Looking back at the fifth edition of Scout Nights
During the latest scout nights that took place in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rotterdam and Zwolle, 43 emerging makers and designers presented their work in order to be considered for a talent development grant from the Creative Industries Fund NL. From all the pitches, 24 talents were selected to advance to the second round of the Talent Development Grant Scheme. In the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, where a scout night was organized for the first time this year, another 4 out of the 10 pitches were selected.
17 April 2024
Last month, scout nights took place for the fifth year. These pitch moments have been organized under the Talent Development Grant Scheme since 2019. The scout nights are aimed at designers and makers who have not completed degree studies in design or architecture. In this way, the Fund enables designers and makers from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds to professionalize their design practice and develop it further artistically.
spread through the country
From different parts of the country, five scouts (Philip van Vorstenbosch, Wouter Pocornie, Shirin Mirachor, Dina Ziad and Glenda Pattipeilohy) selected the makers eligible to present, based on formal conditions. This year, there were participants from Eindhoven, Rotterdam, Zwolle, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Groningen, Deventer and Kampen, among others. A jury was assembled for each pitch location, with experts who together represent a wide field of expertise.
Shirin Mirachor, talent scout in Rotterdam: ‘It is always special and admirable to see what self-taught people with strong drive and creative entrepreneurship are already achieving. Creativity that operates under the radar. I was particularly impressed this year by the jury, who had done their preparation and background reading very thoroughly, and consciously wanted to give something to these young creatives. Whether you were selected or not. Pitching, especially to a relatively intimate group, is incredibly exciting. But also very valuable because you get immediate feedback on your work, which is especially useful for people who have had to work in the shade until now. The scout night format forces you as a maker to grasp the essence of your work.’
The scout night format forces you as a maker to grasp the essence of your work.
impression
Like in previous years, the Fund received many applications from makers who relate to multiple disciplines. Scout Mirachor also noticed this: ‘There was once again a wide range of profiles this round, from jewellery maker to upcycling designer. It struck me that this year’s profiles matched well with the ambitions of the Fund: people who are really moving into makership and as designers. There are also fascinating interdisciplinary practices.’ Many makers use their own experiences to create new work, choosing accessible disciplines that include film, photography, fashion, illustration or graphic design. Disciplines such as game, jewellery, product and fashion design also feature heavily in the pitches.
ABCSSS islands
For the first time this year, a scout night was organized in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Programme maker and curator Ana Maria Hernandez was appointed by the Fund as talent scout for Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba. Here, the scout nights are aimed at all starting professional makers, not just self-taught makers.
The judges praised the quality of the pitches on the ABCSSS islands. The four selected makers stood out in terms of artistic direction and content and the significance of their practice for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
follow-up
The selected makers from the scout nights in the European part of the Netherlands will each receive € 1,000 to draw up a development plan. With this plan, they can enter the second phase of the Talent Development Grant Scheme and apply for a grant of an additional € 25,000.
The starting makers selected in the ABCSSS islands will work with a coach to draw up a development plan and, based on this, receive the talent development grant of € 25,000 to develop their practice.
