Prince Claus Fund

The Prince Claus Fund is an independent foundation dedicated to culture and development.

The Prince Claus Fund depends on culture as a force for change. For discovering different perspectives and creating a platform to highlight alternative narratives, spreading innovative ideas and expressing their identity. Culture is a basic need, vital to humanity.

Founded in 1996 as a tribute to HRH Prince Claus’s unwavering dedication to culture and development, the Prince Claus Fund has become a global leader in trust-based funding, and an outspoken advocate for the transformative power of culture.

The ones who challenge dominant systems, are often the most at risk. They are the forefront of real change, addressing equity, freedom and climate challenges in their communities and beyond. We need their voices to be heard. Because when culture is suppressed, we lose the ability to truly understand each other, work together and create a better future.

That’s why the Prince Claus Fund serves engaged artists and cultural practitioners around the world, who work in circumstances where culture is under pressure. By offering them trust-based funding, recognition and connections, the Prince Claus Fund grows an international community of change makers.

With a proven track-record in identifying diverse talent, implementing effective programs and creating powerful networks, the Prince Claus Fund is able to create tangible results, while honouring the autonomy of the artist throughout the process.

HRH Prince Claus believed that culture and autonomy were vital for an equitable world and sustainable development. In this spirit, our Awardees and Fellows receive trust-based grants, amplifying their socially engaged practice at crucial stages of their careers. Since its foundation, the Prince Claus Fund has supported almost 2,400 projects and 50,000 individuals in 144 countries. Ultimately, the accumulated impact of their work can touch the lives of millions.

Because culture is a catalyst for change, even a small act can have a global effect. Supporting the Prince Claus Fund means direct access to areas you passionately care about, contributing to a future that’s more equitable, inclusive, peaceful and environmentally sustainable.

Prince Claus Awards
A consistent way the Prince Claus Fund has supported and connected artists and cultural practitioners is through the Prince Claus Awards. It now has a sequence of three categories of Prince Claus Awards that are designed to support artists and cultural practitioners in different ways at crucial stages in their professional careers.

Each year the Prince Claus Fund gives 100 Seed Awards of €5.000 to artists and cultural practitioners who are in the first five years of their careers. With Seed Awards, the Fund recognises emerging artists and provides initial support to the career development, creativity, and experimentation of cultural practitioners whose artistic work engages with pressing social and/or political issues within their own local context.

Each year the Prince Claus Fund gives around 35 Fellows Awards of €10.000 to artists and cultural practitioners further along in their careers. The Awards are designed to strengthen the artistic responses of individuals to urgent social issues through mentoring programmes. The Prince Claus Fellows Awards are aimed at supporting mid-career talent, accelerating socially engaged art practices and facilitating meaningful connections between creatives working on similar themes. In this way, the Fund is creating space for individuals to learn, grow, experiment and test out new ideas - both individually and with their peers. For its Fellows Awards, the Fund collaborates with partner organisations, such as the British Council, Goethe-Institut, the Creative Industries Fund-NL, the Arab Fund for Art and Culture, and Magnum Foundation.

Once every two years, the Prince Claus Fund recognises six trailblazing artists and cultural practitioners with Prince Claus Impact Awards of €50.000. These Awards are presented to artists and cultural practitioners in recognition of both the excellent quality of their work and of their positive contribution to the development of their communities. Recipients are leaders in their respective fields. Their work demonstrates the transformative power of culture in creating positive social change. Impact Awards recognise artists who are excellent role models, whose work and positive impact on their societies deserve worldwide recognition.

Legacy
From 1997 until 2021, the Fund used to present the international Prince Claus Awards annually, to honour individuals and organisations reflecting a progressive and contemporary approach to the themes of culture and development.

Since 2021, the Fund has implemented a new strategy, focusing exclusively on supporting individuals through three Prince Claus Awards: Seed, Fellows and, Impact Awards.

2022 Awardees
100 Seed Awardees

35 Fellows Awardees:


 * The Arab Documentary Photography Programme: a joint initiative with the Arab Fund for Art and Culture and in partnership with the Magnum Foundation.
 * Cultural and Artistic Responses to Environmental Change with Goethe-Institut
 * Building Beyond with Creative Industries Fund-NL.

