Culture in 2024

Financial pressure and political uncertainty

After a long formation, the Schoof cabinet stood on the steps in The Hague on 2 July 2024. A few weeks earlier, PVV, NSC, BBB and VVD had the associated outline agreement presented. The text did not mention art or culture, but the agreement did contain measures with major consequences for the sector. The proposed increase in VAT on cultural goods and services (and sports) from 9 percent to 21 percent immediately led to concerns. Cinemas and day recreation would be exempt from this measure, but the impact on museums, theaters and festivals would be considerable. In addition, the agreement included cuts in, among other things, public broadcasting, municipal benefits, internationalization and adjustments to gambling tax and gift deductions.

The proposed VAT increase led to fierce resistance. Kunsten '92 called the measure 'a silent killer' with major negative consequences for the accessibility of culture and the income of creators (2024a). Goudriaan (2024) calculated that the number of museum visitors would decrease by 0,8 million, that the performing arts would attract 0,9 million fewer visitors and that festivals would see a decrease of 1,5 million visitors. Sales of book sales were expected to decrease by 9,4 percent.

Under the motto 'No higher VAT! You burden the whole of the Netherlands with it' a broad social alliance of organisations from culture, media, sports, hospitality and the events sector started a public campaign. Successfully: there appeared to be insufficient political support for the increase and the measure was – for the time being – taken off the table. However, during the debate on the Tax Plan on 14 November 2024, Minister Heijnen (Finance) stated that alternative measures are still being sought to still collect the booked revenue of 1,2 billion euros. This means that the threat of a VAT increase has not disappeared for good.

At the same time, other measures have already been implemented. The gambling tax has been increased from 1 percent to 2025 percent as of 30,5 January 34,2 and will increase further to 2026 percent in 37,8 (Rijksoverheid, 2025). According to an analysis by Atlas Research (Halbersma et al., 2024), this could lead to a decrease in contributions to charities of around 15,5 million euros, with a bandwidth between 2,9 and 30,6 million euros. A bright spot is that a proposed plan by the Schoof cabinet to abolish the deduction for corporate donations as of 1 January 2025 ultimately did not go ahead. The arrangement that made it possible to finance donations from the company has been terminated as of 1 January 2025 (PwC 2024).

On the page Culture and money flows more information can be found about the financial impact of these measures and other financial developments within the broader financial flows in the cultural sector.

Towards a more accessible cultural system? Opportunities and challenges in the revision of the subsidy policy

In his advice Access to culture: Towards a new order in 2029 presented the Raad voor Cultuur far-reaching changes to the cultural subsidy system (2024a). The core of the proposal was the introduction of an interdisciplinary public cultural fund with provincial departments. The advice led to both approving and critical reactions. Although a formal response from the cabinet is still pending, it seems clear that no additional financial resources will be made available to implement the proposed changes. In addition, uncertain political relations entail reluctance when it comes to fundamental system changes.

Within the current BIS period (2025-2028), some steps have been taken towards greater regional distribution. Raad voor Cultuur pointed out that 46 percent of the approved applications come from cultural institutions outside the Randstad (2024b). This indicates a broader distribution of resources, which strengthens the cultural infrastructure in the regions.

On the page Culture across the regions more information can be found on provincial and regional developments. Regional culture figures can be explored in the Dashboard.

Subsidy distribution: shifts and consequences

The distribution of the multi-year cultural subsidies for 2024-2025, published in the summer of 2028, led to heated debates. One of the most discussed issues was the decision of the Fund for Cultural Participation (FCP) to reject almost all applications for talent development in the field of classical music and jazz. This was met with much incomprehension and indignation within the sector. Thanks to an intervention by Minister Bruins, a solution was found to continue the financing of these organizations.

The FCP decision was taken against the background of a broader movement towards a more accessible cultural policy. The emphasis on innovation and inclusion means that newcomers are given more opportunities. This inevitably leads to a redistribution of resources, with established organisations losing funding. Especially when there are more applications than there is budget. The LKCA emphasised in a opinion piece that talent is by definition exclusive and that a balance must be found between inclusivity and the support of talent in the arts (Neele 2024). The FCP itself defended its decision by pointing to the need to give new groups and forms of talent development a chance (Jorritsma 2024).

