Cultural Policy
De Brakke Grond, a Flemish House in the Netherlands
In the heart of Amsterdam, by the Nes, within the ring of canals, stands an old building called De Brakke Grond, which means ‘Brackish Soil’. The oldest document relating to it dates from 1626. The property has spent most of its long life as an auction house for tobacco, but it has also done duty as a steam-powered print-works, a dance-hall and a theatre. In the mid-1970s it was occupied for two years by squatters, until it was bought by the Flemish Government with a view to turning it into a Flemish cultural centre.
The Amsterdam architect Arthur Staal was commissioned to renovate the structure. On 23 May 1981, now completely restored, the complex opened its doors. The tastefully arranged centre houses a handsome theatre which has become well-known in Amsterdam, a gallery ('t Wit Lavendel), an exhibition hall, a smaller theatre, rehearsal and presentation space, conference rooms, living-quarters for the director and, of course, a café-restaurant which is if possible even more famous.
Initially De Brakke Grond was given a very broad remit, which was more strictly formulated in 1999. The task of the Flemish Cultural Centre is to publicise the cultural life of Flanders in the Netherlands and to develop a permanent forum for the entire country. It provides a platform for outstanding artistic and cultural developments from Flanders and promotes Flemish-Dutch cultural co-operation. In particular, De Brakke Grond tries to establish contacts with those in a position to make Flemish cultural life more widely known in the Netherlands - people like journalists, critics, arts programmers, museum directors, organisers of cultural events, etc. Dutch artists too are an important target group, for De Brakke Grond seeks to encourage dialogue between Flemish and Dutch artists. Finally, it also aims to reach a wide range of policy and opinionformers.
At first things did not go smoothly for De Brakke Grond in its new role as a Flemish cultural centre under the aegis of the Minister for Culture of the Flemish Government. In its early years new directors followed one another in rapid succession. But under Guido Vereecke, the present director, things calmed down and on 6 April 2000, in the presence of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and King Albert 11 of Belgium, he was able to celebrate De Brakke Grond's twentieth anniversary with a symposium on cultural co-operation between the Netherlands and Flanders.
De Brakke Grond carries out its mission by organising a wide variety of cultural initiatives and events. Most of these take place in its own premises, but on oc-
