugby sous le signe du sport, du fun et de la convivialité ! 🏉 Que tu sois débutant·e curieux·se, joueur·se occasionnel·le ou habitué·e des terrains, ce rendez-vous est ouvert à toutes et tous. Le touch rugby est un sport en plein essor sans plaquage, accessible, dynamique mais aussi inclusif et fun sur et en dehors des terrains. 💙 ✨ Au programme : * Échauffement collectif * Exercices et jeux * Développement de la condition physique * Bonne humeur, esprit d’équipe et fair-play 🎯 Venez bouger, vous amuser et partager un bon moment ensemble ! 👉 Ramène ta tenue de sport, de l’eau, et surtout ta motivation. On s’occupe du reste 💪 À très vite sur le terrain !

EN (FR en bas): We're still accepting people in our classes. Join us!​ -step 1: Book here! -> [https://www.danceproject.be/reservations.html](https://www.danceproject.be/reservations.html) -step 2: Show up! [Schedule](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#schedule) Fees : [All info on trials, packs, subscriptions here](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#fees) Locations: -Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels Metro/Tram: Mérode Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, Forró Intro - 1: From base to the dancefloor! When you come for the first time we go over the base & rhythm with you. Then you are included in the group and everybody learns the same new steps for which you just need the base. Practice makes perfect: just relax and enjoy Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop and/or Forró! Our group is very welcoming and looking forward to meet new dancers! Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, Forró Roots I - 2: Ready to go deeper on Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop &/or Forró? Let's go! [https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#improvers](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#improvers) Salsa, Forró Roots II - 3: Looking for #SalsaChallenge? Already familiar with Forró Root? We've got your back! [https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#intermediates](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#intermediates) More info: -Web: [https://www.danceproject.be](https://www.danceproject.be) -Whatsapp: +32 493 16 41 10 -Mail: brussels.salsa.project@gmail.com -[Facebook](https://facebook.com/brussels.salsa.project) -[Instagram](https://instagram.com/brussels.salsa.project) \-\-\-\-\- FR: Nous acceptons encore de nouvelles personnes dans nos cours. Rejoins-nous ! -1ère pas : Fait ta réservation ! -> [https://www.danceproject.be/reservation.html](https://www.danceproject.be/reservation.html) -2ème pas : Vient danser ! [Horaire](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#horaire) Les prix : [Toutes les infos sur les essais, packs, abonnements ici](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#prix) Endroits : -Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels Metro/Tram: Mérode Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, Forró Intro - 1 : De la base à la piste de danse ! Lorsque tu nous rejoins on voit la base et le rythme avec toi. Ensuite, tu es inclus dans le groupe et tout le monde apprend les mêmes pas pour lesquelles tu as juste besoin de la base. C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron : détend-toi et profite la Salsa, de la Bachata, du Lindy Hop et/ou du Forró ! Notre groupe est très accueillant et a hâte de rencontrer de nouveaux danseurs ! Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, Forró Roots I - 2 : Prêt à approfondir la Salsa, la Bachata, le Lindy Hop &/ou le Forró ? Allons-y! [https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#inities](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#inities) Salsa, Forró Roots II - 3 : Tu cherches #DefiSalsa ? Tu connais déjà Forró Roots ? Nous sommes là pour toi ! [https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#intermediaires](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#intermediaires) Plus d’info: -Web: [https://www.danceproject.be/fr.html](https://www.danceproject.be/fr.html) -Whatsapp: +32 493 16 41 10 -Mail: brussels.salsa.project@gmail.com -[Facebook](https://facebook.com/brussels.salsa.project) -[Instagram](https://instagram.com/brussels.salsa.project)

Let's meet to write ! Schedule : 11:00 - 11:30 am : Presentation tour. Share briefly with the group about your project and your "goal of the day". 11:30 - 13:30 : Let's write ! 13:30 : Conclusion tour. Did you achieve your goal of the day ? See you soon !

Let's meet to write! Schedule : 18:30 - 18:45: Arrival & introduction tour. Share briefly with the group your project and the "goal of the day". 18:45 - 20:00 : Let's write! 20:00 : Closing tour. Did you achieve the "goal of the day" ? See you soon !

Need some quiet time for reading? Want to share the experience with others? Join us at the charming venue of The Sister Café to read in the company of others. It’s alone, but also together, get it? We read for an hour and a half, then chat over a drink. This is a free activity except for the price of the drinks you're consuming.

