Is there a lost generation of young artists because of the corona crisis? That question crept up on the Culture Council early this year during interviews with nearly 40 starting artists and creatives about their experiences in corona time. It is well known that starting out as an artist was already no easy task even without lockdowns. But: "The picture from the interviews is more intense and worrisome than previously thought," the council writes. "It is good that the secretary of state is now releasing extra resources for young people and young creators in the transition package for the cultural and creative sector she presented earlier today."
Based on the interviews, the council wrote a contribution to the collection of essays: 'Young people and looking after their tomorrow' under the title: 'In a traffic jam on a blocked road, how young artists and creatives experience their start in the sector.The collection of essays is an initiative of fourteen advisory councils of the central government. In it, they call on society and politicians to ensure that current and future young generations can face a hopeful future. The initiative came about in response to signals that young people were having an extra hard time because of all the coronary measures of recent years. The volume was presented to Minister Bruins Slot (Interior) and State Secretary Van Oijen (Health, Welfare and Sport) and will be presented today in The Hague in the presence of Princess Laurentien van Oranje.
The Culture Council sees it as a moral duty of society and the cultural and creative sector as a whole to prevent this generation of young creators from being lost. This requires solidarity from training courses, producers, programmers and governments. For example, by offering the young generation places to play and present. Or by making subsidy schemes more accessible and providing workspace. The council mentions the development subsidy of the Innovatiefonds Utrecht as an example. This offered compensation for the time investment in writing applications. Additional interviews with art schools showed that they would like to consider instruments to better organise the transition from school to work.
The conversation with the young makers tastes like more. The council writes "we also want to keep talking to young makers ourselves and involve them structurally in the council's advice. We ask them to keep us on our toes. This group is -also by us- too often heard too little." The council is now making preparations to establish a youth platform.
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