Call for fellowships now open

Moving objects, Mobilising Culture in the Context of (De)colonization is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and intended for researchers from formerly colonised countries – including heritage practitioners, historians, archaeologists, social scientists, artists, journalists, and/or cultural activists – with an interest in (lost) collections or objects from those countries or regions that are kept in the Netherlands.

The Fellowship Moving objects, Mobilising Culture enables researchers and heritage practitioners from formerly colonised countries to access and conduct research on objects – whether defined as cultural, historical, ancestral, art or otherwise – which are currently in the Netherlands.

The researchers are invited to actively use, reflect on and engage with these collections, but are also encouraged to explore and (re-)establish connections with related collections and sites in the country of origin or other countries. They are encouraged to follow queries regarding the social histories and valuation of objects, in relation to or beyond questions of restitution, and to seek for the signification of objects and their trajectories in space and time, beyond the framings of heritage institutions or national histories.

The Fellowship is designed to enable selected candidates to use their stay in the Netherlands to prepare, develop or realise autonomous research agendas, that may or may not lead to restitution requests by countries of origin, and to explore opportunities for innovative and societally relevant research on the social life of moving objects in the context of broader debates about the history, nature, and future of heritage.

The host and accommodating institution is NIAS. NIODand KITLV will provide structural support and supervision. The fellows are encouraged to conduct research in depots, archives and collections of the museums that are affiliated to the Colonial Collections Consortium, and beyond.

More information

Visit the NIAS website for more information about the fellowship and how to apply.