Renovation works

Netwerk Aalst is renovating. There will be a new entrance along the Josse Ringoirkaai with a welcoming reception. The film theatre will be completely renovated and equipped with the best seats. And we will move the café closer to the Houtkaai so that more natural light can enter. The building will be more accessible, sustainable and practical. We will get a new lift to the cinema, double glazing and the warehouses will be properly heated so that they can also be used during the winter. We are working as much as possible with sustainable and energy saving techniques.

The renovations will start in September 2022 and will last between 6 and 8 months. The full cost price is just over one million euros. Half of that, five thousand euros, will come from the Cultural Infrastructure Fund of the Flemish Government, including two hundred and fifty thousand euros for accessibility and two hundred and fifty thousand euros for sustainability. The remaining amount will come from our own funds and a loan. The work will be done by Camimmo under the guidance of ECTV Archictects.

collaborations

During the renovation works, the warehouses will remain accessible and we will move to various locations in Aalst. We will use the accessible parts of the house to continue our collaborations. Partners such as REKKER, Broeiklas and Academie Aalst will be housed there. And there will still be room to listen to questions from local residents and other organisations. We will look at what’s possible in our house or in the city.

Supporting artists remains on our list of priorities. For example, Studio Aalst, a project in which we go into the city together with a number of artists to see how the city of Aalst can function as a studio, will start simultaneously with the renovations.

cinema

Our cinema will remain active during the renovations, but at a different location. We are temporarily moving our film house to the wonderful ballroom of VTI Dé Vakschool in Aalst. From 9 September onwards, you will be able to watch the best films twice a week. We will also be setting up a film club for young people and will leave some room in the programme so you can help decide which films to show. But first, our film house will go ‘on the road’: between 19 and 26 August we will show 7 films in open air at the most beautiful locations in Aalst and its surroundings. Here you can find an overview of all the films and their corresponding locations.