Gintarė Parulytė on mental health & her latest film

Cineast Film Festival 2025

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The 18th edition of the CinEast film festival in Luxembourg will take place from 10 to 26 October 2025. Festival Director Radek Lipka tells us how this year there will 65 features, 50 shorts, musical concerts, a photography exhibition, Q&A's, debates and more. The films and acts hail from 20 countries and this year's focus country is Poland. The festival is for everyone in Luxembourg, most of the films are subtitled, they span many genres and there are some films for young audiences. Listen to the interview to find out why else you should join!

LEAPA: upcoming cultural events

LEAPA (Luxembourg European Association of Performing Arts) is a social cultural non-profit club under the umbrella of the Cercle Culturel of the EU Institutions. Two of the founding members Rose Flammant and Chris Mitchell joined me to discuss upcoming events including a quiz & 3-course dinner which will be held on Saturday 11 October at Hotel Melia, Kirchberg. Later in the year there will be a Public Speaking Workshop, Christmas Songs Concert & Buffet Dinner and their most popular event - the Murder Mystery Dinner happening in June. Anyone can sign up to be a member of LEAPA to enjoy discount and benefits for arts and theatre events.

'Re-creation' a new film by Jim Sheridan

In this exclusive interview, producer Fabrizio Maltese and actors Maja Juric, Claire Johnston-Cauldwell, and Gilbert K. Johnston share their experiences working on the film Re-creation directed by Jim Sheridan and David Merriman. The film is mystery thriller starring Vicky Krieps, Aidan Gillen and Com Meaney. It tells the story of a fictionalised jury deliberation of the high-profile murder case of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork, Ireland in 1996. Listen to the interview to discover the creative vision behind the project and hear how the cast brought their compelling characters to life in this unique and captivating film.

Amit Dhuri & Tolga Sen perform live

No strangers to Today Radio having been on DB3 and Ethan's shows previously, Amit and Tolga make their first appearance together as a duo to play two beautiful Indian songs and chat all things music. We discuss how Amit - originally from India, and Tolga - originally from Turkey, came to be in Luxembourg working as musicians and how the similarities between their two cultures create a certain magic for the music they play together.

Giorgos Christodoulakis: flamenco guitar player & researcher

Giorgos Christodoulakis is a flamenco researcher, guitar player and one half of the flamenco group Pa'lante. Giorgos tells us about Pa'lante's upcoming performance at the Fete de l'Amitie and the flamenco scene in Luxembourg. We were very lucky to have Giorgos perform a song live on air and we also play a recording of a flamenco song by his band member. Additionally, Giorgos is a translator and in 2021 his translation of F.G Lorca's 'Poema del Cante Jondo' was published in Greece. He has given talks on the history of flamenco in various festivals and concerts in Europe.

Union des Independants: Clara Moraru

The Union des Independants is a non-profit organization dedicated to championing the rights and interests of independent workers across Luxembourg, it was established in 2024 by Clara Moraru. There are approximately 29,000-39,000 independent workers, freelancers and self-employed workers in Luxembourg and they face challenges such as higher taxes, financial insecurity, high stress, lack of ADEM support and no sick or holiday pay. The Union is the first of its kind in Luxembourg and the goal is to create positive change for Independents and foster a community in what can be a lonely profession. 
 
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The Union des Independants is a non-profit organization dedicated to championing the rights and interests of independent workers across Luxembourg, it was established in 2024 by Clara Moraru. There are approximately 29,000-39,000 independent workers, freelancers and self-employed workers in Luxembourg and they face challenges such as higher taxes, financial insecurity, high stress, lack of ADEM support and no sick or holiday pay. The Union is the first of its kind in Luxembourg and the goal is to create positive change for Independents and foster a community in what can be a lonely profession.

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The Printemps des Poètes-Luxembourg

The Printemps des Poètes-Luxembourg festival returns on 25, 26 and 27 April for an 18th edition celebrating the poetic creation through the voices of a dozen poets and poets from all over Europe. A festival, as always polyphonic and multilingual, under the sign of reflection and celebration and whose theme “volcanic” sums up on its own the creative energy, the force of life, the power of an imaginary “that changes the word into vision”. Newly appointed festival president Francois Brouxel joined me in studio and shared his passion for poetry, the uniqueness of this multi-lingual event and the power of experiencing these acclaimed poets perform their works.

