PLEASE NOTE: The Art Connection grant and the possibility to apply will close on 30 December 2024, 16.00 (Dutch time zone) / 11.00 (Caribbean time zone). It will be replaced in the spring of 2025 by a new grant for Art Heritage Festivals, which focuses on the presentation of art and/or heritage at a festival or comparable event. Read the full message here.
The Art Connection grant allows organisations and initiatives that connect target groups and disciplines to apply for a grant for a singular visual art project. The Mondriaan Fund offers Art Connection grants to introduce new target groups to visual art by supporting programmes by initiatives that are not primarily focused on the presentation of art, and that can become a significant link between visual art, makers and the public. The aim is to also reach audiences outside of the visual art world, and to introduce them to art.
For whom
Festivals, manifestations and other public initiatives that are not necessarily primarily focused on visual art, but can offer dedicated space to art in order to connect new audiences with visual art.
For what
The grant can be used for an activity in the field of contemporary visual art (project grant).
How much
The sum is determined per application. The maximum grant for an activity is 40% of the variable project expenses associated with the visual art programme.
Apply
You can apply at any time of the year using the Mondriaan Fund’s online application system. You will require an account in order to submit an application, and if required, can apply for a new account online. Once your application is complete and has been submitted in full, we aim to process your application within three months. Grants cannot be awarded retroactively, so it is important that applications are submitted well in advance of the desired start date.
This explanation is based on the deelregeling Kunst Verbinding (in Dutch).
Conditions
- You are a legal person or a collective thereof, without a profit motive, whose activities include organising events.
- You are domiciled in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
- You do not represent a museum or art institution.
- Cultural and non-cultural institutions subscribe to the Fair Practice Code (view the Fair Practice Code animation here for information and tips). Cultural institutions also subscribe to the Culture Governance Code and the Diversity & Inclusion Code. In the case that an artist is involved with the application, the artist must be artistically active in the visual arts and in that capacity be embedded in the professional visual arts practice in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
- If an artist is directly involved in the plans, a realistic honorarium for the artist is required and must be included in the budget. The honorarium will be paid by the applicant according to the artist’s honorarium guideline.* Organisations that do not have the presentation of visual art and/or heritage as their core activity can apply for the honorarium within the Art Connection contribution.
*Please note: The Artist’s Fee Directive was reassessed in 2023 and can be consulted at www.kunstenaarshonorarium.bknl.nl. The revised guideline will be applied from January 1, 2025.
Assessment
Mondriaan Fund staff check the submitted application and appendices to ensure that they are complete. Once an application is complete, it is submitted to the committee that advises on awarding the Art Connection grant.
The committee assesses your application on the basis of:
- A description of the organisation’s vision, mission and profile.
- A plan, including the following: a programme with the emphasis on the visual art aspect, a communication plan outlining how the intended audience will be reached and an explanation of the institution’s local embedment.
- A budget covering all expenses, with quotations.
The advisory committee takes the following criteria into consideration:
The artistic and substantive quality of recent activities.
The advisory committee assesses the institution’s recent role, position and approach, and how the institution relates to the current context, in a broad sense.
- What is the artistic and substantive quality of recent activities? Consider the initiative’s recent role, position and approach, and how it relates to the current context.
- Does the organisation have a clear vision regarding topical issues within the visual arts and/or regarding other subjects?
Programme plan
To what extent is the artistic and substantive quality of the visual art programme singular or distinctive for the organisation?
Public reach
The committee assesses whether the institution has identified an appropriate, relevant audience for the programme plan.
- Is the organisation convincingly able to reach new audiences for visual art?
Local and regional embedment
How does the programme contribute to art and culture in the area and demonstrate itself as being meaningful for the public.
Innovative quality
- Does the programme relate to current societal developments?
- Does the programme contribute to innovation at the organisation and to the organisation’s artistic and substantive development, and/or is the programme innovative?
In all cases, the committee assesses whether the initiative contributes to a high-quality overall programme, taking the own context of the applying institutions into consideration. An Art Connection grant can only be awarded if the committee gives a positive advisory. In the case of a positive advisory, the committee can make a recommendation regarding the amount to be awarded and the period over which this financial support will be provided. Due to budgetary restrictions, we are unfortunately not always able to award grants to all applications that receive positive advisories from the committee. In this case, the Mondriaan Fund Board asks the advisory committee to prioritise the positive advisories. This means that an application may receive a positive advisory, but a grant is nevertheless not awarded or that a lower grant is awarded.
