WILLEMSTAD – The Dutch Cultural Participation Fund has announced a new round of grants to support cultural education projects in primary and secondary schools across Curaçao, Aruba, and St. Maarten. The program is aimed at strengthening partnerships between schools and local cultural institutions or professionals.

Cultural organizations and independent professionals who have been active in cultural education for at least two years are eligible to apply. Applications must involve collaboration with one or more schools on the same island as the applicant.

Funding Opportunities

Project grants range between €15,000 and €50,000 and are intended to support the development and implementation of cultural education projects. According to the fund, projects must take place during school hours and be tailored to the needs of students.

In addition, applicants can apply for an exploration grant ranging from €5,000 to €15,000, which is designed to support the preparatory phase of a project. This includes activities such as partnership discussions, developing project plans, sharing expertise, defining roles and responsibilities, securing funding, and piloting activities.

Information Sessions

To help guide applicants, the fund will host a series of online information sessions between September 9 and November 18. Advisors will explain the grant program in detail, discuss conditions, and answer questions from participants.

Other Available Schemes

The initiative is part of a broader commitment to cultural education in the Dutch Caribbean. Alongside this scheme, two additional grant programs are available:

Cultural Education in VMBO, VSO, PRO 2025–2028

Cultural Education in MBO 2025–2028

These provide further opportunities for schools and cultural professionals to collaborate in building stronger cultural learning experiences for students across the region.