Indonesia and the Netherlands share a special cultural relationship, which is shaped by the historical ties between the two countries. In the framework of the Netherlands international cultural policy a priority is given to the cultural co-operation with Indonesia. During the past years, the cultural co-operation between the two countries has grown in depth and volume. The Netherlands cultural centre in Jakarta, The  Erasmushuis - which aims to promote both Netherlands as well as Indonesian culture - is one of the cornerstones of the Netherlands international cultural co-operation with Indonesia. On the Netherlands cultural relations and a detailed programme of Dutch cultural activities worldwide, visit  SICA.

Cultural projects

The cultural co-operation between Indonesia and The Netherlands is reflected in a great variety of cultural activities and projects. A number of these projects are financed by the so called HGIS-Culture fund that is made available by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences. Projects that have been supported through the HGIS-Culture Fund include.

• A co-operation between the National Library of Indonesia and the National Museum Amsterdam with regard to the restoration, registration, and publication of the so called Varia-collection of the Batavian Art Society;
• A co-operation between the Arsip Nasional RI and the  National archive in The Hague with regard to the restoration, description and inventory of archival material from the VOC-period;
• A co-operation between the seven municipal (DKI) museums in Jakarta with the Tropical Museum Amsterdam in the field of museum training and management;
• A co-operation between the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde(RMV) in Leiden, the Museum Nasional of Indonesia (MNI) in Jakarta and Stichting Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam with regard to a ‘Shared Cultural Heritage’ -project, which includes a major exhibition in 2005 in Indonesia and in the Netherlands, the exchange of documentation and a joint research project on the historical collections in the Netherlands and Indonesia.

More information:

• On the so called HGIS-Culture Fund,  pdf HGIS.
• On Netherlands international cultural relations and a detailed programme of Dutch cultural activities worldwide, visit  SICA.

Culture and development

A new ‘Culture and Development Programme’ has been introduced in Indonesia as of 2004 with the objective of strengthening the cultural dimension of the Netherlands development co-operation with Indonesia. The programme is aimed at supporting initial and temporary projects for the promotion of the cultural identity in developing countries that have a duration of maximum three years. Special attention is given to the arts and film sector and to the preservation of cultural heritage.

Requests for subsidy need to comply with the following conditions:

• The Embassy will fund op to a maximum of 75% of the project costs, while the projects costs should be between € 20.000,- and € 100.000,- a year;
• The project should be directed towards training and education of people working in the cultural sector or more in general towards strengthening the cultural infrastructure in Indonesia;
• Applications should in principle be made by Indonesian organisations;
• For your application to be considered for support under the ‘Culture & Development’ programme the questions in the application form and budget model should be answered as clear and complete as possible. Apart from the application form a full description of the project should be submitted.
• Applications should be submitted at least two months before the start of the project. Incomplete forms and/or budgets will not be considered.

The application form and budget model can be downloaded  here.

Programme for Cultural Embassy Activities (PCAP)

The Royal Netherlands Embassy has a special budget for supporting cultural co-operation projects initiated by Indonesian cultural organisations and individual activities. Through the so called PCAP-budget (short for Programme Cultural Embassy Projects) activities have been supported in the past that include the organisation of seminars, the publication of books about cultural and historical topics and various exhibitions and cultural performances.

Activities that are eligible for support should have a clear relationship with the Netherlands. This could be because of the involvement of Dutch organizations or persons, or because of the topic of the activity (e.g. mutual heritage or historical issues).

Proposals for activities and requests for funding can be submitted to Mrs Gonneke de Ridder. Proposals should be in English and should contain a clear description of goals, proposed activities and projected results. A detailed budget and financing scheme should be included as well, keeping in mind that the proposed Netherlands’ contribution can in principle not cover 100% of the total expenses. The application form can be downloaded  here.

Cultural objects and the Second World War – applications for restitution

Anyone who thinks that she/he may have a legitimate claim to an art work in the NK collection (Stichting Nederlands Kunstbezit), please click here.

Jan van Eyck Academy (external information)

The Jan van Eyck Academy is an international post-academic institute for research and production in the fields of plastic arts, design and theory. Every year a world wide publicity campaign is organised to attract artists, designers and theoricians for one of the one or two year research periods at the institute. Scholarships are provided. Special attention this year goes to Indonesians. For more information, please click  here.