• New subsidy guide: the international support index

    The design firm 75B received support from the Creative Industries Fund NL to create a series of five wall tapestries with the coats-of-arms of Rome, Milan, Turin, Naples and Palermo.

    Photo: 75B
     
    Photo: 75B

    New subsidy guide: the international support index

    A portal for independent professionals and organisations operating in the international creative industry shows what grants and schemses are available.
    8 December 2020

    From now on, independent professionals, organisations and consortia operating in the creative industry and wishing to position their practice internationally can consult the International Support Index portal to find out what support grants or schemes are available for them. Het Nieuwe Instituut and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy have jointly developed this online tool, providing a comprehensive overview of all the financial and non-financial resources to support the internationalisation of the creative industry.

    For professionals working in the sectors of architecture, design, digital culture, gaming, film and fashion, there are all kinds of opportunities to develop and grow their practice abroad. The national government is increasingly offering support schemes, managed by for instance the Creative Industries Fund NL, SEE NL, Het Nieuwe Instituut, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, the Fund for Cultural Participation, the Netherlands Film Fund and DutchCulture.

    The International Support Index has been developed to make it easier to find these schemes. Through a step by step process, the online tool helps the users find the schemes that are available for them. This includes financial and non-financial forms of support, ranging from project grants and (travel) vouchers to artist-in-residence options, matchmaking or advisory talks with (local) experts.

    Support when starting and when expanding

    Although the possibility of physical travel remains (very) limited at present due to COVID-19, professionals are increasingly seizing the opportunity to investigate their future possibilities, also internationally. The initial steps toward international activities require research and support, and often funding as well. But expanding an existing international practice can also pose many challenges. How do you develop an international strategy? How do you build a valuable network abroad? And what is the best way to finance your project? The portal helps to answer such questions.

    Also for policy makers

    The portal primarily aims to inform individual makers, companies and consortia in the sectors of design, architecture, digital culture, gaming, fashion and film. Additionally, the portal aims to inform funds and policymakers about existing schemes for creative makers and to identify possible gaps in what’s offered.

    Partners

    The International Support Index was created by the Creative Holland partnership and is supported by DutchCulture’s Mobility Info Point, the Creative Industries Fund NL, SEE NL, Het Nieuwe Instituut, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, the Cultural Participation Fund and the Netherlands Film Fund.

    Organization: 
    Creative Holland
    Creative Industries Fund NL
    Het Nieuwe Instituut
    Cultural Participation Fund
    Netherlands Film Fund

  • OverBruggen.info: portaal voor Vlaams-Nederlandse culturele uitwisseling

    OverBruggen.info
     
    Click to see photo caption

    OverBruggen.info: portaal voor Vlaams-Nederlandse culturele uitwisseling

    Met trots presenteren de Brakke Grond en DutchCulture Overbruggen.info, een hulpportaal voor Vlaams-Nederlandse samenwerking in kunst en cultuur.
    4 November 2020

    Overbruggen.info wil makers helpen bij het uitbouwen van hun kunstenaarspraktijk over de grens tussen Vlaanderen en Nederland, offline of online. Het heeft als doel culturele samenwerking te versoepelen en makers te stimuleren een samenwerking – zelfs in tijden van corona – te realiseren.

    Handig gereedschap

    Het portaal bundelt voor het eerst alle beschikbare informatie van instellingen die zich bezighouden met Vlaams-Nederlandse culturele samenwerking en is daarmee een handige tool voor Nederlandse en Vlaamse makers die over de grens (willen) werken. Het biedt daarnaast een aantal instrumenten ter ondersteuning bij het oplossen van veelvoorkomende problemen van Vlaams-Nederlandse culturele samenwerking. Zo is er de Belastinggids Nederland-Vlaanderen: veel makers die over de grens werken lopen aan tegen de administratieve rompslomp die dat met zich meebrengt. Deze Belastinggids zet alle regels over belastingen, BTW en sociale zekerheid op een rijtje met praktische voorbeelden. 

    De Subsidiewijzer filtert relevante Vlaamse, Nederlandse of Vlaams-Nederlandse subsidies en is daarmee een handig overzicht van de financiële hulpmiddelen die er zijn voor grensoverschrijdende samenwerking tussen Nederland en Vlaanderen. Ook is er de handleiding Praktische tips voor intercultureel samenwerken. Vlamingen en Nederlanders spreken weliswaar dezelfde taal, toch zijn er culturele verschillen. Acht praktische tips bieden een handleiding voor succesvolle communicatie met de buren. 

    Verkenning

    Het initiatief voor het project OverBruggen kwam van het Ministerie van OCW in Nederland en het Departement Cultuur, Jeugd en Media in Vlaanderen. De uitvoering en realisatie is in handen van Vlaams Cultuurcentrum de Brakke Grond en DutchCulture.  

    In 2019 startten deze laatste twee organisaties het OverBruggen-traject met een kick-off. Later dat jaar volgden er vier labsessies om de belangrijkste barrières van Vlaams-Nederlandse samenwerking in verschillende culturele deelsectoren te verkennen. Veel problemen gingen over geld: over beschikbare subsidies, lonen en honoraria, uitkoopsommen, partages, belastingen en uitkeringen. Beide landen kennen hun eigen systemen op het gebied van distributie van subsidiegelden, wet- en regelgeving voor belastingen en verzekeringen, maar ook culturele verschillen als het gaat om het maken van afspraken, rolverdelingen en andere communicatie. Dit maakt het dat samenwerken – ondanks dat men in hetzelfde taalgebied leeft – niet altijd even soepel verloopt. 

    Tijdens de labsessies werd per disciplines (beeldende kunst, theater en dans, muziek en design en architectuur) geïnventariseerd welke barrières makers ervaren, maar ook wat zij nodig hebben om beter samen te werken. Hier staat een gedetailleerder overzicht van de resultaten tijdens de lab- en kick-offsessies.  

    Wij blijven luisteren

    Een andere uitgesproken wens was om meer bijeen te komen. Helaas is dat op dit moment vanwege corona lastig te realiseren. Des te belangrijker is dit digitale portaal, zodat er toch een ontmoetingsplek is. Wanneer fysieke samenkomsten weer mogelijk zijn, wil Overbruggen sectorontmoetingen organiseren. DutchCulture, Vlaams Cultuurcentrum de Brakke Grond en Kunstenpunt slaan hiertoe de handen ineen.   

    Met het portaal Overbruggen.info zetten we nu een eerste, belangrijke stap om de grens die Nederland en Vlaanderen scheidt een zachtere grens te maken voor cultuurmakers uit beide gebieden. Hiermee zijn natuurlijk niet alle problemen opgelost. Samenwerken is een werkwoord, we blijven open luisteren naar de behoeften van de gemeenschap van Vlaamse en Nederlandse cultuurmakers. Laat het gesprek niet stilvallen en mail ons met vragen en suggesties naar post@dutchculture.nl . 

