Amsterdam. comments on a city of culture

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1 Amsterdam comments on a city of culture

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3 3 Contents Part I Introduction and summary 5 1. Introduction 5 2. Summary of report, conclusions and recommendations 7 Nederlandse vertaling van inleiding en samenvatting: 1 Inleiding 16 2 Samenvatting, conclusies en aanbevelingen 18 Part II Overall context and im pressions Amsterdam in relation to Holland and the international arts world 28 Part III Issues and themes Image, marketing and packaging The public domain Young artists of Amsterdam The changing face(s) of Amsterdam 48 Part IV Infrastructure The infrastructure of the arts Large and small structures, old and new structures Decisions and decision making in the cultural sector 58 Part V A look at four arts sectors The visual arts The performing arts Film, video and new media Festivals and events 81 Part VI A look at four districts Oud West a home for artists colonies Zuidoost reviving a community Westerpark a new arts centre in old buildings Oostelijk Havengebied with a holistic planning and public art 98 Acknowledgements 101

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5 5 Part I Introduction and summary 1. Introduction I was kindly invited by Saskia Bruines, Alderman for Culture to be Amsterdam s first Cultural Commentator. The original invitation was made by the former Alderman Jikkie van der Giessen and the invitation was confirmed by Saskia Bruines, when she took over the post in May The initial invitation was to have an opportunity to have a first hand impression of the cultural life of the city of Amsterdam and to comment on this to the city department of cultural affairs and to the committee for culture. As this was the first experience with such a programme, there was no fixed model. There was a wish by the department that the final report should be made available in connection with the evaluation of the present Kunstenplan and the forthcoming discussion regarding the plan for the next period This wish also determined the timing of the programme. I was invited to Amsterdam for a 14 day period in October After discussions with Saskia Bruines and Toni Niël, we decided that the most valuable and the only realistic approach was to make an across the board look at the cultural life of the city. This would ensure that individual institutions would not be the focus (although they would naturally be involved and also function as examples), but rather that my commentary should look at a certain number of themes and questions which could be both relevant and interesting for the city and myself. It was also decided that the term to be used was a cultural commentary, to avoid any possible associations with either a more formal analysis or evaluation. The programme was essentially to be a personal commentary and was to be conducted in an informal manner. A number of themes were decided upon. At the same time, these themes would only be guidelines. Following on from this I have actually extended some of the themes and also felt at liberty to comment on other issues I feel are important in the cultural life of the city at present. The themes were : the public domain in Amsterdam, hereunder the image of the city, the overall impression of the city infrastructure and structures in the cultural sector the question of supply and demand within the cultural sector, including artists facilities the demands to the cultural section of the changing population of the city (in particular the multicultural nature of the population and the young). These are extremely broad themes and give ample possibility to include most items I felt were important. At the same time, the subjects reflect the actual discussions in the city at present, and therefore would hopefully be relevant in the discussion around the coming Kunstenplan. Although the final structure of the report has not kept precisely to these themes, all are in fact included in the report and are also quite central to the report. As regards the method of commentating and reporting, we opted for a personal approach based on dialogue and based on visits to institutions and projects.

6 6 With only 14 days, I felt the task was best tackled by organising a series of informal round table discussions. There were 10 such round table meetings, each lasting 2-3 hours and with a total of some 60 key persons participating. Subjects such as multiculturalism, the performing arts, young artists, a local district Oud West, the image of the city were used to discuss both these specific issues but also invite people to comment on the situation in Amsterdam in general. The round tables proved to be extremely interesting and I hope that the participants also valued them as indeed several have commented. I also visited around different theatres, museums, artists centres, local community centres, media centres, young theatres, concert halls and cultural institutions, some 15 museums/galleries and some 10 evening events (concerts, theatre and dance). In connection with these visits, I usually had meetings with representatives of the institution s venues/events. In all, I met with some 100 key persons, who I believe were a reasonable cross section of the Amsterdam arts world. I did decide to concentrate on directors of institutions, programmers of festivals and organisers of events and policy maker, rather than on artists or the general public i.e. the persons who were responsible for the cultural sector. So, one could say that it is these people who have been my guides into the Amsterdam cultural world and it is their stories, criticisms and hopes I have had to relate to and try to translate. These meetings, together with a quick look at statistics, programmes and plans and continual walking and biking around the city, form the groundwork of this report. The structure of the report is based on these meetings and visits. There are some specific references to quoted statements, some observations on visits to institutions and events,and also quotes from statistical material and reports. I have followed these up with some of my own general and personal observations. I hope that this mix will not only be readable for those who know the Amsterdam s cultural scene extremely well, but also arts and cultural professionals in general. I must admit, that I often felt that I was barely scratching the surface, and that there were many, many people I should have talked to and that I also felt limited with respect to the details of the interesting individual issues and cases. However, I do feel that I was met with an openness, honesty and straightforwardness which has made this programme worthwhile and, although I admit to its inconsistencies and shortcomings which are mainly due to the time factor, I believe that this approach and the resulting could be a positive contribution towards stimulating an more open debate about the state of culture in the city of Amsterdam and, more specifically, to raise a number of central questions which ought to be addressed in the near future. Once again, I thank the city of Amsterdam for having this opportunity of being allowed to play a temporary role in the cultural life of one of the most vibrant and humane cities in the world. I hope that my observations will be of value in the forthcoming policy discussions. Trevor Davies Copenhagen, Nov ember 1999

