Where business and art come together
A unique cultural work estate in the woods near Weesp, Het Domijn is a place where creativity and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. In 1989, co-workers of the theatre group Boulevard of Broken Dreams climbed the fence of the vacant estate in Weesp in their search for a place where they could rehearse and store their theatre gear. What started with the occupation by a small group of what used to be an old locomotive factory has grown into a professional cooperative with 41 members.
In 2014, Triodos Cultuurfonds funded the purchase of the premises by the cooperative and its renovation. A year later, the fund financed the purchase of solar panels. Both investments fit the fund’s strategy well.
Former Fund Manager Eric Holterhues: “By supporting Het Domijn, Triodos Cultuurfonds stimulates cultural entrepreneurship and helps to establish a financially sustainable business. In fact, we generate double impact, as we also stimulate the use of renewable energy”.
As far as I know, we are the only cultural cooperative in The Netherlands that independently owns its premises.
Business decision
"What you find here is really unique”, says Irène Lesparre, long-time member of Het Domijn. “We accommodate creative people, each with their own artistic discipline. They vary from performers to craftsmen to writers. All of our members have their own working space or atelier on the estate."
Yet, the group could not always be certain that it would keep this great location. Weesp municipality, at one point, had plans to turn it into a business park. “At that moment we decided together to organise ourselves as a cooperative. All members are responsible and decide on the cooperative’s course together. This led to the decision that if we wanted to maintain this place and its function, we would buy the estate ourselves”, says Lesparre. With savings from the members, loans by Triodos Bank and Triodos Cultuurfonds, and a guarantee by Amsterdam municipality, the cooperative was able to buy the estate. Lesparre: “As far as I know, we are the only cultural cooperative in The Netherlands that independently owns its premises.”
Care for creation
For more than 20 years, Het Domijn has been staying on the estate. “Both the work spaces and the surrounding nature mean a lot to us. We aspire to be a stage for experimental displays and we find it important to treat our surroundings and the material we use with respect”, says Lesparre.
Thus, in cooperation with Wageningen University, Het Domijn is examining ways how the inhabitants may use their creativity to avoid spoiling water. The cooperative has also started to use solar energy. About 2,000 solar panels were installed on the roofs of the buildings. This was made possible with finance from Triodos Bank and the Province of Noord-Holland.
Such initiatives have an effect on the direct surroundings. To promote and stimulate these ideas, the artists often take the stage. Lesparre: “We facilitate art projects at schools, issue cultural awards, open the theater festival and organise the annual Open Domijn Day, where people can enjoy all sorts of performances and art exhibitions. Everybody is always welcome. Our motto is that we want to earn our money on the estate, not with it.”
Creative funding
The fact that artists can also be entrepreneurs shows Lesparre by another example. “We want to guarantee the continuity of Het Domijn. That’s why we intend to renovate the outside of the building in the coming years. We have issued certificates to obtain the necessary capital. It is unbelievable how many people actually bought these certificates; in no time we had the required amount. Thanks to other artists, people from Weesp, and friends and family, who all felt: it’s make or break, but we need to keep Het Domijn.”
Het Domijn can serve as inspiration to similar initiatives. It represents the creative and entrepreneurial spirit that Triodos Cultuurfonds aims to stimulate and support.