In the Netherlands, approximately 40 percent of the population is actively engaged in cultural activities.[1] If the more receptive activities are included, this number rises to 63 percent as far as culture as a whole is concerned, with 54 percent practitioners in arts and 32 percent in cultural heritage. Especially music, visual arts and the relatively wide category of film, video, digital graphic design and photography are popular.[2]
Especially kids and youngsters are culturally active. As far as adults are concerned, women and those with a higher degree in education take a more prominent role in cultural participation. Those who are participating in artistic activities, tend to be more active as volunteers, in sports, heritage and other cultural activities. Most of the artistic practitioners are positive about the availability and accessibility of cultural amenities.
Table 3: People who participated in or attended a certain cultural activity during the last 12 months in the Netherlands (in % of the population)
| Activities heavily subsidised by the state | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theatre | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Opera performances & concerts of classical music | 18 | 17 | 16 |
| Classical dance & ballet | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Libraries | 42 | 39 | 38 |
| Museums | 49 | 53 | 53 |
| Monuments* | – | 59 | 55 |
| Cultural centres | – | – | – |
| Activities without large public subsidies | |||
| Cinema | 65 | 65 | 67 |
| To read books not related to the profession or studies | 79 | 79 | 78 |
| In paper format (Usually use) | 78 | 76 | 74 |
| As ebook (Usually use) | 16 | 22 | 23 |
| Directly on the Internet (Usually use) | – | – | – |
| To listen to music (daily) (1) | 65 (2013) | 62 (2015) | 62 (2018) |
| In a computer or directly on the Internet | |||
| To read periodic publications (Usually read): Magazines (2) | 50 (2006) | 23 (2011) | 16 (2016) |
| To read periodic publications (Usually read): Newspapers (2) | 66 (2006) | 49 (2011) | 40 (2016) |
| Directly on the Internet (sites of newspapers or other websites for news) (2) | 16 (2006) | 28 (2011) | 28 (2016) |
| To watch videos (Usually watch) | 68.0 | 57.7 | 45.9 |
| Directly on the Internet | |||
| To watch television (Usually watch)** | – | – | – |
| Directly on the Internet | – | – | – |
| To listen to the radio (Usually watch)** | – | – | – |
| Directly on the Internet | – | – | – |
| To play videogames (Usually play) (1) | 17 (2013) | 19 (2015) | 18 (2018) |
| To use computer for entertainment or leisure (Usually use) | – | – | – |
| Internet for entertainment or leisure (Usually use) | 41 (2013) | 22 (2015) | 22 (2018) |
Sources:
Broek, A. van den and Y. Gieles. 2018. Het culturele leven: 10 culturele domeinen bezien vanuit 14 kernthema’s. The Hague: SCP; (1) Sonck, N., S. Pennekamp and F. Kok. 2014. Media:Tijd 2014. Amsterdam/The Hague: NPO/SCP; Waterloo, S.F., A.M. Wennekers and P.R. Wiegman. 2019. Media:Tijd 2018. Amsterdam/The Hague: NLO, NOM, SKO, PMA and SCP; Wennekers, A.M., D.M.M. van Troost and P.R. Wiegman. 2016. Media:Tijd 2015, Amsterdam/The Hague: NLO, NOM, SKO, BRO and SCP; (2) Wennekers, A.M., F. Huysmans and J. de Haan. 2018. Lees:Tijd – Lezen in Nederland. The Hague: SCP.
Notes:
*Historical city, village or building
** Elaborate research is being done on the amount of time people watch television and listen to the radio (1), percentages of the population in this respect are not available.
Table 4: People who have carried out artistic activities in the Netherlands in the last 12 months by type of activity, in % of total population, period 2012-2016.
| 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing | 12 | 10 | 11 |
| Painting or drawing | 18 | 17 | 20 |
| Other visual arts | 11 | 10 | 11 |
| Photography and making videos, digital design | 23 | 21 | 22 |
| Drama | 23 | 21 | 25 |
| Dance and ballet | 9 | 7 | 7 |
| Playing an instrument | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Singing | 23 | 21 | 25 |
Source:
Broek, A. van den and Y. Gieles. 2018. Het culturele leven: 10 culturele domeinen bezien vanuit 14 kernthema’s. The Hague: SCP.
[1] Neele, A., Z. Zernitz and T. IJdens. 2017. Kunstzinnig en creatief in de vrije tijd. Monitor amateurkunsten 2017: beoefenaars en voorzieningen. Utrecht: LKCA.
[2] Broek, A. van den and Y. Gieles. 2018. Het culturele leven: 10 culturele domeinen bezien vanuit 14 kernthema’s. Den Haag: SCP.
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