Anne Klein: new play 'This is a Scam'

Anne Klein tells us about her upcoming performances of her play 'This is a Scam' at ARCA Bertrange on April 24 and Aalt Stadhaus Differdange on April 30. The play is co-written and performed by Solvei Sundbø and making its Luxembourg debut after several performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023. The play follows two young women as they attempt to become the CEOs of their own companies. Inspired by true stories, this play looks at the differences and parallels between modern feminism and fraud, and attempts to make you laugh along the way. We also talk Oscars, webseries and self-help book recommendations.

TEDxLLIS Youth

Following the successful selection of a student from Lënster Lycée International School (LLIS) at the National Idea competition to speak at TEDxLuxembourgCity, the school management invited Dirk Daenen to lead a year-long extracurricular TED-Ed club. Throughout the year, students learned to develop, structure, and present compelling ideas on stage. This program culminates in an officially licensed TEDx event: TEDxLLIS Youth, scheduled for April 3rd, 2025, in the school's Halle des Fêtes. From the 20 participating students, 5 have been selected to deliver their TED talks, which will be professionally recorded and published on TED.com. Melissa was joined by 4 of the 5 students who will do a Ted talk at the event: Maria, Sofiia, Chiara and Kristóf

Irish traditional music live on air

To celebrate St Patrick's Day weekend, three of the Comhaltas Luxembourg céilí musicians joined Melissa live in studio to play a selection of traditional Irish jigs and reels. You will hear Edel on tin whistle, Cailín on flute and Liam on the banjo. They also tell us a little a bit about the tunes and their collective of musicians who play together as well as some upcoming performances they are doing as the Emerald Collective

St Patrick's Weekend: Comhaltas Luxembourg

Dorothee Waldeck from Comhaltas Luxembourg joined Melissa to discuss what events they are doing for St Patricks's Day weekend and across the year. Comhaltas was originally founded in Luxembourg in 1982, their  aim is to promote Irish culture through music, dancing and singing and to foster the Irish Language. They have a mixed membership of all nationalities including Luxembourgish, European, American, British as well as Irish born and the Irish Diaspora. They will once again hold their St. Patrick’s Day céilís in the Centre Culturel Cessange on Saturday 15th March 2025, with a kids céilí in the afternoon and then another céilí that evening for adults.

Dorothee Waldeck from Comhaltas Luxembourg joined Melissa to discuss what events they are doing for St Patricks's Day weekend and across the year. Comhaltas was originally founded in Luxembourg in 1982, their aim is to promote Irish culture through music, dancing and singing and to foster the Irish Language. They have a mixed membership of all nationalities including Luxembourgish, European, American, British as well as Irish born and the Irish Diaspora. They will once again hold their St. Patrick’s Day céilís in the Centre Culturel Cessange on Saturday 15th March 2025, with a kids céilí in the afternoon and then another céilí that evening for adults.

International Women's Day March 2025

Jessica Lopes from JIF and ASTI joined Melissa in studio ahead of the International Women's Day annual march in Luxembourg City. The JIF platform was created in 2011 on the 100th anniversary of Women's Rights Day. The aim is to organise activities and festivities together around 8 March. The platform deliberately decided to highlight the political dimension of 8 March as well as the achievements of feminism as a concept and movement. It consists of more or less 20 organizations, political parties and trade unions and individuals in their personal capacity. Jessica details the themes of the 2025 march and what we can expect - it is family friendly, everyone is welcome and many people bring signs and wear colourful clothes. It kicks off at 15:00 at Place de Paris, Luxembourg City.

'The Good Doctor' play: NWTC & MITOS

"The Good Doctor" is a comedy play by Neil Simon, based on a series of short stories by Anton Chekhov. The play is structured 
as a series of vignettes, with each scene presenting a different story that captures the absurdity and humour of everyday life. It is being produced by NWTC and MITOS and will take place from March 13-16 2025 at Centre Polyvalent in Oberanven. Melissa was joined by Artemios Director of the play and Chantelle who is an NWTC Committee member and actress in the play.

