Internationalisation

The government believes that it is primarily up to cultural institutions themselves to devise and shape their exchanges with other countries. Its own role in international cultural policy remains relatively small. 

However, the government wants to be a partner to the arts sector in helping to increase its market. Through the Dutch design, fashion and architecture programme (DDFA), for example, it aims to strengthen the economic potential of these disciplines by positioning them better on the international market.The government has set itself the following targets in international cultural policy:

  1. ensuring that leading Dutch cultural institutions can hold their own at international level, by making targeted choices in the basic cultural infrastructure;
  2. continuing to strengthen the international market position of Dutch artists and institutions;
  3. continuing to promote Dutch economic interests by emphasising the ties between the arts, commerce and the economy;
  4. pursuing cultural diplomacy: using the arts and culture to improve foreign relations.

In the next grant period (2013-2016), the Netherlands will be looking mainly at the following countries with a view to artistic exchange and market expansion: Belgium (Flanders), Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.