As of the 28th of January, cultural organisations and creators on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius and Sint Maarten can visit rijkscultuurfondsen.org. This new website serves as a clear and accessible guide to the six rijkscultuurfondsen, where a selection of grant opportunities can be found.
Why rijkscultuurfondsen.org?
The website was created in consultation with cultural creators and organisations on the Caribbean Islands. Conversations, working visits and exchanges, led to the idea of setting up a digital hub where creators and organisations can easily find a suitable fund and relevant grant schemes. Rijkscultuurfondsen.org is a central platform that guides applicants, step by step to the opportunities that best suit their cultural plans.
Find the right grant in two steps
One of the main features of the website is the digital application help; a customised filter tool that allows users to discover the grant schemes that best suit their cultural plans within two steps. In addition, the website provides summaries of selected grant schemes from each fund, available in four languages: English, Papiamentu, Papiamento and Dutch. Once the most suitable scheme is identified, users are directed to the website of the corresponding fund.
Gilia Croes, policy officer Education, Culture and Science Caribbean Netherlands (OCW), about rijkscultuurfondsen.org: “The cultural field in the Caribbean is brimming with potential, yet many creatives are often hesitant to dive into the vast ocean of cultural subsidies, unsure of how to explore the opportunities available to them. This online hub serves as a compass, offering support to Caribbean creatives in navigating these deep waters. By providing pathways to financial resources, it empowers them to tap into the possibilities that can help unlock success and realize the full potential of Caribbean creatives.”
For creators across the Kingdom
The national culture funds are committed to making art and culture accessible to everyone, both in European and Caribbean Netherlands. They encourage innovation, talent development and connection between creators, organisations and audiences throughout the Kingdom.
The website was designed by Aruban designer Carla Garcia and underlines this connection: “The visual identity of Rijkscultuurfondsen.org is inspired by the cultural heritage of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. The design concept emphasises intersections, connections, and borders, visually representing collaborations and shared paths.”
Six national cultural funds
The website is managed on behalf of the six national culture funds: the Netherlands Film Fund, Performing Arts Fund NL, Fund for Cultural Participation, Mondriaan Fund, Dutch Foundation for Literature and the Creative Industries Fund NL.
These funds, financed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), provide financial support to cultural organisations and creators throughout the Kingdom. Together, they fund all cultural disciplines: architecture, digital culture, design, visual arts, cultural heritage, film, literature, performing arts and cultural participation and education.
Visit rijkscultuurfondsen.org to find out how the rijkscultuurfondsen can support your cultural plans.
