Dutch govt. to push €80 mil. annually into music, arts & culture education

The Dutch government is allocating an annual 80 million euros a year for culture education, according to the memorandum Culture in an open society that Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven of Education, Culture and Science presented on Monday. Her ambition is to make sure that the cultural sector "flourishes", NOS reports.

According to Van Engelshoven, the existing cultural companies, museums and orchestras are of great quality. "They are and remain important." But she also wants to pay extra attention to new art forms, like digital culture, virtual reality art, fashion, and urban arts. The youth must also be confronted with theater, films and books on difficult subjects, like homosexuality, discrimination, bullying and forced prostitution. 

The Minister wants kids to become enthusiastic about culture at a young age. All children will therefore visit the Rijksmuseum or another museum during their school hours. The museums will also get extra money especially to welcome school kids.

The number of schools receiving a subsidy for music education is being expanded from a thousand to 1,600. 

"In addition, schools are being challenged to visit with their pupils culture that chafes", Van Engelshoven said, according to the broadcaster. Theater companies and the EYE Film Museum will receive extra money.

The government already agreed to put 325 million euros aside for monuments. Of that 30 million euros will be invested into restoring monuments like churches. The National Purchasing Fund's budget will also be supplemented - the purchase of Rembrandt's two wedding portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit in 2016 left the fund, through which museums purchase artworks 'of national importance', nearly depleted.