Artists in Eindhoven are deeply concerned. Space where they can work is becoming increasingly scarce. Over the next two years, the equivalent of five football fields of creative workspace is expected to disappear. The municipality acknowledges the problem and is working on a solution. “We are currently working on making two studio spaces available. That’s approximately 4,000 square metres”, Alderperson for Culture, Saskia Lammers, says.
Creative people can be found throughout the city. Often squatting in vacant buildings, but also in Sectie-C, a former industrial estate in Tongelre district. “The reason creatives always end up in places no one wants to be is because they need space at a low cost”, Gijs van Bon, artist at Sectie-C, explains. Luxury is not their cup of tea: “As long as there’s power and it’s dry”.
Affordability
Van Bon isn’t just speaking for himself. He rents out the space he rents to young creatives. The goal is to create 25 workspaces. He sees that the creative sector is struggling. Affordability is a particular concern. In 2019, it was agreed that the price per square metre of studio space for starters would be around €55. Now, in some places, it’s double that.
“There’s so much interest in old commercial buildings and other places. It’s getting too expensive, which is driving people out of the city”, Van Bon explains. “I recognise that”, Stef Fridael, an artist in Vaartbroek neighbourhood, adds. “Starting artists are trying to find their way, and that’s incredibly difficult. There is not much to work with. We’re receiving a lot of requests, and we see that the space people are looking for isn’t available in Eindhoven”.
Problems
Council members from the opposition and coalition also acknowledge the problems. “We see it only getting worse as the city densifies”, Jacco Rubenkamp, party leader of Volt, says. “The real problem is the lack of affordable space, and the fact that people can’t stay there for long enough. They have to go from pillar to post. That doesn’t improve the work”, LPF leader Rudy Reker adds.
The creative sector is therefore calling for more affordable space. Yet, there’s no clear plan yet to achieve this. Niek Rennenberg of Ouderen Appèl has an idea: “The first floor of Heuvel shopping centre is completely empty. Couldn’t we turn that into studio space for young artists?”
Source: Studio040/Raymond Bruijns and Merijn van Merrienboer
Translated by: Bob