"The Good Doctor" is a comedy play by Neil Simon, based on a series of short stories by Anton Chekhov. The play is structured
as a series of vignettes, with each scene presenting a different story that captures the absurdity and humour of everyday life. It is being produced by NWTC and MITOS and will take place from March 13-16 2025 at Centre Polyvalent in Oberanven. Melissa was joined by Artemios Director of the play and Chantelle who is an NWTC Committee member and actress in the play.

Nyki: social tutoring company

Laure Talavet-Omont is the founder of Nyki, a social tutoring company. They offer individual lessons for primary and secondary school students, in all school subjects, and for students coming from all the different school systems present in Luxembourg. Laure explains how private tutoring is traditionally a sector increasing social inequalities: as parents with the highest income can afford more lessons and by the most renowned tutors. Nyki redresses this imbalance, by adapting prices to family income and granting discounts from 10% to 100%, meaning free lessons for the most underprivileged families. Laure also discusses how a social enterprise company works and her tips for setting one up for an future entrepreneurs.

Carlitos Comedy Club: Basketmouth is coming to Luxembourg!

A year and a half since the club opened it's doors, Carlitos the founder and owner of Carlitos Comedy Club joined Melissa once to talk about how the last 18 months of Luxembourg's only comedy club has been. The club is reaching new heights by booking Nigeria's biggest comedian Basketmouth who will be playing here on Feb 24th 2025 and there are tickets to be won! We also discuss how Carlitos is playing cupid via his speed-dating comedy events and we hope that soon enough there will be a baby born in Luxembourg called after him

A Vos Côtés is a social project, Inter-Actions

Virginie Giarmana, Deputy Director of Inter-Actions Luxembourg joined us to discuss the organisation plus the A Vos Côtés project which she developed and implemented a few years ago. The service "by your side" was created to respond to the feeling of insecurity expressed by the inhabitants of the various districts of Luxembourg City. It brings together different profiles of mediators/sports/educators, which aim to reassure the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, by visibly placing themselves” alongside them, on their daily journeys, in front of their schools, their favourite shops or restaurants, or at the meeting places. The project is funded entirely by the City of Luxembourg.

Tatty Macleod: comedian

Melissa sat down with comedian Tatty Macleod ahead of her gig in Luxembourg. Tatty trained in theatre and worked as a writer, director and actor before turning her hand to comedy in 2018 with social media helping to blow up her career. She has a unique understanding of code switching and what it means to be a third culture kid and has distilled this global perspective into online sketches which has awarded her over 600k followers. Tune in to hear about her journey so far, how being half-French and half-British impacts her personality and if there are bears in Luxembourg

BGT: New writing play 'AMARE'

Tony Kingston co-founder of BGT and aspiring writer and director Hanne Siebens joined us live in studio to discuss the next BGT production. “AMARE” is a new, experimental piece, by Hanne which looks at the different types of love, as defined by the ancient Greeks. Through a series of short, but interlinked, sketches and monologues we are shown love as represented by a mix of relationships, both now and “then”. It will take place on Feb 6, 7 and 8th at Lycee Michel Rodange. Tony also discussed BGT's emotion to foster young talent, new writing and more females in theatre.

Vegan Christmas Market

The beloved free market is back this weekend!

The beloved free market is back this weekend! 
 
Barbara Ujlaki president of the Vegan Society Luxembourg joined Melissa to discuss the asbl's mission, why she decided to become a vegan and the highly anticipated return of the Vegan Christmas Market

Barbara Ujlaki president of the Vegan Society Luxembourg joined Melissa to discuss the asbl's mission, why she decided to become a vegan and the highly anticipated return of the Vegan Christmas Market

Entre Nous Gin and Distillery

Distillery Fortemps de Loneux is a boutique distillery in Luxembourg, founded in 2022 by Inès Fortemps de Loneux. Known for its craftsmanship and commitment to quality, the distillery creates small-batch gins that celebrate authenticity and conviviality. Its flagship brand, "Entre Nous", embodies this spirit. Inès tells us the origin story of the distillery, her favourite gin drinks and her plans for 2024.

