Stimuleringsfonds

It's time for a changing of the guard at the Creative Industries Fund NL's talent development programme. The 2025–2026 cohort is bowing out and will be showing their work at Dutch Design Week next week. Meanwhile, 44 new makers have already been selected. They will receive a grant to develop themselves artistically and professionally over the coming year. Although the 25,000 euros might be spent faster than expected, they do provide the freedom to plot your own course, say committee member Tessa Geuze and grant specialist Sharvin Ramjan. And this proves to be a great launchpad for later.

8 October 2026

'If your application shows me who you are: honestly, critically and perhaps a little vulnerably, I'm sold,' says Tessa Geuze. 'It really doesn't need to be some fancy story full of jargon – preferably not, in fact.' If it also includes a personal development plan and an exciting portfolio – "something new" – the application soon ends up on her 'yes' pile. Geuze is the founder and director of Store Store, a workshop and store where Rotterdam's disadvantaged young people are given the opportunity to explore their creative skills. They get to work with professional designers at the free weekly Store Design Club. Items they create are sold at the store. Currently situated in the Gouvernestraat, it will soon move to the Nieuwe Binnenweg, where it will have a more high-profile location next door to Jordy's Bakery.

If your application shows me who you are: honestly, critically and perhaps a little vulnerably, I'm sold. – Tessa Geuze

Free space

What Geuze does for young people in her neighbourhood with Store Store is very similar to what she does at the Creative Industries Fund NL for recently graduated designers: giving emerging talents an opportunity. Since 2024, she has been a member of the committee that advises the Fund's board on the approximately 200 applications submitted annually for a talent development grant. Those who make it through the selection procedure are given a 25,000 euro financial stimulus to explore both artistically and commercially without the pressure of a principal who pays for and therefore determines what they make. 'You're pretty free to spend the grant as you see fit,' explains Sharvin Ramjan. 'We provide the space to discover who you are and who you want to be a maker, but also how you wish to organise your practice.'

Do it yourself

As the Fund's grant specialist for talent development, Ramjan coordinates the year in which the selected designers work on the implementation of the plans they submitted. 'This shouldn't be viewed as a tightly scripted project plan,' he warns. 'It's really about your personal development. The projects you want to undertake should support that.'

We provide the space to discover who you are and who you want to be a maker, but also how you wish to organise your practice. – Sharvin Ramjan

Designers often aim for a mix of things during such a year. Developing new work is combined with study trips, coaching, artist-in-residencies, courses and new collaborations. The latter is particularly important, according to Geuze: 'During this phase, you should start working outside your safe school bubble. To me, indicating who you want to collaborate with comes across stronger than trying to educate yourself through all manner of courses. Don't try to do everything yourself!'

Audience relevance

This coming month, the 2025/2026 cohort of designers are set to complete their development year. Roughly half the participants have recently shown work at GLUE Amsterdam's design route and the Conflux Festival in Rotterdam. This was the first year that the Fund cooperated with these events to provide a professional stage for emerging talent. Others found their stage elsewhere. For instance, Ruben Jurriën showed his new collection 'Maak Nederland weer Gezellig!' at the Amsterdam Fashion Week last month. After having two applications rejected, his third was approved: 'The application he submitted last year really caught our attention,' says Geuze. 'He started with a really personal story and subsequently demonstrated its relevance for a wider audience. His development goals were very clear and an extremely logical step forwards for him. He also had two great projects he could pour his development into, as well as letters of intent from coaches and events such as Amsterdam Fashion Week, Fashionclash and State of Fashion.'

The Fund's grant enabled Jurriën to investigate in even more detail how he can intertwine fashion and comic art. His new, one-size-fits-all collection that puts Dutch folkloric costumes in a contemporary, gender-neutral perspective shows how well he succeeded.

Trends

Jurriën's approach aligns with a trend the Fund has observed after analysing the last four cohorts. Social-societal themes and a focus on the common good have increasingly come to the fore. 'Yes, inclusion, gender, sustainability, climate and AI get a lot of mentions. I think that has to do with the state of the world in general,' says Ramjan. 'However, designers should not be expected to solve all the world's problems,' responds Geuze, who also sees applications cross her desk with major social themes tacked on as an afterthought. 'It's great if people want to tackle these themes, but don't add them to your application just for the sake of it. During selection, we say it more and more: just be a maker. We don't all have to create systemic change.'

Show Ruben Jurriën during Amsterdam Fashion Week. Photography Peter Stigter.

Lasting impact

The Creative Industries Fund NL has had an independent study carried out into the programme's impact. The report, published this past summer, revealed that having a grant awarded has a lasting impact on the participants' careers. 'Such a year provides a wonderful launchpad,' confirms Ramjan. 'It helps if the Fund shows it believes in you.' Participants gain self-confidence, sharpen their artistic course and establish strong professional networks. This, in turn, leads to new assignments, collaborations, visibility and follow-up funding. 'If I need designers for a workshop, I always browse the Fund's website,' says Geuze. 'I found lots of makers to provide workshops at Store Store this way.' She mentions Christine Kipiriri, Audrey Large and Kalkidan Hoex. 'And did you know that Estelle Barriol was one of the designers selected in 2023? She and Studio Acte have now been nominated for a Dutch Design Award.'

Trailer video portraits of the 2025–2026 talent development cohort. All videos will be available online from mid-October at www.stimuleringsfonds.nl/talent.

Dutch Design Week

Next week, the new makers embarking on their development processes can gain inspiration from the makers who preceded them. For example, Maaike Rabbinge's Conduit Chair will be at Strijp T+R, Kaj Boonstra will present Singing Soil at the Next Nature Museum and Juyun Lee will show their Primitive Line at Piet Hein Eek. The Fund's afternoon event on Sunday 18 October 2026 at MU Hybrid Art House will feature video portraits of almost all the participants, a guerrilla fashion show by Ruben Jurriën and a live-coded audiovisual performance by Jobi Jara Kroese. After that, Ramjan will supervise the newcomers in achieving the ambitions they outlined in their applications: 'There may be some ups and downs, but before you know it, you'll be on that stage. Follow your heart, your intuition and be your most authentic self.'

Text Willemijn de Jonge | Header image Nastia Cistakova