NPO supports Emmer's initiative

The Dutch public broadcasting organisation (NPO) is responding to the initiative of media composer Stephen Emmer to support the Dutch cultural sector.

The NPO is opening channels and platforms for additional cultural offerings and performances from the world of professional dance, theater, and music that could not take place or could only take place to a limited extent due to the coronavirus crisis.

Together with the cultural sector, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and the broadcasters, we want to bring creators and audiences back together,” explains Shula Rijxman, Chair of the NPO Executive Board, who will temporarily appoint a special culture coordinator for this purpose. “In a society under pressure, art and culture actually promote social cohesion. The need to share with one another what we all feel has never been greater.

Discussions regarding the financing of the action plan are already underway with the Minister of Culture and other parties. The required budget will be entirely dedicated to the production and the creators. The culture coordinator will set to work on behalf of the NPO to identify potential recordings. These performances will soon be available to watch primarily via NPO 2 extra and NPO Start.

The public broadcaster will also offer archival footage and performances online and on-demand. Additionally, space will be made for special cultural programming on audio channels NPO Luister, NPO 3FM, NPO Radio 4, and NPO FunX. Media composer Stephen Emmer launched a plan in late October to help the arts sector in the Netherlands. Among others, Emmer called upon the NPO to provide a temporary emergency aid platform to the Dutch arts sector.

According to Emmer, the public broadcaster could offer a temporary emergency aid platform to the Dutch arts sector during the coronavirus crisis, for instance by adjusting programming and offering viewers and listeners the opportunity to voluntarily donate money to the artist, performer, or organisation in question. He launched the petition ‘Save the Arts on Radio and TV’, which has now been signed nearly 1,000 times.

[Entertainment Business - November 6, 2020]