Cultural Participation Fund
What
As its name implies, the Cultural Participation Fund promotes participation in culture, especially by encouraging people to engage in the arts and culture themselves. The fund does this, for one thing, by means of arrangements with the provinces and municipalities and by subsidising institutions. The Fund also encourages debate, initiates research, and ensures knowledge-sharing in the field of cultural education, the amateur arts, and popular culture.
Who are involved
The Cultural Participation Fund collaborates with the national government, the municipalities and the provinces, as well as with others involved in cultural education, the amateur arts, popular culture, and cultural participation, for example sector associations and institutes, interest groups, and knowledge and research institutions.
Who is it for
For everyone in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with a special focus on young people.
How
Institutions can submit applications in the field of cultural education, the amateur arts, and popular culture throughout the year. The fund assesses the applications and allocates grants directly to the institutions. Assessment involves, for example, whether the project concerned will have a national impact. It may be a project that will take place at various locations within the country, or that is so unique that it can act as a model for other projects. Another criterion is quality, which the fund interprets as power of expression, originality, and craftsmanship. For more information about the assessment of projects and the criteria, go to www.cultuurparticipatie.nl. The provinces and municipalities have also submitted applications for a four-year period. The fund assesses the applications and the Ministry of the Interior then allocates the grants. During the course of the arrangement, the fund helps decide on the direction of development and where possible creates links between the participating provinces and municipalities. The fund published its policy plan in mid-March 2009.
Why
The Cultural Participation Fund wishes to draw as many people as possible – starting with the young – to the arts and culture.
Since when
The fund was set up in 2008 and has been operational since 1 January 2009.
Range
The fund's arrangements in the area of cultural education, the amateur arts, and popular culture are aimed mainly at institutions whose project applications are of national relevance. Twelve provinces and 35 municipalities are also taking part.
Money
The Cultural Participation Fund has a total of some EUR 25m available for 2009 for its various arrangements (that figure will rise to some EUR 31m from 2010 on). Of that amount, some EUR 14m is available for municipalities and provinces, which match the fund's contribution with the same amount.