What is the Culture Monitor?
The Culture Monitor brings together data on developments in cultural life in the Netherlands and makes it accessible in various ways. Textual analyses report on long-term trends and put current developments on the agenda. An interactive dashboard also provides access to a database with a large number of indicators about the Dutch cultural sector.
The Culture Monitor is for everyone with an interest in cultural life in the Netherlands and its’ developments. Policymakers, administrators, researchers, journalists, cultural professionals and other interested parties can visit this website for information about and interpretation of broader trends in the cultural sector. The monitor aims to provide adequate information for policy and practice, thus contributing to a strong cultural sector. The monitor therefore meets the needs of the sector and policymakers to bring together existing and new information, data and knowledge about long-term trends, and current affairs.
The Culture Monitor builds on and connects as much as possible to previous monitoring instruments such as Culture in pictures (Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, until 2017), Cultural life (SCP, 2018) and the Culture Index and The State of Culture(Boekman Foundation, 2013-2019).
How does the Culture Monitor work?
The Culture Monitor provides information about the Dutch cultural and creative sector. However, because culture is not a fixed concept, we deliberately opt for a broad and fluid concept of culture. We assume culture 'in the broad sense': subsidized and non-subsidized, outdoors and indoors, professional art and amateur art, individual and collective. If circumstances change, new domains or themes can be added to the Culture Monitor.
The information in the Culture Monitor is presented in different ways, which are explained below.
Domain pages
Domains within the Culture Monitor can be compared to cultural 'disciplines' or 'subsectors'. At the moment, the Culture Monitor contains information on the domains Architecture, Audiovisual, Visual arts, Design, Heritage, Games, Literature, Design, Performing arts, Music and Theatre. We update the domain pages annually in preparation for the Annual Report that is published in April.
The domain pages contain information about each domain in a fixed order. The pages successively offer a selection of key figures about the domain, describe the most important developments and identify any gaps in knowledge. Topics covered include income, employment, visits and practice, regional distribution and accessibility.
Theme pages
The theme pages of the Culture Monitor deal with current and important topics that are not only relevant to one cultural domain but are important for the entire cultural sector. Theme pages place developments in context and make it possible to discover cross-connections between domains.
The Culture Monitor currently provides information on the following themes: Professional practice, Digital transformation, Diversity, inclusion and equality, Sustainability, Culture in the region, Culture and participation and Culture and financial flows. These themes are updated each year in preparation for the Annual Report, which will be published in April.
In contrast to domain pages, theme pages have a freer form. Depending on the theme in question, the pages take the form of a data story, analysis or literature overview, for example. In the future, new themes can be added to the Culture Monitor.
Dashboard
Behind the Culture Monitor is a database with many indicators that show different aspects of cultural life over several years. In the database we use a flexible approach to indicators. We do not impose any restrictions on the total set of indicators, but on individual indicators. In any case, these must be collected over a multi-year and sustainable basis, be reliable and traceable, and provide relevant and overarching insight. This allows us to add indicators when there is reason to do so.
By 2024, we will have more than 230 indicators at national level and more than 140 at regional level.
In the Dashboard, indicators can be selected by filtering on domains, subjects, locations and periods. Depending on the selected data, different visualizations are possible. In the upper right of the window, other views can be selected or the selected data can be downloaded.
Resource explorer
The Culture Monitor offers an overarching picture of the cultural and creative sector, and is therefore dependent on a large number of studies, publications and datasets that describe parts of that sector in much more depth than is possible in the Culture Monitor. The Resource Explorer offers a visual overview of a selection of these sources, thus pointing towards more in-depth information about the specific domains and themes from the Culture Monitor. Many of these sources are Dutch only.
Annual report
The domain and theme pages of the Culture Monitor are updated periodically. Once a year, however, we make a summary overview of the cultural sector and bundle the most recent texts in an annual report. The annual report thus offers the possibility to easily take note of all pages and serves as an archive of the Culture Monitor.
How do we produce the Culture Monitor?
As far as possible, we base our research for monitoring on existing sources, publications and datasets. Some of these sources cover the entire cultural sector, such as Creative Industry Monitor (Media Perspectives) or the Culture & Media Satellite Account (CBS). In addition, the Culture Monitor brings together important data and insights from relevant thematic, sectoral and regional reports at an aggregated level in a central location. Examples of sources from which data are collected are leisure time research (Boekmanstichting in collaboration with Mulier Institute and CBS, Vrijetijdomnibus), the Monitor Amateur Art (LKCA), the Games Monitor (Dutch Game Garden and NEO Observatory), the Heritage monitor (RCE) and the various trade associations.
To monitor culture in a sustained and complete manner, we are therefore dependent on available datasets and research results from other organisations. We are happy to discuss the inclusion of existing and new data, prioritising questions and indicators, and coordinating new research projects. In this way, together with partners from the (policy) field, we can set up a central place for cultural data and contribute to a strong sector and well-informed cultural policy.
