Research, Act & Reflect – 7 projects selected

In October 2021, the Creative Industries Fund NL issued the Open Call Research, Act & Reflect. The open call was aimed at grassroots platforms, collectives and organizations whose activities contribute to a more diverse and inclusive creative industry.

27 January 2022

This is the second time the Fund has issued the Open Call Research, Act & Reflect. By means of the call, the Fund encourages activities aimed at empowering marginalized voices and underexposed areas served by the Fund. In doing so, we aim to broaden and deepen the creative industry.

general impression
In response to the call, the Fund received 48 applications. The themes ranged from fair practice within the design world to making unheard stories and histories visible and creating space for minority groups within the cultural and creative field. The majority of the proposals were of a distinctly interdisciplinary nature. Only a few applicants explicitly focused on one discipline.

assessment
The advisory committee, consisting of Harriët Mbonjani (Education Eye – Oxville Cinema – generation inclusion), Farida Sedoc (designer and artist) and Giorgio Toppin (fashion, textile and graphic designer), assessed the applications based on three criteria:

- the relevance of the chosen theme within the context of the open call;
- the artistic or reflective ambition of the project;
- the extent to which the theme is effectively translated into a programme and an appropriate community.

Due to the limited budget, 7 of the 19 positively assessed applications could be supported. The grants range from € 20,000 to € 75,000.

selection
Claim Your Space – Alien Mag
Alien Mag is an online platform that has been endeavouring since 2018 to create a society where equality is central and the talent of bicultural women does not go unnoticed. Based on this objective, the platform organizes activities such as talks, screenings, brainstorming sessions and workshops. In the coming year, Alien Mag will focus on the project Claim Your Space, which will provide a podium for bicultural makers to interact with each other. A large part of the activities take place at locations in North Brabant.

Disobedient Futures – Fossil Free Culture NL
Platform Fossil Free Culture NL focuses on intersectional climate justice. The organization’s application was for the creation of an educational framework with a focus on designing a post-extractive culture. Under the title Disobedient Futures: Towards a Post-Extractive Culture, there will be a three-day online and offline event in the coming year with various activities, including workshops, presentations, brainstorming sessions and talks. The event will focus on non-Western and indigenous perspectives.

Moslima – Prospektor
In the multimedia project Moslima, maker Cigdem Yuskel explores the workings of image banks, archives and image-making. Her aim is to overcome the one-sided and often stereotypical way in which Muslim women are represented in the media. The project will be realized in several phases and activities, including a podcast in collaboration with the VPRO, archival research, an oral-history project that engages with the community, an exhibition and a public programme.

STORE STORE STORE
STORE STORE is a shop and workshop in Rotterdam where young people (14-20 years) turn their ideas into reality and discover and further develop their creative talents, under the guidance of professional designers. The programme includes a design club, multi-day summer and winter schools and workshops. In addition, STORE provides maker manuals that anyone can download free from the website. The products the young people produce are sold in the shop, and they receive a portion of the retail price as royalties for their creations.

Indigenous Liberation – Stichting Aralez
Indigenous Liberation is committed to indigenous perspectives and communities in the Netherlands. In the coming year, the organization will focus on developing its own cultural centre based on the values, principles and making processes of the indigenous communities, such as the right to reciprocity and climate justice. The formation of ideas for the cultural centre is to be realized in various activities, including an exhibition at Pakhuis de Zwijger, a magazine containing interviews with various indigenous makers and a manifestation on 12 October. There are collaborations with indigenous partners from Suriname, the Moluccas, the Philippines, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and West Papua.

And That’s The Truth: Root – Bureau Punt
Bureau Punt is a creative platform and agency in Amsterdam that works for marginalized people in the arts. With the programme And That’s The Truth: Root, the organization aims to give 25 BIPOC makers the space to create work without concessions and on their own terms. The 25 talented makers are paired with 10 Amsterdam institutions.

Pride Radio – Studio Gyor Moore
In 2020, the Pride Radio platform was established with the aim of boosting the visibility of queer artists during Pride month (August). The independent radio station features music from a variety of artists. The only requirement for being included on the channel is that you are part of the queer community. In the coming year, the organization is focusing on expanding the platform with Pride Qreate and collaborations with Soho House, World Museum Rotterdam and Dutch Design Week.