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Newsletter May 2023

Dear tenant,

In this newsletter we would like to draw your attention to two OPEN CALLS and the very first art route GO WEST in Delfshaven this coming weekend! You can read about recent developments at SKAR and what it means when you rent at SKAR. We are also happy to introduce you to a new member of our team.

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GO WEST in Delfshaven

Under the title GO West Visual and Urban arts Delfshaven, the first art route in Delfshaven will take place this weekend, on Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14. At approximately 38 locations, visitors will be introduced to a wide variety of art and art forms as well as numerous special locations, including studios, cultural hotspots, art cafes and historic buildings. The locations are located in an area running from the neighborhoods of (historic) Delfshaven, Spangen to Bospolder-Tussendijken and beyond. Many participating artists are present in person. During the route you can also be surprised by various performances. Among SKAR's studio premises, Borgerstraat and Ruilstraat are participating in this new art route.

 

GO WEST: Free to visit between 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (please note, opening hours may vary at times) The map with program and route is available at various neighborhood points, local restaurants and cultural institutions.

 

Exclusive sales exhibition
During GO WEST, an extensive collection of artworks will also be for sale! A large group of artists from De Kunstambassade will exhibit small works in the Borgerstraat studio building, with 20% of the sales going to the solidarity fund and distributed among all the artists.

Kick-off:
Friday, May 12 at 5 p.m. at the Skin Club
Click Read more for the GO WEST Facebook page.

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Open Call: Come make it!

We are pleased to share here last minute an Open Call from the Heritage Parade and BOEi. They invite makers and institutions to stage a performance, festival, exhibition, event, fashion show or other cultural spectacle in 2023. Your stage: a unique building or heritage location! Think castles, former factory halls, churches and more.

Do you have a great idea or proposal that calls for a special stage and with which vacant heritage can be activated? Makers have until May 15 to apply for a contribution of €2,500, €5,000 or €10,000. The deadline for applications is in three days, so be quick!

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Open Call: The Orange Tree (TOT)

The garden in Time
For the third year, The Orange Tree [TOT] invites Rotterdam artists to submit a global sketch for a site-specific and temporary artwork in the garden at Oranjeboomstraat 109 (premises of SKAR). TOT offers a safe place for artists in this garden. A place to experiment and explore. A space where the artist can expand his or her artistry.

TOT Foundation offers for the implementation of this sketch approximately 270 m2 of garden along with a brick wall of approximately 15×4 meters. These locations can be used as you wish. In this garden, the selected sketch will be developed by the artist in a process of research and construction. The working period is three months, from July 1 to October 1, 2023.

 

Procedure and deadline
Monday, June 12: deadline for responses containing ideas, explanations (max 1 A4), script for activities and short CV (max 2 A4), a portfolio (pdf) related to this call (5 images) or a reference to your website. Send your material in a zip file or via we-transfer in a pdf (max 10MB) to: opencall@tot-art.nl

Monday, June 19: announcement of the selected artist(s)
Friday, June23: start of consultation between the artist(s) and representatives of TOT
Fee: € 1500 for a working period of approximately three months, excluding VAT, including materials, travel and transportation costs.

For questions and possible request to visit the garden: send an email to opencall@tot-art.nl
As of June 1, the TOT website will be online. Until then, click on Read more for additional information and photos

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Boilers go off or low

To minimize gas consumption during the warm months, SKAR has instructed its installation partners, for the properties whose energy contract SKAR manages, to turn off the central heating boilers or, if that is not possible, to set them to the lowest possible temperature. This keeps energy consumption as low as possible during the summer. SKAR also manages properties whose energy contracts and central heating systems are not through SKAR, but through the tenants themselves or through another owner. In those situations, the initiative lies with the tenants themselves.

In the fall, depending on weather conditions, the central heating boilers will be restarted. Last winter SKAR did find that turning old central heating boilers on and off is not without controversy. We have had more long-term problems with boilers. This does remain a risk that SKAR and tenants must take into account for the time being.

