Skip to content

ACTUAL

All about politics, policy, society and how those things relate to culture and art.

Fair payment for self-employed in culture impossible without solid research on billable hours

A starting rate of €27 an hour without proper research into billable hours within the AV/Film sector is not Fair Pay. It leads to a net annual income below the minimum wage and is not sustainable, not fair and certainly not future-proof.
The creative sector has a right to a fee system based on the reality of freelance work: with varying assignments, unpaid time, and little economic security.
As long as we do not set a standard for realistic calculations in the Netherlands, Fair Pay in name can be unfair in practice. Serious steps are needed for a sustainable creative sector: independent research on billable hours, clear enforcement and real involvement of freelancers in policy making.

Rutgers wins summary proceedings against Civitas Christiana - Truth wins over lies

Rutgers today won its lawsuit against Civitas Christiana. The judge called a halt to disinformation, lies and online hatred with this verdict. According to the judge, Civitas went too far with its allegations about Rutgers, its teaching materials and Spring Fling Week. The judge vindicated Rutgers on all counts: the black book is banned and Civitas must... 

Read More "Rutgers wins summary proceedings against Civitas Christiana - Truth wins over lies

Esther Hammelburg wins 6th Boekman Dissertation Prize

Prize for dissertation on live experience and media at cultural events Esther Hammelburg is the winner of the sixth Boekman Dissertation Prize for Art, Culture and Policy. The prize was awarded during the research conference Culture as a problem solver?, organised by the Boekman Foundation and Erasmus University Rotterdam in Theater Zuidplein. Jury chairman Prof Susanne Janssen presented the prize in the presence of representatives of... 

Read More "Esther Hammelburg wins 6th Boekman Dissertation Prize

Cultural sector under pressure but resilient: Boekman Foundation presents Culture Monitor 2024

The cultural and creative sector shows further recovery in audience reach, but faces continued financial pressure . Reflected in Culture Monitor 2024: In the latest edition of the Culture Monitor, the Boekman Foundation analyses key developments such as recovery in audience reach, financial pressures and changes in funding streams. This edition contains updated figures for 2023 (and where possible 2024) and is... 

Read More "Cultural sector under pressure but resilient: Boekman Foundation presents Culture Monitor 2024

The ball is in the court: the VAT increase on culture, art and reading will definitely not happen!

Today is a day of joy and relief. A burden increase of over €900 million on our sector is permanently off the table. Raising the VAT rate would not only make culture, art and reading more inaccessible; it would also hit the earning capacity of thousands of creators. This result really did not happen by itself. Over the past year, an awful lot of hard work has gone into the... 

Read More "The ball is in the court: the VAT increase on culture, art and reading will definitely not happen!

Holland Festival 2025 opens 11 June with Thai AI dance, Butoh, a focus on the vulnerable body, a special three-week project and a performance in The Hague 

Holland Festival 2025 opens on 11 June at the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam with the European premiere of Cyber Subin by Thai choreographer Pichet Klunchun. Dancers and avatars dance together in a co-created by AI choreography that reinterprets the traditional Thai Khon dance. For the first time in 35 years, the Holland Festival is back in The Hague 

Read More "Holland Festival 2025 opens 11 June with Thai AI dance, Butoh, a focus on the vulnerable body, a special three-week project and a performance in The Hague 
logo council for culture

Culture Council sets up monitoring committees for BIS 2025-2028

In the coming years, the Council for Culture will monitor how subsidised cultural institutions within the Basic Cultural Infrastructure (BIS) implement their plans. We do this with 17 monitoring committees, consisting of over a hundred experts from the cultural field. The insights gained help the council monitor the institutions, interpret trends and developments and contribute to a well-functioning system. The... 

Read More "Culture Council sets up monitoring committees for BIS 2025-2028
TivoliVredenburg during construction. Photo: Wijbrand Schaap

Jazz venues make U-turn. Jazzenzo may write what it wants again.

Het is verrukkeluk wanneer grote kranten kleine media klakkeloos overschrijven, en dat ze dat gratis doen? Ach, ze hebben het ook moeilijk. Zo is het kleine niche-weblog Jazzenzo na ruim een jaar gerehabiliteerd dankzij een artikel dat de chef kunst van de Volkskrant vorig jaar had overgenomen van deze site. Waar het om ging? De recensent en columnist van het… 

Read More "Jazz venues make U-turn. Jazzenzo may write what it wants again.

