Cultural cooperation Spain-Netherlands 2025-2028

In Spain, culture is considered important as shown in a high cultural participation rate. The Spanish know their history, their masters of art, their cultural heritage and that of many other European countries. With 43 UNESCO sites listed, Spain is the 4th country in the world with the most cultural heritage sites. Audiences have a broad interest in culture, ranging from more classical to present-day art. Promoting culture that is inviting and accessible offers an opportunity to reach different groups within the diverse Spanish society.

Arts and culture from the Netherlands, from music to heritage and from design to literature is generally highly regarded in Spain. The groundbreaking approach, multidisciplinary education, the substantial cultural budget, and the thriving cultural ecosystem are frequently lauded. From the Spanish side, cultural budgets recently increased considerably and there are great opportunities to collaborate with Spanish partners, with the support of the Netherlands embassy. Thriving international festivals and events like the San Sebastian Film Festival, music festival BIME in Bilbao, the theatre festival Grec in Barcelona, the contemporary art fair ARCO in Madrid are examples that offer opportunities for Dutch artists. But there are also smaller events in less frequented areas with great potential.

The high speed changes Spain went through in terms of social progress and equality under progressive governments since the turn of the millennium have transformed Spanish society drastically. As a result, Spain passed many Nordic countries in international rankings on gender equality and LGBTQI+ rights. This makes Spain in many ways an interesting partner. There are also various themes in other areas relevant in Spain where both countries can contribute and learn from each other, like for example colonial history, the depopulation of rural areas, climate change, and representation in the cultural sector of women and minority groups.

In the last years the Dutch embassy in Madrid invested in (re)building relations with major and minor cultural institutions in Spain to strengthen the relationship between our countries. In particular projects were supported that told stories about sustainability, innovation and social equality. Balanced interaction was an important element where both Spain and the Netherlands can bring in expertise and learn, as well as balanced participation in terms of gender and involving minority groups. Taking place not only in the big cities, but also in more peripherical areas to make culture accessible for everyone and everywhere.

Some examples:

• The Rijksmuseum, represented by Valika Smeulders, Head of the History Department, participated in a round table debate at Publica, an annual conference for the cultural sector in Madrid in 2024. The topic of the round table was the decolonization of culture.
• The Netherlands has worked with the Hay Festival - a festival of ideas, since its first edition in 2008 and during the last edition in 2024, contributions were supported from prominent authors like Manon Uphoff, Eva Meijers and Jente Posthuma, as well as leading architects like Adriaan Geuze - West8 and Reinier de Graaf - OMA.
• In 2024 the Dutch embassy supported an open call for an artistic residency in a peri-urban area in the North of Spain. In an area that in the past served as the centre of the coal and mining industry, the selected Dutch/Colombian artist Roberto Uribe Castro has researched the relationship of the locals with the industry and their view of the future of this area, that is still dealing with pollution and a fragile ecological balance. This will culminate in an exhibition in 2025 in Gijón.
• Atelier NL, an Eindhoven based ceramics and glass studio working with local materials, was invited to a conference in Andalucia in 2024, to talk about how design, crafts and the use of local materials can go hand in hand.
• In 2024 and 2025 various architects, designers and artists from the Netherlands have been selected to present interventions at the international urban design festival Concéntrico in Logroño. Willem de Haan, Alei Verspoor, MVRDV, ACTE and Chris Kabel.

The coming years, opportunities for the cultural cooperation with Spain continue to exist for activities emphasizing sustainability, innovation and social equality. Focusing on the social challenges that we have in common or can learn from: longevity and an ageing society, climate change (desertification, drought, rising temperatures), how to build an inclusive and diverse society. There is a particular focus on including urban culture and artists from the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

• Madrid: Centro Cultural Matadero Madrid, Casa Encendida, Centro Centro, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Central de Diseño, DIMAD (Designers Association Madrid), Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Madrid (COAM), Fundación Arquia, PHotoEspaña, Madrid Design Festival, Publica, Teatro Abadia, Teatros de Canal, Fundación Carlos de Amberes, Festival de Cine por Mujeres (Filmfestival by Women), Paso a 2.
• Barcelona: El Collegi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC), Fostering Arts and Design (FAD), Barcelona Design Week, MECAL Short Film Festival.
• The rest of Spain: HAY Festival in Segovia (multidisciplinary), HAY Forum Sevilla (architecture), BIME Pro (music) in Bilbao, San Sebastian Film Festival, Tabakalera Cultural Centre in San Sebastián, Transferencias Design in Malaga.
• In the Netherlands: Instituto Cervantes, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Dutch Design Foundation, See NL, Creative Industries Fund NL, Mondriaan Fund, Performing Arts Fund NL, Literature Fund NL, DutchCulture.

Would you like to receive more information regarding opportunities for cultural exchange with Spain? Feel free to contact our advisor Josine Backus with your questions.

• Go (back) to the main country page for Spain
• Webpage of the Embassy of The Kingdom of the Netherlands in Spain for cultural cooperation (in Spanish)
• Follow the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Spain on social media
• Travel advice to Spain (in Dutch)

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Madrid supports activities of all art disciplines that meet the objectives of the Dutch International Cultural Policy 2025-2028. The emphasis is on addressing social inequalities, promoting sustainability, and ensuring fair pay, diversity, and inclusion within all cultural activities and initiatives. The embassy serves as an intermediator for Dutch and Spanish artists, creatives and institutions to encourage collaborations, exchange of knowledge and experiences.