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Rent at SKAR

SKAR's small enthusiastic team is committed daily to managing and developing affordable workspace for artists and makers. We manage many properties, deliberately have low overhead costs and sail financially and organizationally sharp on the wind to be able to offer workspaces affordably. Times change and so do the wishes and needs of tenants, and we notice that the level of expectations sometimes differs from what SKAR can offer in the buildings it manages. Therefore, we would like to explain once again what renting at SKAR means.

 

Cheap workspace
SKAR offers workspace in Rotterdam for an affordable (cheap) rent. SKAR's spaces are at a basic level in terms of facilities and maintenance because the rent is also at the lower end of the real estate market. SKAR applies by far the lowest m2 price in Rotterdam with the SKAR standard (price level €58.61 per July 1, 2022). At our sister organizations in Amsterdam and Utrecht, for example, the rent is on average one and a half to twice the SKAR standard. Of course, there are properties in Rotterdam where the m2 is even lower, but these are often squatting structures without any security for the tenant.

 

Basic level in service and maintenance
It is important for tenants to realize that a low rent is associated with a low level of service and a limited maintenance budget. In recent months we have worked hard to clear the many maintenance calls. We are now reasonably up to date and hope to stay that way, but we have no control over sudden weather changes such as excessive rain, a storm or heat wave. Calamities that can also lead to major setbacks for SKAR, and for which we need to be more prepared in the future.

 

Rent and space 'as is'
The majority of our tenants more than meet their monthly obligations of rent and service charges. Nevertheless, we want to emphasize that for a tenant, rent is a bring debt, not a fetch debt. This means that tenants must always meet their obligations. We know that due to corona, the energy crisis and high inflation, the financial stretch is out for many artists. This is a worrying development. As you know, you can talk to SKAR if you are having trouble paying the rent so that a possible payment arrangement can be looked into. If you foresee yourself getting into trouble, don't wait too long and contact us.

It is also important to realize as a tenant that you are basically renting the space "as is" (accepted in its current condition), unless other arrangements have been made that are attached in writing to your contract and signed by SKAR and the tenant.

 

Rising costs
SKAR, like many others, suffers from the tight availability of contractors and suppliers, high prices for materials and labor, and long delivery times for products combined with the management of properties that are getting older. In addition, for a few years now, service costs have been skyrocketing because of fluctuating and high energy prices.

 

SKAR hopes that you understand the great challenges we face in order to continue to give current and future generations of makers and artists space in Rotterdam. With the aim that they can further develop their creativity, continue to strengthen the cultural ecosystem and cash in on their talents. Therefore, making the buildings sustainable and at the same time future-proof is an important point of attention that SKAR is currently working on. As soon as there is more news about this, we will share it with you.

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Rent adjustments

As you know, maintenance prices have risen significantly in recent years. Since 2021, those costs increased by almost a quarter. That's even a lot higher than inflation, which also rose significantly over these years (thirteen percent).Rent has lagged behind that. Last year we decided not to pass on the nearly ten percent inflation, but a little more than six percent, or a social discount of 3.5 percent. In doing so, we met an already financially tough year for our tenants. This year, we cannot avoid using the average inflation level of 6.4% when adjusting rents by July 1, 2023.

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New employee 

We have a new face on the team. Since May 1, Jan van der Sluis has started as Head of Operations at SKAR. Jan gained a lot of experience in the pension world as senior account manager. After 25 years in this industry, he wanted a new challenge because he would like to be more socially involved in his hometown of Rotterdam. He loves numbers and culture, and likes to translate what numbers mean. We are pleased with this fine reinforcement within the team. Jan will deal with the professionalization of business processes and financial matters.

Click here for an overview of the team

 

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VISIT ADDRESS
Robert Fruinstraat 52
3021 XE Rotterdam

POSTAL ADDRESS
P.O. Box 1995
3000 BZ Rotterdam

PHONE
010 - 4127828
(Mon to Fri - 9.00 to 17.00)

FAX
010 - 4141511

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