The art organisations in Brussels founded The Brussels Kunstenoverleg (BKO) and Réseau des Arts à Bruxelles (RAB) in 2002 and 2004 respectively, out of a need for dialogue and collaboration.

2000: Brussels is the cultural capital of Europe. Despite being a great success artistically, the sector is left with many unanswered questions. The cooperation of the multiple governments with the cultural sector was deficient and the sector itself felt segregated.

Together with around fifteen Dutch-speaking art organisations, Kaaitheater took the initiative to discuss the challenges concerning culture in Brussels on a regular basis.

2002: Brussels Kunstenoverleg is founded.

2003: Dutch-speaking and French-speaking cultural organisations meet each other during the BrusselSALONbruxellois within the framework of the Kunstenfestivaldesarts.

Shortly after, the French colleagues start a parallel sectoral consultation network: the Plateforme francophone des arts à Bruxelles gathers monthly.

2005: The Réseau des Arts à Bruxelles is founded. RAB is immediately closely involved with the States General on Culture of Minister Fadila Laanan.

The networks strengthen their collaboration and together they tackle mutual challenges that the sector is confronted with. A broadly carried out, in-depth reflection about the place and role of culture in Brussels emerges.

RAB and BKO initiate the arts festival BRXLBRAVO together. A first edition takes place in 2005 as a result of a bottoms up collaboration of about 150 cultural organisations from both language communities.

2006: Lasso, a platform for cultural participation, sees the light as part of BKO.

2007: No less than 117 Dutch-speaking, French-speaking, and multilingual cultural institutions sign a collaboration agreement.

The second edition of BRXLBRAVO in 2007 illustrates this commitment even further.

2008: A Brussels platform for the societal midfield is founded, in which BKO and RAB represent the cultural sector. By actively taking part in the States General of Brussels in 2009, the networks open themselves to a reality that exceeds the borders of the cultural sector.

This joint reflection results in the publication of the “Cultural Plan for Brussels” in 2009. This plan describes 34 challenges and priority actions for Brussels' cultural sector. Countless players are involved in the elaboration of the plan, both on a political level and in the societal midfield.

Read the “Cultural Plan for Brussels” >>>

The two networks create working groups to formulate concrete proposals for each of the themes in the Cultural Plan. Both of the networks are generally recognised as representatives of the cultural sector in Brussels. Multiple publications appear.

2010: The networks take action. They launch four working groups regarding priority themes in the Cultural Plan: interculturality, cartography, artists, and the cultural agenda.

Meanwhile the networks continue organizing an in-depth reflection of the other themes included in the Cultural Plan and themes suggested by their members. They organise conferences or info sessions regarding education, infrastructure, Europe, ecology, multilingualism, and more.

RAB/BKO organises an investigation and an event concerning artistic labs and alternative management bureaus under the name Open House.

The networks continue developing: their representation and carrying capacity grow. They join forces to a greater extent.

Since the publication of the Cultural Plan, the contacts with the political world have strengthened. RAB/BKO is recognized as an important conversationalist of the cultural sector in Brussels, before and after every election.

The number of members rises significantly, just like the number of partnerships within the cultural sector in Brussels, as well as within the other sectors (tourism, employment …).

The result of this work of analysis, reflection, consultation, and representation shows its impact in different publications.

2017: Lasso breaks away from BKO and becomes a separate non-profit organisation.

The networks are ready for resourcing. Their mission and operation are redefined. RAB/BKO from now on functions as one platform focussed on networking and political representation.

In 2022, soon after the sector ceases to operate due to the pandemic, the members feel the need to evaluate the mission and operation of the network. After all, the cultural sector in Brussels has changed enormously in the last 20 years.

From now on, RAB and BKO present themselves as one platform, with one team, at the service of all cultural organisations in Brussels. The emphasis shifts to networking on relevant transversal themes that are spoken about in a great deal of meetings.

With the integration of United Stages in 2023, solidarity becomes even more central in the actions of the network. The same goes for the theme of durability, for which RAB/BKO, Brussels Museums, and La Concertation – Action Culturelle Bruxelloise set up the platform SamenDurable together, a compound word of the Dutch word for “together” and the French word for “durable”.

Another pillar of the new operation is political representation. In the run-up to election years 2024, RAB/BKO publishes a number of recommendations under the name of “Een rode draad voor cultuur” (NL) or “Un fil rouge pour la culture” (FR), which translates to: a common thread for culture. 

Read “Een rode draad voor cultuur” (Dutch) >>> / “Un fil rouge pour la culture” (French) >>>

Through the years, RABKO published numerous publications related to its missions.

Our most read publications:

- Cultural Plan For Brussels (2009) >>> / Het Cultuurplan (2009) >>> / Plan Culturel pour Bruxelles (2009) >>> 
- Creatief met chaos - Hoe gaan de culturele organisaties in Brussel om met het institutionele en demografische patchwork? (2018) >>> / Chaos Créatif - Comment les organisations culturelles bruxelloises se débrouillent-elles avec le patchwork institutional et démographique ? (2018) >>>
- Een rode draad voor cultuur (2023) >>> / Un fil rouge pour la culture (2023) >>>

Intercultural issues concerning the public, teams, and programmation are being treated in the online publications Interact (2013 > 2016): 

1. Actie en reactie rond diversiteit en interculturaliteit in de Brusselse culturele sector >>> / Action/réaction en faveur de la diversité et de l’interculturalité au sein du secteur artistique bruxellois >>>
2. Until I find you: over kunst- en cultuurparticipatie van nieuwkomers in Brussel >>> / Until I find you : de la participation artistique et culturelle des primo-arrivants à Bruxelles >>>
3. Bemiddeling, plaats voor cultuur >>> / La médiation, lieu de culture >>>
4. Diversiteit werkt: over initiatieven die meer diversiteit brengen in de Brussels culturele sector >>> / La diversité, ça marche ! Initiatives en faveur de la diversité dans le secteur culturel bruxellois >>>
5. Cultuurbeleid in Brussel: een caleidoscoop >>> / Les politiques culturelles à Bruxelles : vision kaléidoscopique >>>
6. Kunstenaars maken de stad: artistieke praktijken in Brussel >>> / Les artistes créent la villie, quelques pratiques artistiques bruxelloises >>>
7. Vrijwillig divers: inschakelen van kwetsbare vrijwilligers in Brusselse culturele organisaties >>> / Diversité? Volontiers ! Pour une gestion des volontaires ouverte et respectueuse de chacun, au sein du secteur culturel bruxellois >>>
8. De kunst van het ontmoeten: over participatieve, culturele projecten in Brussel >>> / L’art de la rencontre : à propos de projets participatifs culturels à Bruxelles >>>
9. Cultuur au pouvoir - De sociale rol van kunst en cultuur >>> / La culture au pouvoir : le rôle social de l’art et de la culture >>>

Other publications:
In Nesten - onderzoek naar talentontwikkeling en interculturaliteit in de podiumkunsten (2013)
not available online
Transformations joyeuses dans un monde turbulent (2014)
not available online