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Wijbrand Schaap

Cultural journalist since 1996. Worked as theatre critic, columnist and reporter for Algemeen Dagblad, Utrechts Nieuwsblad, Rotterdams Dagblad, Parool and regional newspapers through Associated Press Services. Interviews for TheaterMaker, Theatererkrant Magazine, Ons Erfdeel, Boekman. Podcast maker, likes to experiment with new media. Culture Press is called the brainchild I gave birth to in 2009. Life partner of Suzanne Brink roommate of Edje, Fonzie and Rufus. Search and find me on Mastodon.

Alexander Plooij argues for a different approach to lobbying the cultural sector: 'The artistic should be central, not creativity.'

'When the economic interests of involved parties outweigh the interests of the cultural sector, you end up getting movements like the ones we are seeing now in Brabant. Art makes itself more important than it is, and that sets off bad blood.' We have a conversation with Alexander Plooij, entrepreneur and once active in the cultural sector as a professional trumpet player, manager of music schools and... 

Read More "Alexander Plooij argues for a different approach to lobbying the cultural sector: 'The artistic should be central, not creativity.'

'Artists have a special sensitivity to what is possible and what awaits in the future.' Rainer Hofmann prepares for SPRING's future in solitude.

'I have only met one person for more than 3 minutes in five weeks. I live alone, I see people at the groceries, I take walks and bike rides, but apart from that I don't see anyone live.' Rainer Hofmann, artistic director of Spring, is experiencing a very different spring than intended, thanks to Corona. This month, the major Utrecht festival of innovative art was supposed to... 

Read More "'Artists have a special sensitivity to what is possible and what awaits in the future.' Rainer Hofmann prepares for SPRING's future in solitude.

Looking back: Mark Rutte thinks only 30 people want to be at art. Why an archive is important.

Cultuurpers bestaat 11 jaar, en dat wilde ik vieren met een leuke blik in het archief. En toen kwam ik deze tegen. Uit 2011. Kijk maar deze minuut video en weet dat het  niet te verwachten is dat een minister president in 9 jaar honderdtachtig graden van inzicht kan veranderen. Hier moet de lobby rekening mee houden. Wat zegt Mark… 

Read More "Looking back: Mark Rutte thinks only 30 people want to be at art. Why an archive is important.
The Encounter, Complicit / Simon McBurney, photo: Alex Aitchison

Why you should listen to Simon McBurney with headphones on between 15 and 22 May

We are fairly bombarded to death with online theatre experiences. Frankly, I avoid them. I always thought theatre was something to be experienced live. Bobbing shoes are terrible, visible consumption when speaking is something I can't stand at the moment and the sound is always mediocre. I want live theatre, and nothing else. Leave TV to the TV makers, they have studied for that. Still... 

Read More "Why you should listen to Simon McBurney with headphones on between 15 and 22 May

The lobby has made art just a little too big. Now populism is reaping the benefits of that.

Naturally, I stand speechless along the sidelines watching Dutch art get hit by a 'perfect storm'. Two, maybe three deep depressions crossing each other at the worst possible moment, creating a surge that sinks even the strongest ships. In this case: an extremely weak minister, a cultural sector divided to the bone ... 

Read More "The lobby has made art just a little too big. Now populism is reaping the benefits of that.

Brabant FvD council cuts at least 25% (but probably 100%) on culture, and only talks about 'Leisure'

(8 May: updated to clarify that the cut is probably 100%) The new provincial government of North Brabant is still going to help the heavily corona-affected cultural sector to overcome this year's blow. Right after that, however, there will be a cut of at least 25 per cent in the total 'leisure' budget. According to the... 

Read More "Brabant FvD council cuts at least 25% (but probably 100%) on culture, and only talks about 'Leisure'

'For museums, a reservoir of deferred rent and taxes awaits' Paul Baltus of Amersfoort in C is working hard on a plan B.

'At some point, you get it again. then you just have to start paying again. Unless there will somehow be remission, but that is not the case for now.' For Paul Baltus, director of museum dome Amersfoort in C, a big challenge awaits if the intelligent lockdown will slowly be lifted. How can... 

Read More "'For museums, a reservoir of deferred rent and taxes awaits' Paul Baltus of Amersfoort in C is working hard on a plan B.

'Bring all the venues in Amersfoort together in one management group.' Bernard van Gellekom has an unorthodox vision of cultural survival at the time of Corona.

'If you can put only a quarter, or even less, in a hall that normally holds 600 people, then the tickets do become very expensive, because your costs don't change. Then my popular heart starts beating again: should we really want something so elitist?' Bernard van Gellekom is an important figure in the Amersfoort pop scene. In his home... 

Read More "'Bring all the venues in Amersfoort together in one management group.' Bernard van Gellekom has an unorthodox vision of cultural survival at the time of Corona.

