Fransche School in jeopardy, blind library closed, nibbling on VAT measure via CJP and Volkenkunde/Tropen Institute merger possible

Arnhem - Scepticism over success of cultural heart Rijnboog

Arnhem City Council has many doubts about the financial viability of the Rijnboog arts cluster. (..)
[Alderman] assumes 16 million subsidy from the province and another 4 million in contributions from sponsors for the new arts centre containing the Museum of Modern Art Arnhem, the Schouwburg and Focus Filmtheater. (..)

Source: The Gelderlander    21 Nov 11

Giving Act detrimental to cultural heritage

(...) [Museum Association] As much as €7 million in tax support shifted - at the request of VVD, CDA and PVV - from cultural institutions to sports associations and scouting clubs, among others. The Lower House reduced the multiplier on income tax from 150% to 125% on the first €5,000 . Coverage for the proposed multiplier for donations to cultural institutions had been found by curtailing the monument deduction. The released budget from the phasing out of the monument deduction will now be spent outside the cultural sector. (..)
The Federation of Culture is also very upset about the Giving Act. According to the Federation, the adopted Giving Act gives cultural institutions little room to substantially increase their own income. It feels that the impact of the measures, counting the already introduced increase in VAT on performing and visual arts, gives the sector more na- than benefits for earning capacity. (..)

Source: Museum Association    21 Nov 11

Leiden / Amsterdam - Museum Volkenkunde positive about Tropenmuseum plan

The Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden is in favour of intensive cooperation with the Tropenmuseum. (...) The museums want to talk about far-reaching cooperation based on content agreements. "From two collections and from two expertise departments we would go to one" (...).
[Zijlstra] "It is now up to the Tropenmuseum. It should explore the benefits of cooperation with ethnographic museums." However, he has no money available in his own budget.
Only if the institution can become "substantially more efficient" is Foreign Affairs willing to put money into transferring the museum to the Ministry of OCW, Zijlstra reported. (..)

Source: News.co.uk    21 Nov 11

Submitted letter: Is the baby being thrown out with the bathwater in Culemborg?

While discussing the 2012 budget, the city council decided to have the cultural function of the Theatre De Fransche School building filled in in a new way. (..)
The current user of the De Fransche School building has been proving for years that, with a small team of paid staff and a large group of enthusiastic volunteers [60], they are able to offer a cultural programme that, against the national trend, attracts a growing number of visitors. (..)
What did the city council decide?
- To have the De Fransche School building modified to make it suitable for stage use. This is necessary because the building does not currently meet occupational health and safety requirements. (..)
- A tender process should then be launched to find an enthusiast to create a cultural performing arts venue in the building. And that with a greatly reduced subsidy. It is extremely uncertain whether there is a provider who wants to work within these conditions. (..)
- If the tender fails, the property will have to be rented out.
- If even that fails, the building will have to be sold. (..)
With this decision, the city council is in any case putting a successful organisation with more than 60 enthusiastic volunteers on the scrap heap. And with it, an important cultural facility, with a lot of expertise, is being so rigorously dismantled that it cannot be rebuilt in better times. (..)

Source: Culemborgse Courant    22 Nov 11

Amsterdam - 'Relocation of Rijksacademie is destruction of capital'

Moving the Rijksacademie van beeldende kunsten from its current building in Amsterdam amounts to capital destruction. (..)
However, a move would not mean savings, but a shift in the cost of a government building 'from one department to another', says director Els van Odijk. (..)
Van Odijk said the proposed move would bring little financial relief to the state, while it would mean a loss of 'reputation and position' for the academy. (..)

Source: FOK.co.uk 21 Nov 11

Parliament in favour of relaunching Culture Card

A majority in the Lower House wants the Culture Card to stay. This emerged on Monday during the debate on the 2012 culture budget, after the CDA tabled a motion on the subject.
State secretary Halbe Zijlstra (Culture) wants to abolish the subsidised Culture Card after this school year. The Cultural Youth Passport Foundation has indicated that it would continue this Culture Card with private money. The CDA wants Zijlstra to cooperate on this.

Source: World broadcaster    21 Nov 11

Cabinet looks at VAT exemption Culture Card

The cabinet is willing to look into whether theatre and museum tickets for schoolchildren can be exempted from a VAT levy. (..)

Source: NOS    21 Nov 11

Amsterdam - Library for the blind closes

The library for the blind, Dedicon, is leaving Amsterdam at the end of this year. The location on Molenpad, where braille books and spoken textbooks were made for more than 50 years, is too expensive. 'We have to economise,' says director Maarten Verboom. 'Subsidies for disability applications are getting less and less.' (..)
Of the 55 paid employees, 25 are laid off. Twenty employees move with the company to Rijswijk or Grave, where production of material for the blind and visually impaired continues. Most of the volunteers who recite the books quit. Nevertheless, new readers continue to be badly needed. (..)
Alderman Andrée van Es (Participation) asked the board to keep the library for Amsterdam. Extra money she did not have.

Source: Parole    22 Nov 11