Marleen Stikker, Liesbeth Bik and Meta Knol wrote a plea on behalf of Kunsten '92, the Academy of Arts (KNAW), Waag Futurelab and the Federatie Creatieve Industrie to give creativity, art and culture a key role in shaping the future of the Netherlands.
Our society faces major challenges that call for profound reorientation. In this time of polycrises, we need to reinvent the future together. To do so, we need qualities such as rethinking, openness, an appetite for experimentation, imagination and creative power. These qualities are abundantly present in the creative and cultural sector in particular. Artists and creative makers can make a valuable contribution to shaping our future society. Their creativity can be deployed in all fields (science, economy, education, care, etc). But first the switches have to be switched.
It is high time for a revaluation of the artist mindset, by allowing free space for curiosity-driven, artistic and design-driven research in all social strata and domains. By valuing fact and imagination equally, we can grow together and build a sustainable future. Creativity, art and culture deserve a key role in shaping the future of the Netherlands. The time is ripe for it, the opportunities are great and its impact will benefit us all.
