Amsterdam, Netherlands - SEO Economisch Onderzoek

Boston Consulting Group on the economic importance of global and European headquarters tothe Amsterdam region likewise stresses quality of living and cultural life as key competitivefactors (BCG, 2008).Thirdly, the creative industry is one of the key economic clusters in the Amsterdam region.Chapter 3 discussed the economic characteristic of this sector, which now employs around 38,000people, many of them starting entrepreneurs. For the North Wing of the Randstad the totalnumber of jobs in the creative sector is 98,384. The economic growth of this sector has beenspectacular, which an cumulative employment growth rate of 55% in the period 1996-2008.However, the sector is more of an employment machine than an earnings machine: the growth ofvalue added in the sector is generally below the average growth rate of value added in the marketsector (Amsterdam O+S, 2009).5.3.1.2 The contribution of HEIsThe HEIs play an active part in the cultural complex of the Amsterdam metropolitan area. Thisdone through their facilities for staging cultural activities. Most facilities are linked to UvA andHvA like CREA, a cultural organization for students offering exhibitions, theatre, concerts andcourses. CREA exploits its own theatre. The VU likewise offers facilities for cultural educationthrough the Griffioen Cultural Center. The VU Exposorium in the main building of the universityorganizes contemporary art exhibitions on a regular basis. The two universities also play a livelyrole in the public debate through lectures such as the Spui 25 lezingen of UvA (organized jointlywith a major Dutch newspaper) and a range of Studium Generale lectures which are open to thegeneral public.UvA also hosts several museums like the Allard Pierson museum for Archeology and the specialcollections of the university library, which can be visited at the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana andother libraries in the city. Special mentioning deserves the Sweelinck orchestra which is formedby students of all the Amsterdam HEIs and in fact is the oldest symphonic orchestra of the city.Otherwise there is little cooperation between the Amsterdam HEIs in the field cultural activities.The VU has its own symphonic orchestra (VU Orkest) which was founded in 1962 and iscurrently with circa 120 players one of largest amateur orchestras in the Netherlands, focusing onclassical works from the late 19 th century and 20 th century period. We should also mention theINHolland orchestra for students of this hogeschool.Probably the largest impact on cultural development of the HEIs in the Amsterdam region isthrough its core business, education. There are in Amsterdam three major higher educationinstitutes for the cultural sector.• The Rietveld Academie is an independent school for higher education with 950 students. TheAcademie specializes in visual arts and design in every conceivable direction. Around 160part-time teachers work for the Academie most of whom are also working as independentartists or designers. This construction ensures a dynamic exchange of ideas and techniquesbetween the educational system and the cultural sector itself.• The Amsterdamse hogeschool voor de kunsten (AHK) is the largest HEI in the cultural sector.It consists of several faculties which themselves form separate schools. The total number ofstudents in 2008 was 2,940.o Conservatorium of Amsterdam forms the faculty of music. Here 1,000 studentsspecialize in classical music, popular music, jazz and opera.o The Amsterdam Academy of Architecture trains students to practice architecture,urban design and landscape architecture. The Master’s Degree awarded by theAcademy gives graduates direct entry to the Register of Architects. Study and workare combined in the course: half of the course consists of design education, the otherhalf consists of acquiring work experience in a relevant part-time position.o The Netherlands Film and Television Academy (NFTA) offers training to prepare forthe work in the various crew disciplines. Specialization is possible in fiction111