Diversity in the Amsterdam art world is not yet flourishing. The Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, which announced its grant awards today, is getting a bit tired of it: "Across most disciplines, committees note that cultural diversity of audiences, staff and governance is disappointing, as are efforts to change this. Outside specialised organisations for which cultural diversity is a core business, ambitions are still not high, despite two decades of cultural policy in this area. If the ambitions are there, organisations do not always manage to give them hands and feet. There often seems to be a certain discomfort or 'not knowing how'."
So to start with the good news: Marmoucha grows 398 per cent compared to the previous grant round. The capital's producer and promoter of performing arts in the field of North African and Middle Eastern arts and culture in the Netherlands was severely cut back in 2013, but the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts found its work over the past four years to be so good that the grant has been more than deserved. In the new round of awards which became known on 1 August they rise from 25,070 euros to a tonne, adding that perhaps they should not be so ambitious.
In second place among Amsterdam's winners is the Grachtenfestival. An institution by now, but currently the festival has to make do with barely 50 grand. Today, the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts turns that into 174,000.
Added 17 per cent on average
There are quite a few clubs in Amsterdam that are seeing their subsidy increase substantially, and the praise seems to be spread across the entire spectrum of cultural offerings. And while there was an average 17% increase for a large number of clubs, there are a few outliers upwards: Ricciotti (255%), NDSM (250%), Stichting Taalvorming (200%). A total of 45 institutions gained more than 10%, which is a big boost in these still sad times for the cultural sector: after all, money is hardly coming in, and even if Amsterdam is doing its best to alleviate the suffering of the past four years: the cake can only be divided once. Quite a few newcomers also had to be accommodated: 45 to be precise, and these include things like the Amsterdam Kleinkunstfestival, Framer Framed, Summer Dance Forever and the Roze Filmdagen. A total of 4.4 million will go to new entrants.
Big names gone
So heads are also rolling. Six clubs are being cut. The Rembrandthuis gets 5 per cent less, and Dansmakers Amsterdam is left with barely a third of the almost 4 tonnes it made do with in the previous period: 155,000 euros. The committee gives the company a hefty slap on the wrist: the plans are not clear enough about the course, and although Dansmakers is considered indispensable, for the time being it can do with less.
Among those getting nothing at all anymore are some big names. Pakhuis De Zwijger, for example, and De Nieuwe Kerk and the Biblical Museum, but also El Hizjra, the club that championed Arab culture in recent decades. According to the fund, the business organisation is weak and does not seek enough connection with other, related cultural organisations.
Rock hard
In the performing arts, the Fund hits the biggest holes: old-timers like the Flint Brothers, Golden Palace and - above all - Society Discordia are already losing their subsidies. About Discordia, the committee is adamant: "The committee believes that the way Society Discordia questions the laws of theatre no longer fits the way a current generation of theatre-makers works. The company employs a research method that, in the committee's opinion, has a limited relationship with the outside world and the audience. As a result, Discordia's activities are insufficiently in line with what is currently happening, for example, within professional arts education. As a result, the working method appears dated."
Theatre group 't Barre Land is simultaneously seeing its application rejected, having already had to leave Utrecht four years ago, where the city opted for renewal with theatre company De Warme Winkel, among others. Ironically, that company has now also moved to Amsterdamn, where the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts is bringing the company in with 2 tonnes.
Vigilance needed
Earlier this year, the Amsterdam Arts Council already opted for an active distribution policy in the arts, especially through the so-called Cultural Houses in the four corners of the city. Many institutions that have now applied for subsidies are making grateful use of this. So grateful, in fact, that the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts is wondering whether these Cultuurhuizen are equipped to honour all those diversity requests: "To reach culturally diverse audiences, many organisations work together with parties in the city that are closer to those audiences or have culturally diverse offerings of their own. Several committees do note that the solution is so often sought in cooperation with the four Culture Houses that this seems unrealistic. Especially since, according to the recent advice of the Amsterdam Arts Council, almost all organisations in the A-BIS also want to cooperate with the Cultuurhuizen to this end..."
So chances are that in four years' time, Cultural Diversity in capital city culture will still be dire, and the fund is concerned about that, as well as the overly upbeat outlook of many applicants when it comes to the amount of audience revenue and contributions from other funders.
The next few weeks will see considerable wrangling. There are bound to be actions and the last word has not yet been said.
All winners and losers
The whole list of winners and losers is below, if you want to read it, you can supporter or member become.
|
Setting |
2013-2016 |
Requested |
Awarded |
difference |
per cent |
|
Marmoucha > |
25070 |
115.000 |
100.000 |
74930 |
398,9% |
|
Canal Festival > |
49950 |
215.000 |
174.000 |
124050 |
348,3% |
|
Museum Het Schip > |
123260 |
380.000 |
380.000 |
256740 |
308,3% |
|
Table of Five > |
29960 |
138.803 |
80.000 |
50040 |
267,0% |
|
Ricciotti Ensemble > |
17620 |
45.000 |
45.000 |
27380 |
255,4% |
|
Nowhere > |
99890 |
295.000 |
250.000 |
150110 |
250,3% |
|
NDSM Wharf > |
119870 |
300.000 |
300.000 |
180130 |
250,3% |
|
P/////AKT > |
34960 |
75.000 |
75.000 |
40040 |
214,5% |
|
Vondelpark Open Air Theatre > |
50140 |
125.000 |
103.000 |
52860 |
205,4% |
|
Language Formation Foundation > |
59940 |
150.000 |
120.000 |
60060 |
200,2% |
|
Noorderkerk Concerts Foundation > |
19980 |
45.000 |
40.000 |
20020 |
200,2% |
|
Sonic Acts > |
49950 |
99.873 |
99.873 |
49923 |
199,9% |
|
Amsterdam Sinfonietta > |
132140 |
444.500 |
244.000 |
111860 |
184,7% |
|
Polder Theatre > |
63510 |
133.917 |
110.000 |
46490 |
173,2% |
|
Cinedans > |
35960 |
125.000 |
60.000 |
24040 |
166,9% |
|
Rialto > |
299520 |
660.000 |
490.628 |
191108 |
163,8% |
|
Urban Myth > |
74920 |
197.492 |
122.000 |
47080 |
162,8% |
|
Oorkaan > |
79910 |
125.000 |
125.000 |
45090 |
156,4% |
|
Netherlands Wind Ensemble > |
132140 |
200.000 |
200.000 |
67860 |
151,4% |
|
The Boiler House Foundation > |
139850 |
300.000 |
211.000 |
71150 |
150,9% |
|
MaxTak > |
29960 |
72.000 |
45.000 |
15040 |
150,2% |
|
School of Poetry > |
99890 |
180.000 |
150.000 |
50110 |
150,2% |
|
Perdu > |
109880 |
160.000 |
160.000 |
50120 |
145,6% |
|
SEP > |
219760 |
469.300 |
300.000 |
80240 |
136,5% |
|
KLIK Foundation > |
69930 |
180.000 |
95.000 |
25070 |
135,9% |
|
Ulrike Quade Company > |
59940 |
80.000 |
80.000 |
20060 |
133,5% |
|
the amsterdam youth teJAterschool > |
94890 |
149.568 |
120.000 |
25110 |
126,5% |
|
Imagine IC > |
249730 |
470.000 |
315.000 |
65270 |
126,1% |
|
Zinaplatform > |
249730 |
450.000 |
315.000 |
65270 |
126,1% |
|
Dood Paard Foundation >
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