Checklist
In order to process your application, the Mondriaan Fund requires various information: details that you can enter in the application form and documents that you can upload. Below is a checklist outlining all of the required information, following the layout of the application form.
Tip: collect all your information before you start filling out the online application form. Your attachments should be uploaded as PDFs. Please note: make sure that your documents meet the stated conditions. Otherwise, we will unfortunately not be able to process your request. Do not exceed the number of pages where a maximum is indicated.
Checklist
Recent and up-to-date (max. 1 year old) extract from the Chamber of Commerce register
Information about the organisation (max. 2 pages)
With a brief description of the organisation’s activities, including aims, target groups, collaborations and public reach. Outline how the activities relate to the current (artistic and/or societal) context. Also outline the organisation’s vision regarding topical issues within the visual arts and/or other subjects.
Plan (max. 15 pages)
With an overview of the activities to be organised, a motivation, planning and description of the cultural entrepreneurship, an overview of the people responsible for the project, the involved artists, partners and relevant websites. Outline the extent to which the visual art programme is singular or distinctive for the organisation. If applicable, indicate the innovative quality of the programme and/or the extent to which the programme contributes to innovation at the organisation and to the organisation’s artistic and substantive development.
Presentation plan (max. 10 pages)
Outline how the programme will be presented, including a communication plan with an explanation of how you will reach new audiences for visual art. Also mention the expected number of participants or visitors, describe the target groups, substantiate the decision to focus on these target groups and how the activities are appropriate for these target groups. Also indicate how the programme contributes to art/culture in the area.
Application of codes
All cultural institutions subscribe to the Fair Practice Code, the Culture Governance Code and the Diversity & Inclusion Code. Application of the Fair Practice Code inherently signifies that the institution applies the guideline for artists’ fees. Briefly outline the vision regarding the codes and how the codes are embedded in the organisation.
Itemised budget with financing plan
See the explanation of the budget for institutions here. If applicable, including a realistic fee for the artist. This is paid by the applicant, in addition to the production expenses and other expenses (for transport, accommodation, etc.). The guideline for artists’ fees must be followed. Quotes must be submitted for entries exceeding € 1000.
Letters confirming contributions from third parties
Include all letters in one PDF.
Explanation (max. 1 page per artist)
Outline the artist’s work and professional practice. Describe the substantive and artistic principles, and how these are conveyed in the work and professional practice. If applicable, mention collaborations. Please include all documents in one PDF.
CV (max. 3 pages per artist)
For each artist, include a concise CV with the most important information about their professional practice, with an emphasis on the last two to four years, such as exhibitions (indicate whether it was a solo or group exhibition), events, commissions, awards and publications (with dates). Also mention any ancillary activities, such as teaching and consulting positions. Please include all CVs in one PDF.
Extract from the Personal Records Database (BRP)
If the involved artist does not have the Dutch nationality, please submit a recent extract (no more than 1 year old) from the Personal Records Database (BRP).
(Visual) documentation
With work from the last two to four years. For each artist, include a maximum of 20 digital images in a PDF (max. 100 MB in total). Click here for the technical specifications.
Please note: In the case of new work, the (visual) documentation material is a mandatory part of your application. If you don’t upload any documentation material, your application cannot be processed.
Documentation list
Include a documentation list in a PDF (2 pages maximum) that corresponds with the submitted visual documentation. Include a description or caption for each submitted image and/or sound/video/film fragment, e.g.: 01, title, 2020, duration 2 min.
Please note: do not use hyperlinks in the PDF with (visual) documentation material and in the documentation list. We cannot accept hyperlinks (to web pages for example) because the supplied image material may not be adjusted during the processing of the application.
If applicable:
Bank details
We need your bank account number to transfer funds if your application is granted. If you have not previously submitted an application to the Mondriaan Fund or if the account number has changed since the previous application, please upload a recent bank statement clearly stating the name of the account holder and IBAN/bank account number of the applicant. Applicants established in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom can provide a bank statement or other document from the bank stating the name of the account holder and bank account number.
Consent of parties with whom you collaborate
Statements of consent for submitting the application. Please add all letters in one PDF.