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Through the Mondriaan Fund and the Cultural Participation Fund, the Dutch Government is making another € 4 million available to facilitate cultural, social and educational activities from within the community, as part of the Slavery Memorial Year (‘23-‘24). Robbert Dijkgraaf, Minister of Education, Culture and Science, announced the additional budget on Friday 2 June during the NiNsee symposium in Utrecht. This sum supplements the € 2 million already allocated, bringing the total available budget to € 6 million (€ 3 million for the Mondriaan Fund and € 3 million for the Cultural Participation Fund).
In the first round of the open call for the Slavery Memorial Year subsidy grant, the Mondriaan Fund received more than 150 applications. All positively assessed applications from the first round far exceeded the available budget (€ 500,000). The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science therefore decided to allocate additional budget. The extra funding means that another € 1 million can be allocated to projects from the first round. For the second round, the current budget of € 500,000 will be increased by € 1 million. The second round of applications is currently being processed.
There were several projects in the first round that were positively assessed, but that did not receive funding due to budgetary restrictions. These applicants are eligible for the additional budget, and will be informed as soon as possible. Applicants from the first round who are not contacted by the Mondriaan Fund have not been deemed eligible for the additional budget. The projects that have already been accepted are listed in this news item.
The activities will take place during Slavery Memorial Year, which runs from 1 July 2023 to 1 July 2024. Factors including diversity, regional distribution and a balanced allocation between the different types of projects all play a role in the assessment. The focus is on the perspectives of the various groups and communities that are part of this underexposed history, and that are keen to commemorate slavery in the then Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the period of forced labour.
It is no longer possible to apply for this subsidy through the Mondriaan Fund. However, the Cultural Participation Fund is still accepting applications.