The Performing Arts Fund also saw major shifts. Of the 179 successful applicants for the 2025-2028 period, 59 were makers, companies, ensembles and festivals that had previously not received multi-year support from the government. However, this also meant that 73 organisations lost their subsidies. Institutions from Amsterdam in particular suffered the consequences of the emphasis on geographical distribution of resources (Burghoorn 2024). Although this redistribution is in line with the desire to create more balance across regions, criticism was voiced about the increased bureaucracy and unpredictability of the system. Early in 2025, the Theaterkrant published a special magazine on the 'wear and tear' within the subsidy system, which pointed to the risk of capital destruction due to constant shifts.

Read more about the developments in the Performing arts, and developments within Theatre en Music.

Visitor recovery and challenges in the cultural sector

In 2023, at least 140,3 million visits were made to culture – which is most likely an underestimation of the actual number. After the difficult corona years, the theaters, pop venues and museums are well filled again. The VSCD counted 2023 million visitors to its stages in 10,4, well above the 7,7 million in 2022, but not yet above the level of 2019 (12,4 million). The Association of Dutch Pop Venues and Festivals (VNPF) also saw a strong recovery, with 8,4 million visitors to pop venues and festivals, close to the 8,6 million visits in 2019. And the number of pop music concerts at the VNPF rose further, from 14.861 in 2022 to 17.362 in 2023. This indicates a recovery of the live music sector. However, there are still concerns about the sharply rising costs due to inflation, which are not compensated by additional visitors or indexation of subsidies. The expected cut in the municipal fund in the 'ravine year' 2026 also creates additional uncertainty about the financial stability of cultural institutions. Figures from the VSCD show that 64 percent of its stages receive indexation of the municipal subsidy (Siebe Weide Advies 2024).

De film sector shows a mixed picture. While cinema attendance in 2024 fell by 7 percent compared to the previous year – partly due to the long-term strikes of writers and actors in Hollywood, which resulted in fewer big films being released – Dutch films were successful. The share of Dutch productions in the total number of visitors rose from 14 percent to 17 percent. Home-grown productions achieved the highest visitor numbers in eight years (Bos 2025, NVBF 2024, NVBF and NVPI 2025a, NVBF and NVPI 2025b).

De museum sector also shows a diverse picture. Some institutions, such as the Centraal Museum Utrecht, recorded a record number of visitors (400.000 in 2024), while others, such as the Groninger Museum, saw a decline. Dutch museums attracted a total of 2023 million visitors in 31,5, more than a quarter of whom came from abroad. Although this international visit has not yet reached its previous level, Dutch visitors more than compensate for this. They grew in number and in share. The total turnover of museums amounted to 1,49 billion euros, almost half of which came from their own income.

Not only the museums, but also the visual arts sector shows signs of recovery. In addition to the growing number of visitors, there are positive developments in the areas of diversity, inclusion and digitalization. Spending by art buyers continues to rise, which is beneficial for museums, makers and galleries. At the same time, for many institutions, the recovery of the financial damage caused by the corona crisis is still high on the agenda.

De heritage sector continues to play a prominent role in the cultural participation of the Dutch. Research by the RCE and KIEN from 2024 shows that 88 percent of the Dutch are interested in heritage and 77 percent visit heritage locations. Three quarters of the population are actively involved with intangible and immovable heritage. At the same time, attention for digital accessibility of heritage is growing, which brings new opportunities. Digitization makes heritage more widely accessible, but also raises questions about the value of digital copies, the high costs of long-term storage and maintenance, and the ecological impact of data centers.

On the page Culture and participation more information can be found on general trends in visits, practice, consumption and support, personal characteristics of participants and how cultural participation is distributed across provinces.