6 Impact Awardees:


 * Ailton Krenak (Brazil), indigenous leader, environmentalist, philosopher, poet and writer.
 * María Medrano (Argentina), writer, poet, editor and prison abolition activist
 * Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara (Cuba), artist and human rights defender.
 * May al-Ibrashy (Egypt); architect.
 * Hassan Darsi (Morocco), visual artist.
 * Alain Gomis (Senegal), film maker and screenwriter.

2021 Awardees
100 Seed Awardees

35 Fellows Awardees:
 * The Arab Documentary Photography Programme: a joint initiative with the Arab Fund for Art and Culture created in partnership with the Magnum Foundation.
 * Cultural and Artistic Responses to Environmental Change with Goethe-Institut
 * Building Beyond with Creative Industries Fund-NL.

2020 Awardees

 * Ibrahim Mahama, (Ghana, Visual Arts) (Principal Award)
 * Açik Radyo, (Turkey, Media)
 * Diamantina Arcoiris, (Colombia, Design)
 * Fendika Cultural Center, (Ethiopia, Music and performance)
 * Tunakaimanu Fielakepa, (Tonga, Cultural Heritage)
 * m7red, (Argentina, Architecture).

2019 Awardees

 * Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq, (Sudan) (Principal Award)
 * Ambulante (documentaries, Mexico)
 * Mariam Kamara (architect, Niger)
 * Bill Kouélany (artist & writer, Congo-Brazzaville)
 * Djamila Ribeiro (philosopher, Brazil)
 * Anocha Suwichakornpong (filmmaker, Thailand)
 * Mónica Ojeda Franco (writer, Ecuador), Next Generation Laureate

2018 Awardees

 * Market Photo Workshop, (South Africa), (Principal Award), Training institute and cultural platform
 * Dada Masilio South Africa) (Next Generation Award)(dancer and choreographer)
 * Adong Judith (playwright, film and theatre-maker, Uganda)
 * Marwa al-Sabouri (architect and urban thinker, Syria)
 * Kidlat Tahimik (artist in many disciplines, Philippines)
 * Eka Kurniawan (writer, Indonesia),
 * O Menelick 2 Ato (independent platform, Brazil)

2017 Awardees

 * Vincent Carelli (Brazil) (Principal Award), filmmaker
 * Ma Jun (China) (Principal Award), environmental activist
 * Khadija Al-Salami (filmmaker, Yemen)
 * L’Art Rue (art collective, Tunisia)
 * Brigitte Baptiste (scientist, Colombia)
 * Amar Kanwar (film director, India)
 * Diébédo Francis Kéré (architect, Burkina Faso)

2016 Awardees

 * Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand), (Principal Award), filmmaker
 * Kamal Mouzawak (Lebanon), chef and food activist
 * The Second Floor (T2F) (Pakistan), interdisciplinary cultural centre
 * Bahia Shehab (Egypt/Lebanon), graphic designer, artist, educator
 * La Silla Vacía (The Empty Chair) (Colombia), interactive online portal
 * Vo Trong Nghia (Vietnam), architect

2015 Awardees

 * Newsha Tavakolian (Iran), (Principal Award), photojournalist
 * Latif Al-Ani (Iraq), photographer
 * Amakhosi (Zimbabwe), community-oriented theatre group and cultural hub
 * Jelili Atiku (Nigeria), performance artist
 * Jean Pierre Bekolo (Cameroon), filmmaker
 * ETCETERA (Argentina/Chile), art collective
 * Perhat Khaliq (China), musician and singer-songwriter
 * Fatos Lubonja (Albania), author, editor and public intellectual
 * Ossama Mohammed (Syria), filmmaker
 * Oksana Shatalova (Kazakhstan), visual artist and curator
 * Y'en A Marre (Senegal), collective of young musicians and journalists

2014 Awardees

 * Ignacio Agüero (Chile), (Principal Award), filmmaker
 * Rosina Cazali, (Guatemala), writer and curator
 * Lav Diaz, (Philippines), filmmaker
 * FX Harsono, (Indonesia), visual artist
 * Gülsün Karamustafa, (Turkey), visual artist
 * Tran Luong, (Vietnam), media artist
 * Museo Itinerante Arte por la Memoria, (Peru), art collective
 * Lia Rodrigues, (Brazil), choreographer
 * SPARROW Sound & Picture Archives for Research on Women, (India), women's archive

