het Cultuurfonds

The Cultuurfonds was founded in London in 1940 by Prince Bernhard, father of Beatrix of the Netherlands, to buy war material for the British and Dutch Governments. It continued after the war as Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds aimed at rebuilding the war torn cultural life in The Netherlands. Headquartered on the Herengracht canal in Amsterdam, the foundation has 12 local branches, one in each of the Dutch provinces. There is also a separate Distribution Committee for projects in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Mission

To support cultural and nature preservation projects in The Netherlands, The Netherlands Antilles (Curaςao, Bonaire, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, Saba) and Aruba.

Geographic Focus

Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba

Programme Areas

The foundation is active in the following areas:

• Domestic initiatives
• Awards and prizes
• Bursaries

Domestic Initiatives
Offers subsidy grants for projects in the Netherlands which focus on the performing arts, visual arts, the restoration of monuments, publications and nature conservation.

Awards and Prizes
Many of the foundation’s regional branches offer their own prizes and awards, and in addition the foundation itself offers three flagship schemes:

• The Prince Bernhard Culture Prizes: encompasses a variety of prizes under the general area of culture, such as the Martinus Nijhoff Prize for Translation/Interpretation which takes place every year. Each prize has its own jury and financial reward.
• The Charlotte Köhler Prize: supports and encourages young talent artists, architects and dramatists up to 35 years old.
• The Silver Carnation Award: this annual prize is awarded to those who have done the most work in promoting Dutch culture, and the culture of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.

Bursaries
Offers study bursaries to young, talented students to allow them to pursue courses at university and high school, particularly if the course is based outside of the Netherlands.