Matching Fund 2021–2024: Connection through Collaboration

We are proud to present Matching Fund 2021–2024: Connection through Collaboration, a new publication created by DutchCulture that reflects on the inspiring work supported by the Matching Fund over the past four years. The featured projects showcase the diversity and impact of international heritage collaborations, while representing just a glimpse of the broader contributions made by heritage professionals and artists across the globe.

These examples highlight the fund’s unique position within the cultural funding landscape, offering international opportunities to a wide spectrum of practitioners within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Matching Fund brings together professionals from different countries, backgrounds, and disciplines in efforts that combine education and art, deepen mutual understanding, and propose creative responses to today’s societal challenges. Many of the supported initiatives have led to long-term partnerships that not only enrich the heritage field but also strengthen international cultural relations and increase the visibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands worldwide.

The Matching Fund is part of International Heritage Cooperation, a cooperation between the National Archives of the Netherlands, the Cultural Heritage Agency, the Dutch Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage, and DutchCulture, within the international cultural policy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It offers co-financing for projects that explore heritage connections between the kingdom and selected countries, with a strong focus on fair collaboration, public engagement, and multi-perspectivity.

We hope this publication sparks your curiosity and encourages you to explore more stories of international heritage exchange. Perhaps it will even inspire you to take part in this global conversation, by launching a project of your own or connecting with an existing initiative.

A new round of the Matching Fund will open after the summer. We invite you to start thinking about your ideas, we look forward to hearing from you.