Provincial and municipal cultural policy

The government has three layers: central government, province and municipality. They each have their own duties and corresponding budget.

Who does what?

The allocation of duties in the field of culture is roughly as follows: the central government is responsible for the production of national supply (the basic infrastructure); the municipalities are responsible, for example, for the accommodations for the performing arts and libraries; the provinces have a supplementary role and are responsible for the distribution of facilities.

Provincial cultural policy

After the elections for the Provincial Council, a coalition is formed per province. The participating parties together provide the members of the Provincial Executive and the provincial ‘ministers’. One of them has culture in their portfolio. The province acts as partner, as coordinator of local interests and as advocate thereof in The Hague.

The culture portfolio is often a matter of minor importance for a member of the Provincial Executive, who mostly has a small budget for this. The actual arrangements, but also forming and promoting visions, are often left to civil servants. This vision can be found in a provincial policy document on culture, or in specific policy documents about, for example, the performing arts or cultural heritage.

Special attention from the province is dedicated to issues that are not dealt with by the central government or by the municipalities. For example, supporting museums in villages, companies with a regional function and arts education teachers. The province also provides a support infrastructure by means of consultants and acts as organiser of a wide range of cultural events. The ‘pots’ of money available differ per province.

Fourteen active provincial cultural institutions join forces within the Raad van Twaalf (Council of Twelve). They share their expertise among each other and strive to achieve an optimal arts and culture environment in the Netherlands, together with other institutions, governments and initiatives.

Municipal cultural policy

After the municipal elections, a coalition is formed within municipalities. The participating parties together provide the aldermen. The available budget for arts and culture differs per municipality. This is dependent on the size of the municipality and the importance attached thereto. It may be several hundred thousands or tens of millions of euros per year. Municipalities mostly commit financial resources to the facilities in their municipality and, in addition, stimulate cultural activities by providing project subsidies to creators, organisers and amateurs.

An increasing number of cities are taking the initiative to write policy documents on culture in which the policy is mapped out for a number of years. The reason for this is often large investments that are being made, such as a new theatre or concert hall, a new pop music venue or museum.

Just like members of the Provincial Executive, aldermen often leave the actual arrangements, but also the formation and promotion of visions, to civil servants. The civil servants for culture often work together in a Culture Department, which mostly falls under the Welfare Department. In general, these civil servants are very closely involved in the cultural activities within their municipality.

Municipal subsidies
As is the case with the provinces, the money that is available for project subsidies is rarely placed in funds. This is due to the small size of these ‘pots’ of money available.

Large cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague are the exceptions; they finance more than the accommodations. That is because the size of their cultural facilities package: the most important companies and museums are located here, and this is where most artists live and there is the biggest audience. 

Amsterdam has copied the structure of the central government level. For example, there is the Amsterdam Arts Council and the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts and a policy document for the arts, also referred to as the Amsterdam basic infrastructure, is published every four years. In Rotterdam, the department Culture makes a Culture plan (Cultuurplan) every four years. In Utrecht, the Adviescommissie Cultuurnota (Advisory Committee on the Policy Document on Culture) does that.