The battleground of the arts: 41 institutions gone, 132 through without grants

The first assessment of the cold clean-up by Rutte 1 is there. Bussemaker sent it to the 1st chamber. In the Netherlands, 41 arts institutions have been closed down, while 132 other clubs are bravely holding on without subsidies (and therefore without staff). How long these firms will continue to run on volunteers is still unknown. Next year, we will surely be able to add a few to the list of the deceased.

There are still 224 companies left in the subsidised arts. Before Zijlstra's axing, there were 353. The sad balance of populist arithmetic that 168 subsidy-addicted leftist deadbeat organisations (according to the pvv) have been cuckolded out of the system, and 72 rock-solid entrepreneurial success companies (according to the vvd) have been allowed in for the first time. Add to this the battleground of the four big cities (G4), the disaster is even more grotesque: 87 slurpers (according to Wilders) out, 76 efficient companies (according to Bussemaker) in, giving a balance of 349 remaining.

The 200-million cut in the arts was almost 20% of the budget. Of the state-subsidised institutions, 37% disappeared.

Is this now cause for rejoicing? After all: the heritage sector is rejoicing over visitor records, and the decline in audiences at subsidised theatres and concert halls seems not to be too bad, despite earlier reports. But the figures from the government do not reveal the staffing consequences of this intervention: how many self-employed workers have suddenly been deprived of their livelihoods and how many part-timers are now forced into welfare. Thousands. We estimate.

Nor have we mentioned what is disappearing locally in terms of libraries, music schools, amateur support and small companies. So the last word has not yet been said.

Bussemaker's letter