Budget cuts: response from Virtueel Platform

The Secretary of State's plans with regard to e-culture have been met with very mixed feelings. Cabinet policy has pinpointed the creative industries as a key field for support, including e-culture - or what they term new media.  A new funding body and a new sector institute will be set up to support the creative industries, including the architecture and design disciplines as well as new media.

 At the same time, the goal of stimulating innovation, research and development of the digital culture sector will be undermined by funding cuts to to e-culture institutions and media labs, post-academic development institutions, and the preservation of digital born content. This move will mean the end of long-term support for autonomous work in a new and crucial sector, effectively killing it off just as it gets off the ground.

As far as the proposed cooperation with the Netherlands Architecture Institute and Premsela (sector institute for design) is concerned, all parties feel that working together could be very fruitful and plan to make the best of the situation. However there are also pitfalls. Each sector needs to be recognisable, accessible and credible in its own right. And in the meantime the bill still needs to be passed in parliament. We follow the developments very closely.

Floor van Spaendonck

Director