Akira Takayama

McDonald’s Radio University

In a ten days lecture series, “professors” deepen and expand the traditional academic canon of knowledge by drawing on their own life experiences and research interests. Listen to them while eating a hamburger, or live on the Place de la Bourse.

When talking to newcomers who had migrated to Europe via the Balkan Route, artist Akira Takayama became interested in the fact that – thanks to free Wi-Fi and phone charging possibilities as well as access to toilets – McDonald’s were seen as meeting points and places where information about the journey could be shared. This inspired him to develop McDonald’s Radio University, a project in which Takayama fulfils the utopian plan for a decentralized and mobile university, once designed by British architect Cedric Price. Takayama uses these plans to develop a model that passes on knowledge and enables training for people whose knowledge is not recognized in society (newcomers, people in precarious jobs, homeless people, etc.). In a ten days lecture series, “professors” deepen and expand the traditional academic canon of knowledge by drawing on their own life experiences and research interests. You are welcome in front of McDonald’s on Place de la Bourse/Beursplein for a series of live lectures by the professors. The recorded lectures are available at any other time, to be combined with a hamburger and drink.

Every day at 7pm on the Place de la Bourse, it will be possible to attend live lectures given by one of these professors. At other times of the day, you can combine the recorded lectures with a burger and a coke.

The interviews took place and the lectures were prepared in 2020. They are now ready to be aired in May 2021 during the Kunstenfestivaldesarts.

Programme

11.05, 19:00 Kinda Almaaz (French)

Chimie – La chimie est une question de choix

12.05, 19:00 Abdelkader Amoura (French)

Etudes urbaines – Squatter, recycler, récupérer : 3 stratégies de survie en ville

13.05, 19:00 Kevin Champt (Dutch)

Drag Queen Patient Zero

14.05, 19:00 Barry Mamaddou Lamarana (French)

Economie – Le développement économique et social

15.05, 19:00 Mohamed Almafrachi (French)

Etudes culturelles – De l'Irak vers la Belgique: quelques différences culturelles en 5 blagues

16.05, 19:00 Fabienne (French)

Anthropologie sociale – Le restaurant social

17.05, 19:00 Soniabyby Sona (French)

Etudes familiales – L'arbre généalogique de Sonia: une histoire belgo-congolaise

18.05, 19:00 Fouzia Sadala (Dutch)

La création de safe spaces

19.05, 19:00 Kinda Almaaz (French)

Chimie – La chimie est une question de choix

20.05, 19:00 Hussein Alqawas (English)

Swimming – The river as a teacher

Every day, during the opening hours of the McDonalds Bourse - Brussels (Monday - Saturday 07:00 > 22:00, Sunday 09:00 > 22:00)
Listen to the recorded lectures, which you can combine with a burger and a coke.

Credits

Concept, Direction: Akira Takayama
Professors: Kinda Almaaz, Mohammed Almafrachi, Hussein Alqawas, Abdelkader Amoura, Barry Mamaddou Lamarana, Mustapha Saad, Soniabyby Sona, Fabienne, Kevin Champt, Fouzia Sadala
Dramaturgy: Flore Herman
Assistant direction, production management: Saki Tanaka
Coproduction: Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Cifas - Centre international de Formation en Arts du Spectacle
In collaboration with: Cultureghem, DoucheFLUX, La Plateforme Citoyenne de l’Aide aux Réfugiés (BXL Refugees), Les Petits Riens
Thanks to: Radio Campus Bruxelles, Leslie Doumerc and Arthur Lacomme for their technical support
McDonald’s Radio University is the project supported by the Friends of Kunstenfestivaldesarts in 2020