    Organization: 
    Flemish Arts Centre De Brakke Grond
    Ministry of Education Culture and Science of the Netherlands
    File: 
    file type icon OverBruggen - verslagen labsessies.pdf

  • Sonic Acts and the Murmansk Prospekt project: building bridges with countries bordering the EU

    View on the harbour of Murmansk, Russia.

    Photo: Oleg Khadartsev
     
    Photo: Oleg Khadartsev

    Sonic Acts and the Murmansk Prospekt project: building bridges with countries bordering the EU

    An interview with director Lucas van der Velden on a project aiming to stimulate collaborations with nearby territories.
    3 June 2020

    In times of tension and crises, society has often looked to the arts for ways to find a common ground with people we might politically or culturally be at odds with. Creative collaboration defies borders: building bridges and forging friendships with our neighbours. This is the premise of the open call 'Sustainable Cities and Inclusive Design', a Dutch grant program of the Creative Industries Fund NL*. Sonic Acts, an organisation for the research, development and production of works at the intersection of art, science and theory, is one of the participants. We spoke with its director, Lucas van der Velden.

    How did you become involved with the programme of the Creative Industries Fund NL?

    “We’ve actually been working with our Russian partners Zhanna Guzenko and Oleg Khadartsev from Fridaymilk since 2013. Fridaymilk is an independant cultural organisation based in Murmansk, run by a team of curators, artists and cultural managers.

    One of the requirements of the open call of the Creative Industries Fund NL was a focus on long-term developments in urban environments, with topics that include sustainability and inclusivity. In previous collaborations our focus was not primarily the city, but we did produce several projects investigating the urban landscape, such as sound walks and site specific installations. For Murmansk Prospekt we focussed on Murmansk from a social perspective. Its population is declining, young people are moving away as they see no future for themselves in Murmansk. Life in the Far North is tough – there are months of darkness, the climate is harsh and it’s an industrial town. But more important, there is a shared feeling by the young generation that Murmansk has lost its identity, and its inhabitants therefore have lost a feeling of belonging to the city. So the dilemma the youth is facing is whether its better to leave or live.”

    Speculative Documentation Lab, Murmansk. Photo by Antonina Gorbacheva.
    Your project is called Murmansk Prospekt. What does it entail?

    "By commissioning artists to research the city and the surrounding area, we attempt to look at Murmansk through a different set of lenses. Using artistic and speculative research we try to reveal the hidden histories and lost identities of the city – to re-imagine and redefine the city – and offer citizens new ways to connect to the city. 

    So far, there are four projects within Murmansk Prospekt with the city as a study object: two with Russian artists and two with Dutch artists collaborating with local artists. Russian sound artist Gleb Gonti, for instance, made a sonic map of Murmansk, Just Take Time to Listen. It has a dominant feature of industrial noise in coexistence with natural sounds of the North. And Polina Medvedeva, a Dutch-Russian filmmaker, has been working with a group of local young creatives on documenting the invisible and inaccessible side of the city. This includes interviewing friends and relatives, to extend the range of information flow on a personal level and think about what the city is. But Murmansk Prospekt is a work in progress, so there's still more to come." 

    Collaborations between countries with such different systems pose constant challenges. It reminds us of the fact that the way we do things in the west is not a given
    Why did you choose to work there?

    "We became interested in the Barents Region on the border between Russia and Norway in 2012. Its geography and history, and the industrial and ecological situation, resonated with our thematic interest in topics surrounding the Anthropocene, climate change and the industrialisation of natural resources. The area has a complicated history. The Sámi population, the only indigenous people, has rapidly decreased in the twentieth century due to violent repression in Russia as well as in the neighbouring countries of Sweden, Finland and Norway. The majority of the residents have no historical roots in the region, but came from all over the Soviet-Union.

    When natural resources were discovered, people were brought in to work in the mines and processing plants, and there was an influx of immigrants from all over. It is still a heavily industrialised area that provides metals, oils and natural gas. There was a big NATO base on the Norwegian side. And during the Cold War, this was the only place in Europe where a NATO country bordered directly on Russia, so the area is also occupied by large military bases. Murmansk also harbours the Northern fleet including a large nuclear fleet, which means a large part of its harbour is a restricted zone. It's a huge city, but it was only founded a century ago. And it is isolated and far removed from everything, so it has also been neglected in many ways."

    LMNTS live-performance by Andreas Kühne, Murmansk. Photo by Eduard Mikryukov.
    It doesn’t sound like a cultural hotspot.

    "Well, maybe not in the traditional sense. But for us the primary reason to collaborate with Fridaymilk and to operate in the Barents region is that we are interested in rethinking art, and we are interested in new ways of collaborating and organising art, as opposed to working within the traditional and established cultural infrastructure we have in the Netherlands. Since we started working there it has proven to be a very inspiring environment for the artists we have worked with and the continuing exchange has also proven to be very fruitful."

    These lasting collaborations become bridges between nodes – the importance of which cannot be overstated
    What are some of the obstacles and challenges you face?

    "On a political level the European-Russian relationship has been a strained one in recent years, which is precisely why these collaborations are such a good idea. It shows that the political reality is not the only one that counts. Of course there are many obstacles and challenges. Collaborations between countries with such different systems pose constant challenges. What is a given in the Netherlands might be impossible in Russia and the other way around. It reminds us of the fact that the way we do things in the west is not a given.

    It's important for us to listen to our partner, because we don't know the local rules and the possible consequences. Another big difference is of course the lack of funding for cultural activities in Murmansk. So it's wonderful to be able to develop projects there through programmes like the grant of the Creative Industries Fund NL. Without it, these types of projects would be impossible. Through these types of funding programmes, we're able to generate an enormous amount of access. To capital, to people, to technologies... And this has proven results."

    View on Murmansk, Russia.
    Can you share with us some of the results so far?

    "Well, one of the great outcomes is exchange. Fridaymilk now comes to Amsterdam every year, and we extend our network to them through our Sonic Acts festival. This has supported them to create their own festival, Inversia. But it has also enabled a lot of artists and makers to go to Murmansk and develop and show work there, give workshops and create collaborative works. And most of these projects aren't just one-off residencies or presentations. Usually they have a lot more impact and people continue to return. These lasting collaborations become bridges between makers, organisations and communities – the importance of which cannot be overstated.

    Of course you can never predict what the outcome of a single exchange will be, but when we look back on history it is obvious how important cultural exchange has always been in the past. It might not benefit society in the short term, because when you set out to explore something, it may or may not result in something useful. But when you invest in something properly, you know that eventually it will pay off. Collaboration is about bringing people together. It's the best investment there is.

