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Amsterdam | August 1, 2025
Talent Fund Culture

The Youth Fund for Sport & Culture Amsterdam enables many children in the city to participate in cultural activities, such as dance, music, and drawing lessons. However, we know that some children have extra talent and passion and are eager to further their artistic development. For them, the cost of additional lessons, performances, or training can quickly become prohibitive and hinder their development.
That's why we're starting a special Talent Fund Culture For motivated students with great perseverance and talent. This fund is designed to provide additional support to children from low-income families who already participate through the Youth Fund, enabling them to further develop their skills in areas such as dance, music, theater, art, or literature. This additional contribution allows children to follow a more extensive curriculum or participate in special talent classes, further enhancing their skills and potentially even preparing them for arts education. In this way, we bridge the gap between regular lessons and arts (preliminary) education. The Talent Fund for Culture is a pilot program of the Youth Fund for Sport & Culture Amsterdam.
- The additional compensation applies for one season (01-08-…. to 31-07-….) and can be requested again annually;
- The student has been approved for a cultural application from the Youth Fund Sport & Culture Amsterdam in the same season;
- The student has demonstrably taken lessons for several years in the cultural activity for which the talent allowance is requested;
- A maximum of 5 students per institution (provider) can receive a talent allowance from the talent fund per year;
- The application is submitted by a provider/teacher who is already affiliated with the Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur Amsterdam;
- The application can be submitted all year round;
- The Cultural Talent Fund has an annual budget. Applications are considered as long as the available budget is sufficient. Once the budget is exhausted, no new applications can be accepted that year. This will be announced on this information page and in our newsletter for cultural providers. No rights can be derived from submitting an application.
- The student is requested to write a letter of motivation that includes the ambition and a clear development path;
- The teacher is requested to prepare a letter of recommendation containing a cost overview, an explanation of the teaching package and how it contributes to the further development of the student;
- Talent assessment is carried out by external experts in the art discipline to which the application is directed.
- The application can be submitted after there has been confirmation of approval for a cultural application in the same application season;
- The teacher must submit the application for the talent allowance via this form containing:
- Motivation letter of the student;
- Letter of recommendation from the teacher;
- (Link to) portfolio/(image) material for talent assessment via the external panel of arts teachers (for example a video) and agreement to share this material with this panel;
NOTE: For group performances, please clearly indicate which student is involved. - Consent form signed by parent(s)/guardian(s) for the processing of the data.
- If all conditions are met and once all documents are received:
- The application assessed by the Youth Fund Sport & Culture Amsterdam;
- The student's talent is also assessed by an external panel of experts from the cultural field;
- The Youth Fund Sport & Culture Amsterdam aims to provide feedback within four weeks of receiving the application, with priority given to fully submitted and well-substantiated applications.
The budget allocation is paid to the provider(s). Therefore, the student does not receive any money, and no claims can be submitted (for example, for expenses already incurred).
This program is a pilot program of the Youth Fund Sport & Culture Amsterdam, initially running for two years. Any extension of the program will be subject to an evaluation, which will assess the progress of the supported talents and the fund's effectiveness.
With this pilot program, we hope to give more children in Amsterdam the opportunity to take music lessons without financial barriers. For questions or more information, please contact us at 06 – 21 37 31 96 (available weekdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM) or amsterdam@jeugdfondssportencultuur.nl
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