7 7 2. Summary of report, conclusions and recommendations 3 Amsterdam in relation to Holland and the international arts w orld There can be little doubt that Amsterdam has always had a high status among European cities as a city of culture. Amsterdam is the traditional cultural capital of The Netherlands, while Rotterdam has the role as the commercial and industrial capital and Den Hague as the political capital. Amsterdam has always been synonymous with culture, and walking through the city, the historic role of culture in this city is obvious and the cultural buildings dominate the townscape. As recently as 1997, the department for culture has made a survey of some 15 major European cities, as Amsterdam is jostling for 3 rd place with Milan, Barcelona, Berlin, after Paris and London, on almost every factor, including number of arts institutions, public attendance, level of city support and so on. On the national level, with almost 3 million visitors to all kinds of registered events, the city also ranks as the most active city in the country. Arriving in Amsterdam I was loaded with 150 different programmes for institutions and events happening in October. I could also look in the very useful Uitkrant to get an overview: Whatever one taste, there was something on offer. On this superficial level, the city of Amsterdam can still be proud of its cultural programmes, institutions and proud of being a city which manages to balance the traditional with the untraditional and the fine arts with popular culture. As many of the people I spoke to confirmed there is an audience for everything in Amsterdam and I experience this personally, covering many events and meeting full houses, queues for the museums and at the ticket offices. Amsterdam still attracts young people, artists love to live in the city, the tourists are flocking and there is a great development boom outside the city centre. There is a general feeling that Amsterdam is still on top of the world and that its sovereign position as open of the most beautiful and relaxed cities is unassailable. There is the danger that Amsterdam s own success may be one of the problems and many I spoke to were becoming a little critical of the self satisfaction and complacency in the city and by the city authorities. This means that there are problems to be solved and issues to be addressed but this was not being done. I did feel that this extremely self critical role might however be just as much a stigma and image than a reality. Despite the figures, there is among many people I talked with - and I agree with them - the feeling that Amsterdam is loosing its leading position in the cultural field. This criticism is more in the field of content, quality and development rather than in quantity. This situation is symbolised in the current debate about the location of the Instituut voor Beeldcultuur, and indeed I would go so far as to say that Amsterdam is going through an identity crisis at present. 4 Image, information and marketing The image of Amsterdam has two main pillars : the 17 th and 18 th century which gave the canals and the magnificent townscapes and some of the worlds most prolific artists such as Van Gogh and Rembrandt. The second pillar is Amsterdam as the only surviving hippie colony in the world, and the strong autonomous arts scene, the liberal attitudes, the

8 8 alternative life styles and the huge wave of art produced by independent artists in their independent squats. However, these two images are so strong that they tend to dominate in the city and perhaps also tend to block for alternative images, counter images and the creation of new images. When images become too strong, reality may take the passenger seat. And perhaps this is the danger of Amsterdam becoming a theme park or two theme parks as has been suggested. I met many people in the arts world as well as those responsible for promotion of the arts and promotion of the city, who are worried about Amsterdam s image, and more precisely worried about the lack of concern with the image(s) of the city. There are signs that Amsterdam accepts the image of itself which are easily obtained, while other images are not developed or projected. There is a search for new identities for the city implicitly or explicitly. People such as Stephen Hodes express concern at the lack of seriousness while the city looks at its image problem and state clearly that the city must give more attention to the possibilities it has and use the arts to profile the city and use this to support the arts. Looking at the budgets reserved for this, I would say that this criticism is justified. Amsterdam has always been a leader in city marketing of the arts, with the AUB s activities. These are still functioning well, and form the backbone of a sober and established network of information for residents and for visitors alike. The marketing of arts in the coming years will need a far greater emphasis of diverse sub cultures, life styles and personal tastes, and one should use this platform to develop new activities and initiatives which would develop audiences and develop activities hand in hand. A more aggressive and selective approach would supplement the current programmes. The increased use of the new media might also be encouraged. Such initiatives could be based on the needs of specific community groups (ethnic groups, young people, communities and special interest groups) and also based on the need of clusters of arts organisations and events. The traditional there is always a public for whatever you do in Amsterdam which is quoted by many organisers and producers, begs the question is there is always something for whatever the public. Looking closer at audience figures, these are boosted by a strong national and international public (50% of the arts public and some 35% of the performing arts public). Bearing in mind that there are groups of people who use the cultural offerings extensively, one can conclude that there are many groups of residents who do no use the facilities and events. This is a major challenge for the arts institutions, but the consequences will also involve the generation of new activities, events and new marketing. 5 The public domain The unique character of Amsterdam is one of the city s absolute strong points. The city centre in particular reflects the character for the city. The intense activity, the self regulating closeness, the mix of the building uses in the centre, the human scale and the positive balance between order and chaos. The city eludes its liberal character and its internationalism and its insistence of the individual before the mass. Having said this, there are signs that the centre is in danger of being downgraded slowly and that the activity patterns and cultural spheres of the city population is becoming segregated: The question is does the city centre still act as a symbol for the whole population or is the centre is becoming a city within a city. The commercialisation and the downgrading of the red light district, the brashness and functionalism of the tourist trap running from the Town Hall, via the Dam and to the Leidseplein, the bad street furniture designs - these areas are indeed becoming behavioural ghettos.

