Incubator policies in six major cities

Using current documents from the Boekman Foundation's Knowledge Bank, Jack van de Leden compares the breeding place policies in the cities of Amsterdam, The Hague, Groningen, Rotterdam, Tilburg and Utrecht.

There is no single definition of the term "incubator. Research does reveal a number of similar characteristics, such as cooperation, creativity, innovation, freedom and room for chance. Flexibility is also important, because it makes circulation and renewal possible. Besides an economic importance for the city and region, incubators have a social urgency for the environment.

Large municipalities are searching for exactly what they mean by cultural incubators and how they relate to studios. Often, the atelier policy serves as the basis for formulating and initiatingërunning incubator policies.

There is no single definition of the term "incubator

Jack van de Leden in this Boekman Extra: "The six cities discussed have in common that they (want to) work closely with management organizations to implement the breeding place policy. The municipalities accommodate art education institutions and have an explicit ambition to permanently connect academy leavers with workspaces in the city. The networking of breeding places and the emphasis on the importance of knowledge sharing are also reflected in the various policy plans. Just like the ambition to make 'smart' use of space due to scarcity of space and resources.

Download Boekman Extra #44 here.