The deficit has wiped out DNK with money from the reserve. And director Bruggeman also foresees a shortage for 2023. At the beginning of this year, she approached the municipality of Assen for support, because otherwise she would not be able to complete the annual budget. After all kinds of cost savings, 858,000 euros was still missing. Meanwhile, the city council, albeit grumbling, has jumped in to close the gap by half. The other half still has to save DNK somewhere indoors.
In exchange, Bruggeman had to go to town hall with a solid business plan for the future. In this, she must indicate how she wants to run the business financially for the longer term, in order to prevent new shortages. DNK recently submitted a vision for the next four years. Bruggeman does not yet want to say what that will look like. But she hopes for a response on June 1.
DNK receives more than 8 million in subsidies from Assen every year. Almost half goes back to town hall, for the rent of the building, and more than 4 million is spent on personnel costs. Bruggeman has been complaining for a few years that the costs are rising, but that the municipality does not sufficiently include this in the subsidy amount. “And because of the corona years we have not earned anything, so we have not been able to build up any reserves at all. The pot is empty, we are hitting the bottom.” She hopes for more compensation for the increased costs.
But Bruggeman doesn’t just want to look back, she wants to move forward. And hopes for better, more glorious times. She was therefore full of enthusiasm about the seasonal presentation, with a full room last night. There are high expectations of the successful musical Mamma Mia, with which DNK will open the new theater season 2023/2024 at the end of September.
DNK hopes that this will be ‘a real hit’. “I’m quite proud, because we are the only theater in Drenthe that has Mamma Mia on stage. A wonderful season opener,” she says. From September 27, the musical will be in the Asser theater for five days. DNK also expects a lot from big names such as Bert Visscher, Herman van Veen, Bouke, Bökkers, Van Dik Hout and Racoon.
New is the classic Rachmaninov 150 Festival at the beginning of December. DNK organizes this together with Muziekkamer Assen and Podium Zuidhaege. Assen will then be dominated by the Russian composer, pianist and conductor for four days. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Rachmaninov’s birth.
Ticket sales for the more than 1200 Friends of De Nieuwe Kolk started today, the rest can book tickets for the new theater season from next Tuesday.