Design – 50 projects selected

8 January 2025

general impression

In this round, it was noticeable that issues relating to ecology came up frequently again. Projects focus on shedding light on the climate crisis, personal experiences of climate change, and exploring collaborations with non-human players such as nature and the landscape. An example is the project Pfas/vlas, in which Pfas pollution is reduced by growing flax. The harvested flax is used to work towards a design object. Other makers approach ecology from a more cultural perspective. For example, Giuditta Vendrame’s project River Chants explores climate migration through folk songs, with a particular focus on the role of women who uphold these musical traditions.

Within the discipline of fashion, there was plenty of attention for slow fashion. For instance, fashion critic Nora Veerman’s project Mensen maken kleren maken mensen charts the underexposed history of self-made fashion after 1950. The New Archive’s project Shopwork also explores how haute couture and DIY fashion can be brought closer together to promote innovation, inclusiveness and sustainability.

It was also noticeable that many makers are concerned with archiving knowledge and preserving archives, which is apparently a pressing issue within the field. In Hack the Heritage by Jos Klarenbeek, for example, two analogue looms from the Textile Museum’s depot are digitised to inspire a new generation of designers.

selection

In addition, a few notable projects from this round’s selection are:

Twist Touch Turn - Lisa Konno
Fashion designer Lisa Konno is working on an innovative crossover of fashion show and dance performance, where design determines the movement and music. In Twist Touch Turn, fashion, dance, film and sound design come together as Gesamtkunstwerk. The story is about the life cycle of a woman’s relationship with her appearance and beauty, depicted in four acts. The clothing designs determine the movements and serve as musical instruments. The project explores how fashion can exist without overconsumption and imposed beauty ideals. The performance, a collaboration with choreographer Peter Leung, will be presented at Studio Boekman and Dutch Design Week 2025.

Pink & green - studio Smarthouse

The project 7 Non-normative Bodies is a collaboration between Hans Boodt Mannequins and fashion designer Tom Van Der Borght to introduce new standards for body representation in the fashion industry. With a focus on diversity, inclusiveness and fluid identities, work is underway on seven modular mannequins that represent a range of non-normative bodies. In collaboration with art colleges, this research project will be developed into a series of presentations in museums and galleries. Through displays, lectures and workshops, the results will be shown between April and December 2026.

7 Non-normative Bodies - Hans Boodt Mannequins B.V.
Creative impact studio Smarthouse is working on the film Pink & green, which explores the emotional impact of the criminal justice system on the Isle of Portland. The story, rooted in a small, isolated community, explores the complex lives of its inhabitants as a metaphor for larger social themes. Live-action footage will be combined with 2D animation, with the ‘magic’ colours pink and green bringing the animated scenes to life. The film will be released internationally in 2025 in association with Gusto Entertainment and screened in 20 film theatres with Q&As and theme nights.

You can see the entire selection here.

numbers

Of the 111 applications taken into consideration, 50 received a positive assessment. The budget available for this round was € 737,710. With 50 positively approved projects, the percentage of applications receiving grants this round comes to 45%.

follow-up

For the 2025-2028 policy period, the Fund has renewed the Design Grant Scheme. The new grant scheme will use modified application procedures and tightened frameworks. Would you like to submit an application this year? Then take a close look at the grants page and read this news item about the main changes.