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   A short introduction about fundraising possibilities in the Dutch performing arts. Cultural policy in the Netherlands is covered by statute law. The Cultural Policy Act (Special Purpose Funding) makes the central government (The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science) responsible for creating the conditions to maintain, develop and disseminate culture and lays down a practical methodology for the government to employ.

A famous Dutch maxim propounded in 1862 by the liberal Prime Minister Thorbecke

that, ‘The government is not a judge of science or art’, established the precedent to

keep state officials from expressing any opinion on the content of the arts and sciences

or deciding what direction they should take. Over 150 years later this principle

is still in effect as can be seen by the contemporary government’s practice of leaving

judgments on the content of art and culture to outside advisory bodies.

There has always been broad consensus that government support for culture is legitimate,

based on the desirability of a general cultural climate in which individual freedom

of expression, in the broadest sense, is paramount.

Another subject on which there is broad fundamental agreement is diversity: the fight

for pluralism has produced a high degree of tolerance in Dutch society and widespread

interest in a broad range of cultural patterns.

Arts Management Newsletter No. 75 (October 2007)



The third important point is that cultural policy is based on the quality principle

The fourth and final principle of Dutch cultural policy is the government’s resolve to

avoid issues of ‘cultural politics’, a principle which involves certain paradoxes. The

government has to be selective if it is to fulfill its ‘civilizing’ role, but at the same time

it must not, and does not want to, make value judgments. To avoid this dilemma The

Ministry delegates the business of selection to an advisory board: The minister asks

for expert advice before making a decision, the so called Raad voor Cultuur. (Based on

quotes from “Cultural Policy in the Netherlands”)

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) supports arts organizations on

a 4 year basis. The Ministry is advised by the Raad voor Cultuur (council for culture),

who advises on general art policies, artistic quality, and the budget of the art organizations.

The cabinet (and parliament) makes final decisions on all recommendations,

However in practice, the advice is almost always taken where content and quality are

concerned. The cabinet doesn’t decide on artistic quality, but they can deviate from

the advice on administrative, financial and policy recomendations. Project funding is

delegated to seperate funds for venues, companies, visual arts etc. The Project Funds

are supported by the Ministry on advice of the ‘Raad voor Cultuur’.

The Ministry collaborates closely with local and regional governments in so called

‘covenants’, which are four year agreemens on how the different governments support

the regularly funded arts. All advice on art applications come from ‘peer committees’

on th national as well as the regional level. The final decision is always made by government

officials and politicians.

The system is currently under review. The Raad voor Cultuur has recently changed

and now has a general council that is mostly concerned with general policies and priorities,

and several committees of experts that advise on the regular funding. Further

changes are to be expected. One of the changes will be that most of the organizations

who now receive funding from the Ministry will have to apply to the project funds for

their support. Those funds will then differentiate in funding. They will be able to give

project funding, as well as 1, 2 or 3 years funding. Concerns that arise from this

change are the lack of a national overview and lack of continuity for a lot of the now

regularly funded organizations.



An article by Sabine Preuss



Details: http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/netherlands.php