Europe

ABN AMRO’s Beating Cultural Heart

Through its Cultural Heart platform, ABN AMRO bank is fostering artistic and inter-cultural collaboration in the Netherlands and across Europe

August 10th, 2016
Hannah Sarfati, CD News
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Photo: Janiek Dam, Hermitage Amsterdam

ABN AMRO’s sponsorship and foundation activities support individuals and organisations from sports, arts & culture, education and entrepreneurship to discover and develop their talents and reach a wider audience and market.  

ABN AMRO boasts a long and fruitful relationship with Europe’s thriving cultural scene - and beyond. Through its ‘’Cultural Heart’’ platform, ABN AMRO helps to discover, nurture and reward young and upcoming artists. This initiative is motivated by ABN AMRO’s strong commitment to “art and culture as engines of new developments’’.

‘’Arts and culture do not only touch our hearts and sharpen our intellect, but they are also business opportunities’’. With its expertise and networks in banking, ABN AMRO helps to strengthen cultural entrepreneurship by connecting the right partners and developing new business models. By doing so, ABN AMRO fosters talent, creativity and cooperation amongst a wide range of actors. Over the years, ABN AMRO has joined forces with numerous institutions, such as the Nederlands Dans Theater, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the European Fine Art Fair and the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

More than just a sponsor, ABN AMRO aims to be a key partner in the cultural sector. According to ABN AMRO’s CEO Gerrit Zalm, “Art and culture form an important pillar of our sponsor policy… We want to make culture attractive to everyone.’’ With its dynamic portfolio of cultural projects, the bank provides the necessary professional guidance for emerging talents. At a time where cultural subsidies are being increasingly curtailed, the bank provides valuable support for artists. In 2004, an annual incentive prize, the ABN AMRO Art Award was launched to foster young talent and encourage collaboration between artists from diverse cultural backgrounds. In this way, ABN AMRO’s cultural heart strives to revitalize Europe’s economic and innovative potential, through the promotion of inter-cultural and artistic collaboration.

References:

Cultural Diplomacy News