music theatre in flanders - Muziekcentrum Vlaanderen

Diagram 1: Evolution of the number of productions in the ‘music
theatre’ segment and the other performing arts disciplines
2500
1875
1250
625
0
1433
250
1993-1997 1997-2001 2001-2005
non-music theatre
music theatre
growth non-music theatre
growth music theatre
2103
335
2079
For the examined period, an increasing number of music theatre
productions and of other performing arts productions can be observed,
but the growth curves have a different shape.
The music theatre growth curve deviates from the trend for
the entire segment of the performing arts. Since 1993, the year
the Performing Arts Decree became effective, there has been
a strong increase of performing arts productions in Flanders.
This growth, however, appeared to have taken place during the
years before the turn of the century. After 2000, production no
longer increased at the same rate. For 2001-2005, music theatre,
therefore, seems to evolve contrary to the overall tendency. While
the other performing arts disciplines production rate comes to a
standstill (and at a certain point even becomes negative), music
theatre production keeps moving up.
453
190%
143%
95%
48%
0%
How can we explain this remarkable increase? Several elements
may have been influential, on an institutional as well as on
an artistic level.
• Has the Performing arts decree increased the production
capacity? In Metamorphoses, we related the rise in production
to the diversification of the landscape. In 1993, the landscape
was still strongly marked by the Theatre Decree, that
ruled the performing arts between 1975 and 1993. It was only
since the 1993 Performing Arts Decree that dance and music
theatre producers and arts centres could be considered
for government recognition and support, acknowledging the
existence of a ‘music theatre’ category and creating room for
cross-over in the performing arts. Among the companies that
still receive subsidies today, LOD, Music Theatre Transparant
and WALPURGIS were the first to receive recognition. As
a successor of the old Theatre Decree, the 1993 Performing
Arts Decree definitely created a diversification of the landscape,
allowing music theatre production to gain strength and
continuity as a result of project subsidies and the possibility of
a four-year envelope for producers.
• Increasing international co-production support? In Canaries
in the Coal Mine. Master plan for dance in Flanders
and Brussels (VTi, 2007) it was noted that after 2000, dance
production had a strong breakthrough on the Flemish (and
Brussels) scene, contrary to the overall tendencies for the
performing arts. The Performing Arts Decree definitely played
a major part in this, but perhaps even more the increasing
participation by foreign (co-)-producers. It is worthwhile investigating
to what extent the increasing internationalisation
of co-production practice could explain the expansion of the
music theatre segment.
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