Vooruit ( nl, Kunstencentrum Vooruit, ) is a historic complex in

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

, Belgium. Vooruit was originally the festival and art centre of the Ghent-based labour movement, with a ballroom, cinema, theatre, etc. It is now mainly used for concerts and other cultural events.

History

Vooruit was designed by Ferdinand Dierkens and built between 1911 and 1914, becoming a symbol of the

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

movement in the interwar period. The building is named after the socialist

consumer organisation Consumer organizations are advocacy groups that seek to protect people from corporate abuse like unsafe products, predatory lending, false advertising, astroturfing and pollution. Consumer Organizations may operate via protests, litigation, campa ...

(or

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

) ''Vooruit'' ("Forward") (1891–1970), supported by

Edward Anseele Edward Anseele (26 July 1856 – 18 February 1938) was a Belgian socialist politician. Edward Anseele became active in the early Belgian socialist movement. Anseele attended the Royal Athenaeum in Ghent until the age of 17. Career Edward Anseele ...

, to protect workers against the instability of

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...

. There workers could eat, drink and enjoy culture at affordable costs. As a festival and

arts centre An art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues for ...

, Vooruit was part of the compartmentalised Flemish society until

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After the war, the building deteriorated until the re-launch in 1982 in its present form as a cultural centre. In 1983, Vooruit was recognised as a listed monument. The building continued operating during the restoration process, from 1990 to 2000. In 2000, a fully restored Vooruit was awarded the Flemish Monument of the year prize. Presently the rooms are used for parties and concerts, but also for cultural events or debates.

References

Footnotes

Citations

External links

*
Official website
{{Coord, 51, 02, 52, N, 3, 43, 40, E, type:landmark_region:BE, display=title Concert halls in Belgium Buildings and structures in Ghent Event venues established in 1914 Culture of Ghent Tourist attractions in East Flanders Socialism in Belgium Art Nouveau architecture in Belgium Art Nouveau theatres Tourist attractions in Ghent

History

See also

References

Footnotes

Citations

External links