Arts '92: 'Give the public access to museums immediately.'

Arts '92 means business. The umbrella of all umbrella organisations in the arts sector, which kept on poldering when everyone had long since gone into business for themselves, is angry. And rightly so. Enough has happened this week to break down the last shred of trust between the art world and the government. To the point where there was even note-worthy argument over whether the opening up of sex work and the continued closure of art institutions was an evil move by Rutte to play off the prostitution sector against the art sector. Enfin. Countless friendships have ended, people unfollowed and cancelled because of it. The fact remains that Rutte and his men are too busy with a new culture of governance to care about real culture.

Time for action, then, although we at Kunsten '92 must always keep a nuanced view of this. One states:

• Give the public immediate access to all flow-through sites, such as museums, monuments and presentation institutions. Like last year, they can open proven safe with existing protocols.
• Give audiences access to all stages and screening areas, with the crystal-clear premise: the basis of the maximum number of visitors per building, and within that for each room individually, is the appropriate 1.5m protocol (instead of 30 people).
• Follow the principles established following the Fieldlab studies: minimum 50% room capacity, release 1.5 metres and sufficient free test capacity.

2.8 billion

And not only that. In fact, it has been calculated that the arts sector is losing EUR 2.7 billion in public revenues alone, and that is for this year. Add to that a mere 800 million for the autumn, when things are allowed to open up again.

In all this, it is a pity that her press release, couched in unprecedented firm language, is missing one important item, and that is an ultimatum. This appeal to the cabinet would have been so much better if it had read 'or else...'. Problem is, of course, that the arts sector has no 'or else'.

Although: they could of course just open with all of them. With all protocols in place, with tests if necessary. And then see if the government sends the ME down on the Mauritshuis. Or at the Concertgebouw.