On Thursday 16th of April, during Playgrounds’ Creative Industries Sector Consultation we enjoyed a very insightful presentation of the study ‘Hollywood Beneath the Rivers’ (‘Hollywood onder de rivieren’.
Commissioned by Screen Talent NL, Paul Rutten and Walter Manshanden researched the economic significance of the audiovisual sector in the southern Netherlands, specifically the Provinces of Zeeland, North Brabant and Limburg, and the largest cities in those regions. Based on the research findings, they formulated policy and strategy recommendations. The full report can be read here (Dutch only).
A summary of the insights and findings
In the southern Netherlands the audiovisual sector is growing. While it may not yet be the largest, it is certainly gaining ground rapidly. Faster than the economy. And in many cases, faster than the creative industries.
💡 Not large, but on the move
The sector is (still) relatively small:
• 12,300 jobs and 9,200 companies (broad audiovisual sector)
• 5,600 jobs and 3,500 companies (narrow sector)
But those figures tell only part of the story.
If you look at the development between 2014 and 2023, you see that the sector is growing faster than the rest of the economy in all three provinces. In North Brabant and Limburg, it is growing even faster than the creative industries.
The growth stems mainly from film production and the performing arts, alongside a clear rise in music production.
In other words: the foundations are there. And it is growing.
💡 Not a centre, but a solid network
Whereas the AV sector in the Netherlands often congregates in and around Amsterdam area, the southern Netherlands looks different, with no clear epicentre.
It is a network of cities and regions, each with its own strengths:
• Breda has a strong position in film production
• Tilburg in the performing arts
• Eindhoven as the creative engine
• Maastricht as an important centre in Limburg
And the sector also plays a significant role outside the larger cities.
💡More than just figures
The audiovisual sector is not just about jobs and businesses.
The sector contributes to:
• the visibility and identity of regional stories
• the retention and development of talent
• innovation, for example in digital and immersive applications
• new links with other sectors
And increasingly, productions from the southern Netherlands are also reaching audiences beyond these provinces, sometimes even internationally.
💡Looking at the opportunities
The sector consists largely of self-employed professionals and small businesses. There is plenty of energy and entrepreneurial spirit, but also fragmentation.
The research shows that targeted choices are needed now more than ever:
• investing in collaboration and knowledge sharing
• strengthening talent development and entrepreneurship
• increasing visibility and distribution
• linking economic and cultural policy
Public investment plays a key role in this. Certainly, in a sector that is simultaneously changing due to technology, new platforms and alternative funding methods.
💡Now is the time to build
The strength of the Southern Netherlands lies precisely in what already exists: a growing network of creators, businesses and organisations, spread across the region.
The question is not whether there is potential. The question is what we do with it.
Would you like to delve deeper into the figures, insights and recommendations? Read more here (Dutch only):