Always start with the good news. The Information Department of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science did a very good job in 2014. They sent one jubilant press release after another into the world. While there was actually hardly any good news to report. About culture. But because there are a lot of lazy journalists, good news often goes onto the newspaper pages in one fell swoop.
Never before than this year, therefore, was it so well demonstrated why Culture Press should be there. Because we pay attention, because we know things, and because we always read a ministry press release four times. And then take a look at the source. That work earned us a record number of visitors in 2014. 235,000 to be almost exact. Over 100,000 more than in 2013. According to Google.
What were all those visitors coming for? In part to the old metier of the art journalist: the review. But as we have already discovered: those are mostly read and shared by the makers themselves and their PR people, so that attracts just a bit less of an audience than the pieces in which we interpret cultural news. we had at least two real virals.
So here is that overview. And thanks to all the readers who helped us. because on the world website rankings this year, we also rose from a puny place 7 million and some, to place 138,000. That's pretty high, folks. Almost as high as The Correspondent.
Our hits:
1: Already 5 reasons why absolutely no one needs to apologise to Halbe Zijlstra.
Readers: 16,309, reading time: 4:20
The Telegraph, in collaboration with VVD culture spokesman Arno Rutte, has created a visitor record. Presenting the 2014 figures on 1 December, the ministry sent out a jubilant press release: the arts are doing great. To which Arno Rutte, already not famous for his dossier knowledge, immediately shouted that the art world should collectively apologise to Halbe Zijlstra, who had been so unfairly treated because of his draconian loving culturemassacrepolicy under Rutte 1. Der Telegraaf gratefully echoed that. No effing way, of course, we knew, and the whole OCW report that press release was about offered us enough material to get Rutte back into his loft.
2: Culture Council notes total destruction of amateur arts.
Readers: 11,745 , reading time 3:01
In March, the Culture Council issued its own advice to the culture minister. According to the drafter of that advice, the state of art education and amateur art in the Netherlands was sad. He told that on Radio 1. Half an hour later, however, minister Bussemaker told a completely different story: 'Art education is doing great, and there are still lots of people involved in amateur art. And that it was all declining was something for the pessimists.' So we asked for the original text, and not the jubilant story that minister was going to put up at the presentation that afternoon. And that was indeed grim. We wrote that down. The site went truly viral for the first time.
3: The myth of cultural entrepreneurship: 6 reasons why it's not about the money.
Readers: 4,738, reading time 4:34
Niek Hendrix is an artist himself, and should know. He vented in December about what he sees as the easy way artists are led to believe that it is all a matter of business. While success in art depends on so many other things. His opinion piece struck a chord.
4: Think bigger: Anton Dautzenberg deserves a lectureship at Fontys
Readers: 3,511 reading time 4:58
In October, author and columnist Anton Dautzenberg was sacked with immediate effect as thesis supervisor at Fontys journalism college in Tilburg. That same evening, our Brabant watchdog Joost Heijthuijsen climbed into the pen for a blazing argument against what he saw as the college's fearful policies, which had allegedly succumbed to pressure from populists. And indeed, we would now have been quite curious about the vision of lecturer Dautzenberg, once fired from the VPRO because he fabricated interviews with world stars, on the Ramesar affair, which was dissolved in hydrochloric acid at Trouw because he fabricated riots. Where art and society meet, things get exciting.
5: Even so you think you can dance has to give way
Readers: 2,956 reading time 2:35
In May, Ruben Brugman knew something few other people knew. He wrote it down and it attracted quite a few readers. But the message became really important only when the time came when the cancelled series should actually have been broadcast. On the internet, fans went looking for a reason for the absence of their favourite programme. Almost 3,000 of them found it in our message from May. that it was not three million will have been the broadcaster's reason for the cancellation. For us, 3000 viewers is just a lot.
6: Matthias Mooij, a career that should have been there.
Readers: 2,503, reading time 2:42
In July, Matthias Mooij died. A young director who could have been a very big one.
7: Enlightenment comes from Brabant. 10 propositions against peripheral arrogance Melle Daamen
Readers: 2,483 Reading time: 3:53
Melle Daamen called it out in a newspaper, and many people wound up about it. Joost Heijthuijsen of Tilburg festival Incubate, and our watchdog in the south, knew how to articulate it well.
8: Why many artists are terrified of getting rich
Readers: 2,207 Reading time: 4:02
Maaike van Steenis, coach of artists in daily life, appeals to the business talent of creatives. Because it may be all about the art, but you also need to be able to spread your bread and butter.
9: Warhorse almost perfect: 6 reasons to go see, or stay away
Readers: 1,893 Reading time 3:04
Reviews do not usually 'score' as many viewers. Not because they are not good, but because online reviews are not among the internet user's favourite reading material. Unless, of course, you yourself are the creator in question. When we interpret art, we always try to really interpret. Explaining why something is what it is, preferably with a quip, or by making a listicle. The kind of stories that serious art journalists often look down on, and which are excellent reads with us. War Horse, in other words. Not good, for those in the know.
10: 5 lessons from a Tilburg theatre riot: Superficial newspaper determines superficial arts policy
Readers: 1,798. Reading time 5:38
Regional newspapers began shedding their arts reporters en masse five years ago. That is why Culture Press was founded. Since then, we have been trying to keep an eye on how art reporting is doing in the region. And every time we look, something bad happens. Brabant takes the crown. Henri van der Steen is the biggest art journalist art hater of the south. According to the art world there.
Besides these top ten, there were many more highs and lows. We had, of course, the marathon interview with Council for Culture president Joop Daalmeijer, and we were there when the screenwriters stood up for their rights against the supreme cartel of broadcasters, producers and cable companies. And of course, the soap opera around the former Orchestra of the East unabated by.
And more and more people understand why it is necessary to become a member of a site that is open to everyone for free: the readers' cooperative tripled in size, but we are far from there yet. So become a member!
Or supporter.
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