For decades of dedication to intangible heritage and cultural education
The Cultuurfonds Award – dedicated to exceptional volunteers who commit themselves unprompted and unpaid to culture or nature – was presented on Wednesday, May 27, to Cenaida van Dinter from Curaçao. She receives the distinction for her outstanding commitment to the preservation and transmission of intangible heritage, in particular the traditional Curaçaoan art of headscarf tying, and for her contribution to cultural education for youth.
The award was presented to her at Fort de Batterijen in Nieuwegein by Hans Oosters, King’s Commissioner in Utrecht and chairman of Cultuurfonds Utrecht.
Living intangible heritage
For more than fifty years, Cenaida van Dinter has dedicated herself to passing on traditions that are essential to the cultural identity of Curaçao. The craft of headscarf tying – rich in symbolism, history, and stories – is central to her work. Cenaida is one of the few who still master this knowledge and actively pass it on. Through her traditional dance lessons in schools, she familiarized generations of children with their heritage. Recently, she developed the first masterclass in Traditional Curaçaoan Headscarves, in which techniques, meaning, and historical context are recorded and shared with new generations.
“What Cenaida van Dinter does with so much dedication and knowledge for cultural heritage in Curaçao is of invaluable worth. She is a prime example of the significance of volunteer work for culture,” said Cathelijne Broers, director of the Cultuurfonds.
Indispensable volunteer network
Private financial support for culture and nature is indispensable, and the Cultuurfonds remains continuously committed to this cause: throughout the Netherlands, in Suriname, and in the Caribbean part of the kingdom, where it collaborates with its independent sister organization, the Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied.
The dedication of volunteers is just as crucial. They are active in museums, theaters, music associations, and choirs, and they maintain heritage sites and monumental gardens. Often invisible behind the scenes, their impact is highly visible and tangible out front. The exceptional volunteers who receive the Cultuurfonds Award stand out and demonstrate how one can contribute to culture and nature in many different ways, thereby fostering connection in society.
Cathelijne Broers: “This year’s volunteers show so clearly once again what investing in culture truly means: time, knowledge, involvement, and perseverance. Whether it is about keeping traditions alive, protecting heritage, or sharing knowledge – volunteers like them form the golden thread that connects culture and nature with society. We sorely need people like them to keep our cultural wealth alive and accessible.”
About the Cultuurfonds Award
The Cultuurfonds Award – which succeeded the ‘Zilveren Anjer’ (Silver Carnation) in 2024 – is for individuals who have volunteered for more than ten years for culture or nature in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the kingdom. The award symbolizes the connection between people through culture and nature, and the ‘golden thread’ that volunteers represent within it. The design is by goldsmith Aletta Teunen.
About the Cultuurfonds
Each year, the Cultuurfonds invests 50 million euros in culture and nature across more than 4,000 projects throughout the Netherlands, the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, and in Suriname. We do this thanks to contributions from the VriendenLoterij and the Nederlandse Loterij, private donors, legacies, and partners.
The Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied is an independent sister organization of the Cultuurfonds, investing in culture and nature on Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten.