Pressure on the labor market

The cultural and creative sector, like other sectors, is struggling with a tight labor market. Although entrepreneurs will experience slightly fewer shortages in 2024 (CBS 2024), personnel problems remain major. Technicians are moving to better-paid sectors (Visser 2023), which poses major challenges for theaters and pop venues. The workload remains high: in the culture, sports and recreation sectors, 28,5 percent of employees report an increase. Labor costs are also increasing, possibly partly due to Fair Pay measures. Fair Pop Pilot which Platform ACCT presented during Eurosonic Noorderslag 2025, showed that fair payment entails significant additional costs (Berkers et al. 2025). At the same time fears a number of self-employed people in the cultural sector for their earning capacity due to policy changes such as the reduction of the self-employed persons' deduction, a possible mandatory disability insurance and the consequences of a possible VAT increase. The enforcement of the DBA Act from 2025, intended to combat bogus self-employment, creates additional pressure and may lead to a decrease in assignments for freelancers. Nevertheless, the labor market clearly differs per sector.

In architectural industry seems to be stabilising after years of shrinkage and fragmentation. The number of offices grew by 6 percent in ten years and the number of employees at architectural firms increased by 29 percent, while the number of self-employed people decreased by 12 percent (CBS 2025). In addition, the role of spatial designers is changing, who increasingly work interdisciplinarily, from sustainable urban development to healthcare architecture, and increasingly act as connectors in participation processes. Also in the gaming industry shifts in the market are causing changes. The sector experienced enormous growth during the corona years, but since then the average playtime of gamers has decreased and investors have become more cautious. Worldwide, this resulted in 14.000 layoffs in 2024 (Maas 2025), and in the Netherlands too, rounds of layoffs and the closure of Dutch Game Garden – a crucial development hub – did not fail to occur. This loss makes it more difficult for start-up studios to grow and remain visible on the international market.

On the page Professional practice more information can be found about working in the cultural sector. We explain why the working practice is often described as uncertain and show figures about the labor market. We also highlight initiatives such as the Fair Practice Code and Fair Pay that aim to improve working conditions.

The impact of AI on the creative sector

The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence offers new opportunities for the cultural sector, but above all raises concerns about copyright, image rights and the future of employment. The European AI Act, which entered into force on 1 August 2024, provides an initial framework for trustworthy AI and risk management, but does not address these concerns. In different creative disciplines, AI is used and experienced in different ways, from a threat to a self-evident tool.

Within the literary sector AI is seen as a direct threat to translators and copyrights. The automatic generation of texts raises fundamental questions about ownership and fair compensation. AI also creates uncertainty in the audiovisual sector; voice actors fear that synthetic voices will make their work virtually redundant. In design and photography, it is about the unlawful use of images. In a recent report, the Kunstenbond points out position paper on the need for regulation and protection of creators in this digital transformation. AI is having an increasing impact on creative production, but the preconditions for fair remuneration and a say lag behind the need for regulation and protection of creators in this digital transformation.

In some creative sectors, on the other hand, AI has already become more naturally integrated into work practices. architectural industry increasingly uses AI-driven design tools and parametric software. Three quarters of the agencies use BIM software and just over half of the agencies work with AI, mainly to generate visual impressions and spatial solutions in a short time, in line with boundary conditions such as sunlight, building heights and noise pollution (Windesheim University of Applied Sciences 2025).

Also in the gaming industry AI is an integral part of development. Where AI was previously used to create adaptive characters and storylines, generative AI now makes it possible to autonomously generate entire game worlds and drastically reduce the development time of new games. Global research among game developers shows that almost half already use AI tools in their workplace, while at the same time 84 percent are concerned about the consequences for employment and copyright. This tension between innovation and threat is characteristic of many creative professions in which AI is developing at a rapid pace. The Kunstenbond advocates a sector-wide approach to regulate the impact of AI in the creative industry and to ensure that technological progress does not lead to a loss of control and income for creators.

Read more about this on the page Digital transformation.

