Stimuleringsfonds

In the second period of the Design Grant Scheme in 2025, 11 projects were selected. Coordinator Tibor Bijl reflects on the round.

general impression

This period, the quality of applications was remarkably high. The proposals were well developed, with a clear description of the theme, methodology and artistic added value. Several projects give a voice to marginalised groups through an intimate narrative form, such as Nova de Hoo’s graphic novel about South African sex workers and Alina Milkina’s animation Mind Your Step about a Ukrainian refugee in the Netherlands. Design is being utilised as a tool for social critique, social change and awareness-raising.

The strong focus on decolonisation, displacement and cultural heritage is striking. Projects such as Footprints of the Celestial Dancers by Ritvik Khushu and the bead research study The Language of Beads by Jorge Mañes Rubio focus on indigenous cultures and traditions. They question Eurocentric conceptions of cultural heritage and create space for underexposed perspectives.

Sustainability manifests itself in this selection as more than just environmental awareness – it is about systemic change. Ranging from bio-coatings made from fungi to self-sustaining solar lamps, the projects seek radical alternatives to existing processes.

selection

A few notable projects are:

Salon maxivive 2025 – DARKMATTER Collective

DARKMATTER Collective explores in Salon maxivive 2025 the body as a place of identity, culture and resistance. Capsule collections are created based on eight salon sessions: limited, carefully curated collections of garments that are easy to mix and match. The collections explore themes such as bodily autonomy, trauma and cultural hybridity. The project stems from an aversion to seasonal fashion and a desire to foster collective connection. The focus is therefore on Nigerian craftsmanship, sustainability and rejecting traditional fashion cycles. The sessions take place at ISSUE the Livingroom and Hotel the Exchange in Amsterdam, together with partners such as JeanPaul Paula, Jan Hoek and Ronald Ophuis.

We All Breathe the Same Air – Sam Yazdanpanna
Artist and filmmaker Sam Yazdanpanna fled Iran at the age of 17 and lived in the Netherlands for seven years without a residence permit. This experience is at the heart of his work on migration, identity and displacement. The project We All Breathe the Same Air is an interactive graphic novel based on his time in the asylum seekers’ centre in Amsterdam, where he stayed as an unaccompanied minor. The graphic novel combines illustration, animation, sound and text into a digital and layered narrative. Yazdanpanna collaborates with Maysam Barza (illustration), Maarten van de Glas / Studio Play (interactive storytelling), Mostafa Kandaz (motion design), Olivier Rekers (sound design) and David Henrochs (scenario). The graphic novel will be launched in autumn 2026 through a digital première, educational distribution and presentations at cultural organisations and festivals.

Ladu ko – Esmay Wagemans
In the project Ladu ko, artist Esmay Wagemans and jewellery designer Loan Favan explore how AI technology can be used to preserve cultural heritage. Drawing on oral Kanak traditions, a culture in New Caledonia, they are developing an algorithmic system. This system creates wearable jewellery, performative video work and a research manifesto. The project criticises digital misrepresentation of indigenous knowledge. The goal is to question translation, distortion and authorship. In this way, Wagemans and Favan aim to contribute to more ethical and inclusive approaches to design, technology and cultural representation.

numbers

In line with the new way of working for the 2025-2028 policy period, this grant scheme has been carried out in two phases. In the first phase, 116 summary applications were submitted. The predetermined maximum number of 50 applications were allowed to be supplemented with a detailed project plan, budget, schedule and communication plan. After a check on the formal criteria and completeness, 42 applications were then submitted to the advisory committee for assessment. The budget available for this round was € 395,000. As the total amount applied for by the positively assessed applications exceeded the available budget, prioritisation was carried out. Eleven of the 24 positively assessed projects are receiving grants.

follow-up

The next grant period, the third and final round of 2025, will be open from 19 August at 15:00, until 28 August 2025 at 16:00. Would you like to submit an application in this round? Take a look at the subsidy page of the grant scheme to prepare effectively.

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