Open Call Slavery Memorial Year

Do you have a plan for a project that will make a lasting contribution to the knowledge and awareness about the history of slavery? Are you a creator or curator in the disciplines of visual arts, cultural heritage, creative industries, literature, performing arts or crossovers between these disciplines? Or are you a library, archive or organisation in the aforementioned disciplines whose main task is to organise publicly accessible exhibitions? Perhaps you are eligible for a contribution via the Open Call Slavery Memorial Year.

Note: In case of divergence between the language versions, the Dutch version shall prevail.

Individual application

Individuals with a professional practice from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Checklist individual

Please check this list carefully before starting your application.

Organisation application

For archives, libraries and organisations located in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Checklist organisation

Please check this list carefully before you start your application.

Who preceded you?

View granted applications for this grant.

NB! The translation of application form in Papiamentu and Papiamento will be online as soon as possible. Scroll down for the translations of the checklist in Papiamentu and Papiamento.

This open call is also available in Dutch, Papiamentu (pdf) or in Papiamento (pdf).

During the commemoration year, which runs from 1 July 2023 to 1 July 2024, special attention will be paid to an important, painful and until very recently underexposed part of our shared history: the slavery past. Within this context, the Government of the Netherlands is making €⁠2 million available for activities and initiatives that contribute to commemorating and celebrating the abolition of slavery in the Kingdom and/or that permanently increase the level of knowledge and raise awareness of the Dutch slavery past and its repercussions that continue to affect the present.

The Mondriaan Fund and the Cultural Participation Fund will receive € 1 million each to support activities during the Commemoration Year that involve institutions as well as individuals and small local initiatives based in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the Netherlands, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius).

The Mondriaan Fund focuses on projects that increase knowledge and awareness through the development of various types of public presentations. For example, podcasts, exhibitions, symposia or publications.

Within the grant of the Cultural Participation Fund, the focus is on participatory activities where participants are actively involved. For more information, see here.

The Mondriaan Fund and the Cultural Participation Fund will allocate the budget by issuing 2 open calls. These calls will be formulated in cooperation with members of the sounding board from the various communities involved.

Various communities of descendants of enslaved people, indigenous peoples and contract labourers, all form an inextricable part of this history. These include the indigenous peoples of the former Dutch colonies of Suriname and the 6 Caribbean islands, Chinese, Javanese and Hindustani contract labourers, along with, for example, Moluccan, Ghanaian and South African communities. Accordingly, at the heart of the activities during the Commemoration Year are the narratives of these originally non-European communities that are associated with the slavery past.

For whom

A wide-ranging group of applicants based in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the Netherlands, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius) can apply to the Mondriaan Fund. This applies to individuals who have a professional practice in the disciplines of the visual arts, cultural heritage, the creative industry, literature, the performing arts, or crossovers between these disciplines. More information for individuals can be found here.

In addition, archives, libraries and organisations in the fields of visual arts, cultural heritage, literature, creative industries, performing arts or crossovers between the disciplines with a presenting nature located in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and the Netherlands may apply. More information for organisations can be found here.

Applying for a grant is possible both in English and Dutch. Furthermore, the Mondriaan Fund offers a translation contribution for applicants who write in another language, allowing their application to be translated into English or Dutch.

How and when to apply

The deadline is on 24 April 2023 before 5 PM CEST / 11 AM AST. The first round of the open call has closed, the deadline was on 16 January 2023. Applications can be made through the Mondriaan Fund’s online application system. Please remember that an account is required for this. If you do not have an account yet, you can apply for one here. Please allow 3 months of processing time after the application round deadline. A contribution cannot be awarded retroactively.

There are 2 types of applicants within the Open Call Slavery Memorial Year: individuals and organisations. Below you can read the corresponding explanation for each type of applicant.

 

 

Individual application

This applies to individuals in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the Netherlands, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius) who have a professional practice in the disciplines of the visual arts, cultural heritage, the creative industry, literature, the performing arts, or crossovers between these disciplines.

For what

The contribution can be used for projects and activities in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and in the Netherlands that permanently increase the level of knowledge and awareness of the history of slavery and its repercussions in the present. Applications can be made for publicly accessible projects starting in or around the commemorative year that runs from 1 July 2023 to 1 July 2024.

This applies to the disciplines of visual arts, cultural heritage, creative industries, literature, arts, performing arts, or crossovers between these disciplines. A contribution can be used for:

  • public presentations;
  • production and presentation of work;
  • projects that shine a light on the relationship between historic places and regions and the history of slavery;
  • symposia;
  • podcasts;
  • (children’s) literature;
  • theatre and dance productions;
  • digital products, such as games or apps;
  • relevant research projects culminating in a public presentation.

