The Printing Museum in Meppel will not receive any money from the province for the time being. BBB and GroenLinks came up with the idea of releasing 35,000 euros for this ailing museum. The parties will first wait for a discussion between the province, municipality and museum before actually submitting this idea to the Provincial Council.
Jan Schilperoord, member of the board of the Drukkerijmuseum, responds that he did not see this coming. He says there is a good chance that the museum will be open for the last time tomorrow, but the board will still have a meeting about the situation.
The museum is struggling financially. Costs have increased in recent years. The board of the museum has asked the municipality to increase its annual subsidy of 26,000 euros, but the alderman does not agree. The board then saw no other option to close the doors on June 1.
But then suddenly there was hope again. BBB and GroenLinks believe that the museum should be saved. They wanted the province to allocate 35,000 euros so that the museum can continue for at least a year. In that year, the museum can work on a plan for the future, something that the alderman of Meppel has asked for before she possibly gives extra financial support.
The proposal by BBB and GroenLinks would have the support of the PvdA and would therefore have a majority in the Provincial Council of Drenthe. However, the plan did not come through. The idea remains on the shelf. Nelleke Vedelaar, provincial administrator who is responsible for culture, among other things, points to the other museums in Drenthe. The province gives money to six major museums. In addition, there are about fifty smaller museums in the province that receive indirect help.
“They are all having a hard time, including the Printing Museum,” Vedelaar responds. “I can imagine that the other museums will feel attracted by this proposal.” She says that she is not immediately concerned that all small museums will have to be helped. “The Members of Parliament can always make an exception. I warn that several small museums are having a hard time.”
The BBB and GroenLinks therefore first come up with an intermediate step before they come up with the proposal with the money. They want the province to first talk to the municipality ‘to discuss the situation’. “If the outcome is that money is still needed, then we will come up with this proposal again,” says BBB Member of Parliament Gert Veltrop.
Vedelaar indicates that he will enter into talks with the municipality of Meppel. “After that, it is up to the Members of Parliament to determine what should be discussed next, whenever.”