Prince Claus Awards to artists from Turkey

As a member of a diversified Dutch cultural delegation, Marcus Tebogo Desando, director of the Prince Claus Fund, visited İstanbul and met several recipients of previous years’ Prince Claus Awards at the Palais de Hollande.

Since its establishment in 1996, the Prince Claus Fund has found various ways to fulfill its mandate to support arts and culture, especially where it is under pressure in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe. A consistent way they have supported, connected and celebrated artists and cultural practitioners is through Prince Claus Awards.. Mr. Desando had the chance to meet following artists from Türkiye on the 28 of February 2024 who have received awards in recent years:

2023: Ceytengri (performance artist, poet, and activist)
2022: Babykilla (drag artist) and  Ömer Tevlik Erten (photographer, director and curator)
2021:  Zilan Imsik  (photography and moving images artist) Larissa Araz (visual artist)
2020: Acik Radyo, represented by Ilksen Mavituna

Below is an in-depth interview with Marcus Tebogo Desando, director of the Prince Claus Fund.

Could you please introduce yourself? What is your recent occupation?

I am Marcus Tebogo Desando. I am the director of the Prince Claus Fund. Formerly I was the CEO of The Arts and Culture Trust, Johannesburg. Prior to that, I was the CEO of Gauteng Opera in Johannesburg (formerly Black Tie Ensemble). I am a member of a number of boards in my home country South Africa and currently, I am a Doctoral candidate through my Master’s alma-mater, The Da Vinci Institute.

In addition to my career as an arts administrator, I am a professional singer and stage director who has directed, conducted and performed multiple Operas in South Africa as well as with international companies such as Really Useful Artists and New York Harlem Productions. I have been invited as a guest lecturer to various universities, where I taught largely on stagecraft and directed several opera productions.

I have been supporting the personal development and training of young South African artists and aspiring arts administrators.

What are some of the main objectives of the Prince Claus Fund?

Prince Claus Fund is an independent foundation dedicated to development through culture. With trust-based funding, connections and recognition we serve engaged artists in places where culture is under pressure. By creating a global network of changemakers and amplifying the ground-breaking work they do we contribute to a more equitable, peaceful, sustainable and inclusive future. Because culture is a basic need for human progress.

You are visiting Türkiye as part of a big cultural delegation from the Netherlands. How do you evaluate the cultural relations between Türkiye and the Netherlands from the Prince Claus Fund’s (PCF) perspective?

I am excited to visit Türkiye and meet the Prince Claus Fund Awardees. We have a strong network of artists here and are committed to further support artists from Türkiye and a wider region, as we recognise how crucial such support is in the current climate. Rebuilding the cultural life after the earthquake will take time and effort, and culture is crucial for such efforts as a force that inspires hope, helps to rebuild normalcy and strengthen society.

PCF is granting annual Seed Awards to artists working under difficult conditions. Could you please elaborate on the awards procedures and their expected influence in enhancement of artists?

With our annual Seed Awards, we recognize emerging artists and provide 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.

Prince Claus Seed Awards help emerging artists explore new perspectives and develop their practice on their own terms. Together with Mentorship and Impact Awards, their aim is to contribute to a world in which culture can exert its transformative power and lead to positive change.

The Open Call for Prince Claus Seed Awards is published once a year for artists/individuals from our working countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe. Applications are screened for eligibility by the Prince Claus Fund and judged by external advisors. Seed Award recipients are announced in Autumn each year. Recipients are free to invest the Award of 5,000 euro as they choose in the development of their artistic practice.

There are artists from Türkiye who received awards from PCF in previous years. You also meet them during your program in İstanbul. What is your consideration on such an encounter?

I am excited to meet the Prince Claus Fund Awardees and to connect with them as well as find a moment to explore how the contribution to their practice can further be enhanced. (VK)