Platforms for Design-based Learning – 11 projects selected

10 December 2025

general impression

With the Open Call for Platforms for design-based learning, the Creative Industries Fund NL and the Cultural Participation Fund aim to give an impulse to initiatives that familiarise children and young people with Dutch making and design culture.

The response to the open call reflects the breadth of the field. While some initiatives focus on specific design disciplines or techniques, others take a broader approach where talent development is central. Notable are the strong local roots of many proposals. Initiatives such as Studio Osdorperban in Amsterdam Nieuw-West and Studio Woensel-West in Eindhoven work from the perspective of young people in their neighbourhood. In the Caribbean region, we see programmes such as Give Aruba's Creativity a Boost, which focus on preserving traditional crafts such as ceramics, while Nature Meets Mankind connects young people with contemporary techniques such as 3D printing and CNC product development.

According to the advisory committee, this network fulfils an important role in connecting professional design practices with children and young people. However, what remains underexposed in many proposals is how these initiatives relate to each other and to other existing organisations. In order to build a stronger bridge between the design field and young people, more insight is needed into how regional networks function.

selection

Some notable projects from the selection are:

Give Aruba's Creativity a Boost – Design Academy Aruba
Foundation International Design Academy Aruba focuses on the preservation and renewal of Aruban ceramics with Give Aruba's Creativity a Boost. This craft is closely linked to the indigenous heritage, but is now only practised by a few ceramists and is in danger of disappearing. The project Give Aruba's Creativity a Boost offers young people between the ages of 16 and 20 a step-by-step programme where they learn to work with clay, glazes and casting techniques. They build up their own collection, which they present during exhibitions. At the end of the programme, the young people will have acquired technical and creative skills and a basic knowledge of entrepreneurship. Design Academy Aruba collaborates with the University of Aruba and MBO institutions EPI and EPB. The programme contributes to the preservation of ceramic heritage and to the development and visibility of makers on Aruba.

(On)rust in de polder – Catharina Maria Hof

Catharina Maria Hof is transforming a family farm in Zeeland into a place for art and design. In 2026, the farm will launch its first educational programme: (On)rust in de polder. Within the programme, young people work with professional designers, including Marit Janse, Sabine Rovers and Giuseppe Licari, on location-specific workshops. Materials and raw materials from the farm are central to the programme. In this way, young people discover design skills in a playful way and develop a critical view of their environment, while exploring themes such as climate, energy transition, food supply and heritage. Midway through the year, the first results will be shared during a public event and in an accessible exhibition in the barn, with the active involvement of the Zeeland community.

Studio Osdorperban – Studio Osdorperban
Studio Osdorperban is a social-artistic design studio by and for young people in Amsterdam Nieuw-West. Here, young people from the age of 12 work in co-creation with designers and artists on projects that arise from their living environment and the issues facing their neighbourhood. They are not participants but co-owners: they are paid, they build a portfolio and develop creative, practical and entrepreneurial skills. The programme combines weekly design sessions and entrepreneurial workshops with their own work and assignments for external partners. Previous projects by Studio Osdorperban show how everyday habits and youth and street culture can develop into designs, products and encounters. Young people share their work with the neighbourhood and city through public programmes such as SOBios and Osdorp Springt uit de Ban(d). In this way, young people showcase their talent and contribute to a new, positive narrative for Nieuw-West.

View the entire selection here (in Dutch).

assessment

In order to arrive at a selection, the proposals were assessed by the advisory committee on the basis of the following criteria:

• • The set-up of the programme
  • The role and quality of the designers and supervisors involved
  • The accessibility of the programme
  • The positioning within the existing infrastructure
  • The sustainability of the programme

This edition of the call expressly took into consideration an even distribution of initiatives across the regions of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

numbers

Eleven proposals were selected from the 42 applications assessed. A budget of € 720,000 was available for this open call.

follow-up

In 2026, the Fund and the Cultural Participation Fund will once again launch an Open Call for Platforms for design-based learning. If you would like to stay informed about this, keep an eye on our website and newsletter.

Banner: Design Club Programma – 2026 STORE (photo: Valentina Vos)