The annual award honours inspiring examples of people and organizations who, with courage and creative power, imagine new paths for Europe.
2019: Democracy Needs Imagination
The laureates of the 2019 ECF Princess Margriet Award for Culture are Ahdaf Soueif (Cairo/London) & City of Women (Ljubljana).
The 2019 Award theme is Democracy Needs Imagination. The two laureates represent distinct cultural approaches, but both also offer a hopeful vision of democracy by redefining our understanding of culture and its capacity to improve a common European social reality.
The jury convened in early 2019 and the two laureates were announced on 9 May 2019, Europe Day. The Award was presented on 2 October 2019 in Amsterdam and includes a sum of € 25.000 per laureate.
History of the Award
The award was initiated in 2008 in honour of the foundation’s former President, HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, who has shown enormous dedication to the important role of culture in invigorating democracy in Europe. The Award was established in partnership with the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For the last ten years, the ECF Princess Margriet Award for Culture has honoured laureates as diverse as the cultural fields in which they work. They come from the performing and visual arts, literature, music, film, cultural activism, critical thinking, architecture, digital and media culture. Brilliant, innovative, daring, compassionate – these individuals and collectives have shone out in their resolve to find a better way, even in the face of global upheaval, and to shape a future that is more fair and respectful of both people and the planet that we share.
Award News
We host a growing news cache specifically dedicated to the ECF Princess Margriet Awards for Culture in our Library, including yearly publications, interviews with past laureates, speeches, videos, audio recordings, press releases and media coverage.
All awards
2019
Ahdaf Soueif | City of Women
2018
Borderland | Forensic Architecture
2017
Aslı Erdoğan | Navid Kermani | Luc Mishalle | Marina Naprushkina
2016
Krétakör | Medialab-Prado
2015
Athens Biennale | Visual Culture Research Center
2014
Teodor Celakoski | Teatro Valle Occupato
2013
Yoel Gamzou | Lia & Dan Perjovschi
2012
Charles Esche | John Akomfrah
2011
Kutluğ Ataman | Šejla Kamerić
2010
Borka Pavićević | Stefan Kaegi
2008
Stuart Hall | Jerôme Bel & Pichet Klunchun