Frie Leysen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frie Leysen
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Frie Leysen (2012)
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| Born | 19 February 1950 Hasselt, Belgium
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| Died | 22 September 2020 (aged 70) |
| Occupation | Festival director |
Frie Leysen (born February 19, 1950 – died September 22, 2020) was a well-known Belgian festival director. She helped create and manage many important arts festivals. She was the director of the deSingel art centre from 1980 to 1991. Later, in 1994, she co-founded the Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussels.
Her Life and Work
Frie Leysen was born in Hasselt, Belgium, on February 19, 1950. Her father, Bert Leysen, was a director at a Belgian TV and radio company. She was also the twin sister of actor Johan Leysen. Frie studied the history of art from the Middle Ages at the University of Leuven.
Frie Leysen became the first director of the deSingel art centre in Antwerp. She worked there from 1980 to 1991. In 1994, she teamed up with Guido Minne to start the Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussels. This festival quickly became a very important event for artists from Belgium and around the world.
Frie Leysen also organized many international art projects. In 2007, she put together "Meeting Points." This was a festival that took place in nine different cities in Arabic countries. It also came to Brussels and Berlin. She was a director for other big festivals too, like the Theater der Welt in 2010. She also worked at the Berliner Festspiele from 2010 to 2012. From 2013 to 2014, she was the artistic director of the Wiener Festwochen. In 2015, she managed the performing arts program for Homeworks 7 in Beirut.
Frie Leysen passed away on September 22, 2020, at the age of 70, after being ill.
Awards and Honors
Frie Leysen received many awards for her work in the arts. In 1991, she won the 'Arkprijs van het Vrije Woord' (Ark Prize of Free Speech). She was given the Flemish Community Award for her contributions to culture in 2003.
She also received an honorary doctorate from the Free University of Brussels. In 2014, she was honored with the Erasmus Prize. This prize is given to people who have made important contributions to culture, society, or social science in Europe.
In 2018, she received the "Bernadette Abraté Award." This award was given by theatre critics in Brussels. She shared it with Christophe Slagmuylder for their work at the Kunstenfestivaldesarts. On August 28, 2019, Frie Leysen received the EFFE lifetime achievement award. The EFFE, which is the European Festivals Association, recognized her strong support for artists. They also praised her efforts to protect artists' creative freedom.
See also
- In Spanish: Frie Leysen para niños
