City Council Member Receives Advisory Report on the Kruispuntkerk Board
Alderman Paul de Bruijn received the report containing the findings of the Kruispuntkerk Governance Working Group today. The report was presented at the Kruispuntkerk. The alderman is enthusiastic about the concrete recommendations and looks forward to implementing them.
In December 2024, the city council decided to establish a cultural center in the Kruispuntkerk. To ensure the best possible governance structure, a working group was formed last January. Under the motto “Use where you come from as a source of strength while setting a course for where you want to go,” the working group is making a series of concrete recommendations to the alderman.
Sound Financial Management
Among other things, the working group recommends establishing a foundation that enters into lease agreements with the users. It also proposes forming a programming committee. Furthermore, it calls for a full-time coordinator who, together with all volunteer groups, will run a center that accommodates both existing and new users. Finally, the working group envisions complementary food and beverage services and a terrace, which will foster social interaction even outside of performances while also serving as an additional source of revenue.
“We didn’t rush into this,” says working group member Willem Snoeker. “We also looked at many examples around the country, together with the users. That was very inspiring, because this center should be by and for all of us.” Odette Paauwe adds: “If we also make the café area available during the day as a cozy meeting spot where you can sit with your laptop, that will contribute to sound financial management.”
Great movies, plays, and concerts
Committee member Marcel Cramwinckel: “We developed this recommendation through several rounds of discussions with the intended users and the municipality. The current cultural center is successful, but is reaching its organizational limits. If we can organize our valuable core group of volunteers even more effectively and supplement it with a full-time coordinator, this center can truly make a difference.”
Councilman Paul de Bruijn is grateful: “A huge thank you to the working group. I know they’ve devoted a great deal of time to this report, all out of love for the village and its culture. I can’t help but deeply appreciate that. The result is impressive as well. It’s a thorough recommendation and plan that will allow us to move forward together into the next phase, on the path to a new, successful cultural center with plenty of space for various types of cultural performances and social activities.”
