Dutch cultural services

What the Netherlands Embassy and Consulates-General can mean to you

Who we are

Dutch arts and culture are represented in Canada through the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ottawa and the Netherlands Consulates-General in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. Headquarters for cultural services is the Cultural Section of the Embassy in Ottawa, whose director is also the national coordinator for Dutch cultural affairs throughout Canada.

What we do

Our job is to carry out the International Cultural Policy of the Netherlands under the joint direction of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. We serve as “cultural brokers” between the Dutch and Canadian art worlds, promoting Dutch arts and artists in Canada and encouraging and facilitating cultural cooperation and exchange. Our activities focus on the following disciplines:

• Architecture and Design
• Visual Arts
• Dance
• Music
• Theatre
• Film
• Photography
• New Media
• Literature
• Cultural Heritage

Specifically, our work can be described as follows:

• We inform Canadian cultural professionals – curators, programmers, educators, publishers, producers, distributors, policy-makers, agents and press – about Dutch art and artists, Dutch cultural events and new developments in the Dutch arts world.
• We inform Dutch cultural professionals, in particular the government, government agencies, arts councils and cultural funds and institutes, about new developments in the Canadian arts world.
• We advise Canadian cultural professionals who wish to invite Dutch artists to Canada. We point the way towards funding possibilities from the Netherlands and explain the relevant conditions, rules and regulations.
• We advise the Dutch government and cultural funds and institutes regarding the quality of Canadian venues, including museums, galleries, theatres, concert-halls, cultural centres, etc.
• We provide networking opportunities for Dutch artists and other cultural professionals with their Canadian counterparts.
• We provide modest amounts of funding to qualified projects for extra expenses incurred in inviting a Dutch artist or performing company to Canada, such as airfare, marketing or extra publicity. In this way, we aim to “level the playing field” so that the choice between a Dutch artist or group and a Canadian one will be based purely on quality.
• We organize promotional activities within or around existing arts events such as festivals, conferences and trade fairs.
• We represent the government of the Netherlands at major cultural events.

What we don’t do

• We do not promote individual artists or performing companies.
• We do not book performances or exhibitions.
• We do not broker contracts or deals.
• We do not fund Canadian artists wishing to perform or exhibit in the Netherlands (though we do point them towards other possible funders).

How to find out more

To find out more about funding possibilities and their specific conditions, please contact the Embassy or Consulate-General nearest you.