Why the art world, subsidised and commercial, must stop campaigning NOW

A few months ago, I reported via this site that Eurovision Song Contest wanted an orchestra to perform, for less than no money. The message was, including follow-ups, read just under a hundred thousand times, so can be assumed somewhat familiar. Yesterday, I received a press release from a rather expensive PR agency, saying the culture in action came against the disrespectful treatment by politicians at times of Corona.

Always dangerous, campaigning and culture, as many can still remember the embarrassing 'Cry for Culture' and pedantic 'March of Civilisation'. Actions that have done more harm than good to the relationship between artist and people(s) representation. Recently, there was another brave initiative to say on camera that you worked for culture. It generated about 300 videos. And so now this action for 'respect'.

Top incomes

Initiator of the action is none other than Marc Pos, in daily life director of - yes - the Eurovision Song Contest. That festival, then, which, with a 25 million subsidy, refused to reward an orchestra normally. The presentation of the action is in the hands of, among others, the for years shy of respect Paul de Leeuw, Twan Huys and Jörgen Raymann. people who in an earlier story brought to this site on top incomes not even occur in culture, as the scale would become absurd.

And what exactly is it about? In newspaper Tubantia explains one of the participants in the action, which really requires everyone in the arts to participate, why the action is not for everyone. Speaking is Johanna Ter Steege, known as an actress who has not been spotted near a social housing project for several years: 'When I heard about the 300 million euros for culture, 270 of which are for the subsidised, my mouth dropped open. 65 per cent of the performing arts are served by the free producers who do not receive subsidies. We have to do something big and united, otherwise we will not be taken seriously by politicians. [...] That 300 million euros is an insult to all those people who will soon become unemployed. After all, according to the CPB, one out of three people is at risk of losing their jobs. We must stand up for our right to exist, that is our duty.'

Half a village

Very noble of course, this action of the free entrepreneurs in the cultural sector, only pity that they seem to completely forget how ludicrous this comes across, when at the same time you can take on film roles for sums that half a village can live on for a year. So this action is harmful, not least because it drives a wedge between the creators of vulnerable, and therefore subsidised, art and the creators of commercial and therefore financially resilient art.

But do the 'subsidised' ones do better? Not really. The final trigger to write this infuriating message is the action by which the country's best subsidised theatre company, the only one also with actors in permanent employment, playing its social role. It is a slack time for themselves (subsidy runs on) and the general public. That's why Internationaal Theater Amsterdam is making the stage and corridors available to an ailing catering entrepreneur. Cool idea, the audience can still have a nice bite to eat in the empty auditorium for the price of a theatre ticket.

Nice use of grant money, nice social gesture, too. You give something back to society. Again, something different from the Decamerone from the actors' quite nicely decorated living rooms.

Michelin stars

Only, this is not a support campaign for a nice neighbourhood restaurant that can now be kept afloat thanks to grant money, but one of the capital's most expensive tents: Lastage. A gift minute there in times of Corona does 93 euros (starting price), excluding wine and digestif. Must be a figure now.

At a time when the world is facing the biggest depression ever, and countless small workers in the arts and their supply companies will go down ingloriously, this hugely expensive gift from the Netherlands' most heavily subsidised theatre and company to a Michelin restaurant is a slap in the face to many. And worse: boundlessly naive.

Please stop doing that. Both.