9 9 I think it is important to control the public space in Amsterdam lets face it, there is not much of it and in a city such as Amsterdam the public space is absolutely vital in the city centre and also in the various communities. The example of the Museumsplein is striking. Moving to the inner suburbs and beyond the ríng roads, one meets another Amsterdam. An Amsterdam which doe not fit into one s preconceived picture of the city and which is evidence of a city fighting to deal with too little space, an increasing ethnically diverse community and the mistakes of yesteryears planning. The visions of the 60,s have become the problems of today and the legacy of the 20 th century. Looking at the distribution of the public domain of indoor and outdoor public space one can easily see that this distribution is uneven and that intricate systems of urban life and the balance of urban life is threatened. This has made it hard for many groups of residents to actually become communities and cultures - and to participate in the city s urban domain. This should be looked at. The recent study by Jos Gadet is revealing on this subject. The question of identity and of identification in the city would seem to be of paramount importance. In this struggle, the role of the public domain and the role of culture is essential. Furthermore, how can disadvantaged groups formulate their own domain, how can they create it and how can they use it? It is important that these processes involve people as active, creative individuals and that one taps into the creative resources which are at present latent. It is not enough to create client communities. This will involve not only provision of spaces, but the use of cultural manifestations, events and creative processes on a far greater scale than at present. There are good examples such as the gay parade, the Uitmarkt, the Kunstschooldag and Kwaku: More participatory events are needed. Looking at the report from KPMG from1994 on the importance for the arts to the city of Amsterdam, it is clear that the residents of Amsterdam value the art and culture of their city and they value all forms of culture and not just the culture they themselves are part of. This report underlines the fact that the Amsterdam population supports the arts as a community developer and as an integral part the city s identity and that the arts have a central role to play in a creative and sustainable city. 6 Young artists Amsterdam has traditionally been a haven for young artists, The policies of the arts educational institutions, the character of the city and the bohemian life style, the availability of cheap space and accommodation have all been important. The city attract many artists from other cities in Holland and also from abroad, and these are one of the city s greatest assets, as pointed out by Janwillem Schrofer. There are signs that this situation is seriously threatened. There is a general outcry from young artists and from cultural institutions working with young artists that that they are becoming more marginalised and that, in tact with the redevelopment of the city centre and the docklands, There is a need for working spaces of different kinds and there need to be an overview of the actual situation plus effective methods to alleviate the situation, and ensure the continued autonomous activities which these building generate. Furthermore, it might be considered to give such centres status as cultural production centres and consider more permanent support measures.

10 10 7 The changing face(s) of Amsterdam One of the most pressing questions in Amsterdam at present is the rapidly changing faces of the population, and the some 50% of the under 19 year olds from immigrant ethnic backgrounds, the role of the arts sector will undergo serious revision in the coming years. Generally there is a growing awareness and concern with this question but a general lack of competence as well. On the other hand the situation offers many changes and has also some wonderful opportunities. Although this situation is not new, there are still many unresolved questions to be looked at and the number of successful strategies and practices are not all that convincing. However, there are a number of cultural institutions which have been pioneering in various fields, such as the Tropenmuseum. Paradiso and Melkweg, Cosmic and many locally based and successful activities. Their results and findings should be shared. Plans by several theatres such as the Nestheaters and arts institutions to initiate arts outreach projects are extremely encouraging. It is important to plug into the existing cultural initiatives if the very different immigrant communities, to support the many small and local initiatives and also to open the existing structures and events of the city: there is no blueprint for success, and Amsterdam has probably better chances than many cities of succeeding in this policy. It also demands an across the boards approach and the educational sector and social sector must also become involved. The art education organisation such as the Kunstweb might also have a role in these initiatives as bridge the social the education and the artistic. There is a need to create an ongoing policy think, ongoing information and evaluation and ongoing resource centres in this question is to be taken seriously and placed as one of the priorities in the coming years. 8-9 Infrastructure and structures in the arts Although the level of the arts and culture in Amsterdam are, by any international standards, excellent, there are signs that Amsterdam is on the verge of an infrastructural boom in the coming years - with some large scale projects. There are different types of infrastructure and they will affect almost all sectors of the arts and a number of different localities. An overall overview of this programme would be advisable to ensure a rational progress and launching of the projects. The whole plan might be conceived in its totality. This huge investment will offer the opportunity for Amsterdam to update and diversify its image on all levels and this could be maximised and underlined by marketing and launching strategies. These projects will change the face of the Amsterdam arts scene.a number will upgrade certain sectors: - a new centre for contemporary music of all forms; - the new central library will launch a concept of an integrated media/information/libraries/information centre - a new centre for the art of photography; - a new training centre for dance. A number will signal a new vision for the city: - The Mojo concert hall, the Beeldverzamelgebouw, the multiplex cinema and a cultural centre in Amsterdam Zuidoost;

