The Dutch arts council has called on the government to widen its approach to music so that pop, dance, hiphop and various other modern genres are also eligible for subsidies.

The current policy of focusing on classical music, modern classical and jazz is too one-sided and ignores new developments in both music and in society at large, the arts council said on Thursday.

‘Not every genre or musician should be eligible for government funding but creativity, innovation, experimentation, talent and quality should be recognised,’ the council said.

Earlier this month, VVD parliamentarian Arno Rutte said he wanted to cut subsidies for pop music in the next budget. ‘If you can’t live from your work, you’re not a pop musician,’ he told a debate on culture in parliament.

Rutte said he was prepared to consider funding for ‘infrastructure’ to help rising musicians, but ‘we no longer want to see direct and substantial subsidies for pop music.’

Thursday’s arts council report is the first of 10 recommendations from the arts council ahead of a major rethink of the government’s arts and culture policy which is due to be presented next February.