    The only thing I would wish for, is that we could focus more on the long term. The subsidy of the Creative Industries Fund NL ends this year, and it is still unclear if, and in what form it will continue – which is unfortunate. We feel it's important to continue our collaboration, so we will look for ways to carry on, one way or another. But it would be very helpful if there would be a more structural support in place. Because creating real impact takes time."

    *In 2018, the Creative Industries Fund NL published an open call for projects of designers, makers, curators and cultural organisations in the Netherlands that focus on sustainalbe and inclusive societies. The open call invited Dutch cultural actors to collaborate with counter parts in Turkey, Russia, Egypt or Marocco to address current issues or developments in the creative industries field of the concerned countries. Sonic Acts was one of the selected organisations to receive the grant. 

     

     

    Check out the complete overview of Dutch cultural activities in Russia in our Database.

    If you are a cultural professional who wants to go to Russia, feel free to contact our Russia advisor Lenka Boswijk.

    For funding possibilities, check out our Cultural Mobility Funding Guide or the websites of our partners  EYE International, Film Fund, Fonds Podiumkunsten, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Letterenfonds, Mondriaan Fonds, Creative Industries Fund NL, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Russia or the Consulate-General of the Netherlands in Saint Petersburg. 

    Database Disclaimer

    Organization: 
    Sonic Acts Foundation

  • Introducing: Art in Times of Corona - The Social Distancing Festival

    Social Distancing Festival

    Photo: Nick Green
     
    Photo: Nick Green

    Introducing: Art in Times of Corona - The Social Distancing Festival

    The Social Distancing Festival is an online artist’s community, to celebrate the work of artists around the world affected by the need for social distancing.
    18 March 2020

    In times of the COVID-19 virus, international cultural cooperation seems stuck. But is it? Coming period in In the spotlight: examples of quite the contrary. Initiatives of international artistic and cultural exchange, without travel or indeed leaving the house. Cooperation and exchange of art and culture across borders actually seems to be more important, more needed, than ever.

    The Social Distancing Festival

    Nick Green is a performing arts professional from Toronto, Canada who had to cancel the production of his latest musical In My Life due to the coronavirus. Even though he and his co-creators knew that it was the right decision to make, they felt devastatingly disappointed. “We didn’t just lose a chance to develop the work, but also to share it, celebrate it, and potentially connect with further opportunities,” Nick writes. Knowing that around the world performing art creators, cultural makers and artists were feeling the same way – and having suddenly a lot of free time on his hands – he decided to create a platform: the Social Distancing Festival, where he invites the artist's community to connect and share, be it in a different way, all their cancelled creative processes.

    We didn’t just lose a chance to develop the work, but also to share it, celebrate it, and potentially connect with further opportunities

    There are two ways that cancelled work can be featured and shared on the website. Performances that take place over livestream will be added to the calendar, and visitors from all over the world can tune in. The second option is to submit material of the cancelled project, like clips of rehearsals, pictures, stories or digital registrations. This way, visitors of the website can at least get acquainted with the artists and their work.  

    For example with Tadhi Alawi, a performing artist/dancer from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who was supposed to present new work at the Laois Dance Platform festival in Ireland. On the Social Distancing Festival you can watch his beautiful dance video BODY vs MOUTH and read about his process.

    And if you feel like tuning into a live performance, Friday March 20th for example you can choose from the Kings of Comedy’s Live Internet Show from Melbourne or the piano concert and album release of Al Gillion’s amazingly named The Light in Dark Spaces. If you feel like dancing it out, there is the psych-garage livestream by the band Sleeve Cannon from Austin, Texas. For a classic Friday night out, I mean in, you might want to choose the livestream of Donizett’s La Fille du Régiment from the Metropolitan Opera.

     

    Announcement of the livestream of Unit Souzou Ensemble's production 'Otherness: Togetherness', 21st and 22nd of March 7.30 pm (EDT GMT-4). Photo by Unit Souzou

    Over the weekend, the production Otherness: Togetherness addresses the growing xenophobia and racism that accompanies the COVID-19 crisis in many parts of the world. The Unit Souzou Taiko ensemble from Portland, USA collaborates with visual installation artist Horatio Law and violinist-looper Joe Kye to share stories grappling with ideas of identity, home and otherness. The musical project showcases the commonalities amongst their experiences and the diverse perspectives of what it means to be Asian in America, both embracing 'Asian American' as space for culture and community, and also pushing boundaries of stereotype, labels, and expectations. 

    Make sure to check the correct time in your country, as The Social Distancing Festival is a North American initiative, all the times are in EDT (GMT-4). Nick Green is also compiling a list of initiatives for supporting the arts in these financially difficult times for specific countries, and is encouraging donations to the arts.  

  • In the spotlight: art installation or fair ground attraction? The international story of Dropstuff Media

    'The Fair Grounds: Bumber Ballet' by DROPSTUFF.

    Photo: Barbara Medo
     
    Photo: Barbara Medo

    In the spotlight: art installation or fair ground attraction? The international story of Dropstuff Media

    The Dutch pioneer in media design for public spaces was selected for the SXSW 2020 Art Program in Austin, USA, and will also travel to France and Austria.
    24 February 2020

    To be selected for the Art Program of the prestigious South by South West festival (SXSW 2020) is a real milestone for many artists working on the innovative crossroads of art and technology. DROPSTUFF MEDIA was the only Dutch selection this year with their interactive installation Bumper Ballet, part of their ongoing project The Fair Grounds. Although the festival in Austin has unfortunately been cancelled due to the corona virus outbreak, the installation will also travel to Dunkerque in France and Lienz in Austria this summer. 

    Bumper Ballet appears to function like any playground attraction with bumping cars, but after a few minutes of childhood-resembling-fun, the system takes over the steering wheel. The cars start performing a ballet of movements on their own, approaching and rebounding each other, paralleling a historic video of famous Dutch DAF cars. The interactive installation cleverly reflects on the implications of autonomous technology, and brings together popular culture and art in an intriguing way. We talked to director René van Engelenburg and head editor & education Tim Meijerink from DROPSTUFF.nl, about international networking, the universal appeal of fair grounds, and creating coincidental opportunities.

    DutchCulture: Looking at your past projects, there is a strong international element; the Venice Biennale, THE BRIDGE project with Sweden. Have you been internationally orientated in your work from the start or how did you develop this ambition?

    DROPSTUFF: For our sector, the Netherlands is just too small. The essence of our work is about making connections, between people and places: to take that which is far away and bring it closer. We did the #BigArtRide through Europe for example, and our projects have toured many European festivals. The fact that we create installations not just for big museums but especially for festivals, fairs and other public spaces, means there are also more places to travel to.

    We have international ambitions and a vision on where we would like to take our projects, but we also depend on coincidence as to who encounters our work and wants to program us. Of course you can have a hand in that, guiding chance so to say, by presenting your work places where you know the right people will see it.

    DC: Why do you think a project like The Fair Grounds: Bumping Ballet has such a strong international appeal?

