Open Call Hidden (Hi)stories

The Open Call Hidden (Hi)stories focuses on hidden stories in the (local) context of the Dutch colonial past and postcolonial present. We give space to international collaborative projects to open up these stories, and render these and issues relating to them, visible, tangible and discussable.

Project proposals start from a design question and can address local communities or places, but they can also relate to a diasporic relationship with the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Consider, for example, obscured or erased sites, rituals, legacies or silenced and othered perspectives. Project proposals can focus on untold stories but can also question ‘canonical’ knowledge.

- Proposals can be submitted by designers or cultural organizations based in the Kingdom of the Netherlands that are active in the fields of design, architecture and/or digital culture. They must enter into an international collaboration with designers and/or cultural organizations in one or more countries outside of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. We find it important that the plans make clear how and why they are being involved in the project and how the collaboration will be realized.

- In addition, proposals can be submitted by designers or cultural organizations, active in the fields of design, architecture and/or digital culture, that collaborate with one (or more) local partner(s) in one (or more) country(ies) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This specifically involves the countries of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten and the three public entities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.

The open call is aimed at projects that examine, exchange, document and make visible or findable unknown and untold stories in the (local) context of the Dutch colonial past and its postcolonial present.

Projects must involve collaboration with one or more local partners in one or more countries outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Any approach is possible, as long as there is a link to the open call’s theme, a clear connection with one or more of the design fields/disciplines and the results will be made accessible to the public.

no grant
- Within this open call, grants cannot be awarded to or for institutions that have a structural grant relationship with the Dutch Government (Basic Infrastructure, BIS) or that have received a grant from the Fund under the Four-Year Institutional Grant Scheme for the Creative Industry 2021-2024.
- No grants will be awarded within this open call to applicants who have already received a grant as part of the Mondriaan Fund’s Open Call Slavery Memorial Year.

The Creative Industries Fund NL has decided to extend the Open Call Hidden (Hi)stories. Given the theme of the open call, the Fund sees the importance of collaborations within the Caribbean part of the Kingdom (the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten and the three special municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba) in addition to international collaborations. Within the grant and work/learn trajectory a maximum of three additional spots will be made available. With this the Fund strives to make the hidden stories of the Dutch colonial past and post-colonial present within the Kingdom part of the work/learning trajectory in collaboration with the Nieuwe Instituut.

The Open Call Hidden (Hi)stories is divided into two phases:

For international collaborations with designers and/or cultural organizations in one (or more) country(ies) outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands applies:
phase 1: writing grant
In this phase, you draw up a concise application using the Project Canvas. A condition for consideration of an application is a letter of intent from one or more collaborating partners. A maximum of 12 applicants will be selected and receive € 3,000 to prepare a project application.
phase 2: full collaboration project
Only applicants selected in the first phase submit a full project application of up to € 40,000. 12 proposals can be selected.

For collaborations with designers and/or cultural organizations in one (or more) country(ies) in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom applies:
phase 1: writing grant
In this phase, you draw up a concise application using the Project Canvas. A condition for consideration of an application is a letter of intent from one or more collaborating partners. A maximum of 3 applicants will be selected and receive € 3,000 to prepare a project application.
phase 2: full collaboration project
Only applicants selected in the first phase submit a full project application of up to € 40,000. 3 proposals can be selected.

In order to prepare the application, it is important to acquire the right information based on the following documents:

Open Call Hidden (Hi)stories
Applications are assessed on the basis of the Open Call Hidden (Hi)stories, which describes the reason and objective, perspectives, phasing, criteria and procedures.

Open Call Grant Scheme
Applications are assessed on the basis of the Open Call Grant Scheme, which describes the general conditions, grounds for rejection, manner of publication, submission procedure, assessment, the award and any grant obligations.

Project Canvas
The Project Canvas is the core of your application. Check it out in advance so you know what is being asked of you.

Canvas applications are assessed on the basis of the Open Call Hidden (Hi)stories and the Open Call Grant Scheme.

assessment criteria
- chosen topic and research question;
- positioning in relation to existing developments and knowledge within and beyond the field and/or discipline;
- collaboration(s).

The assessment criteria for the canvas applications are explained in the Open Call Hidden (Hi)stories. This also contains the assessment criteria for phase 2.

Please note: Article 4.d of the Open Call Grant Scheme does not apply to the canvas application within this open call.

acceptance
When you have submitted your application, the Fund Desk will check if your application complies with the formal requirements of the Open Call Grant Scheme.

assessment
An independent advisory committee will assess your application on the basis of the Open Call Grant Scheme and the Open Call Hidden (Hi)stories. The committee advises the Fund’s Board.

decision
The Board takes account of the committee’s advice in its decision on the rejection or provision of the grant. You will be notified about the result in a decision.

final selection
Selected applicants may submit a full project application. The closing date for this is 3 November 2023. These applications will also be assessed by the advisory committee.

accountability
If you receive a grant from the Fund, then you will have to comply with the obligations. Two weeks before the conclusion of your project, you will be asked by email to submit your accountability form in the application environment.

Within this open call, the Creative Industries Fund NL and the Nieuwe Instituut are facilitating a working/learning trajectory and will organize a series of sessions for participating projects under the umbrella of Hidden (Hi)stories. This offers designers and cultural institutions the possibility, parallel to implementing their projects, to work together on this open call’s theme. Ongoing critical, urgent and open discussions from various geographical contexts will be held and there will be space for exchange (with relevant networks). In particular, we aim to link up with the Nieuwe Instituut’s Tool Shed of the long-term Collecting Otherwise project. The Tool Shed is a pluriform, open repository for alternative instruments (‘tools’) and ways of acquiring, classifying and presenting legacies ‘otherwise’.

Open Call Hidden (Hi)stories
Open Call Grant Scheme
Project Canvas