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This section contains an overview of cultural institutions in the Netherlands (1.3.1), data on selected public and private cultural institutions (1.3.2) and trends and strategies considering public cultural institutions (1.3.3).

Cultural governance Good governance in the cultural sector has been an issue of growing interest since 2000, when a special commission, headed by Melle Daamen, published a report on cultural governance. This report was followed by a code of conduct for the cultural sector in 2003, which in its place was replaced by the first Code Cultural Governance in 2006. The latest version of the Code was published in 2019 and offers a normative framework for good management and supervision in cultural organisations. National identity In the coalition agreement for 2017-2021 (Confidence in the Future), the current government emphasises the... read more →

On an international level, the Netherlands participates in UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention (1972). The convention includes guidelines regarding the conservation of nature and the preservation of cultural properties. Countries that have signed the convention “are encouraged to integrate the protection of the cultural and natural heritage into regional planning programmes, set up staff and services at their sites, undertake scientific and technical conservation research and adopt measures which give this heritage a function in the day-to-day life of the community.” An example of a regional initiative regarding cultural sustainability is the policy of the province Zeeland. Their recent cultural policy... read more →

In the 2018 cultural policy letter Culture in an open society, the theme of diversity is highlighted by the following objectives, which the Ministry deems important for all tiers of government:    “Creative and artistic talents are given chances and opportunities to flourish.                Everyone, regardless of age, cultural background, income and place of residence, should have access to culture.  The range of culture on offer should be pluriform, with established forms cherished and new forms embraced.          Culture needs to be a safe haven within which to reflect on society and its citizens, and to criticise them.” On the local level, programmes... read more →

In the policy letter Culture in an open society (2018), the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science focuses, among other things, on the process of inclusion by means of culture: “Culture is significant for the future of our nation, in the public debate about identity and in the search for what connects us all.” The Ministry implemented the following objectives to improve diversity in the cultural sector: The Ministry aims to match the interests of the diverse groups in society with diverse cultural offerings. Examples to reach this goal are the creation of talent programmes and the improvement of the... read more →

In the Netherlands, several foundations focus on the improvement of the position of disabled citizens in the cultural sector. Examples of these foundations are Special Arts (that aims to improve the artistic participation of the disabled) and 5D (that tries to enhance the position of the disabled in the performing arts sector). Also, initiatives such as Creative Access (sign language or subtitles) and Disabled Led Theatre are used to improve the accessibility of performing arts for citizens with vision problems in particular.[1] The Netherlands ratified the UN-declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2016. The convention ensures disabled... read more →

Since 2007, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has been coordinating policies regarding the emancipation of women and the LGBTI community. The Emancipation Department of the Ministry is responsible for the specific policies. The current Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Ingrid van Engelshoven, has the function of Minister of Emancipation as well. The main objectives of the Emancipation Department are the employment of women, combating violence against women and LGBTI citizens and equal rights for the LGBTI community. For the coalition agreement 2017-2021 (Confidence in the Future), eight parties of the current government signed the Rainbow Agreement: “A... read more →

There are two official languages in the Netherlands: Dutch and Frisian. Dutch The Dutch language is principally spoken in the Netherlands, Flanders and Surinam. Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch, which is still spoken by South Africans. The Dutch language policy is managed by the Committee of Ministers (Comité van Ministers), comprising the Dutch and Flemish culture and education ministers and a representative from Surinam. The Interparliamentary Committee (Interparlementaire Commissie) monitors the language policy, while the Dutch Language and Literature Council (Raad voor de Nederlandse Taal en Letteren) advises policymakers. Dutch language policy is developed and implemented by the... read more →

Media policies Central in the Dutch media policy are freedom of speech and independence. Following the constitution, the government is obliged to guarantee plurality, accessibility and affordability of information. It encourages that the media system in general represents a sound variety of viewpoints and that media are protected against all kinds of undesired influences. Article 7 of the constitution offers independence of all media. Journalists, writers and broadcasters can publish and broadcast whatever they wish. They are fully responsible for the content, any interference from government in advance is prohibited (no censorship). Public and commercial broadcasters are obliged to take... read more →

Since 2006, citizenship is a mandatory subject at schools for primary, secondary and special education (as laid down in Article 8.3 of the Primary Education Act, Article 17 of the Secondary Education Act and Article 11.3 of the Expertise Centres Act). Within this subject, the starting point is that pupils grow up in a pluriform society. Active citizenship and social integration should be promoted and pupils should be aware of the different backgrounds and cultures of their peers. Within citizenship education, diversity is a theme in the broad sense of the word: from cultural to sexual diversity. Citizenship is not... read more →