Over three million for The best of both worlds

The Cultural Participation Fund, under its programme The best of both worlds awarded grants to eight multi-year projects by professional art institutions. The total amount involved is €3,397,333. With the programme The best of both worlds The Fund for Cultural Participation wants to give an impulse to the cooperation between professionals and amateurs in the field of culture. There are three sub-areas: artistic and/or content-related; improving the support and visibility of the amateur sector by professionals; creating growth opportunities for talented amateurs in areas where professional arts education does not yet offer sufficient connection, such as in the fields of circus theatre, world music and dance and urban arts.

The following initiatives won prizes in this first round:

Mister Motley (€240,000) from Mister Motley
PeerJonG (€157,500) of PeerGrouP
The Best of Two Worlds (€600,000) from Hand Theatre
Powered by New Arts (€ 414,100) from Stichting Beleven
Summer exhibition (€600,000) of ArtWorlds Foundation
Future in the Piste or in other words TIP (€450,000) of Circomundo
Community Arts Lab XL (€ 599,233) from ZIMIHC, house for amateur art
PRATEURS (€336,500) of The Place Foundation

On 15 September, the projects will be festively presented at the Regal Complex Utrecht.
The aim of the programme is to sustainably improve cooperation between professional and amateur artists. The programme consists of a grant scheme and a strategic trajectory aimed at creating support and making visible the opportunities and possibilities of cooperation between amateurs and professionals.
A second round of applications is open until 15 October 2010 for new applications from cultural institutions wishing to enter into sustainable, multi-year cooperation with amateurs. A total of €6 million is available for this programme in the period 2010-2012.

More information: www.cultuurparticipatie.nl