The government has developed several programmes in the past few years to support the music sector. One of the objectives, as stated in the policy letter Culture in an open society (2018), is the creation of talent development programmes and diversifying the music industry. With regard to the latter, EUR 3.75 million (2019-2023) will be invested to support symphony orchestras that offer jazz and pop music. The Performing Arts Fund NL and the Creative Industries Fund NL manage talent development programmes in the music industry.
An example is the pop music project Upstream, which is a collaboration with Sena (the organisation that manages the rights of performers and producers) and has a yearly budget of EUR 900 000. Minister Van Engelshoven mentions the following about this project: “I would like to give established talents the opportunity to improve their skills. To achieve that, artists need financial space to experiment and innovate. I want to help them with that. With this money, musicians can, for example, record new material or develop a live act. This allows them to take the next step in their career.”
The government also focuses on the development of co-productions in the music industry. Music festivals and venues are able to receive additional subsidy if they collaborate with other subsidised institutions with the aim to reach a broader local audience.
In their advisory report regarding the music sector, the Dutch Council for Culture recommends the following:
- “Develop a music policy, which is integral and inclusive.
- In addition to producing and presenting music, also pay substantial attention to talent development, education, management and preservation, innovation and experimentation.
- Recognise the characteristics and strength of a regional music climate.
- Review the composition of the basic cultural infrastructure and the function of the Performing Arts Fund NL.
- Pay explicit attention to diversity in music policy.
- Pay explicit attention to the improvement of the labour market for music professionals.”
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