Joris Janssens, Vilnius — 07/05/2015

The organisation of the dance field in Flanders

What we do

- Field analysis / research

- Field development

- International relations development

Disciplines

- Visual arts

- Performing arts

- Music

www.flandersartsinstitute.be

Today

Dance policy and organisation of the dance field since the 1980’s

- The myth of origin — 1980’s

- Policy developments — 1993-2006

- Facts & figures — 1993-2015

- Issues & instruments — 2015-…

1980’s

The myth of origin

Rosas, Fase. Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich, 1982

– Jan Fabre, Het is theater zoals te verwachten en te voorzien, 1982

– Ultima Vez, What the Body Does not Remember, 1987

Flemish support for dance in 1985

1%2%

98%

Royal Ballet Rosas Klapstuk

+ project funding from the International department

Flemish support for dance in 1985

Bottom-up organisation of the dance field

Collective management, creation, production (Schaamte, les Ballets c de la b)

Coproduction and presentation: arts centres and festivals (Vooruit, STUK, Kaaitheater,…)

Collective international promotion and networking (VTC > VTi), advocacy (VDP)

Support of international networks (IETM, ONDA) and coproducers (Hebbel Theater, Théâtre de la Ville,…)

Structures based around individual artists

Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker / Rosas

Wim Vandekeybus / Ultima Vez

Jan Fabre / Troubleyn

Jan Lauwers / Needcompany

Alain Platel / Les Ballets C de la B

Marc Vanrunxt / Hyena

– Marianne van Kerkhoven, 2007

‘A situation was reached in which it became possible to give professionalism not only a social but finally

also an artistic interpretation. One of the main levers for this was the awareness that the work structure also determines the work, and that the

way one wishes to work is not only an expression of the artistic credo, but at the same time also

presupposes a position in society, a “way of being in world”.’

— Marianne van Kerkhoven, 2007

“Artistic freedom means allowing the options taken in the creative work to penetrate to all parts of the

structure in which one creates. Which means, among others: determining how, where and when

you want to work and with whom, determining how you want to interact with your audience, determining

how you want to talk with your (co)producer, determining how, where and why you want to play

somewhere, determining what the accents will be in promoting your work, etc. This perspective views and treats the theatre company as a whole. The

organisation, as an expression of the creative work, must therefore have the same flexibility as the

creative work.”

1985-2006

Policy developments

0

10.000.000

20.000.000

30.000.000

40.000.000

1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

Rosas

Vandekeybus

Platel

Dance projects 1985-1992

Performing Arts Decree

- New disciplines: dance and music theatre companies

- New types of structures: arts centres

- Multiannual envelopes and projects

1993

P.A.R.T.S.

- initiative in education

- international auditions

- “sticky” alumni > brain gain also via companies

1995

Amended Performing Arts Decree includes festivals and the VTi (Flemish Performing Arts Institute)

2001

First Arts Decree

New disciplines: visual arts, music, architecture

New structures: workspaces and management bureaus

Grants for individual artists

2006

Policy developments since 1993

Genesis of a liberal and open arts policy framework

- Bottom-up approach based on peer assessment

- Productive relationship between field & policy

- Cultural leadership & collective action

Policy following trends in the field

- Open attitude / mutual confidence

- Lack of tradition & anti-institutionalism > freedom

Nation-building project of a young Flemish Community

Cf. nation building project of Flemish Community

1. Cultural competence since 1970

2. Start of Flemish Community since 1980

- Start of Flemish nation state

- No instrumentalisation for identity politics

- Liberal policy supporting innovative initiatives and (artistic) entrepreneurship

3. International competence for Flanders

- 1990’s: ‘cultural ambassadors’ programme

1993-2015

Some figures

N° of dance structures in (performing) arts decrees

1993-1996

1997-2000

2001-2005

2006- 2007

2008-2009

2010-2012

2013-2014

2015-2016 181313

106

96

5

Budgets for dance structures since 2001

0,00 €

2.000.000,00 €

4.000.000,00 €

6.000.000,00 €

8.000.000,00 €

2001 2006 2008 2010 2013 2015

Rosas

Les Ballets c de la b

Ultima Vez

Meg Stuart

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

Subsidies for dance 2013

0%4%3%

1%1%2%

2%2%

2%2%

3%

5%

5%

6%7%

11%

44%

Royal BalletRosasUltima VezLes Ballets C. de la B.EastmanDamaged GoodsA two dogs company / StilllabWorkspace BrusselsPeeping TomAction ScéniqueSoitKobalt WorksKunst/WerkDeep Blue/Field WorksProjects > organisationsProjects > artistsGrants > artists

Flemish support for dance in 2015…?

Field analysis by Flanders Arts Institute

Major trends in production

- Growth

- More interdisciplinary work

- Collaboration and networking

- Internationalisation

- Shifting position of individual artists

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

93-97 97-01 01-05 05-09

1 organisation 2 3-5 6-10 10+

With how many producers does an artist work?

– Diederik Peeters, 2011

‘I have performed a lot, created a lot, travelled a lot and learned a lot - and it was damn fun. But

after a good fifteen years this freelance “grasshopper” has become tired of his own

“availability”. Just try and build something up while skipping back and forth from project to project. Instead of reinventing myself all over

again, today I have the desire to sink my teeth into my work. I desire a better balance between this

damned flexibility which is demanded from me all the time, and a minimum of continuity and

stability.’

2015-…

Issues & instruments

The issues today

Flourishing dance field

- International recognition

- Horizontal architecture & mobility

- Mobility - international coproduction network

- Brain gain: Brussels as a global hotspot

- Policy: intrinsic value of arts & bottom-up

- Dance for children & young audiences

The issues today

Issues

- Pressure on the budgets (international/state/local)

- Focus on production

- Local presentation outside cities in Flanders

- Hybridity >< audience expectations

- Pressure on international coproduction and presentation

- Social situation of artists / sustainable careers

- The role of institutions: Royal Ballet and La Monnaie

– Diederik Peeters/SPIN, Hulk

–Johnny Appleseed

“Type a quote here.”

– State of the Arts, We Are Calling, 2014

– Kabinet K, Raw, 2012

– Seppe Baeyens/Ultima Vez/BRONKS, Tornar, 2015

Policy Perspectives

A new Arts Decree

- Strategic vision development: the start of top-down arts policy?

- 5 years envelope and multi-annual projects

- ‘Artistic DNA’ on the basis of functions and disciplines

Matrix of functions and disciplines

visual arts performing arts music applied

artstransdiscip

linary

development

production

presentation

participation

reflection

Strategic vision development

Dance in strategic vision note

Renewed focus on Institutions of the Flemish Community

- Kunsthuis / Royal Ballet of Flanders > Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

Focus on individual artists

- Cuts in structural funding?

Increased support for international activities

Impulses for distribution and visibility in Flanders

- Dance “literacy” and responsibility of venues

www.flandersartsinstitute.be

joris@kunsten.be hilde@kunsten.be