Finally a mature debate on culture. VVD stresses importance of culture for local business climate. #tkculture

The cultural sector should listen more closely to the minister's mother. Who said: 'You can be sad for a long time about what you didn't get, also be happy about what you did get.' Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven cited her mother in the closing stages of the inserted budget consultation on the incidental aid to the sector, which was declared last week.... 

Read More "Finally a mature debate on culture. VVD stresses importance of culture for local business climate. #tkculture

Culture podcorocastnapers (22): Surely some form of gathering should be possible again in the autumn? ISH will be awarded Holland's biggest culture prize on 23 November.

'We would have actually been presented with the award last week at the premiere of Grimm. That was our big production this season that was to play 30 times. But after the second rehearsal, we were able to stop. It seriously looks like we won't be seen in theatres this year. When in autumn the... 

Read More "Culture podcorocastnapers (22): Surely some form of gathering should be possible again in the autumn? ISH will be awarded Holland's biggest culture prize on 23 November.

Culture Press podcastcorona (21) - Oscar Kocken: 'Not being allowed to perform your work for six months is pretty gross.'

'Yes, of course it was something we already saw coming in every way. That made me mentally prepared. But then when you actually hear about it... It's just SO sour. It's every time - I don't blame anyone, to be clear - but every time you get bad news, you try... 

Read More "Culture Press podcastcorona (21) - Oscar Kocken: 'Not being allowed to perform your work for six months is pretty gross.'

Zeeland has already fallen. Why processing arts plan grant applications has become pointless, but may still need to go ahead.

Right now, they are all still zooming or in an MS Teams meeting, the dozens of advisers and committee members appointed to assess the hundreds of grant applications for the new arts plan 2021-2024. But in all likelihood, they are no longer talking about the applications, but about how to deliver the news that the procedure is stalled. The province of Zeeland... 

Read More "Zeeland has already fallen. Why processing arts plan grant applications has become pointless, but may still need to go ahead.

In times of Corona, do you really need to build a new theatre with a precorona design? Culture Press Corona podcast in times of Den Bosch (20)

80 million it should cost, and it should hold a lot of people, with three theatres, and it should all happen on the lot now occupied by the Theater aan de Parade in Den Bosch. That has proved so difficult that there has been fuss about it since 2006. Now there is a draft, approved and all, of... 

Read More "In times of Corona, do you really need to build a new theatre with a precorona design? Culture Press Corona podcast in times of Den Bosch (20)

Cultuurperscoronapodcast (19): Willemijn Mooij moest de Mattheus Passie annuleren: ‘Leidinggeven op afstand valt me zwaar.’

‘Afgelopen (Stille, red.) zaterdag waagden we het weer eens om bij vrienden te gaan eten, mijn man en ik. We waren het zat om het alleen maar over Corona te hebben. Toen hebben we afgesproken om een muziekavond te houden. We werken allemaal in de klassieke muziek, maar spraken af om juist géén klassieke muziek te luisteren. Het werd een… 

Read More "Cultuurperscoronapodcast (19): Willemijn Mooij moest de Mattheus Passie annuleren: ‘Leidinggeven op afstand valt me zwaar.’

Drop in the bucket arrived. 300 million extra for culture. (And Belgium cancels all festivals until 31 August, then the Netherlands cannot be left behind)

While the Belgian government has just announced the cancellation of all festivals until 31 August, Mark Rutte in the Netherlands pronounced two very difficult words: 'theatre' and 'museum'. This was followed in Hilversum by a worship service for the minister led by the high priest of our culture, Cornald Maas. While they sat at the non-existent make-up, the... 

Read More "Drop in the bucket arrived. 300 million extra for culture. (And Belgium cancels all festivals until 31 August, then the Netherlands cannot be left behind)

(Update: government still announces extra money.) Dear government, Dutch culture is not a question of supply and demand, but of what we are or are not.

Update Wednesday 15-4, 16:00: this afternoon, the government has decided to come over as yet with additional schemes for the cultural sector, which are now no longer taken out of the culture budget. Apparently, the massive pressure helped. We will let you know when more is known about it. Update Wednesday 15-4, 20:00: Drop on glowing plate arrived, leaving the message below only... 

Read More "(Update: government still announces extra money.) Dear government, Dutch culture is not a question of supply and demand, but of what we are or are not.

OCW finds reporting 'premature': 'No extra Corona money to rescue cultural sector' Ministry of OCW must solve crisis within existing budget.

Binnenkort krijgt de Raad voor Cultuur opdracht voor een plan om de cultuursector de anderhalvemetersamenleving te laten overleven. De inzet van het ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap is, om dat binnen de bestaande financiële kaders op te lossen. Dat hebben bronnen in de top van dat ministerie gemeld.

