Researcher

Simon Leenknegt is part of the research and development team of Flanders Arts Institute, the interface organisation for professional performing arts, visual arts and classical music in Flanders and Brussels, Belgium. Holding an MA in Art History, he was researcher at the department of Theatre Studies at Ghent University and worked in the field of cultural heritage. He has published on topics such as the the distribution of the arts in Flanders and abroad, the socio-economic position of artists, financial structures of arts organisations, developments in cultural policy in Flanders and the art market.

Leenknegt is our expert author for Flanders.

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Until 2018, Joris Janssens, Delphine Hesters and Nikol Wellens prepared the text for the Flemish Community (based on prior material by Els Baeten, Hilde Billiet and Bart Van Der Herten), Isabelle DeVriendt and France Lebon for the French Community, and Edith Bong for the German-speaking Community. 

Jean-Gilles Lowies holds a PhD in Information and Communication Sciences, a Master’s degree in Cultural Management and Political Science, and a First Prize in Dramatic Art from the Conservatoire. He joined the Observatory of Cultural Policies of the Federation Wallonia-Brussels in 2009 and has been its Director since 2023. He also pursues a career in teaching; having taught cultural policy for a decade at ULiège, he is currently a Professor at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels, a visiting lecturer at UCLouvain and a Senior Lecturer at ULB. His research focuses on the economics, administration and policies of culture, the employment and status of artists, theatre policy, and the history and comparative study of cultural policies.