Flemish government launches campaign to revive cultural sector

The Flemish government has launched a campaign to lure people back to cultural and tourist events, after the sector suffered badly from the pandemic in the past two years. 

With the "Experience more again" campaign, the Flemish government wants to encourage people to pick up their cultural lives again, especially now that the corona figures allow it. 

"More than ever, the cultural sector needs our support," says Flemish minister-president and minister of culture Jan Jambon. "Corona put the cultural experience in our region on hold for a while, but fortunately that period is behind us. In the meantime, the producers have not been idle. Today's offer is richer than ever. Super diverse and always surprising. So it is about time that as many Flemings as possible start experiencing culture again. 

In the summer, the Flemish government will go one step further, by launching TV commercials and online advertisements that have to persuade the general public to go outside again. 

Earlier this year, ticket sales for theatre performances and music and comedy shows got off to a slow start. Yet according to a recent Dutch study, there is no reason to panic. It says that before the pandemic, people bought three to four tickets at a time, whereas now they usually buy two. Culture no longer seems to be a group affair. 

This may soon change, as our lives have been speeding up in recent months, with hobbies, dinners and (postponed) parties once again taking an important place. These are the moments for word of mouth to spread, and plans are made together. For the time being, it seems to be a matter of patience before the cultural sector revives.

(AHU)

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© ​ BELGA PHOTO James Arthur Gekiere