Mentor: Isabelle Bodson
Director of the Festivals of Wallonia since September 2016, Isabelle Bodson has held numerous positions over the past twenty-five years, all concentrated in the cultural sector. In 2000, she was in charge of communication and was artistic adviser at the Palais des BeauxArts in Charleroi, where she was responsible for the music and youth programme. There she developed an active partnership policy with other cultural operators and set up a mediation
service. This commitment to make culture and the arts accessible to all audiences and her
interest in networking led her to the Festivals of Wallonia where her assignments range from
the artistic coordination of the seven associated festivals to the search for funding for the
institution, from administrative, financial and human resources management to the overall
coordination of communication and the production of concerts and shows.
Julie is a specialist educator, environmental counsellor and training group facilitator. She has worked in
continuing education for nearly ten years. In 2014, Julie set up her own agency “Scènégal Ethic” which
supports Senegalese artists to develop their careers locally and internationally. In 2018 she produced the 1st
African tour by the artist Ibaaku. In 2019, the agency changed its identity to become “Beats ‘n’ Roots” and
opened up to artists from the Wallonia Brussels Federation to create bridges between north and south. As part of the Beats ‘n’ Roots team, Julie is also the artistic director of the “Bru·x·elles Festival” project, a
feminist, intersectional and inclusive festival.