All about politics, policy, society and how those things relate to culture and art.
In recent days, tentative proposals for a new system to fund the arts in the Netherlands have appeared in various places. Tricky pieces, and so far not attesting to very much incisiveness. In Het Parool, a number of prominent figures, including Tinkebel and advertising man Kessels, think that we should think less in pigeonholes, and that, besides quality, we should also...
Under the banner 'Sender Boulevard', 25 performances, performances and installations are popping up in 's-Hertogenbosch this summer, especially in the second week of August. Their shared motto is 'Approach the other'. Because after months of isolation, appropriate distance and avoidance, the desire to get [a little] closer glows. Boulevard celebrates the resilience of makers and audiences in 2020 with a programme...
There is an urgent need for emergency support for the large group of self-employed workers in the cultural sector. The 300 million in emergency support that the government released for this sector at the beginning of the corona crisis is barely trickling down to them. This is according to a survey of more than 1,500 freelancers, especially musicians, creators and technicians, on the eve of the debate ...
From 1 July, more people will again be able to attend performances and cultural festivals. In theatres, cinemas and concert halls, a maximum of 30 people will no longer apply. From then on, the space will be leading instead of the number of visitors. However, basic rules such as 1.5 metres must be observed. In addition, a health check takes place beforehand, advance booking is necessary and...
2.6 billion euros. It is a sum so large that it means nothing to anyone. It is less than the tax support KLM gets, though. Today Kunsten 92, the arts-wide lobbying organisation, in an unprecedented collaboration with all interest groups and industry associations, brought out that that 2.6 billion is the damage to the arts sector caused by the restrictive measures....
The three of them are back together in the office for the first time since the lockdown on 13 March. The interview, in which director Emily Ansenk, music programmer Jochem Valkenburg and theatre programmer Annemieke Keurentjes take stock of the first - and hopefully only - online edition of the country's most prestigious performing arts festival, takes place a day after the lockdown. There was no...
The Holland Festival 2020 had an exceptional year; due to the corona pandemic, it did not physically go ahead for the first time in its history. Instead, it was given an online programme as its fulfilment. Holland Festival online programme 2.0-2.0 was the 73rd edition of the festival and the second to work with an associate artist. This year, that was choreographer, director,...
29 June is an important day for culture: the Lower House will then debate emergency support for the sector. Our message to politicians: "300 million euros of emergency support that OCW has available for the cultural sector is nowhere near enough to keep the sector afloat. Adopt the motion of PvDA, GroenLinks and SP!" In...
Animation Festival Annecy 2020 is online. The Black Women in Animation panel addresses the paucity of black role models for young viewers in animation.
In the Theatererkrant, 445 theatre makers posted an open letter addressed to Toneelgroep Oostpool, calling on creators and players to stop being afraid and report abuses to https://mores.online/. Summary of the foregoing: there were several complaints of sexual harassment by Oostpool's artistic director Marcus Azzini. An investigation ensued and Azzini...
The Council for Culture acted contrary to all policy agreements, its own advice and rules when it reduced the subsidy for the Holland Festival by over five hundred thousand euros. The Holland Festival, which is in serious trouble as a result, is now expressing its anger in a letter that went to the Lower House today. The organisation even speaks of "improper administration": a...
'The spontaneous breeze should be planned at least 15 minutes in advance. After all, you have to buy tickets for a block of time. When you enter our venue, you immediately see all the security measures we have taken to protect staff and visitors. There are huge screens to separate the flow of visitors. There's a chance you won't get lost in... this time.
What is the similarity between recorder player Lucie Horsch, pianist Nynke Eekhof, oboist Dorine Schoon, singer Tim Akkerman, this Music Storyteller and many others. What binds them apart from the music? They open their mouths. Give an insight into life behind the scenes. By speaking out in newspapers (Eekhof and Akkerman), on platforms, within organisations and via blogs...
Dear Prime Minister Rutte, Dear Mark, We have met before. For you one meeting out of many, so you probably won't remember. After all, we have nothing in common, not in terms of political colour or skin colour, not in terms of our socio-economic class, not in terms of our nest, not our gender, height and possibly other distinguishing characteristics: many NOT...
First of all, I would like to thank everyone who made it possible for me to receive the Dutch Music Prize here today. Not only all the people who have helped me during the years of my trajectory and given me so much inspiration and motivation, but also everyone who has supported me from an early age in my...
In its advice for the BIS period 2021-2024, the Council for Culture strongly criticises Cinekid. What does director Heleen Rouw think of this?
Let's just start with the good news: De Staat is a regular fixture in the Netherlands from now on. And so we are talking about the band De Staat. Who make fantastic music videos these days. They have been promoted from a four-year grant with the Performing Arts Fund to a four-year grant according to the Cultural Basic Infrastructure (BIS). With 55 other newcomers. All weighed...
This is the recording of the presentation: And here is the full text of the press release. Explanation follows, but we will read first. More room for innovation and culture outside the Randstad provinces 04-06-2020 | 14:00 | The Hague The Council for Culture advises giving more institutions with innovative cultural offerings and institutions from outside the Randstad provinces the chance to be on...
As a professional art visitor, I rarely find myself in empty halls. Premieres are always full, so are press viewings and vernissages. Full is of course really cool. Although those full rooms I am in then usually cost more money than they bring in, because the tickets are free and the drinks on the house. Outside the premiere, but especially outside the premiere city, the...
Men of colour in public spaces have no value. Their lives and well-being mean nothing. Muhammed Ali said something about this very early on: 'We are not second class citizens, that would actually be great. We are last class citizens, just not human enough.'
Minister of Education, Culture and Science Ingrid van Engelshoven spoke today at the invitation of Theatre Festival Boulevard with organisations and individual creators from Brabant about the impact of COVID-19. In the presence of the culture aldermen of the big cities and the new deputy for Leisure, Culture and Sport, the impact of the virus on the performing arts sector was mapped out. AND there was...
There does seem to be some prospect of better recognition of the needs of the cultural sector. That sector which did now receive a support package worth 300 million, about which all sorts of things are going on. But the Ministry of OCW is not the only one that deals with culture. Home Affairs too has to do with culture,...
Creators in the cultural and creative industries affected by the Corona crisis will soon be able to appeal to the Rights Sector Support Fund. Agreement was reached on Wednesday 27 May on the establishment of the support fund, which has a budget of 10 million euros available. Members of the Authors' Union can also start appealing to the fund. Where will the support fund...
Ingrid van Frankenhuyzen's article on the high pay for some directors in the arts sector (Forget KLM and Booking: directors are big earners in the subsidised arts too.), and Wijbrand Schaap's commentary on it in the Cultural Press Agency newsletter lack context. Why do I think so? Salaries within cultural institutions follow collective agreements/wage guidelines that are in place in the industries...
The coronavirus outbreak has a major impact on artists, creators and organisations in the cultural and creative field. The cabinet has therefore taken several measures, which institutions and creators in the sector can make use of. These include cabinet-wide generic measures, specific measures for the sector and an additional package of €300 million. Minister van Engelshoven: 'Despite the...
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