Playground Cafe Grand Opening

Alexandra Cojocaru is the founder of Playground Cafe, a brand new family-oriented space in Bissen which opens on 1/12/2024. Alexandra shares how her family have been behind her every step of the way and why she was inspired to open this cafe which has soft play area, a kids reading corner, ball pit, sensory experience and lots of other play activities for children. Listen to learn more about their events and plans for the future.

Marie-Emily(9) and Milena(12) read their creative writing

Sisters Marie-Emily (9) and Milena (12) are very passionate about books, reading, writing and performing and entered our Ernster Young Writers competition. They joined us in studio to read an extract from their wonderful stories

Winterlights Festival & Christmas Markets 2024

Tis the season to be jolly and the Winterlights Festival is back in Luxembourg City from November 22nd. Melissa was joined by Laurent Schwaller who has the wonderful job of organising the Christmas markets and festivities every year as part of his role on the Événements, fêtes et marches team at VDL. Find out what's new for 2024, how do they choose the market vendors and questions from you the listener including "Will Guinness be served at the markets?"

'What's Left?' Documentary by Donato Rotunno

Donato Rotunno co-founder of Tarantula Luxembourg has returned to writing and directing with his latest documentary 'What's Left?' which captures the story of the Cercle Culturel Curiel and its trattoria which had a major influence on the political and cultural life of Luxembourg for over 50 years. The documentary features prominent figures from Luxembourg's cultural and political scene such as Corinne Cahen, Alexis Juncosa and Enrico Lunghi and we find out the future of this community after the Hollerich building was destructed in early 2024. Donato fills us in on what the Cercle has meant to him over the years. The film will be screened in Luxembourg cinemas from November 20th 2024.

AWCL: Gifts for Kids Program

Gifts for Kids: AWCL website

For the first Saturday morning edition of this show, Melissa was joined by Corinne Koenig Luxembourg and Marwah Naseem from the American Women’s Club of Luxembourg to talk about their Gifts for Kids Program which has been in operation since 1996. Through the program, the AWCL raises funds, coordinates the purchase of selected toys and delivers them to children living in group homes or foyers on Saint Nicholas Day. In 2023, due the generous donations, AWCL was able to deliver 1,453 gifts to 85 foyers across Luxembourg. Now they are seeing increasing requests for help across the country,  so the goal in 2024 is to expand their reach, spreading joy and creating special St. Nicholas memories for as many children as possible. Listen into find out how you and your company can get involved whether by donating or volunteering!

For the first Saturday morning edition of this show, Melissa was joined by Corinne Koenig Luxembourg and Marwah Naseem from the American Women’s Club of Luxembourg to talk about their Gifts for Kids Program which has been in operation since 1996. Through the program, the AWCL raises funds, coordinates the purchase of selected toys and delivers them to children living in group homes or foyers on Saint Nicholas Day. In 2023, due the generous donations, AWCL was able to deliver 1,453 gifts to 85 foyers across Luxembourg. Now they are seeing increasing requests for help across the country, so the goal in 2024 is to expand their reach, spreading joy and creating special St. Nicholas memories for as many children as possible. Listen into find out how you and your company can get involved whether by donating or volunteering!

Neil Boyle: animator & director of 'Kensuke's Kingdom'

Neil Boyle is an award-winning director and animator with credits on productions including Love, Death + Robots (2018), Tom and Jerry (2019), The Simpsons (2014), and Space Jam (1996). Neil's makes his feature-length directing debut with 'Kensuke's Kingdom' with co-director Kirk Hendry, the film is based upon the much-loved book by Michael Morpurgo ('War Horse'), and is adapted by the acclaimed screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce ('Hilary and Jackie', 'Millions'). The film includes the voices of Sally Hawkins and Cillian Murphy and is suitable for all the family.  Tune in to his chat with Melissa to hear how they conveyed so much emotion and depth with few words in the film, how Neil advises other animators to “keep playing and don’t ever be afraid of mistakes”, and how he keeps in touch with his inner child.