    DropS: The concept of a fair ground attraction is quite universal and the experience of it recognizable. With the element of bumping cars you touch upon popular culture and reach out to a broad audience. For example on the Venice Biennale, we presented our work on a square where high art lovers, tourist families and curious Venetians were standing in line together to experience our work. Within the playful frame of fair ground, there are many deeper layers of autonomous technology, machines as performers, artificial intelligence and the aesthetic quality of the screened images and movements aligning. But to which level they take their experience, is up to the audience itself.

    'The Fair Grounds: Bumber Ballet' by DROPSTUFF. Photo: DROPSTUFF
    South by South West is in reality less an American festival and more an international platform, maybe the international platform, for art, music and technology
    DC: SXSW will be your first time presenting in the United States. Are there particular institutions or developments in the United States that you wish to connect with?

    DropS: South by South West is in reality less an American festival and more an international platform, maybe the international platform, for art and technology. The whole world will gather there. Being part of New Dutch Wave, it will be easier for us to connect with important partners in Germany, Sweden and many other countries in Europe, that will all be present in Texas. This is what makes the extensive preparations and efforts worth it, because getting our Bumper Ballet to the other side of the ocean is not an easy mission! Our cars and equipment are already packed and on a ship as we speak. But then we will be able to present our work both on the trade show and in the art program of SXSW and we will reach thousands of visitors from all over the world, and the right people from not just the United States but everywhere else, will see our work.

    When and where to see The Fair Grounds: Bumper Ballet?

    15 March—21 March 2020 at SXSW in Austin, TX, USA: Cancelled

    June 2020 at La Bonne Aventure Festival in Dunkerque, France

    July 2020 at the Olala Festival in Lienz, Austria

    Read more

    DROPSTUFF MEDIA is the media network for digital and interactive experiences. They are fascinated by public artistic experiences and create video art, artistic games and interactive installations. In 2019 they received the NICE Award by the European Centre for Creative Economy.

    The Fair Grounds: Bumper Ballet has been realised in close collaboration with Eindhoven Museum and the designers Peter de Man, Douwe Hibma and Thomas van den Berg. Its realisation was made possible by the VSBfonds and the BankGiro Loterij Fonds. The presentation at SXSW is made possible by Creative Industries Fund NL.

    New Dutch Wave is the rocking trade-mission representing the Dutch creative and innovative industry at the global stage of South By Southwest. By providing a joint-effort platform for networking, knowledge exchange and collaboration for all Dutch individuals and organisations, they deepen the SXSW experience and enlarge the impact. In collaborating with other international delegations like the EU House, the German House, the Canadian House and the Scandinavian House, they open many doors for the Dutch creative and innovative sector.

    In the spotlight

    Are you a Dutch or Netherlands-based artist performing abroad in the (near) future and would you like to be in the spotlight? Send us an email with detailed information and two horizontal high res images. The editing team will make a selection and get back to you.

    Check out the complete overview of Dutch cultural activities in the United States in our database. If you are a cultural professional who wants to go to the United States, feel free to contact our United States advisor Renske Ebbers.

    Organization: 
    DROPSTUFF
    South by Southwest | SXSW

  • In the spotlight: 'Tradition as a Making Tool' project in Istanbul, Turkey

    'Tradition as a Making Tool'

    Photo: Can Akat
     
    Photo: Can Akat

    In the spotlight: 'Tradition as a Making Tool' project in Istanbul, Turkey

    How can we make the public space function better? Turkish designer Tuğçe Akbulut and Dutch architect Jurgen ten Hoeve set to work on this issue.
    19 December 2019

    Tradition as a Making Tool is an initiative that shows alternatives for multifunctional and shared public spaces instead of building new buildings on the scarce open spaces in the city. Through shared connections, Jurgen ten Hoeve (Space Crafters) was invited by Tuğçe Akbulut (CrossChange) to participate in a series of workshops in Istanbul, Turkey. Jurgen explains: "The Consulate General in Istanbul, in collaboration with Tuğçe and others, organised a series of workshops as part of the research and knowledge-exchange programme 'Liveable Cities – Co-Designing our Public Space'. The aim of these workshops was to investigate a topical issue within the city in collaboration with Turkish and Dutch designers from different disciplines, and to try to provide an answer here by means of a design."

    Open Call Turkey, Russia, Egypt and Morocco

    In September 2018, the Creative Industries Fund NL published the Open Call Turkey, Russia, Egypt, Morocco #2. In 2019 the proposal Tradition as a Making Tool of Tuğçe and Jurgen was selected for the first and second phase. After preliminary research during the first phase, the second phase consisted of developing the Modular Mobile Parks. This concept of designing public spaces in cities as a mobile vegetable garden can put themes around food production and sustainability on the agenda. Modular Mobile Parks thus serves an educational purpose that brings users, residents and municipality together. Joint dinners can be organised using the herbs from the vegetable garden, and the beginning and end of the harvest season is celebrated with a festival. Jurgen: "We have actually developed a tool to promote dialogue on public spaces and to show that public spaces can also be used very nicely to pass on traditions. The design is mobile and multifunctional."

    Pupils visiting the Modular Mobile Parks. Photo: Can Akat

    Jurgen continues: "One of the things Tuğçe is doing with CrossChange is to initiate a Dutch-Turkish network of designers and creative entrepreneurs. Tuğçe had been following the Creative Industries Fund NL and its initiatives for some time. The open call was perfectly in line with what she is trying to achieve: collaboration between designers and the creative industry in the Netherlands and Turkey. Since we enjoyed a good partnership during the workshop and both of us have an affinity with the question raised in the open call, Tuğçe asked me to work together on this issue."

    Read the full interview on the Creative Industries Fund NL website.

    In the spotlight

    Are you a Dutch or Netherlands-based artist performing abroad in the (near) future and would you like to be in the spotlight? Send us an email with detailed information and two horizontal high res images. The editing team will make a selection and get back to you.

    Check out the complete overview of Dutch cultural activities in Turkey in our database.

    If you are a cultural professional who wants to go to Turkey, feel free to contact our Turkey advisor Yasemin Bagci.

  • International Cultural Forum St Petersburg: "Contemplating art is a human need"

    Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Photo: Lenka Boswijk
     
    Photo: Lenka Boswijk

    International Cultural Forum St Petersburg: "Contemplating art is a human need"

    From 13 till 17 November, the eigth edition of the International Cultural Forum took place in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
    27 November 2019

    The International Cultural Forum is one of the biggest annual cultural events in Russia, where ties between Russia and various countries are strengthened. This year's theme was Cultural Codes in the Context of Globalization, with an emphasis on the cultural relations between Russia and China and Turkey.

    Participants came from 96 countries and many agreements between cultural actors were concluded during the forum. This is the first time that culture is on the list of national priorities in Russia. The Chairman of the Russian government Dmitry Medvedev requested the participants to reflect on the preservation of one’s cultural identity in a globalised world, while staying open to other cultures. Medvedev concluded his speech with a quote from the writer Dostoevsky: “Contemplating art is as much a human need as eating or drinking”.

