

All about politics, policy, society and how those things relate to culture and art.
They were horrified by it. There in Rotterdam, at De Doelen. Because 'their' Valery Gergiev, former chief of the local orchestra and namesake of the prestigious festival that sometimes to be held in September, doesn't like gays. At least, that's what we all believed
Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam has had a name to live up to since its establishment in 1829. In earlier times, it was invariably on hand when the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Willem Mengelberg performed large-scale choral works. Although the choir still consists of amateurs and its ties with the illustrious orchestra have weakened, it still puts (very) demanding pieces on its desks. For instance, the...
We congratulate Marwan Kenzari! He has been selected as one of the Shooting Stars, the ten best young European actors to be showcased at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival.
This annual showcase of new talent could, with some luck
How can a usually very ordinary, amiable theatre director suddenly come out with the notice That a few orchestras can go away and the National Ballet should be outsourced? We wondered so and headed to the car park at the Concertgebouw yesterday.
De Pianoman, de jongen die dit weekend viral ging omdat hij piano speelde tegenover een peloton ME in Kiev, kwam in Hoog Catharijne op zijn idee. NRC Handelsblad meldt dat. De 22 jarige Markian Matsech liep deze zomer als zovelen door het Utrechtse winkelhart, net toen daar de kunstmanifestatie Call of the Mall plaatsvond.
We hebben een culture index. Vandaag werd hij gepresenteerd door de Boekmanstichting, een cultureel onderzoeksbureau. De cultuurindex, eigenlijk een AEX voor cultuur, is bedoeld om inzicht te geven in de stand van de cultuur. Probleem is wel dat de cijfers een beetje oud zijn. Dankzij de index weten we nu dus dat het er in 2011 best aardig voorstond met de cultuur in Nederland. Maar ja. Dat is twee jaar geleden.
With the crowning of Song from the Forest by Michael Obert, the jury chose a poetic film essay that combines a very personal account with reflection on our culture. Samedi is a 13-year-old Bayaka Pygmy from Central Africa who here travels to his American father's homeland for the first time.
On Sunday 24 November, the PAN officially opens its doors to the public. Here, over a hundred galleries and dealers will show what is for sale in art, antiques and design. A small museum, then, but one where everything is for sale. A painting worth a million euros is no exception. Yet there are also objects for sale for much less.
The dance industry is not doing very well at all, people say. I spoke to a dance marketer who told me that venues are often only a quarter full. And that includes dance makers who have a Oscar for dance have won. What does attract a lot of audiences are fairy tales. And Isabelle Beernaert.
What explains the success of this Belgian choreographer?
Live kijken naar de emotionele polsslag van de wereld, vormgegeven als een scherm vol dansende stippen. Dat kon gisteravond op IDFA tijdens het live cinema event, gepresenteerd door internetkunstenaar Jonathan Harris.
Heel lang geleden, toen fast food pas was uitgevonden
Erwin Olaf has a thing for wallpaper. The art photographer, known for his hushed and ominous compositions, thinks what is on a wall is at least as important as what is in front of it. The New Institute has now managed to combine that idea beautifully in an exhibition which shows both the sets of Erwin Olaf's most famous works, and a few wallpaper designs from the quivers of great artists.
Een beetje decadent was het wel gisteravond. In feestelijke stemming met het glas in de hand naar de aftrap van de 26e editie van het documentairefestival IDFA in Tuschinski, en dan anderhalf uur kijken naar de lotgevallen van een groepje Syrische opstandelingen in de volledig kapotgeschoten stad Homs.
Five reasons to go to the ''Schoenberg & Kandinsky'' exhibition at the Jewish Historical Museum. And two why you can omit a visit.
We were actually still missing a good video event, and the people behind Annex.tv, the online TV channel for XS4all subscribers was still missing a good online presence in the cultural sector. And so that's where we could help each other. We thought. So we try out what we can do together.
20 per cent more visits to museums thanks to the museum year card. This will earn museums a sloppy 14 million euros extra this year. The jubilant press release about the study by a renowned agency does not lie. Or does it? After all, six months ago featured in NRC Handelsblad still read that the Museum Card Foundation was in cash trouble.
The fact that it is difficult to get a job after graduation is also well known in the dance world. Therefore, partly at the government's insistence, companies are putting in on talent development. They also hope to A better connection with schools. Jun dancers are now more likely to be on the front line of ballet: the theatre, and that is good news for audiences. Because the energy is fresh and the level has shot up considerably.
Culture debate 2013: Rutte and PVV shake hands. It was about Caro Emerald. About Zwarte Piet. And the classic: subsidy on opera tickets. And briefly about carnival. And it made all the news. Geenstijl. Radio 1,2,3 and 4. What else was the debate about? Um... no idea.
We kept a liveblog. Nice and old-fashioned, from the days when every month there was uproar somewhere about the government's handling of art. Now there is peace in the tent, as the PVV sardonically points out, because 'The Left' is now the bearer of policies devised by the PVV. The PVV predicts a black future for 'The Left' once the PVV comes to power.
Protests abound again tonight at a concert conducted by Valery Gergiev, this time at London's Barbican. Many of the protesters are demanding that the orchestra explicitly distance itself from the Russian star conductor and speak out openly against gay legislation in Russia.
Even before she graduated from mime school, Boukje Schweigman swore off language. She worked out a wordless philosophy in her performances. She seeks the mystery of life. However vast and elusive her starting points may be, her performances give the audience the most direct, immediate, skin-tight sensation imaginable in a theatre.
Jet Bussemaker is satisfied. For the next few years, there will be little whining about the subsidies under her regime. She states this in her letter this weekend. After all, the basis of the system is fixed: there are great museums, symphony orchestras, opera and theatre clubs whose subsidies are cast in concrete. Or rather carved from classical marble, because money gets you
Een verlaging van de ww-premie besteden aan een regeling om meer mensen aan het werk te houden, gaat niet door omdat er steeds meer mensen werkloos worden, waardoor de premie omhoog moet. Zie hier het positieve effect van bezuinigingen door de regering. Hoe minder je uitgeeft, hoe dieper de problemen, hoe minder je kunt uitgeven, hoe erger het wordt, hoe minder je kunt uitgeven. En de kunst mag dat weer als eerste duidelijk maken.