From academic success to career choices, relationships, lifestyle, or simply “making the right decisions,” parental pressure can shape people in powerful ways; sometimes pushing them to succeed, and sometimes leaving lasting emotional scars. For some, it provides direction, motivation, and a sense of belonging. For others, it can feel overwhelming, restrictive, or impossible to live up to. How much should we value family expectations? Where is the line between guidance and control? Can pressure motivate people to become their best selves, or does it prevent them from figuring out who they truly are? Join us for an open and thought-provoking debate as we explore the impact of parental pressure, expectations, and family dynamics. Whether you think strict parenting builds resilience or believe it does more harm than good, come share your perspective! This debate will follow a British Parliamentary format with eight debaters split into four teams of two. Participants who wish to speak are highly encouraged to bring a paper and pen. You are welcome to participate even if you have no prior debating experience. ⚠️ Disclaimer: We aim for debates that are respectful, constructive, and welcoming. • Respect ideas and people: Listen actively, stay quiet while others speak, and debate arguments, not identities or beliefs. • Be concise and civil: Keep questions short and relevant; avoid hostility, hate speech, or discrimination. • Respect boundaries and time: No unwanted advances or suggestive behavior; arrive on time to avoid disrupting the debate. • Follow moderators: They guide the discussion and ensure fairness. Looking forward to seeing you there 😊

**Palace : Broken View** 04/06 @ 19h00 This article was part of FORUM+ vol. 30 no. 1 | 2, pp. 68-79 Broken View. Congo and the magic lantern. **As an early projection device, the magic lantern was often used for colonial propaganda. For instance, to showcase and legitimize the ‘good works’ of the church in the colony. But lanterns were also used by missionaries in Africa to evangelize the local people and create a colonized mindset. This text is a reflection on the work process of Broken View, an essay film on colonial images from the Belgian Congo and the magic lantern. Through montage, collage, and assemblage the film examines and recontextualizes these images of the Belgian colonial past.** Als vroeg projectiemedium werd de toverlantaarn vaak gebruikt voor koloniale propaganda. Bijvoorbeeld om de 'goede werken' van de kerk in de kolonie te presenteren en te legitimeren. Maar lantaarns werden ook door missionarissen in Afrika gebruikt om de plaatselijke bevolking te evangeliseren en een gekoloniseerde mentaliteit te creëren. Deze tekst is een reflectie op het werkproces van Broken View, een essayfilm over de toverlantaarn en koloniale beelden uit Belgisch-Congo. Door montage, collage en assemblage onderzoekt en hercontextualiseert de film deze beelden uit het Belgische koloniale verleden. [...] **"I see montage not as a final stage of the filmmaking process, but rather as a way of beginning, montage as a way of writing."** In trying to find a way to present still images in a medium which relies on movement, I quite intuitively turned towards collage. This way, movement lies in the act of cutting out, in the tension between two arrested movements: the captured ça a été of the photograph and the completed collage-gesture that brings two or more images in the same space. The form gives rhythm to the discourse and engenders it. The cutting out of figures becomes a formal translation of what I try to do in the film discursively, to decontextualize and recontextualize fragments from the past. It performs the question of how to see these colonial images today, if we even should see them? Perhaps the only way to be able to show these images is when they are set in motion within a poetic space that aims to do justice to the realities of oppression from which they were taken. I am aware that some of the images in the film are hurtful to see. I am aware that some will see the reuse of these images as a continuation of the violence their taking involved, and that my position as a white European man will enforce this view. Though I have seen instances of this reiteration of colonial violence in cultural products that purport to denounce the colonial past, I do not believe that to show these images, even violent ones, even from my side of the colonial heritage, automatically implies continuing the violence they both document and materialize. I think this happens when not only the images themselves but also the spectacle-form and ideological framework in which they were presented are reproduced, in other words, when the effects of their reproduction are either ignored or anticipated and exploited in the service of this or that agenda. I have not treated this lightly. Broken View does not seek out a shock effect, it does not try to sell a product or resort to cynically rousing controversy to gain attention in an increasingly saturated audio-visual market. Nor do I claim a sort of neutral ground or moral high ground. It is the spectacle-form, the milieu in which these images were made and shown, that I hope the film interrogates and deconstructs. I do this knowing that any deconstruction is also a construction, that my film is also a form, and that there is no inherently unproblematic form. Both the essayistic montage and the collage, the poetics I turned to in this film, bring together elements that often have little to do with one another. They do this, as the writer Brian Dillon wrote about the essay form, ‘in such a way that the scandal or shock of their proximity arrives alongside a conviction that they have always belonged together’.11 So, these images must be accompanied by other images, brought into relation with other, maybe even seemingly unconnected images. These relationships are not comparisons or equations, but the threads of an unfinished fabric, a continuous work of de- and reassembly, a broader, perhaps speculative contextualization. Assemblages are formed in which the figures are brought into each other’s orbit, within a wider frame and into another timeline than those of the photographs they were taken out of, inserting them into new constellations, trying to find new rhythms. In doing so, I hope to make visible some of the brushstrokes with which they were originally made, the power relations these images texturized and helped (helplessly) to fabulate, the purposes they were to serve. The film is an essay, an atlas of sorts, or an album where fragments of images and language exchange their shortcomings, what words can show and what images can say. But what to say? Who is speaking and to whom? The spoken text is not only a feature of the essay film. Magic lantern projections were almost always accompanied by live narration. In the case of mission photography almost always in the explanatory mode, an authoritative register, a man, a priest, who spoke with full authority on what was being projected. There was no doubt in his voice. There is but one truth, and that is the Christian truth. At this stage in the editing process, I am trying to find a balance between different registers of the voice-over. The challenge is to subvert the authority of the colonial voice, to replace it not with silence, but to find another way of speaking, of giving information, to introduce an element of doubt. This can reside in subtle formal gestures, a tone of voice, an emphasis turning into a question mark, repetition, or wordplay. I am not quite sure yet how, but I want to let this informative, authoritative mode disintegrate into a poetic mode. I mean poetry in the sense that it is the opposite of the direct speech of the colonizer. That it is a tentative way of speaking. An essayistic way of speaking if you will. The text becomes a collage of registers, of sources and tones but spoken by a single voice. [Cinema Palace](https://www.cinema-palace.be/nl/film/broken-view) [This article was part of FORUM+ vol. 30 no. 1 | 2, pp. 68-79](https://forum-online.be/en/issues/februari-mei-2023/broken-view-congo-and-the-magic-lantern) **For Dreamers, Coffee shots, Orezza, eau de Saint-Georges !**

