Update: Meanwhile, the Culture Council has thrown down the gauntlet. Melle Daamen posted his pieces on Culture Press, and Joop Daalmeijer has agreed to give an all-encompassing interview. More news soon, then.
'Melle is a member of the SB. You have nothing to do with that. So therefore NRC after all?' Dixit Joop Daalmeijer, the man who since becoming chairman there has turned the Culture Council into a applause machine of successive ministers and state secretaries of culture. The quote was captured from a brief Facebook discussion on the timeline of the director of the Amsterdam City Theatre, Melle Daamen.
Daamen was appointed by the Council to conduct a once-eight-monthly bludgeon throw. So now he seems to have done that again, and there seems to be great discussion about it, but you most probably know nothing about that. Because you are among the 16,850,027 Dutch people who do not have a subscription to the NRC. Anyone who wants to know what's going on has to pay a few pennies every time a new argument crosses the table.
It's not about the price. Personally, I think 3 duppies is on the cheap side for a piece that Mella must have spent hours on. But as a government club, you are obliged not to create barriers when it comes to debating your policies.
We made mention of that. We offered - for free - our site. But so the chairman of the Council does not like that. Because we did critical have commented on the council's policies under its leadership. So the council prefers to subsidise NRC: anyone who wants to know something about the cultural debate in the Netherlands, neme a subscription to the newspaper.
Since that reply from Joop Daalmeyer, we suddenly know a lot better why we are on earth. We challenge the Council to look outside the box. To seek publicity. Maybe there are people there with opinions and convictions that would make the minister's advisers look up. Would be exciting after all.
So the invitation is open, Joop and Melle. Feel welcome.
English (UK) 
Nederlands 
Français 