2013 Awardees

 * Ahmed Fouad Negm, (Egypt) (Principal Award), poet and critic
 * Alejandro Zambra, (Chile), writer
 * Carla Fernández, (Mexico), fashion designer and cultural historian
 * Christopher Cozier, (Trinidad and Tobago), multi-media artist and cultural activator
 * Idrissou Mora-Kpaï, (Benin), documentary filmmaker
 * Lu Guang, (China), photographer
 * Naiza Khan, (Pakistan), visual artist
 * Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, (Paraguay), youth orchestra
 * Óscar Muñoz, (Colombia), visual artist
 * Teater Garasi, (Indonesia), performing arts
 * Zanele Muholi, (South Africa), photographer and visual activist

2012 Awardees

 * Eloísa Cartonera (Argentina) (Principal Award), co-operation of designers and writers
 * Sami Ben Gharbia, (Tunisia), internet activist
 * Habiba Djahnine, (Algeria), film producer, film festival curator and essayist
 * Yassin al-Haj Saleh, (Syria), writer and dissident
 * Widad Kawar, (Jordan), collector and researcher of Arab clothing and jewellery
 * Teresa Margolles, (Mexico), photographer, videographer and performance artist
 * Boniface Mwangi, (Kenya), press photographer and peace activist
 * Phare Ponleu Selpak, (Cambodia), cultural community organization
 * Ian Randle, (Jamaica), independent publisher
 * Maung Thura, alias Zarganar, (Burma), comedian and filmmaker
 * Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, alias Hadraawi, (Somaliland), poet and songwriter

2011 Awardees

 * Ntone Edjabe for Chimurenga (Pan-Africa) (Principal Award), DJ, writer and publisher
 * Said Atabekov, (Kazakhstan), visual artist, videographer and photographer
 * The Book Café, (Zimbabwe), platform for free cultural expression
 * Nidia Bustos, (Nicaragua), cultural activist and theatre director
 * Rena Effendi, (Azerbaijan), photographer
 * Regina José Galindo, (Guatemala), body and performance artist
 * Ilkhom Theatre, (Uzbekistan), independent theater
 * Kettly Mars, (Haiti), poet and writer
 * Rabih Mroué, (Lebanon), theater maker and visual artist
 * Riwaq, (Palestine), architectonic organization
 * Woeser, (Tibet; China), writer, poet and blogger

2010 Awardees

 * Barzakh Editions (Algeria) (Principal Award), independent publisher
 * Decolonizing Architecture institute (DAi, Palestine), architectonic institute
 * Jia Zhangke (China), filmmaker, actor and writer
 * Kwani Trust (Kenya), literary platform and magazine
 * Ana Maria Machado (Brazil), painter and writer
 * Yoani Sánchez (Cuba), blogger and human rights activist
 * Maya Goded (Mexico), photographer
 * Kasmalieva & Djumaliev (Kyrgyzstan), visual artist couple
 * Dinh Q. Lê (Vietnam), visual artist and photographer
 * Mehrdad Oskouei (Iran), documentary maker
 * Aung Zaw (Thailand), publisher

2009 Awardees

 * Simón Vélez - (Colombia) (Principal Award), architect
 * El Anatsui - (Ghana), sculptor
 * Doual'art - (Cameroon), art organization
 * Liang Shaoji - (China), conceptual artist
 * Jivya Soma Mashe - (India), visual artist
 * Sammy Baloji - (D.R. Congo), photographer
 * Santu Mofokeng - (South Africa), photographer
 * Kanak Dixit - (Nepal), publisher and writer
 * Institute of History of Nicaragua and Central America - (Nicaragua)
 * Desiderio Navarro - (Cuba), art and culture critic
 * Gastón Acurio - (Peru), cook and gastronomist

2008 Awardees

 * Mamoni Raisom Goswami (India) (Principal Award), writer and poet
 * Li Xianting (China), art critic
 * Ganchugiyn Purevbat (Mongolia), artist painter, museum director and lama
 * Ousmane Sow (Senegal), sculptor
 * Dayanita Singh (India), photographer
 * Elia Suleiman (Palestine), filmmaker
 * James Iroha Uchechukwu (Nigeria), photographer
 * Tania Bruguera (Cuba), visual artist
 * Ma Ke (China), fashion designer
 * Jeanguy Saintus (Haiti), dancer and choreographer
 * Carlos Henríquez Consalvi (Venezuela/El Salvador), radio broadcaster and museum director