Neil Boyle is an award-winning director and animator with credits on productions including Love, Death + Robots (2018), Tom and Jerry (2019), The Simpsons (2014), and Space Jam (1996). Neil's makes his feature-length directing debut with 'Kensuke's Kingdom' with co-director Kirk Hendry, the film is based upon the much-loved book by Michael Morpurgo ('War Horse'), and is adapted by the acclaimed screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce ('Hilary and Jackie', 'Millions'). The film includes the voices of Sally Hawkins and Cillian Murphy and is suitable for all the family. Tune in to his chat with Melissa to hear how they conveyed so much emotion and depth with few words in the film, how Neil advises other animators to “keep playing and don’t ever be afraid of mistakes”, and how he keeps in touch with his inner child.

Forest Kids

Elena Trost La Doeuff founded Forest Kids in 2020 after finding it challenging to source outdoor activities for her kids after relocating from Sweden. The organisation adheres to a holistic approach of early childhood education deeply rooted in nature and runs activities such as treasure hunts, dance classes and photoshoots all in the great outdoors. The ultimate goal for Forest Kids would be to establish an outdoor creche in Luxembourg and Elena would love to hear from anyone who shares their passion for outdoor activities and nature-based education.

Darkness into light sunrise walk 2024

Find out more about Darkness into Light

Darkness into Light is part of a worldwide initiative to raise awareness of suicide and self-harm and to provide those grieving or those suffering with a community and a chance to see that they are not alone in their struggle and now 200,000 people participate each year. Caoimhe Alliot helped to bring DIL to Lux in 2019 in order to do something positive after losing her mother to mental illness. The 5km walk begins at 5am on May 11th 2024 in Clausen just as the sun is rising and people can sign up individually or as part of a company or group. The Luxembourg walk supports KJT, SOS Detresse and Centre Information et Prevention of d'Ligue.

Healing of Memories: workshops and beyond

Healing of Memories website

Patrick Byrne has been chairman of Healing of Memories Luxembourg ASBL since it was founded. He takes us through their upcoming residential workshop from May 24-26 which is open to anyone interested to acknowledge the emotional wounds which we carry. It also provides a safe space to tell your story in an atmosphere of confidentiality and respect and listen to others' stories. The methodology was created by Michael Lapsley, an anti-apartheid militant who in 1990 lost both hands and an eye in a letter-bomb attack. After receiving support and affection from people all over the world he embarked on a journey to help other victims emerge from ordeals as the victor.

Eurovision songs: 6 favourites & 6 underdogs with Mika

Mika Bouchet-Virette is back with his Eurovision wisdom and has picked out 6 of the bookies favourites and 6 underdogs from the Eurovision entries for 2024. We listen to quick snippets of each song and Mika shares some insights and background information. Eurovision is just around the corner so this is a great chance to get familiar with Luxembourg's competitors!

Queer loox: queer-feminist film club

Hélène Walland; a Luxembourg-based film producer joined Melissa to discuss her work volunteering as a curator at Queer loox. Queer loox is a queer-feminist film club in Luxembourg taking place at Rotondes since 2013. With its programme, queer loox focuses on feminist and LGBTQIA+ issues and representations of minorities. It aims to stimulate discussions on various facets of queer and feminist issues and thus contribute to the cultural landscape of Luxembourg and the Greater Region.

Festrogen: April 2024 edition

Festrogen is a women-centric, multi-part comedy festival established in 2022 by a group of stand-up comedians who wanted to make the scene they wished had existed when they started out. Comedians Jess Bauldry and Joanna Karczewska share what comedy has brought to their lives, why they recommend trying it out and why we need feminist comedy festivals. They also take us through the agenda for the next edition of the festival including workshops, shows and for the first time - a panel discussion. It will take place in Luxembourg City from April 12-14 2024.

Ankie Timmers: Powerlifting Champion

Ankie Timmers is a powerlifter for Luxembourg. Original from the Netherlands, she is a World and European champion in benchpress and in the top 3 European and World championships in powerlifting. We discuss how the number of female powerlifters has increased since 2016, how people can get into powerlifting and about her upcoming competition in May in Hamm which anyone can attend for free.

Running the legth of Luxembourg: 110km in 3 days for chairty

Donate to the mental health charity!

