1 time art, 2 times culture. The Throne Speech makes up for years of silence on arts and culture in 4 sentences.

'The government wants to encourage thriving arts and culture and expose all young people to it early. Children up to the age of 12 will be given free admission to museums in 2009. Young people up to 18 years can use a culture card to get acquainted with the inspiring wealth of our country.'

We are writing 2008 and the world looked different from the long years that followed. Queen Beatrix spoke of plans for arts and culture in that year's Speech from the Throne. Since then, like her successor, she remained silent on arts and culture in all languages. Even when there were extreme cuts, the word was missing from the speech from the throne. Only this year, 15 September 2020, on the third Tuesday of September, art and culture were again mentioned in the most important speech of the year:

‘With an additional package of almost half a billion euros for arts and culture, the government underlines the great social importance of this sector. Support for public transport will be continued, as many people depend on bus, train, tram and metro for their daily activities. Nearly 800 million euro extra will be made available to municipalities, for example for community centres, sheltered employment, cultural institutions, and for coronaproof organisation of elections. Thus, co-governments and national government are working together as one in this crisis.'

That's four whole sentences. Twice the word 'culture', and once even 'art'. With this, minister Ingrid van Engelshoven has achieved more in her four nevertheless arduous years than three of her predecessors: art is back in the speech from the throne. We had already become so desperate that there were no bets on it either. But now they are anyway.

U-bend

For Mark Rutte, this must be a defeat, or else a U-turn of sorts. Although, there are indications that he is taking a milder view. In 2016, his speechwriter actually managed to cycle the K-word into the speech from the throne: 'The recently deceased former prime minister Piet de Jong, who knew how to elevate the sensible handling of turmoil and change almost to an art, spoke regularly in his time about the need for 'resistant progress'.'

'Almost elevating to art'. That is very positive about art. So now is the time to keep art and culture in the positive frame. Let's cherish this moment.

Good to know

On 23 November, the House of Representatives will debate the culture budget.