ERNOP Online Series 2025-2026
The Art of Asking
February 10, 2026, 10-11 (CET)
Speaker: Helleke van den Braber (Utrecht University)
Discussant: tba
About this seminar:
This ERNOP Science and Society webinar explores how relationships between artists, cultural organisations, and their individual donors can be better understood and supported. It outlines patronage dynamics by paying special attention to the shifting power balance between artists and individual benefactors. How can we evaluate what both parties put in and get out of their alliance? What is the role of the artwork (and its autonomy) in this patronage game of give and take? We will explore the ‘art of asking’ as practiced by artists and organizations. What strategies do they perceive as available when addressing (potential) donors? Helleke will also briefly address the issue of gift versus transactionality, discussing how the cultural sector navigates the demands of the market and the gift economy.
Helleke will present the outcomes of a recent, three-year research project, funded by the Dutch ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The project examined ‘the art of asking’, exploring how individual artists perceive of their requests for support to individual donors. She will share a hands-on list of 14 factors (or mechanisms) that drive artist’s decisions to ask individual donors for support.
The second part of the webinar will open the floor for discussion. Together, we will reflect on how these findings can inform communication with donors and the design of giving programmes in the arts sector. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences and consider how to foster more meaningful and respectful donor relationships in practice.
Registration will open soon.
About Helleke van den Braber
Helleke van den Braber is Professor of Patronage Studies at Utrecht University. She specializes in patronage theory and the dynamics of (inter)national cultural networks. Her research spans historical and contemporary support in literature, theatre, and pop culture. She currently explores how pop musicians and their patrons navigate value, legitimacy, and credibility in today’s streaming-driven music landscape.
About the Chair of Patronage Studies, Utrecht University
Established in 2020 at Utrecht University, the Chair of Patronage Studies explores the dynamics between patrons and artists or cultural institutions. Drawing on cultural studies, history, policy, and sociology, it investigates how these relationships are shaped, perceived, and negotiated – examining motivations, reciprocity, cultural discourses, and the impact of patronage on artistic value, expression, and legitimacy.