Additional 135 million for restoration, renewal and growth of arts and culture

Culture and Media State Secretary Gunay Uslu today presented her recovery plan for the cultural sector. Recovery, renewal and growth are central. This year, it involves €135 million structurally and then rises to an extra €170 million a year for culture. The future of the cultural and creative field has been under great pressure due to the corona crisis and still faces major challenges. The extra funds for culture are an important support, the state secretary announced in a letter to the House of Representatives.

The extra investment will go to makers in the cultural and creative sector. Productions and projects came to a standstill during the corona crisis. With €20 million in start-up subsidies, free producers get the chance to put on new productions. This grows employment for creators, technicians and set-builders. To restart the flow of orders, €12.5 million is available to invest in major Dutch drama, documentary and animation series. Specific attention is given to starting makers who had a difficult start due to the closure of the cultural sector. For starting culture makers and heritage professionals, €9.9 million is allocated to give them a chance to still find a stage or workplace and build a career.

To stimulate entrepreneurship, €15 million will be available through Cultuur+Ondernemen to invest in productions and projects via a low-interest loan. This also helps ensure that people behind the scenes, such as production managers, sound people and stage builders can return to the cultural sector.

State Secretary Uslu: "Culture has a connecting power for everyone. It gives colour and meaning to our lives. Now is the time for the cultural sector to flourish and grow again. The sector has suffered heavy blows and with this plan and these investments, I want to help makers and others working in culture get back on their feet. Culture is essential and enriches our society. It challenges, offers new perspectives and brings us together."

Strengthening labour market position

Structural reform and strengthening of the labour market position is done in close cooperation with the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment. It is important to strengthen the position of working people in the cultural and creative sector. The corona crisis exposed their weak labour market position. Many of them work as self-employed, have several assignments at the same time or combine this with small employment. They do not earn enough to cope with income fluctuations themselves and have therefore had to draw on their savings. Therefore, €10 million will be available for a pilot that facilitates employers to jointly employ freelancers, giving them more social security. There will also be a pilot with financial compensation for the cost of disability or pension insurance.

Returning public

Visitor numbers are not yet as high as they were. Public campaigns should again encourage people to visit all those cultural institutions in the Netherlands, but also to practice culture. Amateurs are extra stimulated to participate in cultural lessons and activities. €4 million is available for this purpose. For extra cultural programming at the public broadcaster, €5 million is available to support creators while attracting a wider audience to theatres, museums and cinemas.

Cultural offerings for young people

Another focal point for state secretary Uslu is young people. The corona crisis has had a great impact on them: socially, economically and mentally. Festivals, pop stages and nightlife were at a standstill. With a €19.6 million impulse for youth culture, there will be extra support for local places and initiatives for young people to develop creatively and practice culture. For example, practice rooms for bands, or places where young people can develop and experiment in theatre, dance, music and spoken word. In addition, €2.5 million will make it easier for all mbo schools and students to spend time on arts and culture. Like the Culture Card in secondary education, the MBO Card will have a budget per student.

Further investments

Finally, State Secretary Uslu's letter addresses attention to innovation and digitisation, a trend that accelerated during corona. She also invests in heritage, the Netherlands collection and libraries, starting in Bonaire. Extra money will also be released for the online library, which has continued to grow since the corona crisis. This support will go entirely to writers and their publishers. The detail of the €170 million a year from 2023 will follow in a letter after Budget Day.