No, the culture debate on 8 June in the province of Overijssel was not uplifting. The Cultuurnota 2017-2020 was adopted unanimously, except for two votes from the SGP. No fireworks about, for instance, the forced cooperation between the Orkest van het Oosten and Het Gelders Orkest. No hefty investments to fix national and provincial cuts. All spokespersons came up with predictable monologues, comparisons were made with other regions and, above all, they looked enviously at the Randstad, but there was no debate. The Christian parties are worried about empty churches, and the PVV, which is of course actually against subsidies, made some obligatory remarks about safeguarding the Overijsselian identity.
Which identity?
I have lived and worked in Overijssel for more than 20 years, and with great pleasure, but if there is something I have not been able to find, it is the Overijsselian identity. A Twente identity, perhaps, but that is quite different from the Salland identity, not to mention the Zwolle identity, let alone the identity of the stretch above that even many an inhabitant of Overijssel attributes to Drenthe. In any case, based on this fictional identity, the PVV is vehemently against "senseless and often politically coloured cultural education - in the case of AZC issues and refugees.
Presumably, the PVV does support a large-scale education project to get the whole province into the fable of the midwinter horn. Or hoist a cow into the tower of Kampen and, above all, let's make 'carbide shooting' part of the curriculum.
Volunteers
VVD spokesman Roeland Fens was particularly concerned about renewal. Is there still room for that? And then linked that to experimentation, which he does not favour. According to the VVD, however, the real problem lies elsewhere: 'It is becoming increasingly difficult to get volunteers for all kinds of tasks in culture. People increasingly work at scattered hours and therefore find it harder to free themselves as volunteer for permanent tasks.’
This is indeed a self-built problem. In the cultural sector, in (informal) care and you name it, well seen.
Overijssel is not unique
Although it is tempting to mutter something about 'breaking wooden shoes' and 'what you reap is what you sow' and dismiss the Overijssel cultural spokespersons as lightweights, things will not be much better in the national election programmes and campaigns. VVD member Fens and PVV spokesperson De Wit, as provincial representatives of our country's two largest parties, illustrate the national culture debate being increasingly subordinated to regional interests and party ideology.
And that ideology should even permeate education. Provided enough volunteers can be found for that. For although the regional broadcaster optimistically headlines Province allocates substantially more money for culture in Overijssel is far from certain. Especially read the crucial sentence: 'Later this year, politicians will decide how much extra money will be made available for culture'. The province's booming press release stating that more than 4 million extra will go to culture also raises questions, above all. After all, a little over 15.5 million in total is going to cultural infrastructure and monument care, so that is a small inflation correction on the 15 million in 2015 by Overijssel was spent on it
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