How much

The amount of the contribution is determined per application and is a maximum of 95% of the variable project costs. Projects can be applied for between €5,000 and €75,000.

Applicants can apply for a fixed grant ammount for a work period ranging from 1 to a maximum of 12 months. The standard amount is €2,585 per month. You must clarify the duration of the contribution in the work plan.

It is also possible to request a flexible grant ammount instead of a fixed grant amount, this for a period of up to 12 months. The amount is determined according to the plan, the duration of the project and the budget.

How and when to apply

There are 2 ways to apply for a grant:

  1. Submit a written application through the application system. You must fill out the application form and attach the requested attachments. You must provide a written substantive explanation of the project plan.
  2. Submit a written application through the application system and the plan is subsequently orally presented to the commission as part of the application process. You must fill the application form and attach the requested attachments. You must provide a short, written explanation of the project plan. You will receive an invitation to an online interview with the advisory committee of up to 20 minutes, during which you must provide an oral presentation of the plan.

There are 2 deadlines: the deadline is 24 April 2023 before 5:00 PM CEST / 11:00 AM AST. The first round of this open call has been closed, the deadline was 16 January 2023.

Applications can be made through the Mondriaan Fund’s online application system. Please remember that an account is required for this. If you do not have an account yet, you can apply for one here. Please allow 3 months of processing time after the application round deadline. A contribution cannot be awarded retroactively. For this reason, please submit the application well in advance of the deadline.

Procedure individual

  • Applicants must submit an application through the online application system; here one can select either an English or Dutch form. The application can only be submitted in Dutch or English. The Mondriaan Fund offers a translation contribution for applicants who write in another language. See the FAQ.
  • On the application form (Dutch or English), the applicant must choose how to submit the application: in writing (including a written description of the plan) or in a combined form (including a short written description and oral presentation of the plan to the advisory committee during an online interview).
  • After submitting the application, the Mondriaan Fund will check whether the application is complete. If the application is not complete, our employees will contact the applicant. The applicant is then given the opportunity to complete the application within 5 working days. If the application is still not complete, we will unfortunately not be able to process it.
  • If the application is complete, the applicant will receive a confirmation by email.

Conditions for Individuals

  • You have a professional practice in the disciplines of visual arts, cultural heritage, creative industry, literature, performing arts, or crossovers between these disciplines.
  • To be eligible for a contribution, you must be actively and professionally embedded in the discipline in question, either in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and/or in the Netherlands.
  • You must have worked professionally for at least 1 year in the disciplines of visual arts, cultural heritage, creative industries, literature, performing arts, or a cross-over between these disciplines.
  • A contribution cannot be requested for the commemoration and celebration of the abolition of slavery and purely educational projects. In this case, the project may be eligible for a contribution from the Cultural Participation Fund.
  • No contribution can be made to activities that are already or will be financed by another Mondriaan Fund grant, Cultural Participation Fund, or under the Regulation on Specific Cultural Policy (Regeling op het specifiek cultuurbeleid) or another provision financed from public funds.
  • If an artist is directly involved in the plans, a 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.

Assessment

The submitted application with attachments will be assessed against the formal conditions and be checked for completeness. This will be done by employees of the Mondriaan Fund. In case of approval, the application is submitted to the advisory committee, which will provide advice on the granting of a contribution.

A contribution can only be granted if the committee gives positive feedback.

Due to a limited budget, we cannot always honour all positive recommendations. In that case, the board of the Mondriaan Fund will request the advisory committee to weigh the positive recommendations against each other and rank them in order of priority. The diversity of projects, regional distribution and a balanced allocation between the different types of projects will determine this process. This means that it may happen that an application is evaluated positively, but is not awarded a contribution.

Checklist individual

In order to process your application, the Mondriaan Fund requires certain information: data you enter in the application form plus documents you upload.

Click here for the translation in Papiamentu and here for the translation in Papiamento.

Tip: collect the information prior to filling in the online application form. You can upload the attachments as PDF files. Note: please do not exceed the number of pages where a maximum is indicated.

Ticked all the boxes? Start your application!

My Fund

Organisation application

For archives, libraries and organisations in the fields of visual arts, cultural heritage, literature, creative industries, performing arts or crossovers between the disciplines with a presenting nature located in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the Netherlands, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius).

For what

The contribution can be used for projects and activities in the Kingdom of the Netherlands that permanently increase the level of knowledge and awareness of the history of slavery and its repercussions in the present. Applications can be made for publicly accessible projects starting in or around the commemorative year that runs from 1 July 2023 to 1 July 2024. It is crucial that the project highlights a perspective of involved communities and that these communities have a leadership position in the development of the project.