    Dutch delegation

    More than 30 artists and makers from the Netherlands took part. The official delegation of the Netherlands was led by the ambassador of International Cultural Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arjen Uijterlinde, and consisted of representatives of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Moscow, the Consulate-General in Saint Petersburg and DutchCulture.

    The Consulate-General and Creative Industries Fund NL organised a successful event about sustainability, urban development and technological innovation of solar energy. In this article, we highlight some of the projects that were presented at the forum.

    Radiant City. Photo: Consulate-General of the Netherlands in Saint Petersburg
    Radiant City

    On the first day, Creative Industries Fund NL and the Consulate-General organised a meet up in the Central Exhibiton Hall Manege. The director of the fund, solar designer Marjan van Aubel; architect Arjan Dingste; solar fashion designer Pauline van Dongen and local expert on creative industries Liza Savina discussed topics such as sustainability, urban planning and the technological innovation of solar energy.

    There was a lot of emphasis on the projects of Russian partner organisations, who receive support of the Creative Industries Fund. The audience asked questions about the Dutch policy on innovation and the developments of solar energy in the art scene. They were particularly interested in the solar clothes of designer Pauline van Dongen and "can’t wait to buy the products as soon as they will be on the market".

    Museum 15/24

    Like in previous editions of the forum, the director of Hermitage Amsterdam Cathelijne Broers took part in panel discussions about developments within the museum sector. This year Hermitage Amsterdam came to the forum together with the Outsider Art Museum in the format of the project ‘Museum 15/24’.

    Panel discussion at Museum 15/24. Photo: Consulate-General of the Netherlands in Saint Petersburg
    Dancer of the Future

    Parallel to the forum, the project Dancer of the Future took place in the studios of KannonDance and the Eifman Dance Academy in Saint Petersburg. It is part of a programme of several theatre- and dance companies in Rotterdam and Saint Petersburg. Dancers, teachers, choreographers and students of Conny Janssen Danst, KannonDance, Codarts and the Boris Eifman Academy exchanged knowledge about contemporary dance. Choreographer Davide Belotta staged a new work with the dancers.

    The Russian dancers will visit their Dutch colleagues in Rotterdam in the beginning of December. At the same time theatre company Babel and the ‘social theatre’ of the Alexandrinsky Theatre New Stage will exchange knowledge about working with various target groups with special needs. With actors with Down Syndrom, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Williams Syndrom and auditive or visual challenges, they will create new works and stage already existing plays.

    Project Dancer of the Future. Photo: Consulate-General of the Netherlands in Saint Petersburg
    Contemplating art is a human need

    Besides the above described presentations and workshops, there were several other panel discussions, presentations and workshops with contributions from Dutch artist. The eigth edition of the forum was a fruitful coming together of Russian cultural actors and their international counterparts. Like the vice minister president of the Russian Federation Olga Golodets stated: “The size of the forum reflects the amount of cultural events that take place in Saint Petersburg, but also shows the tremendous changes that have taken place in the Russian culture in recent years.”

    During the forum the words of Dostoevsky definitely felt like the truth: “Contemplating art is as much a human need as eating or drinking”.

    If you are a cultural professional who wants to go to Russia, feel free to contact our Russia advisor Lenka Boswijk.

    For funding possibilities, check out our Cultural Mobility Funding Guide or the websites of our partners  EYE International, Film Fund, Fonds Podiumkunsten, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Letterenfonds, Mondriaan Fonds, Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industries, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Russia or the Consulate-General of the Netherlands in Saint Petersburg.

    Organization: 
    Consulate General of the Netherlands in Saint Petersburg
    EYE Film Institute Netherlands
    Netherlands Film Fund
    Performing Arts Fund NL
    Het Nieuwe Instituut
    Nederlands Letterenfonds
    Mondriaan Fund
    Creative Industries Fund NL

  • What do the numbers say? The final edition: DutchCulture Database analysis 2018 world wide

    Figure 2: Heat map of distribution of International Dutch cultural activities across the globe in 2018

    Photo: DutchCulture
     
    Photo: DutchCulture

    What do the numbers say? The final edition: DutchCulture Database analysis 2018 world wide

    After packing out the numbers and illustrating the trends and developments per country; we take a final look at Dutch cultural activities in 2018 worldwide.
    18 September 2019
    By Renske Ebbers and Erin Chang


    “It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data.” 

    Those are the words that Arthur Conan Doyle gives Sherlock Holmes to speak in A Scandal in Bohemia (1891). Whether we are playing detective on past events, or researching for the future, it makes sense to start with the facts before outlaying our plans. Growing stronger in our role as the network and knowledge organisation for international cultural cooperation, data analysis plays an important role in the work of DutchCulture.

    Next to debates with expert opinions, one-on-one advice for cultural makers and great examples of Dutch art abroad, it is the data that takes up an important part of our time. It is the basis from which we theorise about the impact of Dutch cultural activities abroad. The colourful schemes and graphics provided by DutchCulture data analyst Erin Chang, not only make the abundance of Dutch cultural activity abroad tangible, it lifts the mystery of international cultural cooperation and gives you clues for planning ahead. We proudly present the DutchCulture Database analysis 2018.

    Figure 1: Number of artists that travelled abroad in 2018 per region
    Figure 2: Heat map of distribution of International Dutch cultural activities across the globe in 2018
    Policy leads the way

    If the data collection process is thorough and objective, the results will be unveiling. The first two images of our 2018 analysis clearly show an uneven regional distribution of cultural makers in the Netherlands producing international activities (figure 1); and international venues programming these activities in countries abroad (figure 2). The distribution of Dutch culture to the countries in South America and especially Africa shows a lot of potential for growth. An explanation for the way Dutch culture is currently distributed across the globe, can be found in the figure underneath. Figure 3 shows which countries are included in the Dutch International Cultural Policy. It is easy to see the direct link between countries with a priority to the Dutch government and their placing on the list.

    Figure 3: Top countries in 2018 by number of Dutch cultural activities

    Even though it makes practical sense to perform your activities in countries within Europe, countries further away that have a policy priority also do very well in the list (U.S.A. at number two and China at number six). The first country to make the list without being included in the international cultural policy is Spain at number thirteen. The first (northern) African country is Egypt at number 28, a country which receives special focus in the current policy by the Dutch government.

    Figure 2 might show an uneven balance in the global spread of Dutch activities, it also confirms the impact and importance of the international cultural policy that we operate with. It is also inevitable to realise that we have more access to data from countries with a priority in the Dutch cultural policy, and that there will always be Dutch cultural activities taking place around the world without our knowledge. Taking the way we receive data into account, they give us clues for planning ahead, by showing us both our strong suits and potential for growth.

