Aruna Vermeulen and Indirah Tauwnaar both win the Cultuurprijs Zuid-Holland from the Culture Fund

Last month, hip-hop icons Indirah Tauwnaar (House of Urban Arts) and Aruna Vermeulen (Hiphophuis) both received the first prize from the hands of the Queen’s Commissioner Jaap Smit, chairman of the Cultuurfonds Zuid-Holland.

Sharing and caring
In the packed foyer of Theater Rotterdam, cheers went up among the dancers when it was announced that Aruna and Indirah did not turn out to compete for the first and second prize of the Cultuurfonds Zuid-Holland. “The Cultuurprijs is being awarded for the fifth time this year and the cultural sector and dance sector are under pressure. That’s why this year we wanted to boost 2 laureates with this special mid-career award,” said Jaap Smit. “The fact that the core values of the hip-hop scene are precisely about equality, sharing & caring made the board decide to award two first prizes of €15,000 each as a festive exception.”

Female power!
Aruna was still amazed afterwards: “it was already an honour to be nominated. But the fact that we both won first prize is really great!” According to Alida Dors, jury member and artistic director of Theater Rotterdam, it is also a celebration of female power: “It is important that these two female dancers, who are now acting more in the background as entrepreneurs in the role of inspirer, innovator and connector, are themselves put in the spotlight for a change.”

The connecting power of dance
Aruna and Indirah both play an important role in the development of the broad field of dance in South Holland and the Netherlands. They are role models for future generations of dancers and choreographers. “And that’s important because dance connects all layers of society, all styles and all cultures. By dancing you connect with yourself and with others. That is why it is important that a private fund like the Culture Fund continues to award this kind of prize,” the jury said.

About the Culture Fund
The Culture Fund invests over 40 million euros in culture and nature every year. That money goes to some 4,000 projects throughout the Netherlands, in the Caribbean part of the kingdom and in Suriname. The fund does so with contributions from the Friends Lottery and Dutch Lottery, from donors and supporters and together with partners. The Cultuurfonds Zuid-Holland is one of 12 provincial departments.