3 years since large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine: Two special film screenings in Amsterdam

February 24, 2025 marks the third anniversary of Russia's large-scale attack on Ukraine. Not only the country was attacked, from the beginning it was clear that Russia was also and precisely attacking Ukraine's culture. Recent geopolitical developments bring great uncertainty to Ukraine, with potentially dramatic consequences. With two special film screenings, DutchCulture, the European Cultural Foundation and the International... 

Read More "3 years since large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine: Two special film screenings in Amsterdam

The Chekhov moment you hadn't counted on.

The picture was a bit Da Vinci. At a long table they sat in beautiful light and it was about melancholy and menace. This was the scene of Last Supper at Amsterdam's De Balie debate centre on 1 February 2025. To crucify: some theatre groups I grew up with. 't Barre Land fraternally next to De Warme Winkel, Orkater next to... 

Read More "The Chekhov moment you hadn't counted on.

Monumental new entrance TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht opens 8 February

Renovated foyers, redesigned streets and new entrance open to public Utrecht gains an extraordinary cultural meeting place. On Vredenburgplein, TivoliVredenburg will open its doors to the public every day. The renovated foyers, the redesigned streets and the new entrance together form an architectural tribute to architect Herman Herzberger. During the day, from now on, there will be an almost daily free music programme here... 

Read More "Monumental new entrance TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht opens 8 February

Culture Council: Governance advisory committee launched

The Council for Culture has launched an advisory process on supervision in the cultural and creative sector. With its Governance Committee, the council is examining how internal supervision can be improved so that organisations can function sustainably and strengthen their position. The advice is expected to be presented around summer 2025. Why this advice? Supervision in the cultural... 

Read More "Culture Council: Governance advisory committee launched

Appointment of new member supervisory board Amsterdam Museum

Mels Huige has joined the supervisory board of the Amsterdam Museum. The Amsterdam Municipal Executive Board recently appointed the new member. Last week, the first meeting of the supervisory board took place in which Huige participated. Mels Huige (1978) was educated in Maastricht (Master in Business Economics) and Rotterdam (RSM Erasmus University) and... 

Read More "Appointment of new member supervisory board Amsterdam Museum

At the Bookfield's New Year party, it was about what not to say

The book industry, or should we say the book field, will have shrunk at least 2 per cent by 2024. You just don't read that in the press releases about the industry's annual figures, which the CPNB director ance now tells us to call 'field'. Something about flowers. The ability to present all the news, including the bad, as something beautiful, good and cheerful.... 

Read More "At the Bookfield's New Year party, it was about what not to say
logo Netherlands Association for Performing Arts

Agreement collective labour agreement for theatre and dance and music ensembles 2025-2026

On 2 December 2024, Kunstenbond and the Nederlandse Associatie voor Podiumkunsten (NAPK) reached an agreement in principle on the Collective Labour Agreement for Theatre and Dance for 2025 and 2026 and on the Collective Labour Agreement for Music Ensembles. Both collective agreements will run for two years: 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026. Meanwhile, the constituencies of both social partners have also agreed to the CAO agreements.... 

Read More "Agreement collective labour agreement for theatre and dance and music ensembles 2025-2026

Josine Gilissen strengthens management of Theatre Festival Boulevard

On 1 April 2025, Josine Gilissen will take office as director-director of Theatre Festival Boulevard and Stichting BosseNova in 's-Hertogenbosch. Together with Dana Kibbelaar, she will form the two-headed directorship of both organisations. Kibbelaar has held her role since 2022 and previously formed a duo with Tessa Smeulers, who stepped down after the 2024 edition. The Supervisory Board of Theatre Festival Boulevard has... 

Read More "Josine Gilissen strengthens management of Theatre Festival Boulevard

Model theatre contract renewed

The Nederlandse Associatie voor Podiumkunsten (NAPK) and the Authors' Union have agreed on adjustments to the Model Contract for writing a theatre text. The director of the NAPK and board members of the Auteursbond have just signed the new contract. The new version of the agreement incorporates recent developments in the regulations regarding the author's contract law, which the... 

