Local cultural policy

In the opening article by Quirijn van den Hoogen "The relative freedom of municipal cultural policy" it is made clear that municipal cultural policy is essentially "free", which means that municipalities have no obligations to subsidize art and culture. The minister does have to consult with the municipalities about the policy pursued, but it is not the case that municipalities implement national cultural policy. And yet without the municipalities the minister cannot implement her policy. Much of the municipal culture funding (two-thirds of the total culture budget) goes into bricks and mortar.

municipalities have no obligations to subsidize arts and culture

Furthermore, the article talks about the so-called "rings model": the cultural policies of municipalities are often strongly related to their history and to their size. In small municipalities (up to about 30,000 inhabitants) the infrastructure is more limited than in larger ones. Cooperation seems to be a key word here, something that has already taken shape in the urban culture regions. Van den Hoogen also points out the complication that arises when smaller local parties have a portfolio under their belt; they have no direct line to 'The Hague', which makes consultation more complicated, if only because the visions on culture can differ greatly.

Mirthe Berendsen went in search of the role of the VNG in promoting municipal cultural policy and spoke with various people involved. One of the things that emerged from those conversations is that by transferring responsibilities to the municipality, as has happened with a number of care tasks, the budgets for culture are coming under further pressure.

Joke de Wolf writes about creative citizens and public space. She describes how artists and makers play a role and take it upon themselves to fill in the public space and gives concrete examples from Utrecht (Werkspoor), Groningen (Het Resort), Almere (Cultuurfonds) and Rotterdam (Stichting NAC).

the transfer of responsibilities to the municipality will put further pressure on budgets for culture

Ana Luisa Moura and Marcel Musch delved into the municipal policy for creative workplaces. More and more of these places are disappearing: "With the increased pressure on so-called transformation areas and the disposal of social real estate by municipalities, these places seem to disappear. What are municipalities doing about this?"

Also in this Boekman, among other things, a report by Nelly Rosa on cultural policy in Bonaire. Judie Finnies, director of the Terramar Museum on Bonaire in it: "(...) we must think more carefully and take clearer decisions about the balance - in terms of money and policy attention - between the presentation of traditional culture and cultural heritage on the one hand, and new art creators, active art practice in neighborhoods, cultural and social debate, art and culture education in schools on the other."

as if the world stops at the Dutch borders

President of the Academy of Arts Liesbeth Bik wrote a column for this Boekman in which she questions whether local cultural politics can exist in a globalized world: "We are, perhaps more than we realize, already part of a larger shared body, a larger system. It is therefore perplexing that we nevertheless continue to think and act locally, as if the world stops at the Dutch borders." To end with: "Every political decision we make is always also, or perhaps especially, a cultural decision. Think big. Think different. Stop expelling culture, because we need culture."

Boekman can be ordered from the Boekman Foundation; some of the articles from Boekman #130 can also be found online at boekman.nl