The sector of amateur arts education in The Netherlands
The sector of amateur art education / amateur art practice comprises the amateur art schools, music schools and provincial support institutes for art & culture. Together with the regular primary and secondary schools and amateur art associations, they constitute the broad basis of art education and amateur art practice at local and provincial levels in the Netherlands.
Every year, amateur art schools offer courses, workshops and master classes to more than 475,000 people – young and old – outside school hours, and in collaboration with more than half of all schools and provincial institutes for art & culture, introduce over 1.1 million children and youths to art and culture through lessons, projects, presentations and exhibitions during school hours.
The art education/art participation sector employs over 12,500 people (4650 FTE). Of these, 80% is instructor/consultant in one of the art forms of music, dance, drama, fine arts, creative writing, film/photography and urban culture, or in applied arts such as design, fashion and web design. That makes this sector the largest employer of graduates of higher professional art education programmes (such as conservatories) in the Netherlands.
The total turnover in the sector is in excess of 310 million euros. The institutes earn about 40% of this amount through the income provided by course participants and educational institutes; 55% derives from structural and project funding by municipalities; and 5% derives from provincial governments and other funds.