The large and cosy 4AD bar is also used as an exposition space. Every two months a new artist gets a chance to show his or her works. In this way we want to give opportunities to (young) local visual artists and photographers. On our website you can read a small biography and find a link to the artist's website. The works don't have to be necessarily musically related, as long as they are provided with a good portion of authenticity. Candidates can introduce themselves at expo (at) 4ad (dot) be
Past Projects
4AD is a part of 4x4, a project (during Interreg IV) between four music clubs based in the border/frontier region. Together with De Kreun (Kortrijk), Le Grand Mix (Tourcoing), Les 4 Ecluses (Duinkerke) we unite our efforts to give the concert traffic in the North of France and West Flanders an extra impulse. Besides public and bands, also knowhow is traded.
Under the flag of 'Stad Onderstroom', several associations from Diksmuide (Linx +, vzw De Bron, De Diksmuidse Filmclub) unite the powers to present free cultural activities during the summer like concerts, (open air) movies, expositions, theatre and literary evenings. Stad Onderstroom isn�t just any uninspired summer festival. With this daring project, we try (since 2000) to awake Diksmuide and its surroundings from the traditional yearly summer sleep. The local government did too less: the inhabitants and mainly the youngsters complained that there was a lot to do in other Flemish cities while they were bored at the home front. With this initiative (as a little Westhoek city), we hope to co-operate on a front against the infamous (brain) drain of this region. Big cities as Ghent or big music festivals like Werchter or Pukkelpop get recognized as the cultural place to be by the youngsters. We want to counter that. We want to give impulses to the habitants of the Westhoek and let the conscious grow so that young people are aware of the unique value of their region, in the hope that they don�t leave so quick and are guaranteed better cultural (and economical) future perspectives.
The spring of 2008 was completely in dedicated to the celebration of 20 years 4AD. Besides a celebratory program and the obligatory reception, we also made a beautiful book with personal testimony's of volunteers, colleagues and artists from home and abroad. You can also watch/read the digital version of the book via this link. The whole lay-out is homemade. Who doesn't like to read (much) can watch the movie (also homemade!) that's also been created for the celebration of 20 years 4AD.
Besides the presentation of concerts, 4AD wants to offer other interesting models of culture, as well in our normal season program as in 'Stad Onderstroom'. Already since the beginning of 4AD, we organize small sized theatre pieces, literary and cabaret evenings. In 1996 we decided to bundle this activities under the name 'Theatertram' and to organize 5 or 6 evenings in the spring. Once 'Theatertram' was a response to the non-policy of the local Diksmuidse cultural centre (in the meanwhile is this back on track). Besides Flemish and regional theatre groups, there are also some foreign ensembles who played at 4AD.
Led by 8 current music organisations in France, Belgium and England, the IC Music project (International Cooperation Trough Music) was validated by the INTERREG IVA 2 Seas programme on the 10 and 11 May 2011.
In January 2010, with a wealth of on-going cross-border experiences, the 4 partners in the 4x4 project (le Grand Mix (Fr), les 4 Ecluses (Fr), De Kreun (Be), 4AD (Be)) decided to pursue the adventure by expanding to England. Le Grand Mix identified the INTERREG IV A 2 seas programme which was immediately presented as the most suitable framework to establish this expanded operation. In March 2010, le Grand Mix suggested 2 new French organisations (la Cave aux Poètes and la Lune des Pirates) to join the project.
Thanks to the mobilisation of these six organisations, Superact! (Eng) joined the project and brought a second partner, the Phoenix concert hall (Eng). Two work meetings, bringing together the partners in Tourcoing in October, and in Taunton in November 2010, as well as a “skype” meeting, allowed the partners to build and consolidate the “IC Music” project in its current form. Three objectives for IC Music The main goal of the “IC Music” project is to construct a sustainable and long-lasting cross-border cooperation among professional “live” music actors from England, Belgium and France.
To achieve this, the partners are going to base their action on achieving three specific objectives: - Firstly, the project will work on facilitating the circulation of artists in the process of turning professional in the 2 seas territory; - Secondly, the partners will develop mutual comprehension of the working of different organisations, necessary for the construction of a durable cooperation, particularly through the organisation of seminars during professional meetings, the circulation of partner organisations’ teams and language learning; - Thirdly, the project will contribute to raising cultural awareness among distant audiences. Supported by the EAFRD funds, financing up to 50% of the expenses incurred, IC Music has given itself 3 years to achieve its objectives (2011-2014).
For more information : http://www.interreg4a-2mers.eu/en