    From the same perspective we can look at the origins of Dutch international culture in the Netherlands. The scale is clearly tipping over to the mid-west part of the country, with artists living in big cities like Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. Figure 1 shows the facts that many policy makers already know, and confirms the widespread efforts to include all regions in international cultural collaboration.

    Figure 4: Number of activities per country in 2018 (bubble size), GDP per capita (y-axis), country population (x-axis)
    Figure 5: Top 50 country ranking 2015-2018
    Historic ties and jumping the line

    The correlation between a country’s wealth, population and number of Dutch cultural activities is a topic that cannot go unmentioned when presenting our 2018 data analysis. All international activity is influenced by the distribution of wealth across the world and access to culture is tied to this subject. The relation is however not as linear as one could assume, which figure 4 shows us. The historic relationship for example between the Netherlands and countries tied to its colonial history, debouches into a richness of activities related to our shared cultural heritage. Thanks to programmes emphasising shared cultural heritage, cultural exchange between the Netherlands and other countries transcends matching infrastructures and relies on historic and cultural relations as well.

    Figure 5, the artwork with the orange, yellow and pink lines, gives us a timeline of the most visited countries in the past three years. Even though the countries on the top of the list remain stable, more to the middle and bottom of the list huge changes have come through, with countries rising as much as 21 places. With just one look at the jumping and sinking lines of this organic figure, it is safe to say that when it comes to the distribution of Dutch cultural activities abroad, flexibility and change is inevitable.  

    Figure 6: Frequent flyers in 2018 per discipline
    Differences per discipline

    An important aspect of our DutchCulture database should be put in the front light at this moment, and that is the division of activities into different artistic disciplines. In the list of most visited countries or cities the activities from all the disciplines are accumulated. The DutchCulture database looks at quantitative data and therefore every activity is worth the same; whether it is a one-hour concert done by a band on tour, or a solo exhibition with the duration of a month. Cultural makers are often looking to research the trends in their own discipline however, so we detangle this accumulation of activities, and have a look at the disciplines on their own.

    Our data specialist Erin Chang has created two colour pallets, figures 6 and 7, that shows us the most travelled Dutch organisation and the most visited city, per discipline. This gives us great nuances of insight. For example, the top five cities for performing arts are all within Europe, yet four of the top cities for digital culture are outside of Europe. Istanbul is one of the top cities for audio visual media and literature, like Sao Paulo is for heritage, yet the countries Turkey and Brazil don’t make it to the top five. 

    Figure 7: Top cities in 2018 per discipline

    The data analysis of 2018 gives us big numbers, colourful change and hopefully an eagerness to dig deeper. It also shows us the importance of breaking down the big numbers into details for a better insight. If you want to conduct your own research, this data provides you with the best basis to go theorizing from. Just put on your Sherlock Holmes cap and type one of the frequent travellers or venues from this list into our data base search engine, to find out who else was where and what can be expected for the future.

    Check out the complete overview of Dutch cultural activities in 2018 here.

    For funding possibilities, check out our Cultural Mobility Funding Guide or the websites of our partners Creative Industries Fund NL, Dutch Film Fund, Dutch Foundation for Literature, EYE International, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Mondriaan Fund, Performing Arts Fund, and the Embassy of the Netherlands in the country you want to work in.

    The DutchCulture Database works to collect comprehensive data on as many international events as possible, however the database is not exhaustive. Our analysis is based on the data we are able to collect and may therefore not give a complete image. Find out more about how we collect our data in our Database Disclaimer.

    File: 
    file type icon DutchCulture Mapping 2018

  • What do the numbers say: Edition U.S.A. brings you a summer newsflash on Dutch arts & culture

    View on Seattle

    Photo: Luca Micheli (Unsplash)
     
    Photo: Luca Micheli (Unsplash)

    What do the numbers say: Edition U.S.A. brings you a summer newsflash on Dutch arts & culture

    Looking into the international activities by Dutch artists in the United States in 2018 leads to surprising facts: these cities and festivals are booming!
    6 August 2019
    By Renske Ebbers

     

    DutchCulture hosts the one and only online repository of Dutch international cultural activities abroad, and the summer break is the perfect moment to take a deeper look into this database. As advisors to the cultural field, we often encourage cultural makers with international ambitions to really do their research about the country they want to work in. To learn about the work ethic, the financial structures, the political situation and cultural traditions. And, of course, we urge them to check our database to see who has gone before you, where they went and how they went about it. Better well stolen than badly invented, right? Vice versa, we learn about cultural cooperation with the country in question by listening to you and analyzing your activities abroad.

    Jaap van Zweden. Photo: Chris Lee
    Cultural newsflash

    This advice can be applied specifically to the United States since there are so many paths to choose in this country. With a relentless  24-hour news cycle and the vast amount of entertaining American talk shows, it might be hard to look beyond both intriguing and deterrent political and social news items. You would almost oversee the fact, that 660 Dutch artists and artistic organisations showed their work across the ocean, in 331 different cities in the United States! Therefore, I would like to give you some surprising newsflashes today that will give you insights about the Dutch arts and culture in the U.S.A. Did you know that there are exciting opportunities in all cultural disciplines beyond the top five cities New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas? Were you aware of the growing Dutch presence on American festivals and fairs? If not, keep on reading!

    Nearly 80% of all the Dutch activities in 2018, took place outside of New York
    “Start spreading the news, I am leaving today...”

    Thinking about the U.S.A., a song like Frank Sinatra often jumps to mind, praising and evoking the city of opportunity: New York. It goes without saying that New York is highly important for arts and culture, as it is the number one city for Dutch activities. However, it is important to point out that close to 80% of all the Dutch activities in 2018, took place outside of New York! In fact, 60% of the activities took place outside of the top five cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas and Miami. And so it emerges - almost like in the old Frank Sinatra song: “if you can’t make it there, you can make it elsewhere.”

    Texas as a cultural hotspot

    To illustrate, I would like to introduce you to the cities six to ten from our 2018 list. I looked into the activities taking place there, and hope to point out interesting opportunities for multiple disciplines that may lead you to undiscovered paths. Shifting our focus to the far south, we find Houston, Dallas and Austin; three cities in the state of Texas.

    In Dallas, we can find activities by Dutch organisations in the disciplines of Audiovisual Media, Heritage, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Music. Especially Classical Music is thriving in Dallas, since Dutch maestro Jaap van Zweden conducted 18 performances at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center as the musical director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Jaap’s story is a great example of building an international career by starting small; from Dallas, he has now moved on to New York to become the musical director of the New York Philharmonic.

    Houston is also a paradise for Dutch musical geniuses, albeit in a slightly different genre. In 2018, 24 of the best Dutch DJ’s, like Afrojack, Ferry Corsten, Oliver Heldens and Yellow Claw were performing at 8 different venues in Houston! The most popular venues are famous nightclubs Clé Houston and Stereo Live. This makes Houston a great alternative to EDM hotspot Las Vegas, where 37 DJ’s played at 14 venues.

