Every week, Bor Beekman, Robert van Gijssel, Merlijn Kerkhof, Anna van Leeuwen or Herien Wensink take a position in the world of film, music, theater or visual arts.
Honestly, it was delicious. Finally back in the theater, under the guise of a haircut. Purely happy visitors with four comedians plus Diederik Ebbinge, who also almost burst with enthusiasm. On the stage of the Kleine Komedie they had to slalom past the barber chairs and were drowned out by a strenuous hair dryer, but we had been looking forward to this.
It was a cheerful and unmistakable signal: the cultural sector is tired of being closed to the relaxation and a large culture-loving public is longing for reopening.
What a relief to see a paralyzed sector bounce back for a moment, in such a worthy test of ingenuity, solidarity and humour.
But the undertone is, of course, gloomy. Self-employed professionals in the sector are up for grabs, and artists are forced to retrain. Artists are despondent, angry, frustrated and sad – and rightly so. This last, extended closure of the cultural sector can no longer be explained.
Inevitably, something unpleasant sneaks here and there among all those understandable emotions. It seems nit-picking after such a cheerful protest, but I think we should watch out for that. for what? For the best boy in the class syndrome, the symptom of an outdated inferiority complex. We have to get rid of that.
Ebbinge said it four times in talk show m, and was quoted vehemently: the cultural sector was done with being the best-behaved boy in the class. Hey, hey, is the tenor on social media, finally that good art world is making itself heard. The art finally bites off!
That is a condescending caricature: as if the cultural field has been standing with its feet up for two years and is being squealed by a tone-deaf government, just because it is often also a moneylender. Well no. The lobby of the cultural task force has gotten a lot done, see also the generous corona support. This is a matter of visibility and imagery, little else. And of course it’s good to increase that visibility, especially when it’s as contagious as this week.
But behind that militant language there is a bad assumption, namely that this cabinet rewards the biggest shouters. If you carry that thought through, then suddenly the sector is partly to blame for the closure with its good manners. The corona policy is incomprehensible, but there is really no causal relationship between the largest mouth and an accelerated opening. Just look at the catering industry: it has been acting cool since the start of the crisis, but is still closed. Education, on the other hand, was allowed to reopen without the school buses having entered the Binnenhof.
Individual artists may be obstinate, seek boundaries, confront, disrupt – certainly, please. But cultural institutions also have other responsibilities – not least to their audiences. It is therefore especially commendable that people are careful and follow the rules. It would be nice if this was finally recognized by the cabinet.
There is nothing wrong with being the nicest boy in the class, as long as he can play outside again soon. Kapsalon Theater was a gratifying taste of it.