Young artists in a difficult position after COVID-19

Is there a lost generation of young artists due to the corona crisis? The Council for Culture (Raad voor Cultuur) posed this question at the beginning of the year in conversations with almost 40 starting artists and creatives about their experiences in corona time. It is known that starting as an artist was no easy task even without lockdowns. But: "The picture from the conversations is more intense and more worrying than we previously thought," said the council in the essay. "It is good that the State Secretary is now making extra resources available for young people and young makers in the transition package for the cultural and creative sector she presented earlier today," chairman Kristel Baele said.

In order to restart the flow of domestic cultural activity, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science launched a proposal worth € 135 million, helping restore the damage done by the pandemic. As part of this package, state Secretary Gunay Uslu has made € 12.5 million available to invest in major Dutch drama, documentary and animation series. Specific attention is paid to starting makers who had a difficult start due to the closure of the cultural sector. € 9.9 million is being earmarked for starting culture-makers and heritage professionals to offer them a chance to find a stage or workplace and to build a career.

In our own NewGen focus, DutchCulture reaches out to artists and cultural professionals below 30 to see how we can best support them in kickstarting international careers. The pandemic has put a dent in the development of talent. We see the need to engage and support this ambitious and talented group reflected in the essay written by the Council of Culture, as well as by the support package launched by Secretary Uslu, focusing specifically on artists at the beginning of their careers.

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