11 11 - The Oosterdokseiland development and the creation of a cluster of innovative institutions; - New centres for new media. A number will extend/renew existing institutions: - The Stedelijk Museum; - The Amsterdams Historisch Museum; - The Stadsschouwburg. A number will revitalise existing industrial areas - The Westergasfabriek; - A number of artists colonies including possibly, the NDSM dockyard. There is a need to develop new forms of cultural institutions which meet the demands of the new cross over art forms, the merging of information-art-philosophy an culture, the merging of the old and the new media, the public-private financing models, the networking nature of co-operation. Several prototypes exist in Amsterdam: the Vormgevingsinstituut (Design Centre), the Maatschappij voor Oude en Nieuwe Media, Felix Meritis, to mention some. However, most institutions still work in rather traditional ways. The city could develop such prototypes and also support the development of traditional structures to adapt to new needs and new opportunities. 10 Decisions and decision making in the cultural sector Amsterdam has always had a very well developed civil society model of decision making. This is participatory and this appears to be slower and more cumbersome than more structured and top down models, and cam give problems, But the model certainly does bear for quality and for an arms length. The existence of three intermediary structures, the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, the Amsterdamse kunstraad and the Platform of Amsterdam Art Institutions (ACI) provide the channels between the arts world and the political /administrative structure. There seems to be a rather unclear division of labour. After a period of turmoil for the AKR which seems to question its standing in the arts world, it would seem to be necessary to look at these three mechanisms together and to ensure that the roles are more defined The terms of these institutes might also fit into the planning terms of the city. At present there lacks an on going and open and on-going debate in the cultural sector, and this was pointed out by many persons. And it seems that many subjects were not take up as a result of this divide and rule strategy which some feel is the name of the game at present (new media in the arts, sponsorships and partnerships between the public and private sector etc.) This seems to be rather against the general atmosphere in Amsterdam, and I believe that it could be one of the consequences of the very structured/institution based art plan. The programme of new infrastructure could be looked at as a set of new structures and the whole question of creating new types of cultural structures for the next millennium must be dealt with. This factor plus the recognition of the realities of changing Amsterdam, the creation of more and the challenge of new media, the demands to link into the districts all point to the fact that the Cultural Department must be upgraded to meet this challenge. With only 8 staff members (6.5 f.t.e.) in the department of culture, the department is already far below the existing norm for similar European cities, and with the challenge of meeting the oncoming thresholds in the cultural filed, there is good reason to consider a substantial upgrading in certain aspects (especially in the developmental and across the board aspects).

12 12 The question of level of support for the cultural sector is always difficult to determine, as standards, level of activity, and priorities are often open to discussion and to individual assessment. However, it is clear from the many past reports made on the cultural sector in Amsterdam, the documented general public opinion in the city, the huge international traditional and status Amsterdam that the cultural sector must be perceived as a vital sector for the City of Amsterdam. A number of the findings of my superficial but hopefully accurate survey of the cultural sector point as some problems which can only be solved with additional funding and some opportunities which can only be solved with extra funding. The city budget of 140 mill. gld. seems to be under extremely hard pressure, and there is little room for adjustment and development. The funds for ad hoc projects, the funds for new initiatives and the funds for extra programming and one off major events are extremely limited by the requirement of structural funding. Unless there is paid careful attention to the needs to top up the funding for the arts in general to allow for ongoing adjustments and renewal as mentioned above and unless one looks at creating specific budgets for some of the new initiatives which are needed and ought top be launched soon, Amsterdam may well be soon standing in the shadow of other cities. There may well arise a situation with a number of drastic problems which become critical and a number of golden opportunities which might be missed. Looking at the cultural budget compared with other city budgets and looking at the added value of the cultural budgets to the city, there seem to be hardly any arguments as to not investing more in the arts and cultural enterprise Four arts sectors: The visual arts, The performing arts, Film/video/new media, Festivals There is a number of common impressions: The overall impression is a multitude of institutions, events, festivals and programmes. The programmes of Amsterdam compare favourably with other main European centres of culture. With thousands of events and some 2 million visitors to the arts, the situation appears indeed healthy. The visitors from outside the city and from other countries do account for a large % of the total number of visits in the arts in Amsterdam (visual arts 50%, performing arts 35%). Amsterdam must therefor accept this position and might even develop it and thus the question of supply and demand for events, activities and programmes must be developed with the role as a local, national and international centre for the arts. These positions may well be in conflict with each other and demand a clear standpoint as each strategy demands attention and resources. The overall stratification of cultural institutions in the city is very severe and this stratification is reflected in the size of the institutions, the position and power of the institutions, the budget of the institutions and the profile of the institutions. The cultural field is dominated by a relatively small number of major centres.(7 centres receive some half of the structural funding from the city. There is a general lack of middle scale institutions and there are an absolutely overwhelming number of small, independent and often struggling institutions. This imbalance (which has historical but also policy reasons) should be looked at and perhaps adjusted, by upscaling a number of smaller institutions which have a greater potential Amsterdam can be recognised by its strong independent nature of the arts institutions and initiatives which are often started by individuals in the cultural sector. This give a highly personal investment and highly profiled institutions.