'We all get rid of our camera fears' - Stephanie Hermes of the Hague Theatre House is looking for bright spots (Culture Press Coronapodcast no 18)

'When the lockdown came, we actually decided right away to continue, but online. So we opened digital studios.' Like so many others, the Hague Theatre House also entered the digital world of Zoom, the app with which Culture Press also records podcasts remotely. 'People rehearse for presentations and performances. We have created a talent environment for that. An online place with films,... 

Read More "'We all get rid of our camera fears' - Stephanie Hermes of the Hague Theatre House is looking for bright spots (Culture Press Coronapodcast no 18)

This is the ticket scheme. We share the official FAQ.

We take a post from the site 'Cultuurmarketing.nl', adding that the main purpose of the scheme is also to compensate the creators, the performing artists. So don't think: "my theatre gets subsidy, right?", because that subsidy is usually just enough to pay the rent. Performances are almost always paid for directly from ticket sales: Comin' To... 

Read More "This is the ticket scheme. We share the official FAQ.

Culture Press corona podcast in times of (17): Why the disaster for the culture sector is much worse. (With Cobie de Vos, Alum and Dorine Schoon)

We always try to look for a bright spot anyway, but sometimes you just have to let it go. On Monday 6 April 2020, we brought you a post on how the corona crisis is having long after-effects, which have been casting their shadow for at least a year. Today, we talk to Victorine Plante and Erik Snel of Alum, the bringer of that first post. In the... 

Read More "Culture Press corona podcast in times of (17): Why the disaster for the culture sector is much worse. (With Cobie de Vos, Alum and Dorine Schoon)

Podcast cultuupers tijdens Corona: blijf langer dan drie seconden stilstaan bij het werk van Emile Waagenaar. Plek zat.

(Volume podcast gecorrigeerd) Deze crisis zal het verdwijnen van kleine winkels, gerund door kleine zelfstandigen, versnellen. Al zou het mooi zijn wanneer acties om juist dáár je boodschappen te doen iets uitmaken, de concurrentie met het gigantische aanbod van de grote online ketens is bijna niet te doen. Daarom moeten we ze koesteren zolang ze er nog zijn. En niet… 

Read More "Podcast cultuupers tijdens Corona: blijf langer dan drie seconden stilstaan bij het werk van Emile Waagenaar. Plek zat.

And so the chain falls over. Why the interdependence of the arts creates long-term cultural barrenness.

Utrecht-based theatre group Aluin is in dire straits. Like all other theatre companies, they cannot do their work, and performances have been postponed or cancelled. That it does not only apply to ongoing tours is now apparent. Performances scheduled for autumn and next spring have also been cancelled. The company reports this in a press release. Alum would... 

Read More "And so the chain falls over. Why the interdependence of the arts creates long-term cultural barrenness.

Coronapodcast (15): Koop lokaal, koop meer en stap op de fiets. Boekverkoper Lot Douze en schrijver Jeroen Thijssen over lezen in Coranatijd

Lot Douze bezorgt aan huis. Op de fiets. Met haar Boekhandel Over Het Water richt ze zich heel specifiek op haar wijk, Amsterdam Noord. Nu iedereen zoveel mogelijk thuis moet blijven vanwege de coronatoestand ervaart zij een toename in de vraag. Online weten de klanten in Amsterdam Noord haar inmiddels ook goed te vinden. Ze heeft door haar klantgerichtheid een… 

Read More "Coronapodcast (15): Koop lokaal, koop meer en stap op de fiets. Boekverkoper Lot Douze en schrijver Jeroen Thijssen over lezen in Coranatijd

Podcast in times of culture press corona (14): Chantal van Heeswijk's comfort windows.

‘Je handen kan je toch niet stoppen, dus ik zal altijd wel dingen blijven maken. Maar ik ben niet alleen kunstenaar pur sang, ik wil ook blijven communiceren.’ Chantal van Heeswijk is kunstenaar. Ze had een bomvolle agenda, tot halverwege maart. ‘Ik ben altijd op veel manieren bezig. Maar dat is bijna altijd werk waarbij veel mensen bij aanwezig zijn.… 

Read More "Podcast in times of culture press corona (14): Chantal van Heeswijk's comfort windows.

Cultural press in times of Coronapodcast (13): Whether to be considerate of the downstairs neighbours at ICK Amsterdam's dance training. (Or let them join in)

'Exercising at home is very nice to do. In your own living room, you have no shame.' Dereck Cayla is associated with ICK Amsterdam, the capital's urban dance company. Now that all performances are down and he can no longer train with the company's dancers in the studio, he offers his lessons online. For ICK's own professionals,... 

Read More "Cultural press in times of Coronapodcast (13): Whether to be considerate of the downstairs neighbours at ICK Amsterdam's dance training. (Or let them join in)

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