Internationalisation – 10 projects selected

7 August 2025

general impression

We see a variety of project forms and themes in the selection. A distinctive feature of the Internationalisation of the Design Sector Grant Scheme is that applicants work closely with partners abroad and deploy international networks to address pressing social issues.

Notable is the strong focus on community participation and activation. For example, Gemma Luz Bosch’s Clay Breath Research Project collaborates with indigenous ceramists in Colombia for research relating to sound and clay. In addition, Principles to Be Rebuilt by Syrian Volunteers in the Netherlands brings together creatives from the Syrian diaspora to shape post-conflict reconstruction, remembrance and collective care through workshops, publications and exhibitions.

We also see projects with a clear activist angle that challenge dominant narratives and present new perspectives. The project Zeros + Ones by Kate Cooper develops neurodiverse, queer and feminist AI perspectives from the UK and the Netherlands, while Feel Me, Hear Me by Extra Extra focuses on sensuality and intimacy as a form of resistance in the city, through walks in New York.

Beneath the Flag, Beside the Staff – Rising Lai
Beneath the Flag, Beside the Staff, by Rising Lai and Lisette Alberti in collaboration with Pingpu community groups in Taiwan, uses the photovoice method to document the efforts of indigenous activists. Through visual stories – including photos, videos and audio – Pingpu youth reflect on the identity and resilience of their community. Spurred on by a growing interest in the Pingpu community and Taiwan’s changing colonial narratives, the project supports indigenous communities in documenting their stories. This creates tools for political recognition and cultural empowerment. The resulting video report will be presented in both Taiwan and the Netherlands to raise awareness and support formal recognition of Pingpu communities.

Sisters from Holland: A Transnational History of Feminist Resistance – Tabea Nixdorff
Tabea Nixdorff and Tamara Hartmen are working on Sisters from Holland: A Transnational History of Feminist Resistance. The project revolves around the collaboration between the Zwarte Vrouwenkrant (Black Women’s Newspaper) (Arnhem, 1985-1986) and Black feminists from London – an example of the transnational feminist solidarity that flourished in the 1980s. The duo aims to revive these ties through a two-part programme: a book launch of Republishing: Umoja Zwarte Vrouwenkrant and an intergenerational roundtable discussion. Through the programme, they aim to raise historical awareness and promote creative exchange. The project underlines the often-forgotten feminist solidarity between the Netherlands and the UK, and aims to challenge and supplement dominant narratives about feminism.

Kaarkhaney – Tanay Kandpal
The design research project Kaarkhaney by Tanay Kandpal, Niels and Jade Nijman, and Case Design places the focus on collaboration between European designers and artisans in Mumbai. Based on the theoretical framework of the earlier project Kaarigari, this sequel explores how small-scale workshops (kaarkhanas) can function as places for equal knowledge exchange. In collaboration with local artisans, work will be carried out on material experiments, joint prototyping and documentation of craft processes. This collaboration results in a collection of objects and a digital archive in which the co-creative process is recorded and shared. By reflecting on design practices, the project questions existing hierarchies in design and craft.

number

For the first time since the introduction of the new way of working for the 2025-2028 policy period, a maximum number of 40 applications was set for this grant scheme. A total of 44 grant requests had been submitted by the closing date of this application round. After a check on the formal criteria and completeness, 39 applications were taken into consideration. As a result, the maximum number did not cause any projects to be dropped. Of the 39 applications, 16 were positively assessed. Within the € 300,000 budget, 10 projects could ultimately be supported.

follow-up

The next round opens on 1 September at 15:00 CEST and closes on 2 October 16:00 CEST. Would you like to submit an application in this round? Take a look at the subsidy page of the grant scheme to prepare effectively.

Banner: Feel Me Hear Me – Extra Extra