At the request of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Mondriaan Fund has developed the temporary Awareness of the History of Slavery scheme. Through this scheme, the fund aims to offer both institutions and individual artists and independent curators the opportunity to carry out a plan that contributes to raising awareness of the history of slavery.
The Awareness of the History of Slavery grant comprises two trajectories:
For cultural institutions:
Are you a heritage or visual arts institution seeking to contribute to raising awareness of the history of slavery, and would you like to offer a residency or workplace to a visual artist, curator or heritage professional towards this aim? If so, you may be eligible for the grant for Awareness of the History of Slavery for institutions.
Cultural institutions can apply for a contribution for the appointment of, an assignment for, a visual artist, curator or heritage professional who will conduct research (such as artistic research, collection research or preliminary research for an exhibition), develop and present an artistic project, or develop programmes that contribute to raising awareness of the history of slavery.
The Mondriaan Fund contributes € 50,000 per position.
For individual artists and curators:
Are you a visual artist or independent curator/observer seeking to contribute to raising awareness of the history of slavery, and would you like to develop a new project towards this aim? You may be eligible for the grant for the Awareness of the History of Slavery for individuals.
Visual artists may apply to realise an artistic plan that contributes to raising awareness of the history of slavery. Curators and observers may conduct preliminary research and develop and articulate perspectives and narratives that contribute to knowledge and awareness of the history of slavery. The grant is intended for the execution of a specific plan within a clearly defined working period. This may involve theoretical or reflective research; preliminary research and production for a presentation, event or project; a residency in the Netherlands or abroad; or the creation of new work.
The grant amount is determined per application. Applicants may request between € 20,000 and € 50,000 for a working period of a maximum of 12 months.
Perspectives of communities
A range of communities form an inextricable part of the history of slavery. Proposed plans should therefore offer space for the perspectives of communities of originally non-European descent that are directly connected to this history, including descendants of enslaved people; Indigenous peoples of Suriname and of Sint Maarten, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao; Chinese, Javanese and Hindustani indentured workers; as well as, for instance, Moluccan, Ghanaian and South African communities. One or more of these communities must play a meaningful role in the proposed plan.
In 2026, the deadline is 16 July 2026, before 16:00 (Dutch time zone) / 10:00 (Caribbean time zone).