This applies to the disciplines of visual arts, cultural heritage, creative industries, literature, performing arts, or crossovers between these disciplines. A contribution can be used for:

  • public presentations;
  • production of work by creators;
  • projects that shine a light on the relationship between historic places and regions and the history of slavery, such as walking or bicycle routes;
  • symposia;
  • podcasts;
  • (children’s) literature;
  • theatre and dance productions;
  • digital products, such as games or apps;
  • collaborative projects aimed at increasing knowledge and culminating in a presentation;
  • relevant research projects culminating in a public presentation.

How much

The amount of the contribution is determined per application and is a maximum of 95% of the variable project costs. Projects can be applied for between €5,000 and €75,000. For applications up to € 10,000, it is possible to provide an oral explanation of the plan.

How and when to apply

Applications for contributions up to € 10,000 can be made in 2 ways:

  1. Submit a written application through the application system. You must fill out the application form and attach the requested attachments. You must provide a written substantive explanation of the project plan.
  2. Submit a written application through the application system and the plan is subsequently orally presented to the commission as part of the application process. You must fill out the application form and attach the requested attachments. You must provide a short, written explanation of the project plan. You will receive an invitation to an online interview with the advisory committee of up to 20 minutes, during which you must provide an oral explanation of the plan.

Applications for a contribution from € 10,000 to € 75,000 can only be made in writing (without oral explanation) using the application system.

There are 2 deadlines: the deadline is April 24 before 5:00 PM (CEST) / 11:00 AM (AST). The first round of this open call has been closed, the deadline was 16 January 2023.

Applications can be made through the Mondriaan Fund’s online application system. Please remember that an account is required for this. If you do not have an account yet, you can apply for one here. Please allow 3 months of processing time after the application round deadline. A contribution cannot be awarded retroactively. For this reason, please submit the application well in advance of the deadline.

Procedure organisation

  • Applicants must submit an application through the online application system; here one can select either an English or Dutch form. The application can only be submitted in Dutch or English. The Mondriaan Fund offers a translation contribution for applicants who write in another language. See the FAQ.
  • On the application form (Dutch or English), the applicant must choose how to submit the application (from € 5,000 to € 10,000): in writing (including a written description of the plan) or in a combined form (including a short written description and an oral explanation of the plan to the advisory committee during an online interview).
  • After submitting the application, the Mondriaan Fund will check whether the application is complete. If the application is not complete, our employees will contact the applicant. The applicant is then given the opportunity to complete the application within 5 working days. If the application is still not complete, we will unfortunately not be able to process it.
  • If the application is complete, the applicant will receive a confirmation by email.

Conditions for Organisations

  • Organisations in the field of visual arts, cultural heritage, creative industries, literature, performing arts, or crossovers between these disciplines, located in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, may apply.
  • Non-profit organisations whose core activity is the development of public exhibitions and/or activity programmes, as well as archives and libraries, may apply.
  • Education and postgraduate institutions cannot apply.
  • A contribution cannot be requested for the commemoration and celebration of the abolition of slavery, for purely educational projects, the (re)novation or foundation of museums, restorations, archaeological excavations, the purchase of objects or sub-collections, for fixed expenses and fixed operation. Only variable project costs may be applied for.
  • No contribution can be made to activities that are already or will be financed by another Mondriaan Fund grant, Cultural Participation Fund, or under the Regulation on Specific Cultural Policy (Regeling op het specifiek cultuurbeleid) or another provision financed from public funds.
  • If an artist is directly involved in the plans, a 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.
  • Cultural institutions subscribe to the Fair Practice Code, the Governance Code Culture and the Diversity & Inclusion Code.

Assessment

The submitted application with attachments will be assessed against the formal conditions and be checked for completeness. This will be done by employees of the Mondriaan Fund. In case of approval, the application is submitted to the advisory committee, which will provide advice on the granting of a contribution.

A contribution can only be granted if the committee gives positive feedback.

Due to a limited budget, we cannot always honour all positive recommendations. In that case, the Board of the Mondriaan Fund will request the advisory committee to weigh the positive recommendations against each other and rank them in order of priority. The diversity of projects, regional distribution and a balanced allocation between the different types of projects will determine this process. This means that it may happen that an application is evaluated positively, but is not awarded a contribution.

Checklist organisation

In order to process your application, the Mondriaan Fund requires certain information: data you enter in the application form plus documents you upload.

Click here for the translation in Papiamentu and here for the translation in Papiamento.

Tip: collect the information prior to filling in the online application form. You can upload the attachments as pdfs. Note: please do not exceed the number of pages where a maximum is indicated.

Ticked all the boxes? Start your application!

My Fund

Questions & contact

Questions about this grant? Please contact an employee of the Mondriaan Fund directly.

Or call 020 523 15 23 or send an email to vasb@zbaqevnnasbaqf.ay.

Talitha van Ooyen

Lotte Hemelrijk