Antwerp cultural sector angry with city council: “I had to work for my money”

The cultural sector in Antwerp is outraged at the statements made by the Belgian city’s Cultural Council. In a controversial interview published in Gazet van Antwerpen, among others, Nabilla Ait Daoud reacted for the first time this week to the weeks-long protests against the cancellation of project funding for artists.

One statement in particular caused reactions. When asked how he would feel if he was a young artist who needed money for his career, he replied, “Then I would work for my money like everyone else.”

“By the way, real artists don’t let subsidies restrain them,” continues Ait Daoud. “Rubens didn’t do that either.” It refers to the 17th century Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens.

Here’s why actors, writers, and theater producers, among others, are attacking city council on Instagram:

Michaël Pas, head of the De Actorsgilde interest group, is dissatisfied with the city council’s stance. “Once again, it dispelled the world’s two biggest stereotypes about art and culture. You’d expect a cultural consultant to be a little more deep and thoughtful,” he told VRT.

Pas can’t believe Ait Daoud is quoting Rubens. “This is complete nonsense and not based on any historical facts. We all know that Rubens made great political embellishments and worked for royal courts, churches and city councils. The word subsidy didn’t exist yet, but when you get paid to do government portraits, it’s basically the same thing.”

According to the actress, therefore, it is urgently necessary for the subsidies to remain in place, otherwise it would be very difficult for young artists to develop. “Just as the Red Devils (Belgian football team, ed.) cannot score goals without the education of young people, so culture cannot shine without investment in the grassroots.”

City poets resigned in dissatisfaction

Ait Daoud was also set on fire in early September after it was revealed that the city council had rejected a critical poem by city poet Ruth Lasters. According to the councillor, this does not fit the binding role that the city poet should have. Lasters had already resigned, and Antwerp’s other city poets followed last weekend as they “did not receive a satisfactory response” from the municipality on the interpretation of their roles.

From Monday it looks like Antwerp will be without Stadtpoet and without a successor. “The city poet is finished,” the councilor says in an interview with Gazet van Antwerpen. “Dead and buried. With your brave resignation, you have ensured that there is no successor.”

“She was looking for an excuse”

Yannick Dangre, one of the retired poets, saw this coming. “We’ve known for a long time that he was looking for an excuse to get rid of urban poetry. And now he’s found it. There was reason enough to resign, but beyond being an urban poet, Antwerp’s cultural landscape has a lot to offer. bigger problem.”

By this he means the elimination of subsidies. His poet friend Lotte Dodion completes it. “The great art we are happy to show today would not be possible without subsidies. And the opera that ships enjoy so much wouldn’t exist without community investment.”

Ait Daoud once again denies any criticism on his Facebook page. “Promoting the interests of the cultural sector is one thing, but there is also the big picture. The treasury must be in order. I’m not going to raise taxes for the people of Antwerp who don’t already know how to pay their bills for cultural donations. give it to everyone.”