The Impact of the Budget Cuts on Danspunt

At the beginning of October, we learned that the cultural sector must absorb €47 million in cuts. Once again, this is a major blow to a sector that has been facing budget cuts for years. The reduced subsidies affect not only the heritage sector and socio-cultural work, but also support organisations such as Cultuurloket and Kunstenpunt, which, alongside many other organisations and individuals, are facing substantial reductions. At the beginning of July, part of the amateur arts sector, including Danspunt, was also informed that we would have to make additional cuts from 2027 onwards.

These cuts are just the latest in a long series of reductions affecting our sector over the past decades. In 2004, the culture budget accounted for 1.99% of the total Flemish budget. Since then, it has steadily declined to 0.72%. Across successive rounds of budget cuts, culture has consistently been one of the policy areas required to shoulder some of the largest proportional reductions.

“How can politicians think they can protect professional artists while stripping away everything that surrounds them? If there is less or no business support, if performance spaces and venues disappear, and if project grants are scrapped, where does that leave the artist trying to create art on their own?”

Anja Debruyn, coordinator Danspunt

As a result of these cuts, Flemish cultural organisations once again face a major challenge. Danspunt is no exception — and the consequences will also be felt by dance schools and groups, emerging artists and dance teachers.

But what do these cuts actually mean for Danspunt?

• In 2026, we already had to cut our budget by 3%.
• In July, we were informed that we would have to make an additional 8% cut to our current subsidy from 2027 onwards.
• This means 22% less than the budget we requested in our policy plan — a budget that was essential to delivering our new additional responsibilities and providing ambitious support for the dance sector.

Not only are we losing a substantial part of our Flemish subsidies, but the future of our wonderful space at Dok Noord in Ghent is also currently uncertain.

For years, we have worked closely with the City of Ghent to develop our space into an open and welcoming hub: an important centre for dance and culture in Ghent and beyond, and a home for amateur dance throughout Flanders. Every year, our studios are used for more than 4,500 hours by numerous dance schools, artists and dance groups.

Because the City of Ghent is also facing budget cuts, the future of our location is now uncertain. Of course, we are not prepared to simply accept this. We are doing everything we can to find a solution together with the City of Ghent and other partners and to safeguard our space.

“Danspunt is feeling the impact of these cuts too. Directly, we are facing cuts of at least 11%, and indirectly, the entire sector is under pressure. But the value of dance — and, more broadly, of culture as a whole — cannot be expressed in numbers alone. Dance gives people a voice, connects generations, cultures and communities, and makes our society so much richer and more beautiful. That is why we continue to stand in solidarity with everyone in the sector. And we will keep dancing with all our might. Above all, that.”

Koen Victoor, coordinator at Danspunt

Cutting funding for us means cutting opportunities for you.

Danspunt is currently facing a difficult challenge. Having to make cuts amounting to 22% of the budget we requested means that we have to make difficult choices.

• Projects such as Dansstorm, Dansstroom and COME SEE, COME SA are at risk from next year onwards.Without additional funding, we will unfortunately no longer be able to run them. Through these projects, we have provided dozens of performance opportunities for hundreds of artists and dancers, increased the visibility of dozens of dance schools in their own regions, collaborated with countless freelancers (technicians, coaches and others), and introduced tens of thousands of people to dance every year in an accessible way. All of this is now at risk of disappearing.
• Tailored information and advice on business, organisational and promotional matters are an important part of our work. Doing more with fewer resources also puts pressure on these services. In addition, the price of our insurance, which allows dance schools and groups to insure their dancers, has already increased from €3 to €4 per person.
• CODE DANS+ and Out of the Toolbox will continue, but with reduced budgets.
• The government's wider programme of cuts affects not only Danspunt, but the entire ecosystem we are part of. Our partners, and the organisations you work with, are also facing substantial reductions. These include socio-cultural organisations such as Compagnie Cordial, where the fantastic volunteers behind Out of the Toolbox are based; support organisations such as Cultuurloket, whose expertise we often rely on for information and advice; heritage organisations such as CEMPER, with whom we collaborated on projects such as Dansstroom; and countless local authorities and partners, with whom we have, among other things, delivered Dansstorm in Mechelen and Bruges. The impact of losing this support will be clearly felt throughout the sector.
• Finally, the reduction in our subsidies also means that we have to restructure our team. As a result, we will soon, unfortunately, have to say goodbye to a wonderful colleague, Leen Devyver. Over the past seven years, she has contributed to a wide range of Danspunt projects, from Dansstroom to Dansbank, and has built bridges between communities. Thanks in part to her work, Danspunt has been able to focus on heritage and inclusion, for which we are immensely grateful. Her work and expertise will remain part of the foundation on which Danspunt continues to build today. We wish Leen every success in her next challenge.

What happens now?

We remain just as committed and dedicated as ever, but we are also deeply disappointed and angry. Nevertheless, we continue to work every day with a deep love for dance, so that as many dancers as possible, from amateur to pre-professional, can practise dance in the way that feels right to them: as a form of self-expression, an artistic outlet, a moment of connection, or a stepping stone into the professional field.