16.2 million euros in subsidies for the West Flemish arts sector
The Flemish government decided today about the structural operating subsidies for our arts organizations for the next five years. Initially, 154 million euros was budgeted for this. Based on the applications and assessments, this amount turned out to be insufficient. Flemish Minister of Culture Jan Jambon committed himself to making more resources available. Today, the result is that 20 million euros of additional resources were found, explains Flemish MP Cathy Coudyser (N-VA).
Impulse of 8.46 million euros for the artistic activities of 20 West Flemish arts organizations
Of the 26 West Flemish arts organizations that submitted an application for one policy period of five years, 20 were finally granted. Logically, there are many strong players in this, including Muziekcentrum Dranouter from Heuvelland, Design Region Kortrijk, Theater aan Zee from Ostend, Cactus Muziekcentrum from Bruges and De Zwerver from Middelkerke. In addition, there is also innovation in the West Flemish arts field with the Bruges non-profit organization De Batterie, which brings children into contact with art, and the performing arts company Not Standing by choreographer Alexander Vantournhout from Roeselare. “The extra resources that were found allow four West Flemish artistic projects that received a positive assessment but initially fell outside the budget to be funded. In concrete terms, this concerns the international project orchestra Anima Eterna with a base in Bruges, the classical music festival Festival of Flanders, the Bruges non-profit organization De Batterie and the performing arts theater Malpertuis from Tielt.”
These are the 20:
- 4AD: 508,000
- Anima Eterna: 614,000
- Bryggen – Bruges Strings: 260.000
- Cactus Music Center: 427,000
- The Battery: 204,000
- The Wanderer: 402,000
- Kortrijk design region: 97,000
- Flanders Festival Bruges: 286,000
- The Depot: 370,000
- Il Gardellino: 387,000
- International Arts Festival Next: 288,000
- Small Story: 597,000
- Dranouter Music Center: 122,000
- Not Standing: 385,000
- Flanders Symphony Orchestra: 1,244,000
- Theater Antigone: 968,000
- Theater Malpertuis: 733,000
- Union of the Careless: 507,000
- Wild West: 725,000
- WHITE.H: 276,000
Music organization La Baracca, Ponyvalent from Waregem and the Deerlijkse vzw Reveil are not eligible for a subsidy.
West Flanders will also have two core institutions
During this application round, arts organizations were able to apply for the first time to become a Flemish core institution and to obtain structural support for two successive policy periods. The prospect of greater financial security in the longer term appealed to both the KAAP Bruges Arts Center and BUDA from Kortrijk in our province. Both West Flemish candidacies are now being confirmed by the Flemish government. BUDA and KAAP receive annual support of 1.17 and 1.85 million euros respectively for their own operations.
1. Buda Arts Center: 1,170,000
2. Cape: 1,855,000
Bruges Concert Hall
Finally, the Bruges Concertgebouw continues to be recognized as an art institution of the Flemish Community and can therefore count on 4.75 million euros in support from Flanders over the next five years.