The Regio Deal Noord-Holland Noord has approved the subsidy application for the project “Connected in Diversity” with an amount of €1.2 million. This grants the collaborative network of twelve medium-sized museums in the region a multi‑year financial contribution to work closely together on education, inclusion, sustainability, digitalization, and joint visibility.
With this decision, the Regio Deal invests in strengthening culture and heritage as important pillars for broad prosperity in Noord-Holland Noord. The project will run from 2026 through 2029 and aligns with the program line Better Living, which focuses on livability, social cohesion, and regional attractiveness.
Stronger Together as a Region
The participating museums collectively represent a wide spectrum of stories: from archaeology, wartime history, and craftsmanship to modern art, nature, and maritime heritage. By combining knowledge, capacity, and experience, a sustainable network is created that enables museums to better address societal challenges.
Within the project, the museums will jointly work on:
- innovative educational programs for young people and schools;
- increasing accessibility and inclusion;
- making museum operations more sustainable;
- digital innovation and data-driven working;
- joint marketing and tourism positioning of the region.
The collaboration deliberately focuses on medium-sized museums, which play a crucial role in the cultural infrastructure of Noord-Holland Noord but often have limited resources to innovate independently.
Culture as a Driver of Broad Prosperity
Museums fulfill an important social function in the region. They contribute to connection, identity, education, and well-being, and also play an increasing role in recreation and tourism. Connected in Diversity strengthens this role further through structural collaboration, knowledge sharing, and joint development.
The project is led by Museum BroekerVeiling and Huis van Hilde, in close cooperation with the other participating museums and with involvement from educational institutions and the Province of Noord-Holland.
The museums are: Museum BroekerVeiling, Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar, Huis van Hilde, Museum Kranenburgh, Zaans Museum, Museum Fort Kijkduin, Stichting Texels Museum, Museum of the Twentieth Century, Bakkerijmuseum Medemblik, Oorlogsmuseum Medemblik, Museum Steam Tram, and Westfries Museum.
Lasting Impact
An important principle of the project is that the collaboration continues even after the Regio Deal funding ends. Over the next four years, the focus will therefore be not only on concrete activities but also on building sustainable structures, shared working methods, and long-term partnerships.
With the awarding of this subsidy, Noord-Holland Noord takes an important step in strengthening culture as a unifying force within the region.
