About Marinus Plantema Foundation

MARINUS PLANTEMA FOUNDATION – REPORT 2020

General

In 2020, the world was confronted with the Covid-19 virus, popularly known as Corona. No country in the world escaped the consequences of this virus. The world was locked up. Air traffic came to a virtual standstill. People were required to keep 1.5 metres distance. Curfews were imposed in many countries. A maximum of one visitor was allowed. All shops except for basic necessities closed. The economic consequences will be visible for years to come. In the year under review, the foundation also felt the consequences to some extent. For the first time, meetings were held via a so-called Teams meeting circuit from everyone’s home. Meetings with students supported by the foundation also took place in this way.

In spite of these restrictive circumstances, the foundation was able to enjoy the interest of both the Republic of Indonesia and the Netherlands. In total, 15 official applications were received for a total of €117,865. This is in addition to many requests for information about an application. Twelve applications were approved for a total amount of €70,200, which to date is the highest amount ever; two were rejected and one is still pending. In the previous year, 12 applications were received, 5 of which were approved. Based on this, one could say that the quality of the applications has increased. Further analysis indicates a decrease in the number of subsidisers from the Republic. We attribute this to the restrictions caused by the aforementioned virus, which made travel between countries, let alone continents, impossible.

It concerns the following projects:

1. What bungalows can tell ( Paoletta Holst); on the basis of former holiday resorts, where the Dutch had holidays, the story is told; publication follows in 2021
2. Expansion of the heritage database “Atlas of Mutual Heritage” with Illustrated Journeys (expeditions). This is a joint venture between the National Archives, the Cultural Heritage Agency, the Rijksmuseum and the National Library of the Netherlands. A completely new website will be built.
3. Siedjah translation to Bahasa (Dr. N. Vink); story about a young Dutch woman in education in the Dutch East Indies and how she eventually develops feelings for the people there; completed.
4. Land on the Other Side; translation to Bahasa; project ongoing (I.Supriyanto).
5. Verstoten uit het Paradijs (J.H. van Geemert); publication of city walks through Jakarta, Surabaya; completed
6. Diaries Pieter van Oort; co-assistance with the jubilee publication for the Linschoten Association; project pending termination of lock-down due to Covid-19.
7. Angie Erditha, who is studying for a Master’s degree in Health Management at KIT in Amsterdam; the foundation has been supporting a student from Indonesia for this programme for a few years now.
8. Holland Festival production “The Planet- A Lament” by Indonesian artist Garin Nugroho; the production is planned for the summer of 2021, also depending on Covid-19.
9. Support of a Fellowship student (stage name “Togar”) from Indonesia at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam; before deciding on a stipend, two board members visited the Rijksakademie in order to get a better idea of the set-up of the curriculum.
10. Struggle for Sovereignty (Sanne Oorthuizen); It explores the historical, colonial roots of the current ecological crisis and the role art can play in exposing these issues, partly on the basis of “indigenous” (native, or traditional) wisdom and knowledge. The aim is to achieve a more ecologically and socially sustainable world.
11. Indo in Indonesia; is a way for Dutch-speaking people in Indonesia and Indos from all over the world to discuss, through a digital dialogue, what they have missed on the one hand and have encountered on the other hand in a distant country (e.g. The Netherlands).
12. M.Ramadhania, a dentist studying at KIT and supported by the foundation in his Master’s studies, received a prothesis through a crowdfunding campaign, in which the foundation participated.

The projects mentioned in the previous annual report, which were in a completion phase, were all completed except for the publication of Vera Damayanti’s dissertation on the landscapes of Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. The Board is pleased with the publication of the biographies of Indra Kamadjoyo (Lizzy van Leeuwen) and J.B. van Heutsz (Vilan van de Loo), both of which received favourable reviews in the media.

During a meeting at Sociëteit de Witte in The Hague of the Dutch-Indian Table “Meja Putih”, the multi-award winning film “They call me Baboe” was shown in the presence of Pieter Huystee and Sandra Beerends.

In Hilversum, a visit was paid to “Media en Geluid” (Media and Sound) to get acquainted with several people behind NTR’s production of “Indonesia Calls”; during this meeting, it became clear what problems were encountered due to the Covid-19 virus.

The Board met three times during the year under review: on 9 February via Zoom (from each person’s home), on 14 June in Wassenaar and on 15 October in Amersfoort. In between, contact was also made by e-mail or telephone and decisions were taken.

The policy plan was renewed in 2019 for the period 2019-2021. A review is scheduled for 2021.

None of the board members received any remuneration.

Financial Data

In the year under review he Foundation recorded an Income of Euro 73,175. This mainly concerned Result on Investments. Grants were disbursed, totalling Euro 51,450 and Expenses amounted to Euro 927. Per year end, Euro 76,500 still has to be paid out, concerning 3 projects.