Focus areas
Categories
There are four main award categories:
Cultural awards
Institutions and organisations supported by the Foundation on a regular basis include: The Dutch Library in the SASNEV building in Pinelands, Cape Town; Zuid-Afrika, the monthly Dutch magazine, the VOC Foundation, the Stichting Nederlandse School and the Dutch component of the Word Fest at the University of Stellenbosch.
Other organisations that have received grants include: the Libertas Choir, the Tracing History Trust, the Dutch component of LitNet and the SA Institute in the Netherlands. The Chair of Afrikaans at the University of Amsterdam is subsidised by the Foundation. The Foundation frequently assists with transport costs when musicians take part in master classes in the Netherlands or when researchers travel to the Netherlands for research projects. The subsistence and traveling costs of a Dutch conductor and Dutch musicians who were part of the programmes of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra have also been paid on several occasions. Support is also granted regularly when Dutch guest speakers are invited to local conferences or when Dutch experts take part in projects in South Africa.
Numerous other organisations have also benefited from the Foundation. Over the years, the Genootschap Nederland-Zuid-Afrika has been helped to facilitate group visits by Dutch students to South Africa, and vice versa. Money was made available to the former South African Library (now the National Library) in Cape Town for the restoration of valuable Dutch books in the library’s Van Dessin collection. When the Nationale Bibliotheek in The Hague donated microfilm cameras for the filming of South African newspapers in the South African Library, the Foundation footed the cost for transporting it to Cape Town. The ZASM Memorial House in Pretoria was restored with partial funding from the Foundation. Regular contributions for the purchase of Dutch books are made to the Nederlands Cultuurhistorisch Instituut at the University of Pretoria. In the past, publishing of dozens of exceptional books has also been made possible by the Foundation. Included among these are Dan Sleigh’s Die buiteposte, the Codex Witsinii, published by Iziko Museums, various books by Karel Schoeman and translations of Afrikaans books into Dutch.
This summary is not nearly complete, and only attempts to give an impression of the contributions that the Van Ewijck Foundation has made in recent decades to preserve and advance the cultural ties between the Netherlands and South Africa. The work of the Foundation is a tribute to the memory of Mr and Mrs Van Ewijck who made everything possible due to their visionary insight – and generous bequest.
Applications should be directed to:
The Secretary
Van Ewijck Foundation
For attention Ms René Uys
Telephone: 021 913 1399
Office hours: Monday to Thursday 09h00 to 16h00
& Friday 09h00 to 14h00
Bursaries and grants
The Van Ewijck Foundation offers bursaries and study awards to undergraduate and post-graduate students who are of Dutch descent, or students who are following studies in the Dutch language, literature or cultural history. By students of Dutch origin is meant persons of whom at least the father or mother was born in the Netherlands, verifiable by a passport or birth certificate. Persons who undertake academic research associated with Dutch are also eligible. Such research and post-graduate study also include studies at Dutch universities or other approved institutions in the Netherlands. Successful applicants may be required to provide substantiating documents before payments are made, for example proof of registration or proof of invitation by or acceptance at a Dutch university or institution.
The closing date for applications for the next calendar year is 15 November. Interim applications may sometimes be be considered.
Please make use of the application form on the website, or contact the Secretary at:
The Secretary
Van Ewijck Foundation
For attention Ms René Uys
Telephone: 021 913 1399
Office hours: Monday to Thursday 09h00 to 16h00
& Friday 09h00 to 14h00
Social grants
The Social Commitee of the Van Ewijck Foundation provides financial and practical support, as well as social advice, especially to elderly people of Dutch descent living in the Western Cape, who are suffering financially due to circumstances beyond their control.
Assistance can be provided on a regular or ad hoc basis.
A registered social worker evaluates each applicant’s social and financial circumstances and submits a recommendation to the Council.
Applications are to be directed to:
The Secretary
Van Ewijck Foundation
For attention Ms René Uys
Telephone: 021 913 1399
Office hours: Monday to Thursday 09h00 to 16h00
& Friday 09h00 to 14h00
Achievement prize
The achievement prize is awarded to a person or organisation for achievement in a field that falls within the framework of the purposes of the Foundation.
This prize has been awarded to various institutions since 2003. Noted among these are the Stellenbosch Libertas Choir for choral performances in the Netherlands (2004); the Van Riebeeck Society for the publication of numerous source publications in connection with the Dutch rule at the Cape (2005); the Friends of the Dutch Library, Pinelands, for the purchase of new books in the Dutch language (2007); and the TECP transcription group for the digitisation of VOC documents in the Cape Archives (2008). In 2012 the prize was awarded to the VOC Foundation, in 2014 to LitNet, in 2016 to Dr Daniel Hugo and in 2017 to Prof Ena Jansen. See news section on home page for further rewards.
Applications (with motivation) are to be directed annually before 31 October to:
The Secretary
Van Ewijck Foundation
For attention Ms René Uys
Telephone: 021 913 1399
Office hours: Monday to Thursday 09h00 to 16h00
& Friday 09h00 to 14h00