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10:00 on Wednesday morning. Be it a book, essay, dissertation, article or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION: quick intros. 10:15 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:15 - (the end) check in.

Join us for a laid-back **2-hour evening walk** in the green surrouindings of Brussels. Expect a **social, easy-paced stroll** with good company, relaxed vibes, and plenty of time to chat. We'll follow the canal paths and trace the River Zenne, discovering how these waterways shaped the heart of the city. 🕗 **When:** Evening 🚶 **Duration:** About 2 hours 🥤 **Bring your own drink** – something refreshing to enjoy as we walk 💬 **Open to all** – solo walkers, locals, and newcomers alike Let’s walk, relax, and connect—Brussels-style.

Let’s meet and share discussion of the James Baldwin short story collection, Going to Meet The Man.

Greetings writers! Come down and join your fellow wordsmiths for one hour of uninterrupted writing time in the upper level of the Market District Supermarket in Upper Arlington. The main entrance of the shopping center opens onto stairs/elevator leading up to the 2nd floor cafe section where we will have a table displaying a sign with the Shut Up & Write logo. Writing is largely a solitary craft. Practicing with others in a community setting may be the thing you need to fire your own routine. We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, starting the clock at 6:30, following a brief period of introductions. This is solid writing time and all inclusive. Any project is acceptable, be it fiction, non -fiction, work or homework assignment. All is welcome and will remain private to you. The market boasts a Starbucks, a full service bar and various affordable food options. Parking is plentiful, free Wifi is provided as well as outlets for charging your devices, though they are somewhat limited, so plan accordingly. Show up as early as you like, or stay late. This group tends to socialize some, both before and after the alloted time, but this is not mandatory to you. Feel free to come and go as you please and late arrivals are welcome. The cafe may be noisy on occasion so headphones/ earbuds are reccommended as you see fit. Please try to RSVP if possible so that we may grab enough seats for all—the venue can be busy at times. Feel free to message me privately wth any questions and/ or concerns you may have. Happy writing!

Join us Tuesday (6/2) at 6:30 pm as we hike the Hundred Acre Woods in Westerville. This is a beautiful trail that is filled of hills and roots but a picturesque wooded landscape to hike. Wear your hiking boots if you have them. We will do 2 loops of the 1 mile trail.

Topic to be announced. **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!