Beursschouwburg embraces shared leadership

Beursschouwburg is entering a defining new chapter. In September 2027, we will temporarily close our doors for a major renovation. While the building undergoes its transformation, the house itself will remain active across the city. This transition also calls for a different way of organising ourselves.

Following the announced departure of General and Artistic Director Melat Gebeyaw Nigussie, Beursschouwburg is embracing a model of shared leadership. This is a deliberate choice that reflects who we are: a house that believes in collaboration, shared responsibility, and the strength of collective decision-making, dialogue, complementarity, and multiple perspectives.

Programmers Gilke Vanuytsel (music & nightlife) and Quinten Wyns (film) will continue their work at Beursschouwburg. From mid-September onwards, Martín Zícari will join the artistic team as Performing Arts Programmer. Together, the three of them will further develop the artistic vision of the arts centre, with experimentation, boldness, and solidarity as the core values guiding their work.

Martín Zícari has been active in the performing arts as a cultural worker for more than ten years. He brings extensive experience in supporting artistic processes, a strong commitment to interdisciplinary programming, and a deep belief in collective decision-making. Over the past years, he has developed projects with artists, festivals, and organisations both in Belgium and internationally. As Production Manager at Hiros, co-founder of Apolemia, and former core team member of Bâtard Festival, he has built a practice that explores the boundaries between disciplines, where artistic development and collective ways of working go hand in hand. His work is informed by research and a strong theoretical and literary sensibility, always driven by the question of how art can create space for encounter, imagination, and new ways of living together.

General coordination will be led by Ellen De Bin. Since 2020, she has played a key role in the general management of Beursschouwburg, ensuring the organisation's financial sustainability while placing organisational care at the heart of its operational management.

By sharing leadership, distributing responsibilities, and strengthening ownership across the organisation, Beursschouwburg is preparing internally for a future in which it will operate across multiple locations in the city, each with its own focus and rhythm.

Together with the entire team, Beursschouwburg will continue to nurture Brussels' artistic and cultural ecosystem, acting as a catalyst for the collective energy of the city's artistic community to grow and flourish.

The Board would like to thank the many candidates who applied for the position. The level of enthusiasm was remarkable, and the insights shared throughout the process have helped Beursschouwburg reflect deeply on what was needed for this next phase. Together with the entire team, external representatives from the field, and the Board, we have arrived at a shared decision that reflects the DNA of Beursschouwburg.
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