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We would like to thank everyone in international theatre for their concern and support.
Sigrid Koetse in 'Dark Lady'. Kostuum van Rien Bekkers in collectie Theater Instituut Nederland. foto: Serge Ligtenberg
Theater Instituut Nederland (TIN) will continue as a museum after 2012. That became apparent after the debate in the Dutch lower house last Monday on the cuts to culture. The Secretary of State for Culture, Halbe Zijlstra, indicated that he would be open to such an application from the TIN to preserve the unique collection of theatre heritage for the future. The TIN will submit the application before February 2012. The organisation has been forced to accept, with much regret, that the curtain will fall on the TIN as an institute for the sector, including its role in the promotion of theatre internationally, at the end of 2012.
End for TIN as institute for theatre sector
The government’s plans mean that the TIN will no longer carry out its tasks as an institute for the sector after 2012. For more than fifty years, the TIN has provided support to the sector in the form of debates, consultation, co-ordination and international promotion. The TIN will endeavour to transfer its expertise and experience to other organisations, particularly with regards to international promotion.
Broad (international) support for the TIN
In the last couple of weeks, the TIN has received broad support for the preservation and continued existence of the collection, which is comparable with those elsewhere such as that at the Victoria and Albert Museum in Londen. More than 18,000 people signed the petition for the preservation of the Netherlands’ theatre heritage in less than two weeks. There was also a great deal of international support for TIN’s role in the promotion of, and the provision of information on, the Dutch performing arts.
TIN’s collection is not only an interesting treasure trove for theatre lovers and students; the archives, documents and data on all theatre productions in the Netherlands that the TIN has built up are also a source of information and inspiration for academic researchers and theatre professionals.
Application
The TIN will submit an application before February 2012 to be considered for government subsidy as a museum. It will then have to satisfy the requirements set by the government with regards to matters such as own income and visitor numbers. A decision about the application will be made in the autumn of 2012 after the Dutch Arts Council has delivered its advice.