Orchestral relocation has no winners
The Social Democratic Party's starting point is that we are willing to discuss cultural policy proposals if the audience and culture benefit from them. When both the Minister of Culture and the Danish People's Party air ideas about both DR's Concert Hall and orchestra, we listen. But when it turns out that the proposals do not benefit either the audience or the culture, the Social Democrats cannot support the ideas.
The Minister of Culture and DF have both proposed that the Concert Hall and orchestras should be pushed out of DR. They also propose that the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and choir should be moved under the roof of the Royal Theatre, and that the orchestras and choirs should rent space in the Concert Hall.
Understandably, the proposals create great uncertainty and leave many questions - both for the employees affected, but not least in relation to the cultural policy consequences.
Fundamentally, the transfer of DR's orchestras is problematic because the problem the transfer is supposed to solve does not exist. No one complains about the effort that is being made. And thus the transfer benefits no one.
DF has pointed out that the proposal is based on the party's fear that their own proposed cuts to DR will affect orchestras and ensembles. However, if the desire was so great, we would be able to solve it in the upcoming media agreement.
Today, DR's symphony orchestras and choirs reach 2.1 million Danes through concert broadcasts on TV and radio. It's hard to see how this level can be maintained if DR has to rely on external orchestras and choirs that have many other obligations.
At the same time, moving the administration of ensembles to the Royal Theatre, as proposed by the Minister of Culture, is not a good idea in itself. On the contrary, it will add another huge task on top of the core tasks of ballet, theatre and opera, which the theatre, and not least its employees, find it difficult to handle properly after numerous cutbacks. This emphasises that a transfer will not mean more quality.
In this debate, we must not forget that the Minister of Culture, with the DF's support, is now cutting DKK 7.8 million from Copenhagen Phil. They have played a false tune that the orchestra only benefits the capital - and closed their eyes to the fact that Copenhagen Phil is a touring symphony orchestra for all of Zealand, Møn and Lolland-Falster.
The cuts are justified by the fact that the regional orchestras in Jutland and Funen need the millions more. "I agree that the other orchestras are in dire need of funds. But the fact is that they are starving because the government, with the support of DF, is cutting two per cent of the culture budget every year. They are filling a hole they have dug themselves. And there's no more culture coming out of it.
The orchestra policy we see from the blue bloc has no winners. On the contrary, it means less music for the audience. It's a failed cultural policy. Instead, both the Minister of Culture and DF should focus on supporting the development of culture and Danes' ability to enjoy culture. The orchestra relocations point in the opposite direction.
The Social Liberal Party believes that the ensembles should be retained in their current form and remain part of DR. It is important that Denmark has a rich and diverse music scene, which is why we are against the idea of merging existing ensembles. It will lead to less musical diversity.
We are also opposed to the idea of removing ensembles from DR, as it would weaken the dissemination of music. With its many different platforms, DR has a unique opportunity to communicate music. In addition, with its public service approach, DR has an eye for communicating to both the narrow, dedicated audience and the broad, more popular audience.
Culture spokesman Naser Khader has not responded to our enquiry
DR plays a central role in Denmark's cultural life. As a nationwide public service institution, DR is therefore committed to reflecting the diversity of culture, and music is naturally a large part of both culture and DR's foundation. DR's choirs and orchestras have an important role to play in this respect, as a disseminator of music for many purposes - both Danish and foreign.
DR is committed to bringing Danes together in large and small communities with content, experiences and shared events and to reflect Danish culture. DR's choirs and orchestras do this by appearing in around five hundred TV and radio programmes each year, which are seen or heard by around half of the Danish population. A quarter of a million Danes also experience their live concerts every year, just as people in Europe can experience them broadcast in their countries.
DR's choirs and orchestras have been trained through many years of practice to be able to participate in the creation of broadcasts and transmissions and to fulfil the demands and needs of the country's largest media institution. They must deliver music at the highest professional level and provide Denmark's population with a rich selection of new and old, familiar and provocative. They must be able to attract and develop talent, represent the country in the best possible way at home and abroad, and they must also help train young musicians and perform the works of new composers.
Today, choirs, orchestras, concert halls and DR function as an organic whole that provides the best possible opportunities for all parties to fulfil the versatile requirements and ensure the continuous work process between music, radio, TV and institutions. Peace of mind, resources and a surplus of energy to recognise new opportunities and tasks for the continued development of the area is a necessary basis, and this is best achieved by ensuring a stable framework around choirs and orchestras. With respect for the special function of these choirs and orchestras, and with a fantastic concert hall as a base, DR naturally has a great responsibility to deliver the best possible creative interaction with the outside world.
SF believes that DR's choirs and orchestras play a central and important role in DR's ability to fulfil its mission to be the public service provider for all Danes, offering programmes within all genres and levels. DR meets these requirements through its choirs and orchestras, which have been built up and refined over many years, primarily for use in radio and TV programmes. They are an essential resource in DR, built around quality and distinctiveness, which allows DR to play a central role in Danish cultural life. It is pure media business as seen in most Western European countries.
Leif Mikkelsen, spokesman for culture, does not want to answer.
In the Danish People's Party's media proposal from 2016 Media for all of Denmark we proposed analysing the consequences of separating DR's concert hall and ensembles from DR and instead gathering them in a separate entity financed by the Danish Finance Act. Our latest proposal from March this year builds on this foundation. We want to strengthen classical music - both in and outside the metropolitan area, secure the finances and artistic level of the Royal Danish Theatre, and prevent DR's ensembles from being cut back in DR.
It has probably escaped most people's notice that DR is about to be slimmed down by reducing the licence fee. This is something we in the Danish People's Party have long wanted to do, as DR's mammoth size is detrimental to a diverse media landscape. That being said, DR currently produces good public service that we fear DR's management may find it necessary to cut back on, including DR's ensembles. To address this fear, we have developed a comprehensive 10-point plan.
If the Danish People's Party has its way, DR's Concert Hall should be separated from DR and retained as an independent entity with a board and an executive board. The finances will be secured through a deficit guarantee from the state via the licence fee or via the Finance Act, which depends on the upcoming media negotiations. The Danish National Symphony Orchestra will be administratively moved to the Royal Danish Theatre as an independent unit, where the orchestra's funds will be transferred to the Royal Danish Theatre, giving it a fourth pillar alongside opera, ballet and plays. The director of the Royal Theatre is tasked with appointing a music director who will be responsible for this fourth pillar. The Symphony Orchestra will continue to play in the Concert Hall, which is why the Concert Hall is obliged to sign a contract with the Symphony Orchestra.
As for DR's vocal ensemble, we want it to be merged with the Opera Choir in the Royal Theatre. This will give the Royal Theatre an opera choir of a size worthy of a national stage. All of DR's other ensembles will move to the Concert Hall, which will be responsible for them. These are DR's Girls' Choir, DR Big Band, DR Concert Choir and DR Choir School. DR Musikariet, which has had great success in inviting school children from all over the country to experience a symphonic orchestra, will change its name to Musikariet and will continue to be managed by the Concert Hall. The ensembles' finances will follow from DR and, as with the Concert Hall, funding will depend on the upcoming media negotiations.
In other words, it is imperative to the Danish People's Party that DR's choirs and orchestras, which deliver a high level of public service to the Danes, are not negatively affected by the downsizing of DR.
Culture spokesperson Britt Bager does not want to answer.
Culture spokesman Søren Søndergaard has not responded to our enquiry.
Culture spokesperson Rasmus Nordqvist has not responded to our enquiry.