13 13 Although there is among some of the traditional cultural institutions a common feature of complaining about the lack of subsidy which might limit activities and of insufficient interest from the city, there are however, many examples of institutions which manage to exist on an extremely varied income base, who are extremely innovative and independent. At almost all the roundtable meetings I had with institutions, there was a realisation of the lack of contact with other institutions. This would seem to be important to stimulate in the future, as many institutions could support each other far more than at present, and many institutions are unable to develop certain projects without co-operation. These contacts are both lateral and vertical in the cultural sector. There are some good examples of clusters of institutions/partners and these clusters often provide an ideal structures for development. Examples such as the big three museums on the Museumplein, the Nestheaters, the institutions around the Leidseplein. The same is occurring with the Westergasfabriek, and the same ought to happen in Amsterdam Zuidoost. The concept of clusters also applies to co-operation on festivals (such as the Worlswide Video Festival and the Rootsfestival) and ought to be developed and used as a strategic tool. It becomes quite apparent that there are two types of economy in the cultural sector: the economy of finance and the economy of resources. Whilst many institutions exists purely (or mainly) in a world for financial economy, many smaller institutions, community projects, young initiatives and subculture projects exist only because they involve artists, communities, other institutions to generate resources. It would be extremely relevant to look at this picture of the cultural economy. 11 The visual arts With the big 3 of the Museumsplein, Amsterdam has a museum trinity on a world level, which is one of the cornerstones of the cultural profile of the city and the current changes further improve its standing. The absence of photography is quite apparent in Amsterdam s visual arts profile, and as an art from which has huge potential and which can attract a wide public and which is a versatile arts for, it would be obvious to launch a major initiative in this field. I also felt that design and fashion might be areas which would open up the visual arts sector The smaller, more experimental visual centres such as De Appel, W139 and Montevideo are vital for the art form itself and for the artistic community of the city, and to be supported in different ways in order to reach their potential and an audience development should be part of this There is lack of space for middle scale international touring exhibitions and there is also the basis for a greater co-operation among the arts institutions on thematic exhibitions. The proposed Image Museum (Beeldverzamelgebouw) of the Southeast sounds exciting. 12 The performing arts The performing arts sector is dominated in status by The Muziektheater with the Nederlandse Opera and Het Nationale Ballet, the Stadsschouwburg, Toneelgroep Amsterdam and Carré, with a few medium scale theatres such as the innovative and popular De Kleine Komedie. Together with the lively cabaret scene, there is an amazing number of productions to be seen.

14 14 Apart from Toneelgroep Amsterdam which has a high artistic status and many independent companies, it seems that the role of the Stadsschouwburg should be crucial for the theatre sector of the city - and a leading role of the Stadsschouwburg is actually demanded by the theatre sector in general. With so many smaller theatres with overlapping profiles and audiences, one might consider a more clear structure among the many theatres. There are indications that there are simply too many performances presented too few times. The obvious cluster potential of the Nestheaters should be looked at. Many theatres are worried about the low level of their budgets to resent companies (from Amsterdam but also touring companies) and these worries seem justified. The lack of top international theatre and performance names in Amsterdam is significant and Amsterdam is definitely downgraded since the closure of the Mickery and the Shaffy, and the reputation among touring companies is not that flattering. Amsterdam has two unique cultural centres theatres of dialogue linking the arts with philosophy and politics: De Balie and Felix Meritis. Though recognizing the present difficult position of Felix Meritis, one could visualise this institution as a centre for international cutting edge theatre. Contemporary dance desperately lacks a centre and although this has been on the agenda for a number of years. At present, the dance community suffers from insufficient work spaces, support and attention and one should also try to group the dance community closer together to strengthen initiatives, programmes and festivals. 13 Film, video and new media The film sector is traditionally a state affair, and cities do not usually involved themselves in the film world. It would seem that there is strong evidence that this is not sensible. Amsterdam lacks screens is the mantra of the film world, but plans to open to multiplex cinemas in the centre and in Amsterdam Zuidoost, plus plans to open an independent quality floating cinema will have an enormous effect on the film culture of the city. It would seem to me that it is not acceptable that film culture is almost entirely based on the commercial ventures, and I would suggest that a policy be made for the film sector and that the film sector itself becomes more open for a dialogue with the city. Amsterdam has a number of innovative new media initiatives, such as the Old and New Media Centre and the visionary plans for the new central library. With the very challenging types of programmes the private- public cross funding and with the very competitive nature of this growth sector, it would seem to be important to support developmental initiatives in this sector which are directly related to the arts sector. 14 Festivals and events Amsterdam is a city of festivals some 114 are registered. The profiles of festivals are a good indication of the health and energy in a city s cultural life as most festivals are initiated to supplement and provoke the existing programmes. There is the danger however that festivals also become institutions in their own right, and this natural progression ought to be considered whether it is always viable. Festivals must be looked at as turning points for the arts and there must be connection between the festivals and the existing structures to ensure long tern influence and development. There are signs that the festival culture is becoming too independent.

15 15 Whereas some older and established festivals are in the clear need of a major brush up, some smaller festivals with potential are being kept on the edge of disaster by short term funding and uncertain futures A look at four districts The relatively new local government structure for the city of Amsterdam, with some 13 districts, has created a very different climate for the arts in Amsterdam with a set of opportunities but also wit a set of problems, which seem to influence the decision making process and also the reality for many cultural institutions and initiatives. Many organisers and cultural institutions complained bitterly over the lack of apparent contact between the districts and the central authority, and this void becomes event more apparent when a commercial developer is involved in order to take over the responsibility for developing certain buildings and areas (Westerpark, Oud West, etc). There is a case for reviewing this situation and for setting up mechanisms which ensure ongoing contacts. The status of culture in the districts is obviously extremely different, depending on the number of cultural activities and also on the profile and policies of the districts. There is however, the impression that most of the districts lack sufficient contact with local cultural institutions, and moreover lack the expertise and resources to be able to engage themselves adequately in this sector. The district councils might be expected to take a more active role in the coming years as many of the across the board issues will indeed involve an integral approach: young people, the ethnic communities, provision of space for artists, developing a sense of community, partners for redevelopment projects, partners in infrastructure projects for the arts In Oud West, I was surprised to find a rich community changed cultural life, and there was evidence of seething activity and enterprise. With three major artists colonies, the major need here is to find models for the development of such independent, pluralistic artists initiatives (financial. legal and structural). Such centres are one of Amsterdam s strong pillars and there ought to be a long term policy recognising, protect and develop such centres as viable cultural centres in Amsterdam. In Westerpark, there is the opportunity to create an arts park with a unique urban/rural quality, and this initiative has already shown to be a viable project. Again, one hopes that a common solution will be found to the current unsure situation and that this initiative received the attention it deserves from all sides. The most difficult and ambitious revitalisation programmes in Amsterdam is the current plans to invest in a series of large cultural centres in Amsterdam Zuidoost. After apparent neglect for many years and after a sense of growing isolation and a community which is dominated by immigrant ethnic groups, there seems to be a commitment on the part of the district and the city to change the course of history. These plans are indeed visionary, and to some extent may well improve the total infrastructure of the city. On the other hand, I feel that the long term, community based incentives, actions are just as important, and without these, the infrastructure may well be wasted, I would also like to support any plan to look at the cultural development of the area over a longer period. The initiatives by Paradiso, the Netheaters and Cosmic are exemplary and the model of interfacing arts institution with local communities ought to be encouraged. The evolution of the IJ-oever and Oostelijk havengebied is a prime example of common sense, great architecture and an exiting philosophy, in which artists have been involved. The plans to create an island of innovative cultural institutions including a new central library and a new concert hall by extending the city centre are indeed visionary.

