Prince Claus Fund

The Prince Claus Fund

The Prince Claus Fund was established on September 6, 1996 on the 70th birthday of HRH Prince Claus of the Netherlands, as a tribute to Prince Claus’ dedication to culture and development.

The Prince Claus Fund recognises that development is not only an economic process, but predominantly a cultural process, in which the human person plays a vital role. Therefore, the Fund is committed to demonstrating the importance of culture in development.

In the words of HRH Prince Claus:

“The decisive factor is the growing realisation that development and progress can be realised only by people themselves, in an environment where there is respect for one's own culture, own language and our own lifestyle. Without respect and trust in one’s own culture and traditions progress is difficult to achieve.”

Since its inception, the Fund has supported more than 2,500 cultural initiatives, granted Prince Claus Awards to 184 outstanding cultural achievers and provided first aid to cultural heritage in over 125 emergency situations.

The Prince Claus Fund works through three programmes to achieve its objectives:

The Awards programme is supported by the Awards Committee. The Awards Committee provides advice to the Board of the Prince Claus Fund on the selection of laureates for the annual Prince Claus Awards. The Commitee is composed of independent experts in the field of art, culture and development.

The CER Steering Committee supports the Cultural Emergency programme. Its members are renowned experts in the field of cultural heritage, humanitarian aid and development. The Steering Committee approves individual projects for cultural emergency relief up to 35.000 Euro.

The Network Partner Committee is a worldwide network of excellent partner organisations from different regions representing a variety of disciplines. It supports the Grants & Collaborations programme and functions as the international thinktank of the Fund. The Committee advices about developments in their respective regions. The Network Partnership Committee provides an important link between the Fund and the field.

Please check the calendar for upcoming events related to the Fund’s work worldwide.