2007 Awardees

 * Faustin Linyekula (D.R. Congo) (Principal Award), dancer and choreographer
 * Patricia Ariza (Colombia), poet and actress
 * Augusto Boal (Brazil), theater maker
 * Emily Jacir (Palestine), visual artist
 * Hollis Liverpool, alias Chalkdust (British Virgin Islands), calypso singer and writer
 * Sudanese Writers Union (Sudan)
 * Ars Aevi (Bosnia and Herzegovina), museum of art
 * Oscar Hagerman (Mexico), architect and designer
 * Harutyun Khachatryan (Armenia), filmmaker
 * Godfrey Mwampembwa, alias Gado (Kenya), cartoonist
 * Radio Isanganiro (Burundi), human rights promoter and radio station

2006 Awardees

 * Reza Abedini (Iran) (Principal Award), graphical artist and art critic
 * Lida Abdul (Afghanistan), visual artist, videographer and photographer
 * Christine Tohmé (Lebanon), curator and art promoter
 * Erna Brodber (Jamaica), writer and sociologist
 * Henry Chakava (Kenya), publisher
 * Frankétienne (Haiti), writer, poet, dramatist, musician and artist painter
 * Madeeha Gauhar (Pakistan), actress, writer, theater maker and women rights activist
 * Michael Mel (Papua New Guinea), art scientist, curator, philosopher, musician and playwright
 * Committee for Relevant Art (Nigeria), art platform
 * Al Kamandjâti Association (Palestine), musical development organization
 * National Museum of Mali, archeological and ethnological museum

2005 Awardees

 * Jonathan Shapiro, alias Zapiro (South Africa) (Principal Award), cartoonist
 * Lenin El-Ramly (Egypt), writer and director
 * Slamet Gundono (Indonesia), wayang puppeteer and artist
 * Edgar Langeveldt (Zimbabwe), stand-up comedian, singer-songwriter and actor
 * Michael Poghosyan (Armenia), actor, singer and cabaret performer
 * Joaquín Salvador Lavado, alias Quino (Argentina), cartoonist and comic strip artist
 * Ebrahim Nabavi (Iran), writer and satirist
 * Chéri Samba (D.R. Congo), artist painter
 * Niède Guidon (Brazil), archeologist
 * Abdul Sheriff (Tanzania), museum director
 * Opiyo Okach (Kenya), dancer and choreographer

2004 Awardees

 * Mahmoud Darwish (Palestine) (Principal Award), poet and writer
 * Jawad al-Assadi (Iraq), theater maker and poet
 * Tin Moe (Burma), poet
 * Ivaldo Bertazzo (Brazil), dancer and choreographer
 * Bhutan Archery Federation (Bhutan), cultural archery society
 * Halet Çambel (Turkey), archeologist
 * Omara Khan Massoudi (Afghanistan), museum director
 * Memoria Abierta (Argentina), human rights organization
 * Farroukh Qasim (Tajikistan), theater maker
 * Aminata Traoré (Mali), writer and political activist

2003 Awardees

 * Wang Shixiang (China) (Principal Award), art collector and poet
 * The 2002 Arab Human Development Report from notably Nader Fergany (Egypt)
 * Mathare Youth Sports Association (Kenya), development aid organization
 * Carlinhos Brown (Brazil), singer-songwriter and percussionist
 * Lita Stantic (Argentina), filmmaker
 * District Six Museum (South Africa), museum on apartheid in South Africa
 * Hasan Saltık (Turkey), music producer
 * Mick Pearce (Zimbabwe), architect
 * Reyum Institute of Arts and Culture (Cambodia), art and culture institute
 * G. N. Devy (India), tribal researcher, writer and literary critic
 * Yovita Meta (Indonesia), fashion designer and artisan

2002 Awardees

 * Mohamed Chafik (Morocco) (Principal Award), writer
 * Marcelo Araúz Lavadenz (Bolivia), festival director, cultural promoter and choir leader
 * Ali Farzat (Syria), cartoonist
 * Ferreira Gullar (Brazil), writer and art critic
 * Amira Hass (Israel), writer
 * Institute for Islamic and Social Studies (Indonesia), human rights organization and study center
 * Virginia Pérez-Ratton (Costa Rica), artist, art critic and curator
 * Youssou N'Dour (Senegal), singer
 * Walter Tournier (Uruguay), animation filmmaker
 * Wu Liangyong (China), town-planner

