At The Cost of Other Cultural Venues
Now the municipality is pressured to grant annual financial support since the venue has recently won permanent subsidies from the Arts Council of Norway.
Tekst: Hilde Ørbo, Torunn Otnes
As the only concert stage in the city, Dokkhuset receives municipal support. After the last municipal budget was introduced, there was a clear signal that this support would cease.
“It was so that all the city’s cultural venues would have equal status,” says the municipal director for culture and trade, Morten Wolden.
In the meantime, it became clear that Dokkhuset had managed to obtain a grant from the Arts Council of Norway for 800,000 NOK and a permanent place in the national budget. This puts pressure on the local municipality and the region, since they are required allocate some of these funds. As a result, financial support of 200,000 NOK, which the municipality had planned to remove, must continue.
It Was All in the Cards
Dokkhuset has been trying to obtain support from the Arts Council for several years. Sveinung Sundil, proprietor of Familien, a concert venue in Trondheim thinks that it is unheard of that only Dokkhuset has received funds, but is nonetheless not surprised.
As an example, there are members of the board for Dokkhuset Scene AS who also perform duties for the Arts Council, the body who allocates these “cultural kroner.”
Sundli rejects the argument that Dokkhuset has received so much subsidies because of the venue’s noncommercial profile, including jazz, chamber and contemporary music.
”Dokkhuset doesn’t have a less commercial program than what, among others, Blæst and Familien have. In addition, we appeal to much less affluent demographic,” says. Sundli.
Dokkhuset’s daily manager, Kristen Romsøy-Halle denies that lobbying is the backdrop for their governmental support. She explains that the are reasons for which Dokkhuset has received support are related to both professional and political cultural considerations.
“They have full understanding that running a culture and concert house with a main focus like ours is dependent on secure and long-term public financial backing.”
Problematic Propping
The public cultural budget will be cut by four to five million kroner, which means that there are tough times ahead for cultural support.
Even though next year’s budget is not yet ready, the municipal director, Wolden, can say that the city’s concert halls will not receive any increased support. With that, Dokkhuset will keep its unique position as the only venue with public grants.
”In addition to the current cuts, there is no indication that the municipality will allocate more funds to the city’s venues in the next few years. We would rather contribute to activities and festivals,” he says.
Wolden believes that the Arts Council’s current system of subsidies is problematic, since the municipal cultural budget is tied up by the Arts Council’s requirements for allocation of funds.
“It’s at the cost of other cultural venues in the city,” he says.
Fears Conflict
Dokkhuset’s new grant has received little criticism. Sundli from Familien believes that this is due fear of starting a conflict with people in power. Since Familien has not received public support, Sundli thinks he has nothing to lose.
”People are afraid of publicly criticizing. The underfunded cultural organizations don’t want to lose the little funding they’ve previously received from the state,” he says.
Under Dusken has been in contact with other actors who have told a similar story, but who wish to remain anonymous.
Sundli believes that public support should be abolished.
”The best thing would be to abolish all public support. Way too much is controlled by the state. It shouldn’t be up to them to decide which cultural venues will manage and which won’t,” says Sundli.
Got Nothing
Daily manager, Sjalg Olav Hoel, at Blæst belongs to one of the organizations that won’t be receiving a penny from the municipality; however, he has a positive view of Dokkhuset’s financial support.
“There must be enough money in the country of Norway such that more concert venues can receive this kind of money,” he says.
He emphasizes the problem of how support from the Arts Council requires municipal funds.
”We haven’t received anything from the municipality yet, but of course we’re working on applications for 2012 and beyond.”