    Austin offers many chances for different disciplines, as well as cross-disciplinary opportunities. Especially artists working on the crossroads of Design, Music and Digital Culture can find recognition at the South by Southwest festival, but I will talk more about that later on. More surprising might be that there were a dozen activities besides SXSW taking place in Austin, for example by theatre group Wunderbaum, who performed at the Fusebox Festival.

    SXSW. Photo: Ryan Loughlin (Unsplash)
    From Seattle to Washington

    Travelling to the other side of the country, (which means a road trip of 3423 kilometres, equivalent to Amsterdam - Antalya), we see a diversity of Dutch organisations present in Seattle. Architect Marten Kuipers gave the lecture ‘Seeing our Invisible City’ at the Design Matters conference, while Zara Dwinger and Saskia Boddeke’s films were presented at the Seattle International Film Festival and the work of visual artists Berndnaut Smilde and Sebastiaan Bremer was exhibited in the Winston Wachter Gallery. Elsewhere, we can think of the translations of Dutch authors that were published by Seattle-based Amazon Crossing, disseminating Dutch literature all across the U.S.A.

    Coming back to the East Coast, we see that Washington offers opportunities for Design, Audiovisual Media, Heritage, Visual Arts and the Performing Arts. For this latter discipline, the John F. Kennedy Center is a venue to follow, since the Dutch Dance Theater and the International Theatre Amsterdam performed several pieces here this year. In 2019 and 2020, the Kennedy Center is one of the main partners of the Dutch Youth Culture programme Never Grow Up!. For more information about this newsflash, read up on the programme here!

    The John F. Kennedy Center is a venue to follow since the Dutch Dance Theater and the International Theatre Amsterdam performed here
    Music festivals are so 2018

    Festivals and fairs are very important for artists who want to explore international ambitions and build an international career. Not only do high-profile festivals provide a good opportunity to show your work, but they also bring together many experts and professionals from the cultural field. Being able to network, find potential partners and catch up with the latest discourses in your field can make all the difference for working abroad. That’s probably why the focus on Dutch presence at annual gatherings keeps on growing and in 2018 already 4 of the top 10 venues were festivals or fairs.

    The most important festival is the previously mentioned South by Southwest (SXSW) festival. The festival focusses on digital and interactive media, film and music, and is especially fond of cross-media projects. In 2018, there were 59 Dutch activities at SXSW, 34 music performances, five film screenings, five design lectures and debates, nine debates and workshops in digital culture, five heritage-related activities and a visual arts performance. The place to be for electronic music is definitely the Electric Daisy Carnaval, with 25 Dutch DJ’s in live action in 2018.

    LGBT flag. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
    Art exhibitions and LGBTQ+ films

    At Art Basel in Miami, generally known as the primary art show for the Americans, the best contemporary and modern artworks from galleries all over the world are exhibited. It requires beating some tough competition to conquer a spot at this fair. However, in 2018 Dutch visual artists were taking their place in the spotlight with ten solo exhibitions and seven group exhibitions in Miami.

    The film festival with the strongest Dutch participation is the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, as no less than twenty Dutch filmmakers presented their work here in 2018. Dutch work was also presented at the Chicago International Film Festival and the Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival. In fact,19 of the 49 film festivals in the U.S.A. with Dutch presence are specific LGBTQ+ festivals! If that is not a great, positive newsflash, I don’t know what is.

    Stay in touch!

    With this quick summer research in our database, I hope to have given you some positive newsflashes on Dutch Arts and Culture in the U.S.A. If you are an artist or an artistic organisation with serious ambitions to work in the United States, please read the recommendations and tips on the website of the Dutch Consulate General in New York, and check out the Frequently Asked Questions at the United States home page on our website. Here you will also find our database, so you can get started with your own research. Do let us know if you are presenting your work abroad, or if we can help you find your way there.

    Previously we published an interview with the cultural attaché of the Netherlands in New York: Joost Taverne. Read it here.

    Disclaimer Database

     

    File: 
    file type icon Factsheet United States 2018.pdf

  • Cultural attaché Beate Gerlings on the cultural field in Germany: "Culture is an important part of life and society"

    Berlin, Germany

    Photo: Unsplash
     
    Photo: Unsplash

    Cultural attaché Beate Gerlings on the cultural field in Germany: "Culture is an important part of life and society"

    A year on the job is a series of interviews with cultural attachés about their experiences. This edition: Beate Gerlings in Germany.
    15 July 2019
    By Renske Ebbers

     

    A year on the job. In this series of interviews, we ask cultural attachés holding office in the focus countries of the International Cultural Policy of the Netherlands about their experiences. How do these attachés help Dutch art and culture? What were their expectations when they were posted abroad, and what challenges have they faced? Last in this series an interview with Beate Gerlings, Cultural Attaché of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Germany.

    Beate, you are almost a year into your posting as cultural attaché in Berlin. Can you tell us something about your expectations beforehand, were they met?

    "I already have a few cultural postings behind my belt, years ago at the policy unit within the Ministery of Foreign Affairs and on secondment as deputy director to DutchCulture from 2008-2010. Before that I gained international experience outside of the cultural field, before joining the MFA, working in South-Africa and with Doctors Without Borders, and at the Ministry’s Africa Department.

    Anyway, after having been engaged in International Policy from those perspectives, I was eager to also do a stint at an embassy, and get involved in the implementation side of the International Cultural Policy. And it has been, as I expected, great to renew my acquaintance with the cultural field in the Netherlands and to dive into the great unknown of German arts and culture. I loved the policy making side of things, but I’m now thoroughly enjoying the more practical trade of cultural diplomacy."

    Germany is not just Berlin! There are amazing opportunities in other parts of Germany as well
    So you were well prepared for the cultural attaché position, and then you were chosen for the Dutch Embassy in Berlin. How did you feel about working at that post and moving to Berlin?

    "Berlin is of course the jackpot for a cultural attaché, because you are in the most relevant country for the Netherlands when it comes to internationalisation in culture, as it is the biggest market for Dutch artists who are looking beyond the Dutch borders. And of course, Germany as Kulturnation, as country of thinkers and poets where culture is an important part of life and of society, is a Candyland for everyone active in the cultural field.

    Throughout my career, I have always stood with my back to Germany, like more Dutch people, and have always been more Anglo-Saxon oriented. Fortunately I had the time to prepare well and to improve my German as well as my knowledge of the country. Learning the language is crucial in gaining a real understanding of a country and its people, and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to make such an in-depth investment."

    Rembrandt’s Strich in Kupferstich Kabinet Dresden. Rembrandt as a source of inspiration for other artists, amongst others Marlene Dumas and Willem de Rooij. The exhibition can be visited from the 14th of June until the 15th of September 2019.
    Were there any concrete projects that you started working with, when you began your position?

