The anxiety of asking: Entrepreneurial and patronage practices in the creative sector

This chapter argues that, for artists and cultural organizations, there is (and always has been) a certain tension between selling (access to) their work and asking for support. Following developments in Dutch and European cultural policy since 2010, today's artists and cultural organizations are actively experimenting with combinations of entrepreneurial and patronage practices. Often this comes down to trying to persuade members of their audience to not only pay for owning or experiencing their work, but to make an additional donation too. Yet these experiments may present (and historically have presented) makers with complex dilemmas. Makers seeking donations tend to feel uncomfortable emphasizing their acute financial needs to potential patrons; they prefer entering into relationships that are reciprocal and aimed at fostering their long-term artistic growth. This chapter explains that cultivating and maintaining reciprocal relationships involves engaging in a complex exchange of material and immaterial resources. In this exchange, the balance between 'giving' and 'receiving' is precarious and unstable. For both artist and patron, negotiating this balance means carrying out relational labour that is potentially rewarding, but may also take a lot of time, energy, effort and discretion-without any guarantee of success. The chapter concludes by taking stock of the challenges and resistances that artists and cultural institutions face in their attempts to master both the art of selling and the art of asking.