16 16 1 Inleiding Saskia Bruines, wethouder van Cultuur, is zo vriendelijk geweest mij uit te nodigen de eerste 'Culturele Commentator van Amsterdam te zijn. Aanvankelijk kwam de uitnodiging van de voormalige wethouder Jikkie van der Giessen en Saskia Bruines heeft, toen zij in mei 1999 de functie overnam, de uitnodiging herhaald. Ik w erd uitgenodigd om zelf een directe indruk te krijgen van het culturele leven van de stad Amsterdam en om de afdeling Kunst en Cultuur en de Commissie voor Cultuur over mijn bevindingen in te lichten. Aangezien dit het eerste experiment w as met een dergelijk project, bestond er geen vaste opzet. De afdeling Kunst en Cultuur wilde graag dat het eindverslag gerelateerd zou worden aan de evaluatie van het lopende Kunstenplan en aan de nog te voeren discussie over het Kunstenplan voor de periode Deze wens was ook bepalend voor de periode waarin het project zou worden worden uitgevoerd. Ik werd uitgenodigd om in oktober 1999 voor twee weken naar Amsterdam te komen. Besprekingen met Saskia Bruines en Toni Niël leidden tot de conclusie dat de meest zinvolle en tevens enige realistische aanpak zou zijn om het culturele leven van de stad met een allesomvattende blik te bekijken. Een dergelijke aanpak zou voorkomen dat er te veel aandacht uit zou gaan naar de individuele instellingen (hoewel deze natuurlijk in het onderzoek betrokken zouden worden en als voorbeeld zouden fungeren). Ik zou me in mijn commentaar meer richten op een aantal onderwerpen en kwesties die zowel voor de stad als voor mijzelf relevant en boeiend zouden zijn. Ook is er voor de term cultureel commentaar gekozen om elke associatie met het meer formele analyse of evaluatie te vermijden. Het project zou in wezen een persoonlijk commentaar zijn en op informele wijze worden uitgevoerd. Van tevoren werd een aantal onderwerpen vastgelegd. Deze zouden in de eerste plaats dienen als richtlijnen. Ik ben dan ook op een aantal onderwerpen uitgebreider ingegaan en heb de vrijheid genomen ook commentaar te leveren op andere zaken die ik van belang acht voor het huidige culturele leven van de stad. De onderwerpen waren: het publieke domein in Amsterdam, waaronder het imago van de stad en de algehele indruk van de stad; infrastructuur en structuren binnen de culturele sector; vraag en aanbod binnen de culturele sector, inclusief de faciliteiten voor kunstenaars; de eisen die door de veranderende bevolkingssamenstelling aan de culturele sector worden gesteld (met name vanwege het multiculturele karakter van de bevolking en de jongeren). Deze thema s zijn zo veelomvattend, dat ook de meeste onderwerpen die ik van belang vond eronder vielen. Gelijktijdig zijn de onderwerpen een afspiegeling van wat er op dit moment speelt in de stad, en hopelijk zijn ze dus ook relevant voor de discussies over het komende Kunstenplan. Hoewel in het uiteindelijke verslag enigszins wordt afgeweken van deze onderwerpen, komen ze wel allemaal aan de orde en hebben ze een rol van betekenis. Aan het commentaar en het verslag ligt een persoonlijke aanpak ten grondslag. Gesprekken en bezoeken aan instellingen en projecten vormden de basis.

