Progress news: Give Act no more for culture, Utrecht more expensive and Purmerend stops all subsidies

Lower House approves 2012 tax plan

(...) Furthermore, the adjusted Giving Act was also passed. The €7 million tax support shifts from cultural institutions to sports and music associations.

Source: Tax.co.uk    18 Nov 11

 

Utrecht - Culture may cost something - by Wouter de Heus

(...) when I finally found the renewed exploitation plan of the Music Palace in my mailbox this week. And, what a surprise: the city is a million a year short of the under construction wet dream of every Utrecht city councillor and culture pope. (..)
Every right-thinking person, and pop venue Tivoli in particular, felt that this had to be a dreamed-together number crunch. As with the building itself. Additional costs for now some 35 million and the counter is still running. The city juggled those millions away by taking out an advantageous cultural loan from the local Rabobank and writing off the building not in 30 but in 40 years. (..'
The Music Palace will cost us Utrechters 8.5 million a year for now. A much-needed third hall of the Stadsschouwburg (for the extra hungry culture lover) will also cost something like that annually. And what the much-needed Library ++ (with Artplex) will gobble up in extra pennies, well, we'll know when the construction is halfway through. Culture may cost something. I totally agree. But how many Utrecht Outdoor Centres? And how many Buurtbiebs? (..)

Source: The New Utrechter    18 Nov 11

 

Subsidy tap in Purmerend completely closed for a while

The College terminated the subsidy to all subsidised institutions with effect from 1 January 2013. (..)
This application is now assessed on the basis of new social goals. Therefore, providing it is no longer a matter of course. (..)
Many residents give broad support to the cuts because they believe subsidies should not lead to unnecessary spending of community money. (..)

Source: Nearby.co.uk    17 Nov 11

 

Purmerend - Uncertain time for choirs

The Almere Col Canto Foundation fears for the survival of the four choirs that fall under the foundation now that the municipality is scrapping the basic subsidy. (..)
"For each choir, we received a basic subsidy of 1700 euros per year, except for the Opera and Operette choir, for which the subsidy is 3200 euros. Now that this subsidy is coming to an end, we don't know where we stand." (..)
"From the subsidy, we pay a lot of fixed expenses like the rent and the professional conductor. Our members pay monthly subscriptions, which is where we pay the rest. Without a subsidy, the membership fee will become so high that it will be unaffordable and the number of members will drop significantly." (..)
"We can apply for a project grant and an annual grant. We have done both but the question is whether they will be awarded." (..)
"We want the municipality to realise that there cannot be so many cuts at this point in. There are bound to be other Almere choirs that will be in need because of this. We are afraid some choirs will disappear. Almere must preserve culture in its own city and encourage that." (..)

Source: Almere Today   17 Nov 11

 

Rotterdam - The Scream, The March, The Sale : Work in Progress

(...)Productiehuis Rotterdam and the Rotterdamse Schouwburg are organising Werk in Uitvoering, a series of evenings in which artists and theatre-makers who wish to engage with current cultural politics and society present work, strategies and actions.[starts 23 Nov 11 at Schouwburg] (...)
As an advance on the cuts from 2013 onwards, set pieces and costumes from the theatre past of Productiehuis Rotterdam and the International Choice of the Rotterdam Schouwburg will go under the hammer. (...) the proceeds will go towards a new production by a promising young theatre maker (...).

Source: Produktiehuis Rotterdam    18 Nov 11

 

'Culture card can continue to exist'

CJP Foundation writes in a memorandum to state secretary Zijlstra that the Culture Card can continue to exist without state subsidy. (..)
However, the CJP foundation sees opportunities to establish a Culture and School Investment Fund with the support of municipalities, provinces and private parties, from which 40 per cent of the card can be paid for. The remaining 60 per cent should be paid by the schools involved.

Source: Cultural policy.co.uk    17 Nov 11

 

Journal Hollands Diep stops

Hollands Diep will appear for the last time in December. The magazine, which appeared fortnightly from 1975 to 1977 and was revived as a quarterly glossy five years ago, will cease to exist due to the tight advertising market.

Source: Cultural policy.co.uk   17 Nov 11