PANEL TALK AND KROKETTEN: FINANCING THE EXPERIMENTAL & ALTERNATIVE PERFORMING ARTS

Panel members: Sahand Sahebdivani (Mezrab), Elsa van der Linden (Bui), Anne La Berge (Splendor), Arthur van Beek (Sexyland World), Bart Verbunt (De Ruimte)

Funding a venue for alternative and experimental music and performing arts is a challenge! Structural support is hard to come by, but the past two years De Ruimte was fortunate enough to get a substantial amount of public funding from Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst (AFK) and Fonds Podiumkunsten (FPK). With these subsidies we were able to take big steps towards fair pay and setting up a durable organization.

Unfortunately, relying too much on subsidies creates a vulnerability. When Fonds Podiumkunsten published the follow-up to their subsidy for venues (Podiumregeling) in May last year, we found out that the rules can suddenly change. New guidelines meant that we could not apply. What came as a shock to us first, later became a reality check, and then an encouragement to think about other ways of financing De Ruimte.

This afternoon we want to specifically address these alternatives to public funding. We have invited people from venues with similar struggles to enter into a conversation about possibilities to create financial support in a sustainable way for places that don’t cater to the mainstream and where experimentation is a key element. After the brain picking, we will take care of your bodily needs. Famous krokettenbakker Luc Ex will serve some of his specialties, hot from the frying pan.

We are very happy that Sahand, Elsa, Arthur and Anne are here to discuss these matters with us and the audience.

Everyone is welcome to join us this afternoon.