PhD defence P.J.J. (Peter) van der Zant

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation:

The dissertation deals with amateur art practice in the Netherlands, a popular form of leisure activity in the Netherlands. Approximately half of the population engages in artistic, musical or creative activities in their free time. Furthermore, millions of Dutch people – consciously or unconsciously – enjoy expressions of amateur art by visiting festivals, exhibitions and performances (often in public buildings or in public space) or watching television and social media.
Since the Second World War, the government has stimulated amateur art. In practice, however, policy often depends on the importance that individual policy officers and politicians attach to amateur art. This dissertation investigates whether the policy of governments, but also the policy of institutions and cultural funds that support amateur art, can be substantiated in a more sustainable way by using the concept of ‘public value’. In order to determine the ‘public value’ of amateur art, it is essential that those involved (in this case the amateur artists) and citizens in general (in their role as taxpayers) indicate what this value could be. Therefore, a representative Internet panel of approximately 400 amateur artists and approximately 900 other citizens filled out a questionnaire about the (public) value of amateur art. This research shows that many citizens who do not practice art in their free time themselves recognize the value of amateur art for the public and for society. In this respect, the large difference is striking between citizens who are more left-wing and citizens who are more right-wing oriented.