Cutting back on culture?

Reports have appeared in the press about a possible 10% cut to culture. The Flemish Government has not yet made a decision on this, but negotiations are well underway. Jubilee expresses its concern about this possibility. A press release has been issued by De Federatie, Overleg Kunstenorganisaties (oko) and Overleg Cultureel Erfgoedorganisaties (OCE)

The proposed cuts concern the budgets allocated through the various cultural funding decrees. Any cuts would therefore affect not only the subsidised arts sector, but also cultural heritage, socio-cultural work, amateur arts, circus and other cultural fields.

With just 0.72% of the entire Flemish budget, the Flemish Government currently makes an enormous amount possible: internationally renowned institutions such as AB, Brussels Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Brugge and Rosas; a unified library system that allows every Flemish resident, even in the smallest corners of the country, to borrow any book they wish; food and drink for our brass bands, so they don’t go hungry or thirsty; opportunities to take creations by trailblazers such as Otobong Nkanga, Alain Platel and Miet Warlop to audiences abroad; care and protection for Flemish cultural treasures such as works by Rubens, Van Ostaijen and Elsschot; thousands of inspiring school performances for children and young people across the country… all while ensuring safety, accessibility, affordable prices and attention to the needs of every Flemish resident.

That is why cutting culture means cutting from each and every one of us.

Behind the numbers are people. Many people. An additional 10% cut means fewer people at work, fewer activities, less on offer and less reach. Culture is not simply a cost limited to the resources invested in it by the government. Culture generates economic activity, employment, international visibility and revenue, but above all, it creates social value. That value cannot easily be expressed in euros. Anyone who looks only at government spending therefore sees just part of the story. We trust that the Flemish Government will value the broad value of culture at its true worth.

Read the full press release on the website of oKo (in Dutch)