17 17 Omdat ik maar twee weken de tijd had, leek het mij het beste om een aantal informele rondetafelgesprekken te organiseren. Er zijn tien van zulke rondetafelbijeenkomsten geweest, die elk twee tot drie uur duurden en waaraan in totaal zo n 60 sleutelfiguren hebben deelgenomen. De bespreking van specifieke onderwerpen als het multiculturele karakter, podiumkunsten, jonge kunstenaars, een lokale wijk Oud West, en het imago van de stad bood tevens de gelegenheid commentaar te geven op de algehele situatie in Amsterdam. De rondetafelbijeenkomsten waren zeer interessant en ik hoop dat de deelnemers deze ook hebben weten te waarderen, zoals ik van een aantal van hen vernomen heb. Ik heb ook zo n 50 tot 60 verschillende theaters, musea, kunstenaarscentra, buurthuizen, centra voor de media, jeugdtheaters, concertzalen en culturele instellingen bezocht, zo n 15 musea/galeries en ongeveer 10 avondvoorstellingen (concert, theater, dans). Tijdens deze bezoeken had ik meestal ook een gesprek met vertegenwoordigers van de instellingen of gezelschappen in kwestie. Alles bij elkaar heb ik ruim 100 sleutelfiguren ontmoet, die naar mijn mening een redelijke doorsnee vormen van de Amsterdamse kunstwereld. Ik had besloten me vooral te richten op directeuren van instellingen, organisatoren van festivals en evenementen en beleidsmakers, en niet zozeer op kunstenaars of op het grote publiek. Met andere woorden, op de mensen die verantwoordelijk waren voor de culturele sector. Deze mensen zijn dus mijn gids geweest in de Amsterdamse culturele wereld en het zijn hun verhalen, hun kritiek en hun hoop die ik moest overbrengen en moest proberen te vertalen. Deze bijeenkomsten zijn samen met een korte blik op statistische gegevens, programma s en plannen en eindeloze wandelingen en fietstochten door de stad het fundament van dit rapport. De structuur van het rapport is gebaseerd op deze ontmoetingen en bezoeken. Het bevat specifieke verwijzingen, citaten, observaties met betrekking tot bezoeken aan instellingen en evenementen, en ook gegevens die ontleend zijn aan statistisch materiaal en rapporten. Daarna volgen mijn eigen algemene en persoonlijke bevindingen. Ik hoop dat deze mix niet alleen lezenswaardig is voor kenners van de culturele omgeving van Amsterdam, maar meer in het algemeen voor mensen die in de sector kunst en cultuur werkzaam zijn. Ik moet erkennen dat ik vaak het gevoel had aan de oppervlakte te blijven en dat er nog heel veel mensen waren met wie ik had moeten praten. Ik had ook het gevoel dat ik niet voldoende gelegenheid had in te gaan op de details van interessante persoonlijke zaken en onderwerpen. Ik vind echter dat ik met openheid, eerlijkheid en oprechtheid ontvangen ben, wat dit tot een waardevol project heeft gemaakt. Hoewel ik moet erkennen dat het rapport vooral door tijdgebrek tegenstrijdigheden en onvolkomenheden bevat, ben ik van mening dat deze aanpak en het resultaat een positieve bijdrage kunnen leveren om een meer open debat te bevorderen over de stand van zaken binnen de cultuur in Amsterdam en meer specifiek om een aantal centrale kwesties aan de orde te stellen die in de nabije toekomst aangepakt moeten worden. Ik wil de stad Amsterdam nogmaals bedanken omdat zij mij de gelegenheid heeft geboden om een tijdelijke rol te spelen in het culturele leven van een van de meest opwindende en menselijke steden ter wereld. Ik hoop dat mijn bevindingen een waardevolle bijdrage kunnen leveren aan de komende beleidsdiscussies. Trevor Davies Kopenhagen, november 1999

18 18 2 Samenvatting van het rapport, conclusies en aanbevelingen 3. De positie van de stad binnen Nederland en binnen de internationale context. Het staat buiten kijf dat Amsterdam onder de Europese steden als culturele stad altijd een hoog aanzien heeft genoten: Amsterdam is van oudsher de culturele hoofdstad van Nederland, terwijl Rotterdam de rol van commerciële en industriële hoofdstad vervult, en Den Haag die van politieke hoofdstad. Amsterdam is altijd synoniem geweest met cultuur en bij een wandeling door de stad is de historische rol van cultuur duidelijk te zien; culturele gebouwen domineren het stadsgezicht. In 1997 heeft de Afdeling Kunst en Cultuur onderzoek gedaan naar de 15 belangrijkste Europese steden. Parijs en Londen voeren de lijst aan, en de derde plaats wordt gedeeld door Amsterdam, Milaan, Barcelona en Berlijn op nagenoeg elk gebied, waaronder het aantal kunstinstellingen, aantal bezoekers, steun van de stad, etc. Ook op nationaal niveau staat de stad, met bijna drie miljoen bezoekers aan uiteenlopende geregistreerde evenementen, aangeschreven als het meest actief. Toen ik in Amsterdam aankwam, werd ik overladen met 150 verschillende programma s voor exposities, voorstellingen en evenementen in oktober. De Uitkrant was erg handig om een overzicht te krijgen; er was voor elk wat wils. Zo op het eerste gezicht mag Amsterdam nog steeds trots zijn op haar culturele programma s en instellingen en vooral ook op het evenwicht dat zij heeft weten te bereiken tussen het traditionele en niet-traditionele en tussen de hogere kunsten en de populaire cultuur. Veel van de mensen die ik heb gesproken, zeiden: In Amsterdam is voor alles een publiek te vinden. Dit heb ik ook persoonlijk ervaren bij het bezoeken van talloze evenementen en bij het aantreffen van volle zalen en rijen voor de musea en bij de kaartverkoop. Amsterdam trekt nog steeds veel jongeren, kunstenaars vinden het heerlijk om er te wonen, toeristen stromen toe en buiten het centrum zijn veel stadsontwikkelingsprojecten gaande. Het gevoel dat Amsterdam nog steeds dé stad is en dat haar soevereine positie als een van de mooiste en meest relaxte steden onaantastbaar is, overheerst. Amsterdam loopt het risico door haar eigen succes ingehaald te worden. Veel mensen die ik heb gesproken, lieten wat kritische geluiden horen over de zelfvoldaanheid en zelfingenomenheid van de stad en haar bestuurders. Dit betekent dat er problemen zijn die moeten worden opgelost en zaken die moeten worden aangepakt, zonder dat dit gebeurt. Ik heb de indruk dat deze zelfkritiek misschien eerder een stigma is en eerder berust op beeldvorming dan dat deze de realiteit weergeeft. Ondanks de cijfers hebben veel mensen met wie ik heb gesproken het gevoel dat Amsterdam haar leidende rol op cultureel vlak aan het verliezen is, en ik ben het met hen eens. Deze kritiek is meer gericht op inhoud, kwaliteit en ontwikkeling dan op de kwantiteit. Het huidige debat over de locatie van het Instituut voor Beeldcultuur is symbolisch voor deze situatie en ik zou zelfs zo ver willen gaan om te zeggen dat Amsterdam op dit moment in een identiteitscrisis zit. 4. Imago, informatie en marketing Het imago van Amsterdam steunt op twee peilers. In de eerste plaats het Amsterdam van de grachten en het prachtige stadsgezicht uit de 17 de en 18 de eeuw en de roem van een aantal kunstenaars van wereldformaat zoals Van Gogh en Rembrandt. In de tweede plaats Amsterdam als de enig overgebleven hippiekolonie van de wereld, met een sterk autonome

