Museum association sounds alarm: Ten museums at risk of closing within six months, implementation of emergency aid must improve

The support cultural organisations receive from the government seems generous, but we can add some nuance to this. This is because when a municipality gives emergency support to a museum, support is then set off against the National Enterprise Scheme (NOW). As a result, the support does not benefit the museum, but the state. As a result, some museums are even worse off than without that municipal support.

The Museum Association is sounding the alarm about this today. At least 10 museums are in danger of collapsing before the turn of the year. This is according to a survey published today.

Real estate rules

One of the problems is real estatem says the Museum Association: 'when municipalities remit taxes to museums or when a municipality reduces the rent of a building in which a cultural organisation is located: these well-meaning concessions are also offset against the NOW.' Whereby the rent ends up back in the pocket of another (or was it one?) via one person's pocket anyway.

This is ironic. Almost all subsidies given by municipalities to arts organisations are subsidies in which a large part of the money is meant to pay rent to that same municipality. The cultural affairs department not only subsidises art but also the real estate department of that same municipality. Now that everything is becoming problematic, because of corona, it is coming to light how idiotic that situation is. Even the aid meant to save the museums does not reach them.

Money really for culture

The solution? Tricky, because culture is not a core task of municipalities. This allows them to spend the money meant for culture on other things. This autumn, OCW pledged 150 million for the Municipal Fund, as part of a support package totalling 482 million. This construction, the Museum Association argues, only makes sense if this money is actually specifically earmarked for culture, so that it cannot be spent on other things. The Museum Association therefore argues that this 150 million should be allocated to the core municipalities in a broad target payment in the Municipal Fund, as was previously customary with the visual arts scheme.

What this actually says is: give the money to the arts and heritage, and not to the infrastructure we have built around it. Perhaps this is a call to take a closer look at that whole system of subsidies that pay rents that property developers use to secure their future.

We are watching.