Code of Conduct: What are our aims and where do we stand now?

Due to the unique location of Hotel Maria Kapel in West Friesland, in a municipality that provides limited subsidies for contemporary visual art, HMK has been working for a long time with limited manpower and financial resources. The team of three freelancers (total 1.4fte) performs all tasks necessary to provide artists in residency space, time, guidance, visibility and audience engagement. In addition, the team is responsible for the development of a public program, partly in relation to the practice of artists, partly aimed at accessibility for a wide audience. HMK complies with the three codes as much and as carefully as possible, within its possibilities. We see the codes not only as principles worth striving for, but also as benchmarks that can indicate in reflection where over-ambition and production speed have exceded within an organization. From this perspective, the codes between 2018 and 2020 have been important guidelines for organizational changes that have been detailed in the program plan.

Fair Practice Code

Since the end of 2019, HMK has focused on recalibration, simplification and transparency. Through various processes, workshops and many open conversations involving the entire HMK ecosystem, we have sharpened our core objectives and better defined our position in the field and locally in order to deploy a more realistic, effective line. This is the only way in which we can guarantee our compliance with the codes within our means, and in which we can offer a safe and healthy (working) climate to the HMK team, the volunteers, the artists in residency and everyone else who has a role in the development of the public programme. In addition, HMK is a member of the interest group for presentation institutions for visual arts De Zaak Nu, and participates in conversations in the field about how institutions can contribute to a healthy art climate. In financial terms, this means that HMK pays its freelancers a reasonable hourly rate, for 12 months a year, including paid vacation. Volunteers receive a volunteer allowance. Between 2018 and 2020 we also worked towards better (financial) conditions for the artists.

Goal 2021-2022 - While we don't currently see an opportunity to comply with the Artist's Fees Directive, we believe it's important to pay artists in a way that allows them to live and work. From 2021, in addition to a comfortable living and working space, artists will be offered a wider fixed fee and a fixed production budget. Both fee and production budget are set within the possibilities of the total budget. This means that we make certain choices in the type of projects we select. HMK is seeking additional funding for a limited number of projects, while HMK assists the artist in finding additional funding for other projects. HMK concludes a contract with each artist that clarifies what HMK offers in addition to fee, production budget and living and working space: content/curatorial assistance, PR and communication, (limited) production assistance, documentation, and travel costs.

Governance Code Culture

Between 2018 and 2020, the board has been more active than before for the organization. In this, a balance was sought between the decision-making options and responsibilities for daily practice and public program of the management/substantive and business management (in various compositions) and the responsibility of the board to ensure a healthy working climate and a sustainable long-term vision for HMK. In concrete terms, this has led to a very high number of hours of work by board members that falls outside the regular board duties. These are capitalized in the accounts for this period. The same applies to the extra hours of volunteers. The end of this opportunity to capitalize on unpaid hours under the new arts venue arrangement has provided an additional incentive to budget tighter and bring the pace of production in programming to a more realistic level.

The board of HMK currently consists of 4 people. Due to the organizational and substantive changes and the role of the board in this, it was not considered responsible to hire more than one new board member. The role of chairman is temporarily performed by a general board member.

Goal 2021-2022 - HMK aims for a full board consisting of 7 people. This is a relatively large board in relation to the size of the organization, but given the limited size of the team, it is important that there is sufficient capacity and that the board has varying competences. The aim is to supplement the board by means of an open call in July 2020 with members who mainly have institutional, financial and local knowledge and experience - naturally with an eye for integrity and diversity. HMK aims for a board that has the knowledge and skills to carefully advise and monitor the management of HMK with regard to daily practice (financial, operational management, marketing); the (art content) plans (knowledge and support); and the current local and national (cultural) political landscape (governance, ambassadorship, lobby). Before the end of 2020, the role of the board in the future will be discussed and set out in a new board profile. This new role means that a clearer separation is made between the board function and the day-to-day organization, with the board focusing on the long-term vision and ambassadorship.

Code Diversity & Inclusion

We are aware that improving and guaranteeing diversity and inclusivity within an institution - whether it is a museum or a small institution - requires continuous work, transparent conversations, reflection and accountability on a structural and programmatic level. Specially focused on monitoring progress and strategy in the field of diversity and inclusion, two annual board meetings have been set up to reflect specifically on this topic.

Staff - Our current team is diverse in terms of gender, socio-economic background, nationality and education. The small team makes the organization vulnerable to loss of knowledge and experience in the event of mutations. That is why HMK is strongly committed to sustainable employment relationships. When positions become available, increasing diversity within the organization is an important aim.

2021-2022 goal: HMK owes much to the enthusiastic efforts of locally-based volunteers - who also act as our local ambassadors. In 2021-22, HMK will create a broader volunteer pool with a more diverse composition through collaboration with www.voluntaryspunt.nl.

Program - HMK has deliberately made a very diverse selection of artists for the upcoming residency program - different nationalities, ethnicities and gender identities are represented. This diverse program is the result of striving to accommodate different perspectives, histories and experiences.

2021-2022 goal: A selection committee with a more diverse composition in terms of gender and ethnicity will be active in the next open call.

Public - HMK is located in a 16th-century chapel owned by a private party. Both the basement with cinema and the (exhibition) rooms are only accessible via a staircase. HMK expects that no adjustments will be made in the short term to make the building wheelchair accessible. Access to HMK is free, with the exception of specific public programs. When visitors are asked to make a financial contribution, HMK always offers different price levels. In addition, visitors are offered free coffee and tea and the hosts are prepared to give visitors a warm welcome and to share information about the location and the program.

2021-2022 goal: The entrance area will be further developed into a socially accessible place by placing comfortable furniture and setting up a reading folder or small library.

In the budget of 2021-22, a reservation has been made for the design of a new website with the aim of increasing our digital accessibility. The new design will be accessible to people with a visual impairment. The website will communicate which facilities the HMK location offers, such as refreshments, toilets and (quiet) seating areas. HMK is working on a number of improvements in the field of informative accessibility, which are explained in more detail in the Presentation Plan. HMK expects to attract a wider, more diverse and young audience by offering a diverse and inclusive programme. Available marketing resources and audience research will be explicitly used to reach this new target group, as explained in the Presentation Plan.

Partners - HMK invests in building up and making local partnerships more sustainable in order to become better anchored locally and to attract a wider local audience. With a view to children and young people, a program is being developed and activities outside its own location are organized in collaboration with Talenten Theater and a number of primary and secondary schools in Hoorn. This strategy is explained in the 2021-22 Program Plan. By collaborating with De Appel, San Serif, Transartists and Platform BK, HMK aims to guarantee and strengthen its national and international visibility.