Hivos Culture Fund celebrates 15th anniversary
‘Development cooperation is usually about poverty or human rights violations’, says Paul van Paasschen. ‘But art and culture are just as essential for social development. That’s why the Hivos Culture Fund was founded 15 years ago.’
Van Paasschen has been involved with the Fund right from its start. Hivos founded it to provide support to independent artistic initiatives in developing countries. These initiatives are projects that have been set up professionally and are open to a wide audience. The Fund mainly encourages contemporary art reflecting on current affairs in society. Van Paasschen: ‘Through art and culture people can be reached and inspired. It touches their hearts.’
Familiarising the public
The Hivos Culture Fund has 125 partners in over 25 countries, ranging from Africa to Asia and Central America. Hivos aims to familiarise the Dutch general public with the arts from developing countries. For that reason the Hivos NCDO Culture Fund was founded in 2005 in cooperation with the Dutch development organisation NCDO. Due to budget cuts at the NCDO this joint project will come to an end this year. Hivos is now actively looking for a new partner. Van Paasschen: ‘The Fund is crucial. It shows developing countries from a very positive perspective.’
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