Over a week after many arts organisations learned that they would not receive extra subsidies this year, the umbrella organisation Overleg Kunstenorganisaties (oKo) is asking for an additional €38 million in support from the Flemish government for the art sector.
With the hashtag #ambitieuzerdandit ("more ambitious than this"), Flemish and Dutch-speaking people in Brussels can express their support for organisations that are in danger of being excluded from receiving government subsidies.
"There is a great need for cultural protection and promotion, so we want to do this together, with everyone who finds art and culture important," said Leen Laconte of oKo on the campaign's website.
"With the #ambitieuzerdandit campaign, we unite around the strong need for culture and our request to the Flemish government to free up extra budget so that we can carry out our plans," she added.
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Approximately one in four organisations that applied for an operating grant for the 2023-2027 period received a negative "pre-advice" last week. This means that those organisations will lose their subsidies if that advice is followed.
The organisations include well-known art institutions like the Antwerp Toneelhuis, the Needcompany company and the Ictus music ensemble. Without further government subsidies, these organisations risk having to close their books and shut down.
Even before the preliminary advice, oKo already stated that there is simply too little money for the sector, and that an extra boost of €38 million (which is 0.07% of the Flemish expenditure budget) is needed to get the budget right.
However, with the #ambitieuzerdandit campaign, which is launching on Facebook and Instagram on Wednesday (today), the public can also express its support. More information can be found here.