Callum Wilkinson and Ethan Hodder, two twenty-year-olds from the West Midlands in England, stopped by to chat to Melissa after running 27km from Rumelange to RTL City in Kirchberg. With another 17km to go after the interview, the lads were surprisingly cheerful and full of beans telling us about their first impressions of Luxembourg and why they decided to support a mental health charity. In total they will run 110km in just 3 days all in support of the Kaleidoscope Plus Group which supports positive mental health and wellbeing, a cause which is very close to their hearts. Listen to find out what sporting activity they plan to do this evening instead of resting!

Piano duo Vershinina/Lee

The piano duo Vershinina/Lee (Yulia Vershinina-Mukhopadhyay & Chiahu 'Chia-Chia' Lee) recenetly released Chiahu Lee’s complete recomposition J.S. Bach’s 15 two-part inventions for two pianos. '(Ré)inventions à deux pianos' is a personal rewriting of Bach’s work from the original score in the style of classical music fused with pop, minimalism and smooth jazz. Chia-Chia joined Melissa to discuss the close friendship that her and Yulia share, how they explore the theme of variation in their work and her goal to spread the word about contemporary female composers. We finish out the interview with one of the compositions from '(Ré)inventions à deux pianos'

Benelux indoor skydiving championships

Steve Braff is the CEO and co-founder of LUXFLY as well as a passionate skydiver and tunnel flyer entrepreneur. On March 30 & 31 2024, Luxfly will host the Open Benelux Indoor Skydiving Championships. You can expect an exceptional global event with aerial performances by international competitors, a multitude of freefall events and on-site entertainment and dining. Steve also tells us about how indoor skydiving is accessible for all amd about his own skydiving journey having completed 9,500 skydives!

Afrilanthropy and Riding the Rainbow

Check out Afrilanthropy's website

Emanuele Santi, President of Afrilanthropy and Tanya Endshpill, Project Manager of Riding the Rainbow joined Melissa to discuss the great efforts by both of these projects. Afrilanthropy is a Luxemboourg-based NGO created in 2017 and is an international solidarity platform and has recently launched a business incubation program for African women entrepreneurs entirely delivered by a pool of women experts. Riding the Rainbow is run by Afrilanthropy and was created when the war in Ukraine broke out in 2022. Tanya came to Luxembourg because of the war and tells us about how the initiative helps people form connections with Ukrainian people here in Luxembourg while also donating items such as bikes, toys, kitchen utensils and much more. Riding the Rainbow has an intuitive app which allows you to easily donate items and meet those in need.

Art & Wellbeing Retreat with Aurore Being &

Catarina from The Drink and Draw Club and Aurore from Aurore Being slow fashion brand have teamed up to bring their first Art & Wellness retreat taking place from the 7th-9th of June 2024, at the boutique hotel The Hazelnut House. The overall focus is on well-being and creativity and has been designed to inspire women to feel their best and explore their inner selves. Each day is filled with curated workshops such as drawing, painting, floristry, cooking and yoga. Tune in to find out more!

TedX Ideas competition: Speaker annoucement!

A Today Radio exclusive: speakers for the TedX Ideas Competition are announced for the first time! The event will take place on March 21st and feature the three young finalists from the Ideas Competition and three professional speakers (listen in to hear who!). Father and son and fellow TedX volunteers, Pascal Wiscour-Conter and Nico Wiscour-Conter, tell us what to expect out of the event and what being a TedX volunteer has brought to their lives. The team are always looking for more volunteers so if this sounds like your cup of tea give them a shout!

St Patrick's Day & Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann

St Patrick's Day is just around the corner so Dorothee Waldeck and Catherine O’Neill from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann joined Melissa to discuss their upcoming céilís and also other events. Comhaltas was founded in 1982 with the aim to promote Irish culture through music, dancing and singing and to foster the Irish Language. On March 16th, they will hold two céilís at Centre Culturel Cessange: one for children and for adults. Then later in the year they will have traditional Irish group TRIO in concert on May 4th, a summer céilí on June 29th and a summer school in July/August for children and adults with drama, singing and dancing classes. On top of that, they hold regular music sessions in Sang e Klang the first Friday of each month where everybody is welcome to attend and listen or participate.

