The Hague - May 31, 2010

Cultural organizations and creative parties squat the Asta in The Hague



On Monday, May 31, the Asta - a historical theatre on the Spui in The Hague - was squatted on behalf of the cultural organisations TodaysArt, TAG, Teletekst is Dood, Shoot Me Film Festival, Villa Nuts, Langweiligkeit, Haagse Skate Unie, Paard van Troje, and The Generator. The cultural organisations aim to make a statement against recent developments concerning the implementation of a new law that will bring into effect a total ban on squatting, the development of the Culture Forum 2018 in The Hague and the proposed budget cuts on arts and culture. In addition to the organisations directly involved, a number of other cultural organisations and individual artists have publicly stated their support for this initiative.



The Asta on the Spui in The Hague


The cultural organisations emphasise the positive premise of this collective action and have indicated their willingness to consult with the owners of the building and other stakeholders to discuss the possibilities for the future. The aim is to only use the building until the stakeholders come up with concrete plans for the property. The initiative also intends to create support for exploring the great cultural potential of such a location in The Hague's downtown.

On June 1st, the Senate is likely to approve a total ban on squatting. To highlight the positive aspects of squatting, the organisations refer to numerous examples of today's successful cultural organizations and hotspots (Korzo, Blue Attack, The Illusion, Theatre The Apple / Appel Theatre, Melkweg, Paradiso, Tivoli and many others) that have flourished due to the availability of cheap workspace and housing. Squatting has also resulted in the preservation of valuable historic buildings and cultural expressions. The ambition of the parties involved is to facilitate a positive cultural spin-off through combined efforts, activities and well-organised cultural entrepreneurship in this prominent area in the city centre, thereby giving both this area and the city in general a strong infusion of modern, urban culture.