THIS IS A CALL TO THE MINISTER OF CULTURE: Support our arts! My plea for a collective fund for all the arts

It is high time for collective action, now that arts organisations have closed and activities are at a standstill. Plea for a support fund for culture, to which governments, funds and companies contribute in unison.

We all notice it: the live cultural offerings are at a standstill due to coronavirus. Much has been written and talked about the importance and value of culture in recent weeks.

This needs no explanation: we experience this ourselves, now that we have to stay indoors. We find that music - pop or classical - makes this house arrest more bearable, we are grateful for all the cultural offerings on the internet that creators and organisations offer us free of charge. Very generous, because their own income has been completely lost.

Resilience

We also realise that the severe budget cuts of the past decade have made the sector too dependent on those own revenues. How sour and unfair it is, that the resilience of organisations and makers with which they partially compensated for those deficits, now makes them vulnerable. What was their strength is turning against them: visitors are not bringing in money for the time being, sponsorships are partly falling away- exhibitions, performances, concerts and events are cancelled, after all.

Therefore, the time to act is now. To ensure that we can quickly rebuild and enjoy a thriving cultural life after this period.

There is something important we can organise in this very period: solidarity. This is the time to join hands and combine the decisiveness of all players in and around the cultural field. To cross dividing lines and boxes and speak with one strong voice, show one vision and stand up for the sector as one party.

Reform

This represents a significant change of direction in cultural policy. Perhaps even a reform.
The need for this is now emerging. Many cultural offerings are project-based: short-term exhibitions, one-off performances and concerts; funding from both funds and governments is strongly related to such temporary events.

Earlier this year, several museums already raised the issue that the constant production of so-called blockbusters is too heavy a human and financial burden, which often does not even prove profitable.
Organisations have long pointed out that there is extra money for new buildings and art acquisitions, but hardly any for extra manpower, research and education.

This course of interesting but fleeting projects is a problem rather than the solution to get out of this crisis.

Full width

A viable strategy will have to focus on structural support for the arts sector in its full breadth. That means multi-year subsidies, sponsorship and patronage aimed at supporting knowledge and skills and maintaining cultural heritage. This has been neglected over the past decade and we are now seeing the consequences: as many as 60 per cent of all workers in the sector are self-employed, freelancers with precarious livelihoods but often with a lot of skill and experience.

The solution will have to come from financial support from both governments and private parties together, so that the worst needs are quickly met. Because we all realise that the extra 300 million that will be available for culture is only a fraction of what will be needed.

Single window

One desk for both museums and performing arts, for art historians, musicians, actors, visual artists and all other cultural 'entrepreneurs'. Such a counter saves a lot of time and work and can act quickly, committedly and efficiently. So that no organisations fall over and no precious talent and accumulated knowledge is lost.

To achieve that, a collective fund is needed. Let's make it Support our Art! mention.
Such a fund can be formed quickly if the will is there. One fund into which central government, provinces and municipalities make substantial contributions, as do the semi-public funds for the visual and performing arts, plus the BankGiroLoterij, private equity funds and the many foundations that support culture.

Only if these players jointly decide not to focus on project subsidies and funding can a sustainable cultural policy with a vision for the future come about. This means:
No expansion of cultural premises ('bricks and mortar'), no overpriced blockbusters, no art purchases for the time being, but first secure the people, the knowledge and the collections.

Business

Of course, the business community should also make its contribution. Businesses benefit enormously from our rich cultural offering, which is largely paid for by tax-paying citizens and visitors. Netherlands-based companies now receive ample support from the national coffers and are thus supported indirectly by those same citizens.

The cabinet and the Lower House want to attach conditions to this state aid. Let one of those conditions then be that KLM, Booking.com and other multinationals support culture directly. By depositing one per cent of their repayable loan directly into the collective Fund Support our Art!. Well-deserved for the cultural sector, which is, after all, very entrepreneurial itself.

I bet patrons, donors and visitors who miss their art offerings would then be happy to contribute to it.

Therefore, Minister van Engelshoven, it is up to you to initiate such a fund: you have short lines of communication with the cultural funds and the finance ministry.

Not only the cultural sector will thank you for it, but also the many Dutch citizens who cherish-and miss-our art.