19 19 kunstscene, een vrije levenshouding, alternatieve leefstijlen en een gigantische hoeveelheid kunst die onafhankelijke kunstenaars in hun onafhankelijke kraakpanden produceren. Deze twee beelden zijn echter zo sterk dat ze de stad dreigen te domineren en daarmee de vorming van alternatieve imago s, contra-imago s en nieuwe imago s misschien wel in de weg staan. Als imago s te sterk worden, schuift de realiteit naar de achtergrond. Wellicht loopt Amsterdam het gevaar een themapark te worden, of twee themaparken zoals wel is gesuggereerd. Ik heb zowel mensen ontmoet uit de kunstwereld als uit de groepen die verantwoordelijk zijn voor de promotie van kunst of de promotie van de stad. Velen van hen maken zich zorgen over het imago van Amsterdam, en dan met name over het gebrek aan aandacht voor de beeldvorming van de stad. Er zijn tekenen die erop wijzen dat Amsterdam genoegen neemt met haar zo gemakkelijk verworven imago, en dat er niet wordt gewerkt aan de ontwikkeling en totstandkoming van andere imago s. Er wordt gezocht naar nieuwe identiteiten voor de stad, zowel impliciet als expliciet. Mensen als Stephen Hodes uiten hun bezorgdheid. Zij menen dat de stad haar imagoprobleem niet voldoende serieus neemt en stellen duidelijk dat er meer aandacht geschonken moet worden aan de mogelijkheden die de stad te bieden heeft, zoals het inzetten van kunst om de stad profiel te geven. Dit zou dan weer aanleiding zijn om kunst te steunen. Als ik de budgetten bestudeer die hiervoor beschikbaar zijn, ben ik geneigd te zeggen dat de kritiek gerechtvaardigd is. Met de activiteiten van het Amsterdams Uitburo heeft Amsterdam altijd een leidende rol gespeeld in de marketing van kunst in de stad. Het Uitburo functioneert nog steeds goed en vormt de ruggengraat van een sober en gevestigd informatienetwerk voor zowel de inwoners als de bezoekers van de stad. In de komende jaren zal er bij de kunstmarketing een veel grotere nadruk moeten komen te liggen op de diverse subculturen, leefstijlen en persoonlijke voorkeuren. Het Uitburo zou gebruikt moeten worden om nieuwe activiteiten en initiatieven te ontwikkelen die publiek aantrekken waardoor weer nieuwe activiteiten mogelijk worden. Een meer agressieve en selectieve aanpak zou de huidige projecten kunnen aanvullen. Ook het toenemend gebruik van nieuwe media zou aangemoedigd kunnen worden. Dergelijke initiatieven zouden zowel gebaseerd kunnen zijn op de behoeften van specifieke groepen binnen de gemeenschap (etnische groepen, jongeren, lokale gemeenschappen en speciale interesse-gebieden) als op de behoefte aan clusters van kunstorganisaties en evenementen. De oude spreuk wat je ook doet, er is altijd een publiek voor in Amsterdam die door veel organisatoren en producenten wordt aangehaald, roept de vraag op: is er wel altijd iets voor elk publiek? Een nadere bestudering van de cijfers over het publiek leert dat deze opgeschroefd worden door een groot nationaal en internationaal publiek (50% van het publiek voor beeldende kunsten en ongeveer 35% van het publiek voor podiumkunsten). Indien er rekening mee wordt gehouden dat er groepen zijn die intensief gebruik maken van het culturele aanbod, mag men concluderen dat er veel categorieën inwoners zijn die geen gebruik maken van de faciliteiten en evenementen. Dit is een grote uitdaging voor de kunstinstellingen, maar het betekent ook het genereren van nieuwe activiteiten en evenementen en het ontwikkelen van een nieuw marketingbeleid. 5. Het publieke domein Het unieke karakter is absoluut een van de sterke punten van Amsterdam. Met name het centrum weerspiegelt het karakter van de stad. De grote drukte, de zelfregulerende intimiteit, de uiteenlopende functies van de gebouwen in het centrum, de menselijke schaal en de positieve balans tussen orde en chaos. De stad straalt een vrijzinnig karakter, internationalisme en nadruk op het individu boven de massa uit.