About
A new non-profit initiative dedicated to preserving, documenting and celebrating Belgium's rich musical heritage.
Mission & Vision
MABEL (Music Archives Belgium) is a new non-profit initiative dedicated to preserving, documenting and celebrating Belgium's rich musical heritage.
Starting as an ambitious digital archive, MABEL will evolve into a public platform, exhibition programme and, ultimately, a museum dedicated to Belgian popular music and underground culture.
Our mission is to rescue endangered archives before they disappear and make them accessible for future generations through research, digitisation, publications, exhibitions and documentaries.
MABEL believes that Belgian music history deserves a world-class home.
Founders
MABEL was founded by people with decades of experience in Belgian music culture, publishing, photography and heritage.
Founder & Archive Director
Founder of MABEL and co-founder of Les Iles Publishers.
Ronny has spent decades researching, collecting and preserving Belgian music history, with a particular focus on early Belgian rock'n'roll, rock, punk, new wave, EBM and underground culture. As the driving force behind the internationally acclaimed Bloody Belgium book and numerous archival initiatives, he has built one of the most important private collections dedicated to Belgian popular music.
Co-founder & Project Development
Co-founder of MABEL and Les Iles Publishers.
Kathleen oversees project development, publishing, communication and organisational management. She plays a key role in transforming ideas into sustainable cultural initiatives and building partnerships that will help MABEL grow into an internationally recognised centre for Belgian music heritage.
Co-founder & Creative Director
Co-founder of MABEL and Les Iles Publishers.
Gunter is responsible for the creative vision of MABEL. As designer, visual storyteller and publisher, he shapes the visual identity of the archive, publications, exhibitions and digital platform. His work ensures that Belgium's music history is presented in a contemporary, engaging and internationally appealing way.
About Les Iles Publishers
MABEL is closely connected to Les Iles Publishers, the independent Belgian publishing house behind the internationally acclaimed Bloody Belgium book and other publications documenting Belgian music and cultural history.
The experience, network and archive built through Les Iles Publishers provide the foundation from which MABEL is growing into a much broader cultural platform dedicated to preserving Belgium's musical heritage. MABEL is its own independent initiative.
Partners
This list will keep growing. If your organisation preserves, presents or studies Belgian music, there is a place for you here.