The Vooruit arts center in Ghent will announce a new name at the end of February 2021. In September, the political party SP.A announced that it will use the name Vooruit.
But sharing a name with a political party finds the arts center ‘unworkable’.
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In recent weeks there have been mediation talks between the arts center and SP.A to settle the conflict, both organizations say. But they ended in a stalemate, says Franky Devos, general coordinator of the arts center. ‘SP.A stuck to Vooruit as their new name, while it is not workable for us that a political party bears the same name. We want to keep control over our name and reputation, and that is difficult when two organizations speak from one name. ‘ This confusion of names would be detrimental to the public, sponsors, hall tenants and artists, Devos believes. ‘It’s as if you were saying: the new performance by Lisbeth Gruwez will be playing in the CD&V hall tonight.’
Devos does not deny that the arts center is losing out with this. ‘We never hid that we had a hard time with the SP.A announced their name change. Forward is and remains an incredibly strong concept. Being forced to change your name is no fun. This conflict could have been prevented if the SP.A had previously consulted us. ‘
According to the SP.A, there were already talks with the arts center before their announcement. Afterwards too, the conversations took place in a constructive atmosphere, the party says. ‘For us, Vooruit could keep their name, but we respect and understand their choice to change names. It is also a unique moment for them to present themselves under a new name. ‘ Whether financial agreements have been made between both parties? ‘I cannot say anything about our agreement’, says Devos.
‘Before? Out’
The arts center is now looking for a new name. In a month it will launch a campaign where anyone can make proposals. A shortlist will follow in February for the public to vote on. The new name will be announced on February 26. ‘It must become a name that can put us on the market – also internationally – over the next 50 years and that young people also support,’ says Devos. Until then, the arts center calls itself somewhat playfully Voo? With a question mark.
‘The name change is a unique moment in the history of the arts center,’ says Paul Teerlinck, chairman of the board of directors. ‘In 1982 young Gentenaars saved the dilapidated building of the socialist cooperative Vooruit from demolition. Over the past 38 years, it has been developed by hundreds of employees and artists into one of the most prominent art institutions in Europe. This artistic effect is independent of the party political history of the building, although a strong social and ecological commitment are important building blocks for the identity of the Art Institution ‘, Teerlinck concludes.
SP.A wanted to launch their name change and new corporate identity with an event in December, but corona put a stop to that. The party is now aiming for February. It has been agreed that two weeks will be allowed between the two name changes.
Kolruit
According to the Vooruit, the organization has successfully emptied itself in the past, and can miss the confusion with a political party as a toothache. To reinforce their position, the organization temporarily changed its name to ‘Kolruit” to avoid confusion with existing brands’.
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