TASK FORCE WANTS TO OPEN IN TWO STEPS: 15 FEBRUARY AND 8 MARCH MAKE OR BREAK THE CORONA POLICY OF CABINET RUTTE IV 

While in most countries in Europe, cultural life is already well underway, Dutch audiences still have to wait for full-fledged programming of concerts, film and theatre performances, festivals and night culture. Great is the desire, gone is the mental stretch. The new cabinet presented a glimpse of its new strategy. But the most important thing of all is missing: a concrete roadmap to get off the lock.

The upcoming weigh-ins on 15 February and 8 March will make or break confidence in the new cabinet's corona policy. Support and willingness of the cultural sector to cooperate any longer is wafer-thin. Especially the stacking of measures is a thorn in the side of the task force. As if we have to cycle with four helmets on a road that is getting safer and safer: CTB (also in museums), one-and-a-half metres, limiting opening hours, placarding. It is an unworkable and dreary setting for creators, staff and cultural organisations. This apart from the fact that compensation schemes are far from timely and adequate.

In the absence of a long-term strategy from the previous cabinet, the task force itself last January launched the march route to reopening delivered. The bottom line: safely and responsibly open at every stage, it can be done. Good news is that the cabinet has adopted this premise.

Task force: it is now a matter of getting on with it! 

• Stop stacking precautions and follow the Opening and recovery plan from the Cultural and Creative Sector Task Force, with a roadmap. This contains a set of appropriate measures for each phase of the pandemic to be safely open.  
• Place trust over enforcement and control. For two years, the cultural and creative sector has been working with carefully adhered security protocols. Coming out of this crisis 'together' means that the government should make more use of the knowledge and expertise on crowd control of professionals in the field. 
• From 15 February 2022: get rid of the one-and-a-half metres, scrap the mandatory closing times and give space to nightlife. From 8 March 2022: open all over again with the roadmap at hand to remain predictably open.