2001 Awardees

 * Summer Carnival, Rotterdam (Netherlands) (Principal Award), Caribbean carnival
 * Peter Minshall, designer (Trinidad) (Principal Award), carnival costume designer
 * Chris Abani (Nigeria), writer and poet
 * Duong Thu Huong (Vietnam), writer
 * Samuel Fosso (Cameroon), photographer
 * Jahan-e Ketab (Iran), literary magazine
 * Miri Maftun (Afghanistan), ethnomusicologist
 * Antun Maqdisi (Syria), political philosopher
 * Ibrahim el-Salahi (Sudan/United Kingdom), artist painter
 * Elena Rivera Mirano (United States, Philippines), singer, choir leader and musicologist
 * Talingo (Panama), cultural magazine
 * Iván Thays (Peru), writer

2000 Awardees

 * Jaime Lerner (Brazil) (Principal Award), architect
 * Viva Rio (Brazil) (Principal Award), social work peace organization
 * Francisco Toledo (Mexico) (Principal Award), artist painter
 * Bush Radio (South Africa), independent radiostation
 * Communalism Combat (India), human rights organization
 * Cui Jian (China), singer-songwriter, trumpeter, guitarist and film actor
 * Film Resource Unit (South Africa), independent film distributor
 * Arif Hasan (Pakistan), architect, urban planner, socio-philosopher and poet
 * Bhupen Khakhar (India), visual artist
 * Komal Kothari (India), ethnomusicologist
 * Werewere Liking (Ivory Coast), art painter, filmmaker and writer
 * Ayu Utami (Indonesia), radio broadcaster and writer
 * Van Leo (Egypt), photographer

1999 Awardees

 * Mohand Fellag (France/Algeria) (Principal Award), comedian, actor and writer
 * Vitral (Cuba) (Principal Award), socio-cultural magazine
 * Al Jazeera (Qatar) (Principal Award), independent television network
 * Patrick Chamoiseau (Martinique), writer
 * Paulin J. Hountondji (Benin), philosopher
 * Cildo Meireles (Brazil), sculptor, installation and conceptual artist
 * Pepetela (Angola), writer
 * Dessalegn Rahmato (Ethiopia), sociologist
 * Juana Marta Rodas and Julia Isídrez (Paraguay), ceramics artists
 * Claudia Roden (United Kingdom/Egypt), cookery book writer
 * Cheick Oumar Sissoko (Mali), filmmaker
 * Tsai Chih Chung (Taiwan), cartoonist, comic strip artist and cartoon filmmaker
 * Ken Yeang (Malaysia), architect

1998 Awardees

 * Alphadi (Niger) (Principal Award), fashion designer
 * Oumou Sy (Senegal) (Principal Award), fashion designer
 * Tetteh Adzedu (Ghana) (Principal Award), fashion designer
 * Rakhshan Bani-E'temad (Iran), filmmaker
 * Heri Dono (Indonesia), artist painter, sculptor and installation artist
 * Ticio Escobar (Paraguay), art critic, curator and museum director
 * Jyotindra Jain (India), art and culture scientist
 * Jean-Baptiste Kiéthéga (Burkina Faso), archeologist and historian
 * David Koloane (South Africa), visual artist and curator
 * Baaba Maal (Senegal), singer
 * Carlos Monsiváis (Mexico), writer, philosopher and journalist
 * Redza Piyadasa (Malaysia), artist and art critic
 * Rogelio Salmona (Colombia), architect
 * Kumar Shahani (India), filmmaker
 * Tian Zhuangzhuang (China), filmmaker
 * Nazik Saba Yared (Lebanon), writer, essayist and literature critic

1997 Awardees

 * The Zimbabwe International Book Fair (Principal Award)
 * Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) (Senegal)
 * Index on Censorship (United Kingdom), organization for the freedom of speech
 * Malangatana Ngwenya (Mozambique), artist painter and poet
 * Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia (Ghana), ethnomusicologist and composer
 * Sardono Waluyo Kusumo (Indonesia), choreographer, dancer and filmmaker
 * Bruno Stagno (Chile/Costa Rica), architect
 * Jim Supangkat (Indonesia), sculptor, art critic and curator
 * Abdeljelil Temimi (Tunisia), historian
 * Ernest Wamba dia Wamba (D.R. Congo/Tanzania), political philosopher