speeches
Here you can find speeches held on the occasion of events organised by the Prince Claus Fund, such as the Awards Ceremony, the Fund’s anniversaries and gallery openings.
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1.12.2004 Speech by HRH Prince Friso at the 2004 Awards ceremony
Identifying the positive aspects of migration is a bit like trying to determine the positive aspects of the weather. Potentially there are so many yet, what one picks will depend very much on who one asks, when and where. In a similar way that the weather is crucial for life and the survival of mankind, so has migration probably been the single largest driver for development of man and of civilization...
11.12.2002 In memoriam HRH Prince Claus
Today, for the sixth time the Prince Claus Awards will be presented. There is a profound difference compared to the previous five occasions. It is not only a difference of location.That is just a coincidence. The difference is, of course, that Prince Claus to whom the Fund owes its existence, is no longer with us since he passed away on the 6th of October this year.
11.12.2001 Speech HRH Prince Claus at the 2001 Awards Ceremony
It gives me the gratest pleasure to be here with you today to present the Prince Claus Awards. This year, the jury cast its nets in the Caribbean, a region they had no explored before. They were fascinated by the way Carnival – originally a European tradition – was celebrated in that part of the world where music and dance are an integral part of human life, and indeed, culture.
8.12.1999 Speech HRH Prince Claus at the 1999 Awards Ceremony
This year, our Fund, the generous birthday gift presented to me by the Dutch Government in 1996, seeks to highlight special examples of free expression. The Fund wishes to honour individuals and organisations that dare to create spaces in which debate has free rein. This means not flinching from the possible consequences of criticism. It means having the strength to put oneself in a vulnerable position.
1.12.1999 Coming to terms with the past: speech by Adriaan van Dis
Speech delivered by Adriaan van Dis on the occasion of the presentation of the Dutch publication ‘Het verleden onder ogen: Herdenking van de slavernij’ (‘Coming to terms with the past: Commemorating slavery’), that was published by the Prince Claus Fund and Arena Publishers (1999). The ceremony took place in the Old Hall of the Parliament’s Second Chamber, in The Hague,...
