The annual presentation of the Ultimas cost 614,000 euros. That's a lot of money for a single evening event where a handful of people receive prizes. When Klassiek Centraal handed out Golden Labels for 10 years straight—awards that barely got attention in Flanders but much more abroad—we did it on budgets ranging from a few hundred euros to a couple of thousand, never more than 5,000 (our most expensive event was our 10th anniversary celebration).
We mention this simply to make clear that the hefty budget can be significantly reduced while still delivering a worthwhile cultural prize. Of course, you can't compare organizing a volunteer operation where you can rely on free contributions with a professional organization where everyone is fully paid staff. Had we organized our Golden Labels Awards at 100% professional level, the budgets would certainly have had four zeros. In any case, a country or region that denies its own cultural creators recognition, won't give them a moment in the spotlight, has a serious problem.
It's not about giving out prizes for the sake of it—it's about ensuring that culture makers, regardless of their discipline, receive recognition for what they contribute to their community, whether compensated or not. If a government fails to give its cultural ambassadors a place of honor, that government is falling short. Flanders' rich cultural landscape—rich in substance, not just financially—is leading in Europe and globally. Nowhere in the world are there as many cultural activities per capita as in Flanders. And almost nowhere in Europe are government budgets for culture so minimal. Even the much poorer Balkan countries proportionally invest more in culture.
Precisely during financially difficult times, a government should spotlight its cultural creators so that organizers and audiences feel motivated to organize events, attract sponsors, secure donors, and so on. Crisis can spark innovation, but the current risk is that culture gets sidelined and pushed further into the shadows. Now the Flemish culture minister—following in the footsteps of predecessors who weren't particularly invested in culture either—is discouraging cultural creators. It's disheartening for young talent to pursue a career in the cultural sector. Not because they hope to make a living from culture thanks to generous subsidies—subsidies shouldn't be the driver—but because the minister is now creating more uncertainty. Will we soon find artists back in cold attics like in La Bohème? The minister won't lose any sleep over it...
