Stimuleringsfonds

Eight projects have been selected in the extra round of the Festivals and public presentations Grant Scheme, made possible due to an underspend of the 2023 budget. Coordinator Anouk Laverge reflects on the round.

13 June 2024

The Festivals and public presentations grant scheme is intended for cultural institutions or organizations that organize special public programmes in the field of design, architecture, digital culture or the crossovers between them. Such as festivals, exhibitions and manifestations,

general impression

Of the 23 proposals taken into consideration, 11 were in the field of digital culture, 4 in architecture, and 8 in design. The selected applications vary in subject matter, but ‘observing’ is a recurring theme. For instance, Into The Great Wide Open focuses on ‘looking at the world differently’ and Noorderlicht is organizing a group exhibition about the reliability of image. Concrete Blossom depicts how people live, learn, work and enjoy their leisure in the post-colonial city of tomorrow. And Imagine Film Festival explores Orwell’s thinking and its meaning in the present day. Central to this is ‘Response-Ability’: the responsibility and ability to respond to an ever-changing reality.

Also interesting are the new collaborations that have emerged. For instance, Into The Great Wide Open and the Schemerlicht festival are exploring a joint commissioning process. In addition, Into The Great Wide Open has entered into a multi-year partnership with Noorderlicht in the North region.

selection

The following festivals and public presentations have been selected:

- New radicalisms – ethics of disagreement – (A)WAKE
- Shifting perspectives – Stichting Great Wide Open
- Pixel perceptions (beyond the lens) – Noorderlicht
- Maker days Eindhoven – Stichting Maker Days
- Gaudeamus festival: Nime 2024 – Gaudeamus
- Glue 24 – GLUE Amsterdam
- 1984 Reimagined – interfaces of reality – Imagine Film Festival
- Cultural currency conference – Concrete Blossom

Examples of selected proposals this round are:

New radicalisms – ethics of disagreement – (A)WAKE
On 11 and 12 October 2024, the New radicalisms festival will take place in the Zomerhofkwartier in Rotterdam Noord. This third edition of the festival explores the ethics of differences of opinion, loosely inspired by the Islamic tradition of Usul al ikhtilaf. At a time when differences of opinion are used to fuel polarization and spread misinformation, the festival emphasizes the importance of morality. (A)WAKE creates a space for diverse perspectives and inspiring dialogues. The festival makes this approach tangible by working with an sounding board group in which diversity and multiperspectivity are central. The team is joined by Miriyam Aouragh and Jonasz Dekkers, who are filling half the programme. The other half comes from an open call. For this project, there will be further collaboration with Grey Space in the Middle, W139, Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam and the Center for Visual Arts (CBK).

Pixel perceptions (beyond the lens) – Noorderlicht
Noorderlicht, a platform for lens-based media, is organizing a group exhibition in autumn 2024 about AI and the reliability of images. This exhibition Pixel perceptions (beyond the lens) explores the impact of algorithms on everyday life and the creative industry. The exhibition also serves as preparation for the Noorderlicht Biennial HU/MAN MACHINE in 2025, where the role of algorithmic culture will be explored further. This project stimulates discussion about the reliability of visual information and creates a platform for research into the social impact of AI on image makers. The exhibition is being curated by Wim Melis and Roosje Lap, together with a young curator. Collaboration partners include Groninger Kerken, Waag Futurelab, Into The Great White Open, The Hmm, Turkoois, and Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen.

numbers

Of the 23 applications taken into consideration, 8 are receiving grants. This brings the percentage of applications receiving grants to 35%. As an exception, the € 325,000 budget in this extra round was not distributed by region. The available budget per region would then be too small to maintain the maximum application amount per project of € 75,000. The selected festivals still represent a fairly good spread across the country’s regions. Four of the selected festivals are in the West region, two in North, one in Middle and one in South. By supporting Noorderlicht, a newcomer from the North region has received a grant under the grant scheme.

follow-up

This year, the Festivals and public presentations Grant Scheme has one more round, intended for festivals and public presentations taking place in 2025. This round closes on 23 October 2024. However, for this round, the budget distribution between West, South, East, North, Middle and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom will be used.

There will be one round in 2025. The closing date for the 2025 grant scheme will be announced later.