Our history

people reached through media outlets featuring the Prince Claus Fund.

“Now, more so than ever, it is imperative to amplify Palestinian narratives, and to support those currently documenting the ongoing atrocities.”

Participants of the Fellows Award Arab Documentary Photography Programme (ADPP) who collectively showed solidarity with the people of Gaza and their fellow ADPP photographers.

We piloted Fertile Ground, a programme to further invest in our Seed Awardees and the larger cultural infrastructure in the Global South to create a blooming resilient and interconnected artistic global ecosystem. 

“As we may know, the most valuable asset for an artist is freedom, and freedom comes in different forms, such as finance, access, and time.”

“One of the biggest takeaways from the past year is that I am not alone - many of the challenges I face are universal. There are those who dare to dream radically, and in concert with me.”

Mobile Labs in Morocco, Egypt and Argentina brought together Prince Claus Awardees with regional cultural practitioners in a weeklong programme that delved into the transformative practices of Hassan Darsi, May al Ibrashy and Maria Medrano. 

“I strive to tackle urgent social, political, and environmental issues, shedding light on marginalized communities,” – Ngoc Nau (Vietnam) new media artist and participant in the first Fellows Award: Moving Narratives focused on re-examining histories and cultivating emancipatory imaginations.

A new Prince Claus Fund International Advisory Board was inaugurated: 9 inspiring individuals advise us on relevant contextual development, our strategy and the regional impact of our work.

“The first Prince Claus Fund Biennial Symposium provided a rare opportunity for artists and cultural practitioners from the region to come together in a setting and context where the region's art and societal challenges were the focus throughout.”

We organised Seeing Like a Fund, a series of events that bring together cultural changemakers to critically examine how culture is supported globally, sparking new ways of thinking about and doing funding.

The first cycle of Building Beyond brought together 12 inspiring practitioners reimagining the future of African cities online, in Accra and in the Netherlands. 

“The Prince Claus Fund Seed Award has been a pivotal catalyst for my artistic growth and recognition on a global scale. I really appreciate the freedom, network and platform that the Prince Claus Fund provides.”

From July 2022, our long-term programme Cultural Emergency Response launched as an independent entity spearheading heritage rescue in response to disaster.

The Next Generation programme came to an end. From 2028 – 2022 it supported; 64 projects in 42 countries, a network of 13 partners, 3 Next Generation awards, 23 Exchanges initiatives and 15 teams of independent researchers.

A new strategy with at its core three different Awards and trust-based funding given at important stages in the professional journey of socially engaged cultural practitioners was designed after deep reflection on how to maximise our impact.

"Art is showing us what a better world could look like, giving us tools to dream with, inspiring us, uplifting us when everything else is falling apart, giving us hope."

The Fellow Award Cultural and Artistic Responses to Environmental Crisis brought together mentors and cultural practitioners who are addressing various local manifestations of the climate crisis in a yearlong online programme and two in-person Lab weeks.

“I read once that photographers don't just capture moments but rather meaning.”

We have celebrated our 25-year anniversary with the online festival 25 Years, 25 Hours featuring many of our exceptional partners and their unique stories about the transformative power of arts and culture, reaching +2.5K people online.

In response to the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the cultural sector worldwide, we distributed 1 million euro in relief grants to over 160 partners from the past three years. 

“I think the PCF has embodied ‘care’ as one of its principal core values ever since I have known the team and your care and sensitivity only shone through evermore brighter during these trying times” - Prince Claus Fund grantee Arko Datto, India.

We launched Forces of Art: Perspectives from a Changing World, in collaboration with Hivos and the European Cultural Foundation. This interdisciplinary volume presented research by 15 teams of researchers on the transformative power of art in communities in the global south.

“Sometimes you ask yourself is it really worth it, but you have to constantly remind yourself of the communities and future generations you are building.”

"Women in Crystal Cubes", in a first solo exhibition the work by Principal Prince Claus Laureate Kamala Ibrahim Ishag from Sudan was shown in the Prince Claus Fund Gallery.

Our public programme team travelled to Senegal with Dutch hip hop artists and prominent members in the scene to perform at the Festa2H festival by NextGen partner Africulturban, give workshops and participate in panel discussions.

Thana Faroq, Yemen, took part in the Arab Documentary Development Programme. In "The Passport Project" she reflects on notions of freedom and the struggle to leave a country where violence, war, and aggression are prevalent.