(Coordinated) actions for equal opportunities are taken from within different government levels (the Communities, the Federal State, provincial and local authorities) and policy areas in Belgium (including the separate Flemish policy field of Equal Opportunities). Flemish anti-discrimination policies are aimed at equal opportunities on the basis of sex, gender, gender identity, gender expresssion, age, ethnic-cultural background, nationality, sexual orientation, disabilities, health condition, language, socio-economic position, religion and ideology, and other legally defined protected traits of people. Important institutions for realising equal opportunities and combatting discrimination on the Flemish and (inter)federal level are UNIA[1] (see also 2.5.1), the Flemish Ombudsman Service (see also 2.5.5), and the Institute for the Equality of Men and Women.
Sections 2.5.1, 2.5.5, and 2.5.6 discuss cultural policy initiatives for equal access to culture with regard to (respectively) cultural diversity, gender, and disability. One specific group of citizens not mentioned in previous sections but which has been consistently the subject of attention in cultural policy statements is people in poverty.[2] Since 2008, the Participation Decree (see 6.1 for details) provides a legal framework for support measures that aim to enhance access to culture for people in poverty — next to people with a culturally diverse background, people with disabilities, convicts, and families with children. Though some of the funding schemes of the Participation Decree have been repealed over the years, current minister of Culture Jan Jambon (2019-2024) stated he would continue to invest in (some of) these policy instruments.[3] Enhancing access to the arts for all people (especially children) in Flanders is one of the priorities of his Strategic Vision Statement on the Arts — and here, collaboration with out-of-school child care or the role of participatory artistic and cultural practices is deemed important (see 5.4).[4]
Section 6.4 mentions the different organisations and initiatives from the cultural field that actively engage with civil society, among them organisations discussed in 2.5.1 and 2.5.6. To those mentioned in the previous sections, we could add organisations that work with people in poverty (e.g. Cie Tartaren, Tutti Fratelli, Unie der Zorgelozen), refugees (e.g. Globe Aroma), or people (regardless of their background) from local neighbourhoods (e.g. Bij’De Vieze Gasten, kleinVerhaal, Zinneke).
Participation to culture in Flanders has been monitored since 2004 through the Participation Survey. Section 6.2 summarizes the results of the subsequent surveys, which show correlations with aspects such as age (younger generations participate less in ‘highbrow’ art such as performing arts, classical music, and museum visits), gender (women participate more, except for pop, rock, blues and jazz concerts), and the level of education (highly educated people participate more in most cultural activities). These surveys could not assess the impact of policy measures on cultural participation in Flanders.[5]
[1] In 2019, the current Flemish government decided to end the collaboration with the interfederal institute UNIA (see: Vlaamse Regering. 2019. ‘Regeerakkoord 2019-2024’, 112).
[2] Anciaux, Bert. 2004. ‘Beleidsnota Cultuur 2004-2009’, 46; Schauvliege, Joke. 2009. ‘Beleidsnota Cultuur 2009-2014’, 14-15, 22; Gatz, Sven. 2014. ‘Beleidsnota 2014-2019. Cultuur’, 36-37.
[3] Jambon, Jan. 2019. ‘Beleidsnota Cultuur 2019-2024’, 14.
[4] Jambon, Jan. 2020. ‘Strategische Visienota Kunsten’, 18-19.
[5] Lievens, John, Jessy Siongers, and Hans Waege, eds. 2015b. Participatie in Vlaanderen 2. Eerste analyses van de Participatiesurvey 2014. Leuven: ACCO Uitgeverij, 13-64.
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