Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development PCF in 2019 and 2020 The Prince Claus Fund was established on 6 September 1996 as a tribute to HRH Prince Claus's dedication to culture and development. Since then, the Fund has created opportunities for connection and exchange and stimulated cultural expression, primarily in Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.

WE BELIEVE CULTURE IS A BASIC NEED All people should have the right to cultural expression. Culture is the source of identity. It inspires confidence and resilience.

OUR VISION We strive for a world where cultural expression is free and valued.

OUR MISSION We support, connect and celebrate artists and cultural practitioners where cultural expression is under pressure. We stand firm with those who create, who believe in the transformative power of culture, who advance new ideas and develop new perspectives.

To this end, we will emphasize the following focus areas the coming years:

1. Alternative narratives – stories that lead to greater understanding; stories that are seldom heard, that differ from a dominant narrative, that reveal a more complex reality;
2. Networks of exchange – interchange among organisations and individuals that broaden horizons and open new possibilities;
3. Growth of individuals and organisations – activities that strengthen the confidence and competence of cultural practitioners.\*

\*Also see our Theory of Change

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Please note that amounts listed under finance are provisional; the financial overview for the PCF in 2019 will be finalised in March 2020.

​ Impact:
The Prince Claus Fund believes in the transformative power of culture (instrumental value) and culture as a basic need (intrinsic value). As such, in the world the Fund envisages culture and inclusivity reinforce each other. More inclusive societies, in which people participate irrespective of their age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status, allow culture in all its forms to thrive. At the same time, culture, as supported by the Fund, has a role to play in enhancing inclusivity by providing a channel through which all voices can be expressed and heard. And in particular, those marginalized, those oppressed and censored, and those divided. 

By supporting culture where cultural expression is under threat, the Fund aims to contribute to more inclusive societies in which culture thrives.  

This is to be achieved through three overarching outcomes: 
1. Alternative narratives; 
2. Networks for exchange; 
3. Growth of people and organisations.

Explanation of the 3 outcome areas:
1. Alternative narratives (AN) are stories, explanations, histories, spaces that provide an alternative to the dominant discourses and / or that are threatened by disappearance. Alternative narratives must be heard or seen to have significance. They take different forms, which include literature, oral history, visual arts, theatre, music, cultural heritage, i.e. artistic expressions in all disciplines. The safe spaces to make and experience AN are also included. Given its overall aim of more inclusive societies, the Fund focuses on AN that are relevant within context and foster inclusive societies;
2. Networks include all kinds of new connections between people and / or organisations: once-off meetings, international travel, temporary collaborations with a specific aim, longer-erm partnerships, regional hubs, long-lasting connections… Some of these networks have a longer-term aim, such as a knowledge platform for cultural heritage, others have a short-term aim, e.g. experience of visiting peers in another country. Through each of them, there will be a 'change in exchanging without losing oneself' (Édouard Glissant as quoted in the Prince Claus Fund's Vision for the Future.), among others by enhancing understanding of other societies and cultures;
3. The PCF strongly believes that 'people develop themselves', as once stated by Prince Claus himself. The Fund facilitates such personal and organisational development by supporting activities that contribute to the professional development of individuals in the cultural sector, e.g. through increasing exposure and visibility towards new audiences, by facilitating exchanges for talent development and funding training courses (e.g. on first aid to cultural heritage after emergencies). The fund also supports the development of cultural organisations, in particular through the Network Partnership Programme that allows organisations from different contexts to learn from each other. Furthermore, the Fund aims to contribute to the overall knowledge base on Culture and Development, e.g. through M&E and research.

This is to be achieved through the different programmes and the Fund's way of working: 
Grants and Collaborations, Awards, Cultural Emergency Response, Public Programme, Collaborations, Partnerships, Communications, Fundraising, M&E and Research.

Through the different programmes of the Fund:

1. We honour the outstanding achievement of visionaries at the front-line of culture and development with annual Prince Claus Awards;
2. We protect cultural heritage by providing ‘first aid’ to rescue heritage threatened by man-made or natural disasters;
3. We support innovative, high-quality cultural initiatives through grants and mentoring, especially where opportunities are limited, whether by poverty, conflict, marginalisation or political repression;
4. We work for and with youth through our Next Generation programme;
5. We create networks of exchange. The many participants in our networks are partners of the Fund who advise us in our work, often while learning from and inspiring each other.

We are supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Dutch Postcode Lottery, and private individuals and corporations. We also collaborate with like-minded organisations on joint calls for proposals. By supporting culture where cultural expression is under pressure, the Prince Claus Fund aims to contribute to more inclusive societies in which culture thrives.

Focus areas in the coming years: 
1. Alternative narratives: Stories that lead to greater understanding; stories that are seldom heard, that differ from a dominant narrative, that reveal a more complex reality; 
2. Networks of exchange: Interchange among organisations and individuals that broaden horizons and open new possibilities; 
3. Growth of individuals and organisations: Activities that strengthen the confidence and competence of cultural practitioners. Artists and cultural practitioners primarily based in DAC-listed countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe, working in spaces where cultural expression is under pressure. We stand firm with those who create, who believe in the transformative power of culture, who advance new ideas and develop new perspectives.