Arts projects aimed at cultural participation, health and wellbeing

Many cultural organisations in West Yorkshire (and the rest of the UK) have vast experience in community engagement; not seldomly this includes special attention for people’s health and wellbeing. For Dutch artists and arts organisations interested in socially-engaged, community-focused practices this Open Call is an excellent international opportunity. They can learn from well-established UK-based practices. Likewise, arts organisations in West Yorkshire might find it interesting to learn about the Dutch approach to always give “social institutions” an active role in the kinds of participatory arts projects. A “social institution” is any institution whose core activities are to provide care or social services to people in the community.

• More information (in Dutch) about the Open Call of the Cultural Participation Fund

The fund can cover 100% of costs – up to 7,500 euros per proposal

The Cultural Participation Fund has made up to 300,000 euros available to support dozens of Dutch arts organisations that want to get international experience in the north of England, where socially-engaged and community-focused arts practices are very well developed. Mind you, Dutch “social institutions” can also apply for funding, provided their project proposal includes cultural partners from both the Netherlands and West Yorkshire.

Reach out to the Embassy to forge collaborations in the realm of arts and wellbeing

Unfortunately, only Dutch artists and organisations can apply for funding; UK-based organisations cannot submit proposals. However, organisations in Yorkshire that work in the realm of arts, health and wellbeing and are interested in working with creatives from the Netherlands are strongly encouraged to reach out to the Dutch Embassy and we’ll try to put you in touch with Dutch creative practitioners with whom you might be able to co-write the proposal. If interested, please email us on lon-ppc@minbuza.nl.

A direct result of the Dutch Embassy’s collaboration with LEEDS2023

Dutch cultural projects in Leeds, England, are following each other in quick succession in 2023. It’s the result of efforts made by the cultural department of the Dutch Embassy in the UK to get Dutch artists included in the cultural offering during the ‘Year of Culture 2023’ in Leeds. The aim of the Dutch Embassy is to continue the collaboration with cultural partners in Leeds for years to come. The Embassy is pleased that the Cultural Participation Fund has made significant funding available to forge more collaborations between arts professionals from the Netherlands and West Yorkshire (Leeds and surrounding cities and towns).

Examples of Dutch culture in Leeds this year

A larger number of Dutch artists are active in Leeds during the ‘Year of Culture 2023’ than at any other year. That’s because the Dutch Embassy has partnered with the organisers of LEEDS 2023 and a great number of arts organisations in the city. As a result, audiences in Leeds have already been able to experience quite a bit of Dutch culture this year, and a lot more is to come. For instance…

• Visual artist Afra Eisma has her first UK solo exhibition at The Tetley. ‘splashdown tender’ opened on 23 June 2023 and runs until 22 October 2023. Afra Eisma has transformed The Tetley with textile works spilling out across the galleries, accompanied by soft sculptures, sound installations and ceramics. Visitors are encouraged to feel and cuddle, interact and participate with the central artwork in the art gallery’s atrium.
• The Encounters Festival at Yorkshire Dance, on 7 and 8 July, includes a variety of contributions from the Netherlands.
  - 'But First, We are Going to Eat' – scheduled for Friday 7 July at 7pm – is a production by Theaterfestival Boulevard, based in the Netherlands. Eight performers, all Dutch nationals with Indonesian heritage, reflect on their experiences as a minority in the Netherlands.
  - 'Body + Archive' – scheduled for Saturday 8 July at 11:30am – is a workshop centring around care and community. This is a collaboration between Jija Sohn, Bakani Pick-Up and House of Flava. Choreographer Jija Sohn has been coming over from the Netherlands to Leeds several times this year to work with local Vogue dance collective House of Flava.
  - For the early birds, Jija Sohn will also lead the warming up that Saturday morning, starting at 9:30am, which all festival visitors are encouraged to join.
• Transform Festival is bringing two Dutch productions to audiences in Leeds this October. The festival will only officially announce the names in mid-July, so we are keeping quiet until then as well. Just make sure you keep Saturday 14 October and Saturday 21 October free in your diary! More info soon.
  UPDATE 27 July: We no longer need to keep mum. The programme of Transform Festival has been announced. The two peformances from the Netherlands are...
  - DARKMATTER by Cherish Menzo in the Main Theatre of the Leeds School of Arts, Saturday 14 October at 7:30pm.
  - Songs For No One by Nastaran Razawi Khorasani at Carriageworks Theatre, Saturday 21 October at 2pm.
• Light Night Leeds has already booked two productions by Dutch installation artist Gijs van Bon: Drop of Light in the Main Auditorium of the Carriageworks Theatre on Millenium Square and Nyx as part of the Waterways Trail. There is a very good possibility that more Dutch light artists will get invited to show their work at Light Night 2023, on 12 and 13 October.
• Leeds Art Gallery is bringing a performance to the museum’s Central Court that will be choregraphed by Katja Heitmann. The Netherlands-based artist is working on a UK version of her Motus Mori Museum. She does her research and community work with Yorkshire Dance in Leeds and this will culminate in performances at Leeds Arts Gallery by the end of the year.
• The legendary Dutch roller skate dancers Bryan Druiventak and Chris Frank and DJ StayFun (Stefan Seedorf) were special guests at Northern Roll last month and their masterclasses were very well attended. Watch this short video Bryan Druiventak made of Northern Roll.
• In the beginning of the year, nine artists from the Netherlands visited Leeds to meet the arts organisations in the city. They have since stayed in conversation with each other. Proposals for further collaboration have recently been shared with LEEDS2023 and this will surely result in various new NL-Leeds collaborations in the near future.