Private Kitchen needs your help
Allow us to draw your attention to the dire financial situation that Private Kitchen and its publisher, MiMM (Music Institute Multimedia) have found themselves in. We kindly ask our readers for a one-off donation, enabling us to bridge the year 2025. If you immediately think 'Yes, I'd like to help', you can make your donation with this link. If you would like to know more, read on.
Background: Private Kitchen and MiMM
MiMM is an independent Dutch institute that focuses on strengthening the position of the music-for-media composers and bringing Dutch media music to the attention of the general public. In this area, the MiMM has done pioneering work since 2006, for example by taking the initiative to set up a specific professional association (BCMM) and by successfully advocating for the position of media music within Dutch copyright association Buma/Stemra. Over the years, MiMM has also organised unique events around media music, such as the Museum Night around film music in EYE and most recently the cinema concert The Phantom Carriage. In recent years, the online platform Private Kitchen has become the backbone of MiMM's activities, and we want to continue and expand on that.
What's the problem?
Private Kitchen features in-depth content about music for media and is therefore a source of inspiration for our profession and a prominent showcase for the craftsmanship of Dutch media composers - for an international audience. In recent years, Private Kitchen has been able to grow, mainly thanks to a substantial subsidy from Buma Cultuur. Despite the considerable and growing reach of Private Kitchen and great appreciation from the field for our work, the board of Buma Cultuur recently decided not to award a subsidy for 2025. The complete loss of this subsidy for 2025 poses an acute problem for us.
That is why we would like to ask our readers for help.
What do we need?
After the intended subsidy was lost, the MiMM board has drawn up a significantly reduced bridging budget for the year 2025 of a total of €20,000. We are looking to cover this budget by:
requesting a contribution from the various professional associations to which media composers are affiliated;
requesting a contribution from a number of prominent companies in the media composition landscape;
and through donations from the numerous composers, media professionals and other sympathizers, who regularly visit Private Kitchen and read our newsletter.
What are we going to do with the money?
With this bridging budget we can do the following:
Keep Private Kitchen operational throughout 2025 with new publications (albeit with a slightly lower frequency).
Implement the MiMM strategy plan that we have developped in 2024. Part of this strategy plan is to no longer be financially dependent on a large subsidy provider. In the bridging year we can work towards this by taking concrete steps to achieve sustainable financing for MiMM and Private Kitchen. Part of this are various partnerships that we want to enter into or strengthen. You will hear more about this in the near future.
We will continue to seek cooperation with Buma Cultuur and Buma Music in Motion, both directly and through the professional associations that ultimately (via their representatives) form the board of Buma Cultuur and make decisions. We have high hopes Buma Cultuur will resume its contribution to Private Ktichen for the year 2026.
In short, with your help through a one-off donation we have time to implement the plans made so that from 2026 we have multiple income streams, which means that the position of MiMM (and therefore also Private Kitchen) is stable.
How can you donate?
You can easily donate with this link or use the button below.
We estimate that with an average contribution of €50, the regular readers of our platform and newsletter can cover a significant part of our budget. If you can spare more, we would greatly appreciate that. If €50 is too much for you, please know that a smaller contribution is also welcome.
Thank you so much!
