Call to Action: Dance sector proposition for future cultural note period
Today, Nederlandse Dansdagen, in close cooperation with a wide representation from the dance field, presents a strong appeal to Minister Bruins for a resilient dance landscape.
1 May 2025
The decision-making process for the cultural period 2025-2028 did not bring the dance sector what we consider necessary for a vital dance landscape. We believe that, even within the framework of the current system, improvements are possible that will lead to a healthy and future-proof dance landscape in the Netherlands. That is why we have started discussions with parties in that Dutch dance landscape to present Minister Bruins with a proposition for the dance sector, so that it can weigh in his decision-making on the starting points for the period 2029-2032. In this letter, we set out our thoughts on this.
The central question in our conversations was whether the current subsidy system is equipped to support a dance landscape what the sector, what creators need in order to best reach, captivate and inspire audiences. Put the maker and the audience at the centre and consider how the system can support that.
In 2018, ND made its first appeal on behalf of the chain to the Minister of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and key stakeholders in the dance world. This contributed to some positive results, such as the focus on quality in the Basic Infrastructure (BIS), the flow of young creators and the restoration of the position of production houses. Nevertheless, the sector still sees numerous unresolved bottlenecks to which neither policy nor practice pays sufficient political attention. In addition, new bottlenecks and urgent challenges have emerged in recent years, first due to the corona pandemic and, since early 2022, due to the war in Ukraine.
For the second phase, the 2023 Call to Action was the starting signal. In this Call to Action, governments and partners were presented with solutions and outlined viable perspectives for all subsectors ahead of the 2025-2028 policy period.
