The municipality of Groningen and the Forum are looking for a solution to the financial deficit of more than one million euros. The cultural stronghold is unable to make ends meet this year.
Councilor Kirsten de Wrede (Culture, PvdD) announced on Wednesday during the weekly question time that the municipality will not abandon the Forum. The cultural stronghold is struggling with extremely high energy bills, as well as rising wages, rent, security and cleaning costs.
The city council was concerned about the financial shortfall. She wants to know whether the Forum will only contact the municipality this year or whether the request for an extra contribution will be repeated. “It cannot be the case that we have to make significant additional payments for a long time on a project that is not working,” says PVV councilor Dennis Ram.
He is referring to the Forum’s ability to hold its own as much as possible even in the face of setbacks. Director Dirk Nijdam recently stated that the library, film, catering and exhibitions are running well, but that there was no solution to the high energy costs that were partly caused by the war in Ukraine.
According to De Wrede, the municipality and the Forum have been discussing energy compensation and the financial management of the Groningen showpiece for some time now. This month she will provide the city council with information and explanation about this. It must then become clear how the municipality can help this cultural institution.
Is this an incident?
The councilor did not shy away from questions from the PVV, Party for the North, City Party 100% Groningen, CDA and VVD. The municipal council wants to know whether the financial gap is an incident or whether the municipality will have to meet with the Forum every year from now on to help the institution.
Councilor Ietje Jacobs-Setz (VVD) wants to know from De Wrede how the shortage can be avoided. “Do you know how? It strikes me that money is being made on few floors in the Forum.” Ram notices in the 2022 annual accounts that not five but four million have been ‘raised’. “More commercial activities will have to be developed.”
CDA councilor Jalt de Haan wants to know why the Forum does not use the reserve fund to cover the deficit. De Haan sees no solution in closing library branches elsewhere in the municipality to save money. The CDA does not like this ‘mild threat’.