Her Majesty Queen Máxima will visit the Cultural Fund on Tuesday afternoon, September 30. The visit takes place in Hengelo at the practice center for Restoration and Innovation in Construction in Overijssel (RIBO). Young people are trained here in traditional crafts such as woodworking and stonemasonry. The Cultural Fund invests in heritage and the preservation of crafts and has contributed to the establishment of the RIBO practice center.
At the RIBO, young people learn how to restore monuments using traditional techniques. Crafts and craftsmanship are essential for the preservation of windmills, historical gardens, castles, and estates. By investing in the transfer of knowledge and training in artisanal craftsmanship, a contribution is made to the preservation of Dutch heritage.
Queen Máxima visits the practice space of the RIBO and talks with young craftsmen in training, their teachers, and experienced artisans. The students demonstrate what they do in areas such as woodworking and furniture restoration. Subsequently, Queen Máxima speaks with heritage specialists and representatives of heritage institutions about the various aspects of the practice of heritage restoration.
In the material depot of the practice center, several restoration crafts are displayed and explained, including textile restoration, stained glass, ornamental blacksmithing, and the traditional pointing in masonry.
RIBO collaborates with the ROC of Twente to train young people for the restoration sector. It also offers restoration training and courses and has a depot with historical building materials. The materials are used for maintaining monuments and as circular building materials in renovations. The practice center is located on the Twickel estate, and the building was constructed with artisanal craftsmanship by students.
The Cultural Fund invests over fifty million euros annually in culture and nature. The money is spent on more than four thousand projects and individuals throughout the Netherlands, in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, and in Suriname. Associations, cultural institutions, nature organizations, and artists can apply for a contribution for their initiative. The Cultural Fund also invests on its own initiative in culture and nature and awards prizes and scholarships.
RVD, nr. 208