We Belong Europe

We Belong Europe’s vision is to help build a Europe where minority groups receive adequate support, empowerment, and resources. They aim to be the safe space for the people who often ask if they belong, because diversity without inclusion is exclusion. Until now, We Belong has focused on empowering women and gender minorities, but they are extending their work to hidden disability inclusion. From the We Belong team, Jana Degrott a  social entrepreneur and local counsellor, and Nadia Kendall, an activist who combines her expertise in law and politics with a passion for justice joined Melissa to discuss how they are personally affected by some of the right they are fighting for and the plans they have for the future.

We Belong Europe’s vision is to help build a Europe where minority groups receive adequate support, empowerment, and resources. They aim to be the safe space for the people who often ask if they belong, because diversity without inclusion is exclusion. Until now, We Belong has focused on empowering women and gender minorities, but they are extending their work to hidden disability inclusion. From the We Belong team, Jana Degrott a social entrepreneur and local counsellor, and Nadia Kendall, an activist who combines her expertise in law and politics with a passion for justice joined Melissa to discuss how they are personally affected by some of the right they are fighting for and the plans they have for the future.

Altrimenti Jazz Club: upcoming events

Geoffrey Sabba is an Art Director at Altrimenti Jazz Club in Luxembourg for nearly a year and has been immersed in Luxembourg's music scene as a jazz pianist since childhood, shaping my musical journey and informing his current role. We discussed upcoming events at Altrimenti including -  the Big Band and Combos from the Conservatory of Luxembourg on March 14, Omer Klein on March 15, Dan Costa on May 3 and the recent press conference they held to announce that Altrimenti are looking for a bigger space in the near future.

Geoffrey Sabba is an Art Director at Altrimenti Jazz Club in Luxembourg for nearly a year and has been immersed in Luxembourg's music scene as a jazz pianist since childhood, shaping my musical journey and informing his current role. We discussed upcoming events at Altrimenti including - the Big Band and Combos from the Conservatory of Luxembourg on March 14, Omer Klein on March 15, Dan Costa on May 3 and the recent press conference they held to announce that Altrimenti are looking for a bigger space in the near future.

Cinémathèque: March & April programming

Boyd van Hoeij from Cinémathèque joined Melissa once again to chat about their upcoming program and the exciting announcement that they have been designated a Treasure of European Film Culture by the European Film Academy (EFA)! The plaque will be unveiled on March 11th by the Mayor of Luxembourg and actress Vicky Krieps. For their programming they will do a  Marlon Brando retrospective for his centenary  includes a screening on 35mm of APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX. They'll also screen Almodovar’s latest, the short STRANGE WAY OF LIFE, as a gay cowboy double bill with BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Finally for Easter Weekend,  they are organising a “Weekend of Oz” with THE WIZARD OF OZ screening in three different languages (English, French, German) plus a special screening of the Motown version of the same story, with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, called THE WIZ.

Boyd van Hoeij from Cinémathèque joined Melissa once again to chat about their upcoming program and the exciting announcement that they have been designated a Treasure of European Film Culture by the European Film Academy (EFA)! The plaque will be unveiled on March 11th by the Mayor of Luxembourg and actress Vicky Krieps. For their programming they will do a Marlon Brando retrospective for his centenary includes a screening on 35mm of APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX. They'll also screen Almodovar’s latest, the short STRANGE WAY OF LIFE, as a gay cowboy double bill with BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Finally for Easter Weekend, they are organising a “Weekend of Oz” with THE WIZARD OF OZ screening in three different languages (English, French, German) plus a special screening of the Motown version of the same story, with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, called THE WIZ.

Anu Vaidyanathan: comedian, filmmaker & engineer

Anu Vaidyanathan is a filmmaker, comedian and engineer who's stand up show BC:AD (Before Children after diapers) will be at Aalt Stadhaus on March 7th 2024. The show premiered in New York City in January 2023 and has now been performed in over 40 cities and is an invitation to anyone that finds themselves slightly overdrawn, mostly obscure and definitely needing the sound of another voice to reason with their own challenges. On top of her comedy career, Anu holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering, her feature film scripts have found themselves at the final rounds at Sundance and Rotterdam and she was the first Asian to finish the Ultraman Canada triathlon. Listen in to hear about her incredible journey so far.

