Last week, the Netherlands saw protests and letters for non-essential shops to open — now it’s the cultural sector’s turn.
Around 70 theatres and a handful of museums have opened their doors to protest against the government’s announcement of the new coronavirus restrictions, reports the NOS.
Just like retail and contact professions, the cultural sector wants to open its doors to the public.
Haircuts and yoga classes
Many cultural institutions across the Netherlands have joined the protest against coronavirus measures; Limburg Museum is offering Zumba and yoga classes, and people can go to Loevestein Castle and the Mauritshuis for boot camp workouts. 🏃🏻
Theatres have been converted into massage, hairdressing, and beauty salons — a nod to the ‘relaxing’ measures that allow these contact professions to return. 💇🏻
One unique example is De Kleine Komedie (The Little Comedy). This theatre in Amsterdam has set up vintage barbershop chairs for 200 hairdressers ‘appointments’ — and customers can watch live acts from a few famous Dutch performers.
Enforcement on the way
But of course, with protests, there has to be pushback. Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema announced that they would continue to enforce coronavirus measures, pointing out that these locations should not open even if they offer haircuts and exercises. 😕
Other cities including Nijmegen, Rotterdam, and Eindhoven announced that they will also enforce these measures — but as it is, it’s impossible to check if every location is following the measures.
The cultural sector will present a plan to reopen today. About 100 organisations considered how they can safely reopen their doors, taking access rules and risk levels into account.
If that doesn’t work out, the cultural sector is also working to bring the Dutch government to court for its restrictions during the pandemic. 😳
Do you think the cabinet should relax restrictions for the cultural sector? Tell us your thoughts! 💭
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