The Boekmanstichting researchers are continuously collecting data and insights on the various domains and themes. They do this together and in conversation with many stakeholders and experts from the sector, who feed the monitor with indispensable and in-depth knowledge and information. When adding new data, we make a distinction between the data in the Dashboard and the textual domain and theme analyses. We will continue to update the Dashboard with new figures as they become available.
Regional cultural monitoring as a building block for the national picture
Local and regional governments play a major role in Dutch cultural policy. They are responsible for many cultural facilities and financing. In order to make well-founded policy, the need for regional cultural data is growing.
To contribute to this, the Boekmanstichting works with provinces and other partners on regional cultural monitors. These monitors offer in-depth analyses of the cultural landscape per province and enable broader (mutual) comparisons. In recent years, monitors have been published for, among others, the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region, Friesland en GelderlandIn 2024, the second edition of the Culture monitor Zeeland and the fourth edition of Value of Culture in Noord-Brabant live. Gelderland is joining in and will launch the second edition of the Gelderland Culture and Heritage Monitor in May 2025. Both Gelderland and Noord-Brabant have their own version of the Culture Monitor website, including a dashboard, with which data at national, provincial and municipal level can be consulted in conjunction.
Regional monitoring is not only valuable at the provincial level, but also essential to strengthen the national picture. Not all national data can be broken down to local level and, conversely, not all local data directly provide national insights. That is why coordination is necessary. On the one hand: which national data can be detailed to regions and what does this mean for policymakers? On the other hand: how can local data be harmonised so that they also contribute to a national overview? The knowledge and expertise from provincial monitors feeds the national Culture Monitor and, conversely, the national analysis helps to better interpret regional developments. This interaction creates a more complete and coherent picture of the cultural landscape in the Netherlands.
Who creates the Culture Monitor?
Maartje Goedhart
Research coordinator
Maartje is responsible for the coordination and implementation of the various research programs and projects within the Boekmanstichting. She manages the research team and ensures the continuity of the Culture Monitor.
Maxime van Haeren
Researcher
Domains: Design, Visual arts
Themes: Diversity, equality and inclusion
Thomas de Hoog
Researcher
Domains: Architecture
Themes: Sustainability, Culture and participation, Culture and money flows
He is also responsible for the database.
Jan Jaap Knol
Director
Rosa Schiavone
Researcher
Domains: Letters
Themes: Diversity, equality and inclusion
Sita Struijke
Researcher
Domain: Games
Topics: Digital Transformation and Culture and Money Flows
Britt Swartjes
Researcher
Domains: Performing Arts, Music and Theatre
Themes: Professional practice, Culture and participation
Jonathan Verwey
Researcher
Domains: Heritage and Audiovisual
Topics: Culture and Money Flows
Felicia van Andel (2024)
Researcher
Felicia was responsible for the Humanities domain and the themes of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, and Digital Transformation.
Researcher Rosa Schiavone is the new contact person.
Guidance committee
- Koen van Eijck (Professor of cultural sociology, Erasmus University (chairman)
- Ellen Loots (Assistant Professor in Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship, Erasmus University)
- Remco Hoekman (Director, Mulier Institute)
- Dennis Stam (member MT, Heritage and Arts Directorate, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science)
- Astrid Weij (director, Arts '92)
- Pieter Bots (Policy Advisor, Raad voor Cultuur)
- Fenna van Hout (Policy Officer Culture and Society, VNG)
- Peter Drenth (Member of the Provincial Executive of Gelderland)
- On behalf of the funds in varying composition: Nina Pigaht (Fund for Cultural Participation), Iris Daalder (Fund for Cultural Participation) and Marianne van de Velde (Performing Arts Fund).
Many thanks to
- Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Subsidy)
- Van Ons (Realization of website, dashboard and CMS)
- Lisa Maatjens (Photography)
- All our conversation partners and readers
- All colleagues of the Boekmanstichting and former employees of the Culture Monitor, with special thanks to Felicia van Andel for her contribution to the 2024 report.
Want to stay informed?
Through which channels you reach those people, classic and out of the box. the newsletter of the Boekman Foundation you stay informed of the latest developments surrounding the Culture Monitor.
Accessibility
As Boekmanstichting, we believe it is important that the Culture Monitor is accessible and usable for everyone. In 2022, we therefore had this website reviewed for accessibility for people with a visual impairment. Van Ons then implemented various adjustments that increase accessibility for users with a screen reader.
Are you encountering an accessibility problem on this website, or do you have a question or comment? Then we would like to hear from you! You can contact us via the contact form or by calling 020-6243736.
Image credits: Lisa Maatjens (photography).