Sustainability

The climate crisis and sustainability are increasingly important themes for the cultural sector. In the advice 'Culture of course' from 2023 the Raad voor Cultuur for a strong impetus to accelerate the sustainability of the cultural sector. On 19 December 2024, Minister Bruins presented the policy response to this advice. The Minister is reluctant to take specific measures for the cultural sector, as previously advocated by the Council. He focuses primarily on the connection of the cultural sector to generic cabinet policy in the area of ​​sustainability.

In the context of the Cultural Basic Infrastructure 2025-2028 scheme, all applicants completed a questionnaire to gain insight into the efforts they are making in the area of ​​sustainability. Almost all respondents pay attention to the subject, but the subject is often not structurally embedded in the organization (Barneveld et al 2024). A minority (27 percent) has calculated a CO2 footprint or is in the process of doing so. The analysis confirms the picture from previous research by the Boekmanstichting: the theme is considered important, but many institutions experience a lack of money, time and knowledge in sustainability.

The theme page sustainability contains more information on the subject.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Inequality remains a persistent issue within society and the cultural sector. It is striking that women are in the majority in many creative educations, but this numerical dominance does not continue in the labor market. This structural course emphasizes the challenges surrounding the inflow and growth of women in creative sectors.

While steps are being taken to reduce gender inequalities, women in the visual arts still significantly less than their male colleagues. Research by the Boekmanstichting commissioned by the Niemeijer Fund shows that their annual income is on average 20 percent lower.

Also in the music sector the differences are visible: at Buma/Stemra only 16 percent of the members – that is to say creators – are women, a slight increase compared to 2016 (when 13 percent). The management of pop venues and positions in programming and technology are still dominated by men (Dee et al. 2022). Within the hip-hop sector, the lack of physical meeting places also plays a role, making knowledge transfer between generations difficult (Donken 2024).

In architecture male dominance is even more evident. Only 16 percent of the directors of architectural firms are women. Although the Netherlands lags behind other European countries in this respect, there are increasing initiatives within the practice to promote the inflow and growth of women. This is comparable to the gaming industry, where diversity is not yet a given, but where more and more studios are creating more inclusive work environments and female designers are gaining more visibility.

The discussion about social safety within cultural institutions also remains urgent. Serious cases of abuse of power and transgressive behavior, such as at the International Theater Amsterdam, have led to sector-wide awareness and policy measures. Social polarization has an impact on the cultural sector, which poses difficult choices for organizations: how do they relate to social debates? The Museum Association organized conversations about the role of museums in the public debate. Meanwhile, youth theatre groups are increasingly experiencing reluctance from schools when it comes to themes such as gender, racism and religion. Cultural institutions are regularly faced with threats and are pressured to cancel performances. Kunsten '92 is working in collaboration with the Verwey-Jonker Institute on a programme to encourage the sector to provide handles when dealing with incidents and disruptions. The Raad voor Cultuur recognized the concerns about artistic freedom and established an advisory committee, which will make recommendations in the fall of 2025 (2025).

Despite the existing inequalities and challenges, the sector is becoming increasingly diverse. In 2025, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science published the monitor Diversity of staff, self-employed, supervisors and advisors in the cultural and creative sector: what will the situation be in 2024?, a study conducted by Significant APE. It shows that the cultural and creative sector still lags behind the general labour market, but that the subsidised part of the sector is more diverse than the national average in terms of migration background (Bosma et al. 2024). At the same time, the position of visual artists remains precarious. Women are underrepresented at fairs and in collections, and although institutions apply the Artist's Fee guideline, income differences remain large.

In order to do justice to diversity and to ensure inclusion and equality, the cultural sector must be aware of the underlying problems that perpetuate inequality, such as racism, discrimination, transgressive behavior and inequality of opportunity. On the page Diversity, equity and inclusion we are exploring existing research into the status of this in the Netherlands. The Tools provide insight into the practical applications around DIG. With this, the Culture Monitor wants to offer a helping hand to the sector and to everyone who wants to work on monitoring diversity, inclusion and equality within their own organization.