Now that the governments are formed and the budgets finalised, it is clear that the future of the Brussels cultural sector is in serious danger. Organisations supported by the Flemish Government under the Kunstendecreet received news that their annual allowance will be reduced by 7.5% in 2015 and 2016. Significant savings will have to be made on their infrastructures, undoubtedly having an impact on operations. For its part, the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles announced an across-the-board cut of 1% on all conventions and contractual programmes, in addition to the pressure already exerted on the sector (non-indexation of subsidies, savings in supply budgets, etc.). More worryingly still, the federal government has recently unveiled its budget, which is even more disturbing. The federal cultural institutions based in Brussels (Bozar, La Monnaie, the National Orchestra of Belgium) have to reduce their annual expenditure by 20 to 30%. Even scientific institutions like the Royal Museums of Fine Arts and the Royal Museums of Art and History will have to make do with significantly fewer resources. At the Brussels regional level, there is great uncertainty about employment measures in the cultural sector: whether in relation to the ACS (Subsidised Contract Staff) positions that come with the revision of the system, or to the reductions in employer contributions related to artistic performances whose mechanism has not yet been defined. Regarding the European Commission, it is not just a question of economics; concern in the sector centres on the appointment of the Hungarian Tibor Navracsics as Commissioner for Culture - despite the negative advice of Parliament. Indeed, what can we expect from a politician who deliberately restricted freedom of the press in his own country? Budget cuts at every political level have been imposed at short notice and necessarily place all the institutions involved in a precarious situation. We are concerned about the unambiguous way in which these decisions have been made, and the real motive behind them. The Brussels cultural sector has been working for years on the international reputation and local anchoring of this super diverse city, and positively contributes to the meeting of the two major communities in this country. Do our political representatives want to undo this vital work? Do they no longer seek the local and international reputation of our capitals cultural wealth? Do our efforts to diversify the audience and the cultural offerings in the cosmopolitan metropolis of Brussels not matter? We are not giving up hope that our policy makers recognise the valuable assets of the Brussels cultural sector. The Kunstenfestivaldesarts is one of the many organisations that are affected by the budgetary measures. The 20th edition of the festival will take place from 8 to 30 May 2015. --- Cliquez ici pour la version française > kfda.be/language/2 Klik hier voor de Nederlandse tekst > kfda.be/language/3
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 09:36:28 +0000