Read More "Model theatre contract renewed
Rotterdam Theatre venue for dance innovation

Jan Zoet's leadership sets an example for generations

When the Rotterdam Theatre announced the programme for the year (2001) that the city would be European Capital of Culture, director Jan Zoet hosted it at Amsterdam's Stadsschouwburg. In the ongoing 010-020 struggle, quite a statement. Zoet knew that the national press sat in the capital and was rarely willing to look outside the city limits. He also knew that... 

Read More "Jan Zoet's leadership sets an example for generations
logo authors' union

One in seven authors experienced aggression or harassment last year

In a survey on aggression and harassment towards authors by Ipsos I&O commissioned by WritersSafe, 14% of authors said they had experienced one or more incidents in the past year. Half of these have even experienced multiple incidents. The majority faced verbal aggression (12%). Authors face by far the most verbal... 

Read More "One in seven authors experienced aggression or harassment last year

VAT 'off the table for now'. Opposition winged by Wilders cs.

The VAT increase on culture and sports is off the table (VAT increase on culture, media and sports off the table: coalition struck deal with opposition). However happy everyone is, and however holy the cabinet's promise sounds: that message is only half true. During the parliamentary debate on the Schoof?Wilders tax plan, the rather intransigent and laconic minister Heinen... 

Read More "VAT 'off the table for now'. Opposition winged by Wilders cs.

This bill will soon be literally hanging over the head of every Dutch citizen

Today (9:00 - 10:00), representatives of a broad alliance of organisations from culture, sports, events, media, books and accommodation will hand out an embarrassing receipt to members of parliament. These confrontational financial figures show what every Dutch person will soon pay extra if the VAT increase goes through. "This bill will soon literally hang over the head of every Dutchman," the alliance warns. The... 

Read More "This bill will soon be literally hanging over the head of every Dutch citizen

Culture budget debate: paragon of powerlessness minister and House

OCW Minister Eppo Bruins hopes citizens will buy more books, read more newspapers and go to the theatre more often thanks to the extra spending power hidden in the tax plans of the Schoof?Wilders Cabinet. This would offset the negative effects of the intensely 'ugly' VAT increase on vulnerable culture. During the Legislative Consultation OCW budget, Culture section, held on Monday,... 

Read More "Culture budget debate: paragon of powerlessness minister and House

PRESS RELEASE | LAUNCH CULTURE CAMPAIGN 'DON'T TAX MY AUDIENCE'

On Thursday 7 November, a spin-off campaign from the cultural sector will be launched: Don't Tax My Audience. In this campaign, we ask creators, artists, performers, and everyone working in the cultural and creative sector to tell us why they do not want to burden their audiences with 21% VAT. In a promo video, Huub Stapel, Sanne Wallis de Vries, Jeangu Macrooy and Gijs Scholten van Aschat call on everyone to... 

Read More "PRESS RELEASE | LAUNCH CULTURE CAMPAIGN 'DON'T TAX MY AUDIENCE'

Circolo turns the growing pains between sport and theatre into something beautiful

Large spinning steel behemoths, mowing blades or relentless hands of a clock, which grind you as a human being if you don't duck, or jump, or roll away in time. There were two of them during Festival Circolo in Tilburg, this year, and it always impresses. It happened at Un Loup pour l'homme in the Spoorpark and at La Chute des Anges in... 

Read More "Circolo turns the growing pains between sport and theatre into something beautiful

Green light for renovation of Amsterdam Museum 

Supreme court rules: renovation to start The Council of State has given the City of Amsterdam the green light on appeal to renovate the main location of the Amsterdam Museum on Kalverstraat. The Amsterdam Museum will have more and much better space for collection and public, become more sustainable and fully accessible. The renovation, which is due to this ruling by the Council of... 

Read More "Green light for renovation of Amsterdam Museum 

Small Cultural Membership
175€ / 12 Months
Subscribe
For turnover less than 250,000 per year.
Posting press releases yourself
More details in the confirmation email!
Most Popular
Cultural Membership
360€ / Year
Subscribe
For cultural organisations
Posting press releases yourself
Collaboration
In the confirmation e-mail you will find the details for press release forwarding
Private Membership
50€ / Year
Subscribe
For natural persons and self-employed persons.
Exclusive archives
Own mastodon account on our instance
en_GBEnglish (UK)
nl_NLNederlands fr_FRFrançais en_GBEnglish (UK)