Sascha Ley: actress, theatre-maker and poet

Sascha Ley is a Luxembourgish-German actress, theatre-maker and poet who constantly explores new frontiers with a penchant for offbeat projects. In addition to music and acting, she continues to be active as a performer and occasional director, co-works with contemporary dancers and is involved in the word of visual arts. Her new one-woman show 'Cosmos (Not Enough); will be performer at Théâtre National du Luxembourg on March 27th and 29th 2024. The play is a stream of consciousness, a reflection and research on unequal perception, memory and reality, on being a woman, being a man, being oneself, on relationship, desire, lust, love, polarity, erotic attraction and the different experience of space and time.

GoldenMe: digital inclusion for everyone

Mara Kroth the co-founder and director of GoldenMe joined us to explain this wonderful asbl which is on a mission to give everyone access to our digital society, especially older adults that did not grow up with digital technologies. Their flagship product is SmartphoneCafés: an afternoon where you can come with your device and questions which will be answered in a 1 to 1 conversation. They also run workshops and talks about specific topics such as AI and how to stay safe online. Mara also told us about how the older generation can get in touch via phone or via their website and how they are often looking for volunteers of any age to help out.

Luxembourg City Film Festival 2024

Duncan Roberts joined Melissa to chat through the 14th edition of the Luxembourg City Film Festival running from Feb 28 to Mar 10th. Duncan has been part of the selection committee since 2017 and each year the committee watch over 700 films to decide on the final selection. This years edition sees a greater forcus on LGBTQIA+ films, the Late Night Bizarre and VR Pavillion will make a return this year and as usual there are plenty of guest directors doing Q&As after the screening of their films and/or masterclasses. The screenings and events will take place across Luxembourg including venues such as Cinémathèque, Ciné Utopia, Kinepolis, Casino and Neimenster.

British Irish Film Festival: Spring Edition

Geoff Thompson from the British Irish Film Festival Luxembourg (BIFFL) joined us to discuss the Spring Edition of the Festival. There will be a little preview next week with two films on Feb 26th and 27th. Starting with 'The Great Escaper' starring 90-year old Michael Caine and what Geoff said could be Caine's last film and on the 27th 'Wicked Little Letters' starring Olivia Coleman, both films will be on at Cine Utopia. Then the official spring edition will run from March 13th to 23rd and Geoff let us in on a few secrets about what we can expect. Find out more on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.festivalevents.lu">www.festivalevents.lu</a>

Geoff Thompson from the British Irish Film Festival Luxembourg (BIFFL) joined us to discuss the Spring Edition of the Festival. There will be a little preview next week with two films on Feb 26th and 27th. Starting with 'The Great Escaper' starring 90-year old Michael Caine and what Geoff said could be Caine's last film and on the 27th 'Wicked Little Letters' starring Olivia Coleman, both films will be on at Cine Utopia. Then the official spring edition will run from March 13th to 23rd and Geoff let us in on a few secrets about what we can expect. Find out more on www.festivalevents.lu

Anglican Church Arts Festival

Geoff Read is the Chaplain of All Saints Anglican Church of Luxembourg and filled us in on this years edition of their Arts Festival which reflects the community's diversity and gives a platform for people to be and enjoy creativity.  This years line-up will include a musical written by church members, performed by children and youth from the church, workshops, Indian street food and tea and cake. All donations for the day go towards the local charities that the church partners with. It will take place from 12:00-16:30 on Sunday 25th February at Konvikt Centre, 5 Avenue Marie-Thérèse.

Geoff Read is the Chaplain of All Saints Anglican Church of Luxembourg and filled us in on this years edition of their Arts Festival which reflects the community's diversity and gives a platform for people to be and enjoy creativity. This years line-up will include a musical written by church members, performed by children and youth from the church, workshops, Indian street food and tea and cake. All donations for the day go towards the local charities that the church partners with. It will take place from 12:00-16:30 on Sunday 25th February at Konvikt Centre, 5 Avenue Marie-Thérèse.

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Melissa Dalton’s mix of fun games, engaging stories and big tunes you’ll want to sing along to.

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