ABN AMRO's Art and Culture sponsorship intensifies focus on equal opportunities for women

News article
Article tags:
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Sponsorship

In the coming years, ABN AMRO will focus its sponsorship policy within the art and culture sector on equal opportunities for women in the arts. In the new set-up, ABN AMRO starts a structural collaboration with WOMEN Inc., whose knowledge and expertise is actively offered to the cultural partners. Educational programs and activities aimed at children and young people are also being developed with both existing and new partners to accelerate equal opportunities.

With the report “A Story Still Untold” that WOMEN Inc. and ABN AMRO published last year, the current state of gender equality in the visual arts world has been mapped. This shows that there is still great inequality between men and women in the art world, which manifests itself, among other things, in unconscious prejudices and large differences in remuneration and representation. “As a long-standing sponsor and partner in the sport, society and art and culture sector, we know that sponsorship contributes to positive change and can be an accelerating factor,” says Sander Bestevaar, Head of Partnerships, Events & Foundations at ABN AMRO. “Together with our partners, we are committed to accelerating on equal opportunities. Also in the field of equal opportunities between men and women."

New approach

ABN AMRO's sponsorship policy in the field of art and culture therefore focuses in particular on equal opportunities for women in the arts and education. “Art is pre-eminently something that connects people, and shows where we stand and used to be as a society. With the new approach, we want to help make the opportunities for women in the arts more equal. In the broadest sense, from artists to museums, and from traditional institutions to the street,” says Bestevaar.

The bank therefore sees the sponsorship policy as a way to connect. Since 2021, the bank has a partnership with WOMEN Inc., the advocacy organization committed to equal opportunities, regardless of gender or sex. Together with the cultural partners, the bank examines the opportunities for them to create equality. With the help of the knowledge and expertise of WOMEN Inc. a tailor-made plan is made for how the cultural partners can achieve those goals, for example through educational programs and special exhibitions.

ABN AMRO new main partner STRAAT Museum

One of the ways in which the new direction is reflected in the bank's art and culture sponsorship portfolio is the addition of STRAAT. ABN AMRO is the main partner of the street art & graffiti museum and the exhibition 'Women in Street Art' will be launched during a joint kick-off event on 21 February. STRAAT focuses on female role models in street art. Education and sustainability are also common themes within this new partnership. In addition to new partners, the policy is also applied in existing collaborations.

About ABN AMRO Sponsoring

Based on the purpose of 'Banking for Better for Generations to come', ABN AMRO uses sponsorship to take society further. The bank takes its social responsibility seriously. In the field of planet (sustainability) and people (equal opportunities for everyone), this manifests itself through various channels. ABN AMRO wants to be an accelerating factor in sponsoring by entering into the right partnerships and setting concrete goals with regard to sustainability and equal opportunities, whether it concerns sport, society or art and culture.