    "I really have the advantage of a strong team with very good people, some of whom have been there for many years. They have been steadily expanding their knowledge and building their network and are working very strategically. In that sense I also stand on the shoulders of my predecessors. I see how everyone has added something to the presence and visibility of Dutch arts and culture in Germany.

    I try not to think in terms of projects, and more in terms of our strategic objectives and added value. More than in specific projects, this lies in our daily craftsmanship: cleverly using our networks, identifying opportunities, stimulating the German side with ideas and tempting them to look towards the Netherlands for their programmes. And on the Dutch side, providing information and insight. I believe strongly in creating demand by organising for people to have the knowledge and the networks to work together."

    I believe strongly in creating demand by organising for people to have the knowledge and the networks to work together
    Have you been able to build new relationships, or identify chances for the Dutch cultural field?

    "The very active commitment to the Kunstverein network for Visual Arts, is really starting to pay off. The typical German phenomenon Kunstvereine offers a unique prospect for Dutch artists as an intermediate step towards museum exhibitions. We organise a lot of curator visits to the Netherlands, and now also work together with the Mondriaan fund to achieve more institutional partnerships between Kunstvereinen in Germany and Visual Arts institutions in the Netherlands. I

    think that this long-term approach is well suited to the German context; to not jump too much from one opportunity to the next and instead be a very reliable, recognizable partner. We have also been building very steadily on another priority discipline: literature. In 2016, the Netherlands was Gastland at the Frankfurter Buchmesse, we worked towards that for years and the effect on the interest in Dutch literature and the number of translations is still visible. We are now looking into scaling up our presence and visibility at the Leipziger Buchmesse and the wonderful Leipzig Liest festival, which is more geared towards the public."

    I think it's very interesting that you say, it's not about what I came up with in the past year, it's about what has been happening in a very sustainable and structural way for years. Do you also have your own ideas that you are trying to implement?

    "In the field of the creative industry, the third priority discipline, I really want to bring focus. We have been somewhat delayed by circumstances, but we are now looking at two topics; design & circularity and design & public space. We are developing a more strategic approach towards profiling the Dutch design expertise in these fields."

    Dutch Ambassador speaks at the 'Buchpremiere' of Daan Heerma van Voss at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Berlin. Photo: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Berlin
    You mentioned that some circumstances can cause delays. What challenges do you have to work with, to sail the course you want?

    "The three royal visits to a number of Bundesländer we’ve organised in the past ten months have had considerable impact on the deployment of our capacity. But at the same time these visits are a very effective way of profiling the Netherlands, not only economically but also culturally, and we make sure that these visits give a sustainable push to what we are already doing."

    In addition to your team in Berlin, there are also consulates in Munich and Düsseldorf. How do you work together?

    "Indeed, the German ‘culture team’ has a colleague in Munich, and since recently a colleague in Düsseldorf. Germany is too large a country to cover only from this, let´s say eccentrically located capital in the North-East. But we really work as a team, we develop plans together and discuss ideas together."

    The culture of remembrance; Erinnerungskultur and Vergangenheitsbewältigung, is an important aspect of working in Germany
    You mentioned that culture has a special place in Germany society, and that it is important to profile the Netherlands as a cultural country. Is that why you also travel a lot in Germany yourself?

    "In Germany, culture is very closely linked to public administration and politics. And government officials and politicians are not worried about being perceived as ‘elite’ when they are seen reading a book or visiting an exhibition. They are also very much present at cultural events and openings. And they expect us, as Dutch representatives, there too, you have to be there! And whenever we can, we (whether it is the ambassador, myself or a team member) also step onto the stage at an opening.

    Opening speeches, Grußworten, here in Germany are not quick and jolly words of thanks, you are expected to provide in-depth exploration of the subject, and display above-average Bildung and rhetorical finesse. Without at least three to five of such speeches, an opening is not a proper opening. Personally I really enjoy these openings, and also hugely enjoy delivering those speeches myself, and thus conducting ‘diplomacy by Grußwort’."

    What Dutch activity in Germany in the coming period are you looking forward to?

    "For the Berliner Festspiele at the end of the summer, Dutch video-art duo Metahaven from Amsterdam is invited to do a wonderful immersive project in a temporary dome. And the Concertgebouw Orchestra is part of the Musikfest with a Louis Andriessen program, who just turned 80 by the way. In the Netherlands he is perhaps the best known modern composer, and I find it very exciting that he suddenly gets attention here.

    Of a completely different nature is the subject of dealing with heritage acquired in a colonial context, as topical and sensitive in Germany as it is in the Netherlands. We work towards forging common approaches by museums in both countries and cooperation between the German Minister of State for Culture and Media, Monika Grütters, and our Minister for Education, Culture and Science, Ingrid van Engelshoven, who have both expressed the need for closer European cooperation."

    Royal Visit to the Babelsberg filmstudio's in the filmset of Grand Hotel Budapest May 2019. Photo: Jasper Kettner
    With a background as a historian, you are also interested in our shared past, which is perhaps not always easy to discuss?

    "The exhibition Jewish persecution in photos in the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam will come to the Topography des Terrors in Berlin. A photo exhibition in Berlin, about the persecution of the Jews in the Netherlands, partly financed by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That is really very special, then you are indeed talking about dealing with a complicated past. The culture of remembrance; Erinnerungskultur and Vergangenheitsbewältigung, is an important aspect of working in Germany."

    Do you have a word of advice for Dutch cultural makers who have the ambition to work in Germany?

    "Germany is not just Berlin! There are amazing opportunities in other parts of Germany as well, in Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Leipzig and in the medium-sized cities. Look for instance at the work of Dutch Wunderbaum in Jena. It is worthwhile to look further than Berlin, or to look closer-by than Berlin really!

    In addition, sustainability is really important. Take the time to build a contact. Invest seriously in collaboration. And speak German. It is possible without, but it opens doors and gives you a huge plus in likability. Moreover, competition is fierce, you do have to come up with a good plan. Germans basically do not need Dutch arts and culture, they can fill their programmes and their spaces perfectly without us."

    What I will take with me, I think, is really not shying away from in-depth engagement and content
    You have a few years in Germany, before you return to the Netherlands, or perhaps to another country. What are you going to take with you from the German mentality and way of working? The German pünktlichkeit?

    "I am pünktlicher than a German, so in that respect I fit in really well here! What I will take with me, I think, is really not shying away from in-depth engagement and content, instead of the Dutch way of taking ´grote stappen, snel thuis´. To take more and smaller steps, to really read the book, and to dare to have a conversation with each other about it. I plan to take that with me."

     

    Cultural Attaché Beate Gerlings of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Germany.jpg

    Cultural attaché Beate Gerlings of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Germany

    Do you want to know more about a cultural exchange with Germany? Find everything here.