Sunday 7th December

11:30-13:30, starting point @ Monseigneur Ladeuzeplein, 3000 Leuven

Leuven Restorative City (LRC) hosts an immersive Restorative City Walk, blending the rich historical and cultural fabric of Leuven with the transformative power of storytelling and restorative justice. This city walk offers participants a unique way to engage with the principles of reconciliation, community healing, and justice through narratives inspired by symbolic locations in the city of Leuven. Guided by LRC’s coordinator Sarah Devriendt in cooperation with a local touristic guide Eddy Macquoy, participants will get to know the city and be inspired by stories on restorative justice, creating a powerful dialogue between past and present and between real and imaginary worlds. The walk highlights both historical and contemporary spaces where justice and reconciliation have played a role in shaping the city’s identity and streets become a stage for bridging past conflicts and future possibilities of community healing. The walk will end at the Transitiehuis of Leuven, a transition house hosting people with lived experience of detention during their reintegration into society.

Ticket information - Sold out, you can sign up to the waiting list

• Event included in the Festival Pass (40-200 EUR). Pass holders may use the code received in the confirmation email to book a seat. 

• Individual tickets (12 EUR) can be reserved below. EFRJ members can log-in with their credentials to receive a 50% discount (6 EUR). 

• Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis (up to 25 seats).

13:00-15:00 @ Leslokaal 00.03 - Maria-Theresiacollege, Sint-Michielsstraat 6, Leuven 

Since 2019, Clair Aldington has been working as an artist, designer, and restorative justice practitioner with the Encounter of the Encounters group, which brings together participants from the Basque Country, Italy, Northern Ireland, Israel, Palestine, Belgium, and Ukraine. The group shares experiences of political violence, both from those who caused harm and those who were harmed, and commits to preventing its recurrence. Within a restorative circle framework, art and design processes are used to support dialogue and extend its impact through public artworks. Commissioned by the University of the Basque Country in 2024, this installation of 30 T-shirts features images inspired by co-created artworks as well as Clair’s own designs in response to the group’s dialogues. Chosen as a universal garment that relates directly to the human body, the T-shirts form a reflective space on the harms and motivations underlying political violence, the possibilities of restorative justice, and the power of non-verbal communication in dialogue. After visiting the exhibition, Clair will facilitate a conversation with participants using a talking piece.

Ticket information

• Event included in the Festival Pass (40-200 EUR). Pass holders may use the code received in the confirmation email to book a seat. 

• Individual tickets (12 EUR) can be reserved below. EFRJ members can log-in with their credentials to receive a 50% discount (6 EUR). 

• Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis (up to 30 seats). 

15:30-17:00 @ Aula 01.03 - Maria-Theresiacollege, Sint-Michielsstraat 6, Leuven 

This is a storytelling show of the Arthurian legend of Percival and the quest for the Holy Grail. This is a deep, challenging and beautiful traditional story with all the rich fantastical elements of myth and fairy tale: knights in shining armour, warrior maidens, monsters, magic and enchantment, adventures in the dark and wild forests. This story is all about restoration through deep transformation and learning to go against societal norms to prioritise repair and listening over action and retribution. At its heart is the premise that, due to violence and conflict, the guardian of the Holy Grail is wounded and therefore the Grail and the land are also wounded and dying. Only when someone comes to the Grail castle and has the courage to ask "what has hurt you?" can true healing begin. How difficult this is, even for the greatest of heroes…! This timeless story resonates deeply with the essence of restorative work. The performance will be followed by a discussion with storyteller, facilitator and arts practitioner Hannah Moore, inviting the audience to share their reflections and engage in a deeper exploration of the story.

Ticket information

• Event included in the Festival Pass (40-200 EUR). Pass holders may use the code received in the confirmation email to book a seat. 

• Individual tickets (12 EUR) can be reserved below. EFRJ members can log-in with their credentials to receive a 50% discount (6 EUR). 

• Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis (up to 175 seats).

20:00-21:30 @ OPEK Grote Zaal, Leuven

Kenneth Berth is a Belgian radio, documentary and theatre creator. In his performance piece Piéton he draws on a deeply personal experience. After being struck by a car in Paris and left unable to walk for six months, he channels his journey of recovery and introspection into a staged encounter with the driver who hit him. Through this imagined meeting, Piéton becomes more than just a retelling of an accident: it is an exploration of empathy, accountability, and the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator. With a minimalist yet emotionally charged approach, Kenneth invites audiences to question the nature of responsibility and perspective. Can those on opposite sides of a traumatic event ever truly understand each other? What happens when we confront those who have unknowingly altered the course of our lives? Through these questions, Piéton challenges conventional narratives of blame and forgiveness, offering a thought-provoking meditation on human connection and the complexities of reconciliation. 

Ticket information

• Event included in the Festival Pass (40-200 EUR). Pass holders may use the code received in the confirmation email to book a seat. 

• Individual tickets (12 EUR) can be reserved below. EFRJ members can log-in with their credentials to receive a 50% discount (6 EUR). 

• Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis (up to 190 seats).