State secretary Uslu (Culture and Media) wants to get rid of the sometimes difficult relationship the Netherlands seems to have with culture. In the Pieterskerk in Leiden, she delivered the 51st Huizinga Lecture. In it, she called for a reappraisal of the important role art and culture play in everyone's life: "Heritage, art and culture: they shape who we are. But we don't always seem to realise that. It is only when people are in danger of losing a piece of their heritage, art, use, or tradition that its importance is seen and felt."
Uslu stressed the great importance of arts and culture: "It gives life to our lives. It impacts what we feel, think and what we talk about with each other. Only when we reflect more often on what culture does to us and how it enriches our lives will it get the appreciation it deserves. If we want to move forward as people, and as a society, culture is indispensable."
In the lecture, Uslu took a closer look at Dutch cultural policy over the past 150 years. She also shone her light on the current position of culture in society and within the government: "It remains strange that in this country we have to convince each other that it is good that we spend money on art and culture. Permanent reflection on the role of government in arts and culture is instructive. But let's stop constantly reflecting on the value of investing in culture. Surely that importance should be beyond dispute - and out of bounds."
Huizinga lecture
Since 1972, the Huizinga Lecture has been organised annually in the Pieterskerk in Leiden by the Faculty of Humanities of Leiden University, the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde and opinion weekly EW. The name of the lecture is a tribute to the historian and cultural philosopher Johan Huizinga (1872-1945). The lectures have a cultural-historical or a cultural- or social-critical character. Previous speakers include philosopher Susan Sontag, visual artist Marlene Dumas and writer David van Reybrouck.
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