Gas, Oil and Heritage: Well-oiled Histories and Corporate Sponsorship in Dutch Museums (1990-2021)

Gertjan Plets; Marin Kuijt

doi:10.51769/bmgn-lchr.7028

Gas, Oil and Heritage: Well-oiled Histories and Corporate Sponsorship in Dutch Museums (1990-2021)

Gertjan Plets
, Marin Kuijt

OGKG - Cultural History

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

How does corporate sponsorship shape the narration and curation of Dutch history in public museums? This article evaluates the significance and impact of private funding in the Dutch heritage and museum sector. By focusing on three museums that have received funding from Dutch oil and gas companies we foreground specifically the nexus heritage, oil, and funding. We show how a particular type of ‘energy literacy’ is promoted, a narrative that is favourable to the agenda of the gas and oil sector. Our explorations are based on interviews with museum officials, an analysis of policy documents, and a close reading of exhibitions. By describing the impact of oil and gas money on the Dutch heritage sector, this article charts the growing influence of corporate players in the Dutch public cultural sector. Following neoliberal reforms in 2011-2012 promoting cultural entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency, museums and heritage sites had to act even more like businesses and attract sponsorships and gifts from private players. This development is part of a global retraction of the state in the public sector. Our discussion of the intricacies of corporate heritage funding in the Netherlands shows that through a fairly limited investment, enterprises acquire disproportionate outreach and influence in the cultural heritage field, an environment that is generally perceived by the public as reliable and independent.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	50-77
Number of pages	28
Journal	BMGN - Low Countries Historical Review
Volume	137
Issue number	1
Early online date	2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.51769/bmgn-lchr.7028
Publication status	Published - 2 Sept 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
independent income of its total budget. What’s more, to remain eligible for institutional funding by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, this independent income had to increase by at least 1 per cent a year.51 In the Netherlands, cultural institutions aiming for long-term institutional funding from the Dutch government, need to submit a portfolio of their activities and plans to the independent Council for Culture (Raad voor Cultuur). Visitor numbers, entrepreneurship, and the magical 17.5 per cent of independent income especially, have become the deciding factors in the 2010s. National Museum Boerhaave is illustrative in this respect. In their 2017-2020 evaluation, the dramatic rise in visitor numbers as well as their collaboration with Shell were lauded as best practices and reason enough for extending state support.52

Funding Information:
‘national museums’ supported by the national government, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science specifically. The Drents Museum is the main cultural historical institution of province of Drenthe and is largely supported by both the province and the municipality of Assen.

Funding Information:
The authors wish to thank the editors of bmgn - Low Countries Historical Review for their interest in this paper and their suggestions. We would also like to praise the two anonymous reviewers who provided encouraging feedback and relevant literature recommendations. Throughout the course of this paper different interlocutors provided us with documentation, insights, gossip, and confidential information. A big thank you goes out to all of our interlocutors. None of the confidential information is shared here. This research has been financed by UGLOBE centre for global challenges. Kees M?ller redacted the final version of this paper.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Koninklijk Nederlands Historisch Genootschap. All rights reserved.

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10.51769/bmgn-lchr.7028Licence: CC BY

documentFinal published version, 1.84 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Gas, Oil and Heritage: Well-oiled Histories and Corporate Sponsorship in Dutch Museums (1990-2021)",

abstract = "How does corporate sponsorship shape the narration and curation of Dutch history in public museums? This article evaluates the significance and impact of private funding in the Dutch heritage and museum sector. By focusing on three museums that have received funding from Dutch oil and gas companies we foreground specifically the nexus heritage, oil, and funding. We show how a particular type of {\textquoteleft}energy literacy{\textquoteright} is promoted, a narrative that is favourable to the agenda of the gas and oil sector. Our explorations are based on interviews with museum officials, an analysis of policy documents, and a close reading of exhibitions. By describing the impact of oil and gas money on the Dutch heritage sector, this article charts the growing influence of corporate players in the Dutch public cultural sector. Following neoliberal reforms in 2011-2012 promoting cultural entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency, museums and heritage sites had to act even more like businesses and attract sponsorships and gifts from private players. This development is part of a global retraction of the state in the public sector. Our discussion of the intricacies of corporate heritage funding in the Netherlands shows that through a fairly limited investment, enterprises acquire disproportionate outreach and influence in the cultural heritage field, an environment that is generally perceived by the public as reliable and independent. ",

author = "Gertjan Plets and Marin Kuijt",

note = "Funding Information: independent income of its total budget. What{\textquoteright}s more, to remain eligible for institutional funding by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, this independent income had to increase by at least 1 per cent a year.51 In the Netherlands, cultural institutions aiming for long-term institutional funding from the Dutch government, need to submit a portfolio of their activities and plans to the independent Council for Culture (Raad voor Cultuur). Visitor numbers, entrepreneurship, and the magical 17.5 per cent of independent income especially, have become the deciding factors in the 2010s. National Museum Boerhaave is illustrative in this respect. In their 2017-2020 evaluation, the dramatic rise in visitor numbers as well as their collaboration with Shell were lauded as best practices and reason enough for extending state support.52 Funding Information: {\textquoteleft}national museums{\textquoteright} supported by the national government, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science specifically. The Drents Museum is the main cultural historical institution of province of Drenthe and is largely supported by both the province and the municipality of Assen. Funding Information: The authors wish to thank the editors of bmgn - Low Countries Historical Review for their interest in this paper and their suggestions. We would also like to praise the two anonymous reviewers who provided encouraging feedback and relevant literature recommendations. Throughout the course of this paper different interlocutors provided us with documentation, insights, gossip, and confidential information. A big thank you goes out to all of our interlocutors. None of the confidential information is shared here. This research has been financed by UGLOBE centre for global challenges. Kees M?ller redacted the final version of this paper. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Koninklijk Nederlands Historisch Genootschap. All rights reserved.",

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Gas, Oil and Heritage: Well-oiled Histories and Corporate Sponsorship in Dutch Museums (1990-2021)

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