Amsterdam, 4 July 2024 - Yesterday, the decisions and opinions of the Performing Arts Fund, Fund for Cultural Participation and the Council for Culture were announced. Besides a huge budget over-demand, we see major shifts in terms of new inflow and disciplines. This affects more than 50 companies affiliated to the Dutch Association for the Performing Arts (NAPK). If there is no budget...
What happens behind the scenes at organisations when they face allegations of (serious) cross-border behaviour? Trainee Emilia accuses a theatre technician at a well-known theatre company of rape. This piece is based on her story and her own research, anonymised for privacy reasons. June 2022, beer, vodka, joints and a share scooter It's party time in a city park; students...
The research is there, and the figures are not uplifting. In the arts sector, underpaying especially freelancers and not honouring overtime is standing policy. If this is to be made up from now on, with the existing budget, small institutions and festivals in particular will fall over immediately. The study on this was presented yesterday to outgoing Culture Secretary Uslu. Principal Arts...
The other day I had an unpleasant conversation with a public relations officer of a medium-sized festival. He thought it would be a good idea if I came to write about that fantastic festival because of that unique opening event. I asked, "Are you members?" He said, "No." I said, "Then I don't know if I will be able to, because during that time there are also activities....
"I think you can apply this idea of consent culture to families, friends, leisure groups, anywhere, if you like." On Friday 13 October 2023, Tilburg's Circus Festival Circolo will open with a seminar on the premises of the Fontys University of Applied Sciences. Keynote speaker at that seminar is Sabine Marringer. She will come with a special message, she announced: "I sent...
Labour disputes in the Netherlands are on the rise. In 2021, the number of labour disputes increased by 17% overall. This increase will continue in 2022 and 2023, writes nu.nl, among others, based partly on the increased demand for legal aid in labour disputes. The arts and culture sector is certainly no exception. The media regularly show conflicts and abuses within the cultural sector. Add to this...
Amsterdam, 12 September 2023 - The collective labour agreement for theatre and dance has been declared approved by both NAPK and Kunstenbond supporters. The collective agreement agreed on a general salary increase of 5% plus a flat-rate increase of €150. This salary increase means an average pay rise of 9.44%. On 6 July last, the Arts Union...
Of course, we can continue to complain about the poor treatment of our artists, we can also approach it with a positive slant. That must have been the consideration of composers' interest group Nieuw Geneco when establishing the 'Fair Practice Awards'. On Friday 8 September, they were presented for the fourth time at Utrecht's TivoliVredenburg: prizes for commissioners who for once...
The hardest part of going back to work after the summer holidays are the holiday stories from colleagues. Or from yourself. That fantastic view, that unique campsite, that beautiful beach, that restaurant where you got the best food in the world for no money, that indigenous people you visited first with your tour bus. That moment of climate embarrassment that you had a few more...
"The easiest gain is then to produce less. Because high production implies a lot of energy and material use, travel movements and other forms of impact." Last week, the Council for Culture's long-awaited opinion on sustainability was released, and sooner than I could click 'open', all was set. Came all because of the above sentence, which, mentioned in...
The rates of freelance journalists, writers and photographers have hardly changed over the past eight years. Payment per word in 2023 is still around 35 cents, the hourly rate comes to an average of €61 and payment per photo to €60. Adjusted for inflation, rates have even fallen. This is according to research by the Dutch Association...
The application process for cultural subsidies from the state could be simpler and clearer. The sector would also benefit from a less non-committal assessment of applicable codes of conduct around fair practice, good governance and diversity and inclusion. This requires something from institutions, but it also ensures a more future-proof and resilient sector. This is stated in an opinion by the Council for Culture
It was announced at a press conference at the Hanover State Opera this afternoon that the contract with choreographer Marco Goecke has been 'permanently terminated'. In addition, he has been denied access to the Opera's premises. This sanction follows a serious incident last Saturday at the premiere of a choreography by Goecke in Hanover, where he is ballet director. Because he behaved ...
Renée Steenbergen has made a name for herself through her expertise of private cultural finance and art collections1 . She recently received a lot of space in the NRC and attention from Culture Press for her latest publication The Art of Different. It made me curious. In her booklet, she makes some good proposals and offers useful suggestions for a healthier art business. For example: that both...
The collective labour agreement social fund Omscholing Dansers Nederland (CAO ODN) has been declared universally binding by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment with effect from 1 January 2023. This means that all dance companies based in the Netherlands that employ dancers are obliged to participate in the omscholing scheme. Since 1986, Stichting Omscholing Dansers Nederland (hereinafter: omscholingsregeling) has played an important role in...
1: The artificial distinction between pros and amateurs encourages exploitation. In the Netherlands, 115 writers can live off the sale of their books. The rest of the people who call themselves writers do so as a side income. In pop music, the figures won't be much different. Writers with a few euros earning on their Lira statement will not...
"We firmly believe that a well-developed and widely implemented Culture, Climate & Environment Code helps the worlds of art, culture and creation to take up their role within the most pressing issue of our time. That role is one of social innovation and creativity in the service of the arts, but also in the service of society and a liveable...
On Monday 16 May, the Safe on the Floor conference took place at Amare (The Hague). This conference was organised to address transgressive behaviour at the workplace in the cultural sector and discuss how to tackle it. The conference was opened by state secretary of culture and media Gunay Uslu. During the opening, NAPK board member Ernestine Comvalius presented...
On nomination by the cabinet, Mariëtte Hamer will become government commissioner for sexual transgressive behaviour and sexual violence. Several incidents in recent years expose a broader issue on which action is required. With the new government commissioner, the cabinet wants to do more to raise awareness and create a safe culture, because intimidation and abuse do not belong in the Netherlands. In doing so, among other things, the culture should...
A safety net scheme for freelancers in the cultural sector: fifty interest and industry organisations this week appealed once again to the cabinet and the Lower House for financial support for this large group. This concerns 70 per cent of so-called cultural workers, i.e. a majority who do not have permanent employment. Due to the just reintroduced evening closure of venues, they are seeing their income once again...
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