Practical Information MONO MAKERS PROGRAM
CALL FOR DESIGNERS & MAKERS
To stimulate collaboration between Japan and the Netherlands, NN Life and MONO JAPAN joined hands together to start up the new program “MONO MAKERS PROGRAM”. This program supports creators who have found their counterparts on the MONO MAKERS MEET, an online platform where enthusiastic designers and makers can meet and interact.
Find your collaborator and apply to our program to get a unique opportunity to develop new products with your counterpart who awaits you on the other side of the world! We will select one creative pair, who will be provided with our hands-on support. The pair will be also invited to MONO JAPAN’s annual event to talk about the collaboration.
VISION
The main purpose of the MONO MAKERS PROGRAM is development of new products through a collaboration between a Dutch designer and a Japanese maker.
Our hope is to create opportunities for the collaborating pair and to facilitate them in order for them to exchange their creative ideas and skills, to explore new possibilities, and to finally put these into the new product. We believe that this creative match between Dutch designers and Japanese craftspeople and manufacturers has the potential to open up new horizons for international collaborations and the relationship between the production of ‘mono’ (which means products, objects or things in Japanese) and mankind.
Application details of MONO MAKERS PROGRAM
ORGANISER
NN Life Insurance Company
Japan Cultural Exchange
SUPPORTED BY
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Program Schedule
Application period:
Monday, 7 April 2025 (from 16:00 in Japan / from 9:00 in The Netherlands)) – Friday, 23 May 2025
Announcement of the selected pair:
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Hands-on support period:
Middle of June 2025 till end of March 2026
*The selection committee of the program will discuss and consider all applicants and projects. Selected pairs will be announced on this website. The selection committee will not provide applicants with comments, reviews or feedbacks regarding their application.
PERIOD OF MONO MAKERS PROGRAM
April 7, 2025 – end of March, 2026
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
1 creative pair consisting of a designer based in the Netherlands and a maker based in Japan
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
To apply for the program, a designer based in the Netherlands and a maker based in Japan must be willing to collaborate and join this program together. The application must be submitted jointly by these parties.
To apply for the program, the applicant from Japan must:
a) be a manufacturer of lifestyle products or fashion products. The program is not aimed at producing art, nor for promotional purposes.
b) be able to produce at least one piece of product as a result together with the collaborating partner with the aim of presenting the result in physical exhibitions and give presentations about the collaboration during the program.
d) understand the purpose of the program, and be able to be present for over 4/5 of the period of the program.
e) be able to communicate with the collaborating partner in English and to communicate with local people, especially during the study trip and network event in the Netherlands.
f) be able to speak and understand daily conversations in English.
g) have sufficient communication skills and be open for discussion and to new ideas from the collaborating partner.
h) finish creating the end result by the end of March 2026. The official period of the program is set from April 7, 2025 to end of March, 2026.
To apply for the program, the applicant from the Netherlands must:
a) be an active designer for lifestyle products or fashion products. The program is aimed at product designers and is not meant for architects, artists, photographers, filmmakers or web designers, nor for promotional purposes.
b) be able to produce at least one piece of product as a result together with the collaborating partner with the aim of presenting the result in physical exhibitions and give presentations about the collaboration during the program.
d) understand the purpose of the program and be able to be present for over 4/5 of the period of the program.
e) be able to communicate with the collaborating partner in English and to communicate with members from Japan at the study trip or network event in the Netherlands.
f) be able to speak and understand daily conversations in English.
g) have sufficient communication skills and be open for discussion with the collaborating partner.
h) finish creating the end result by the end of March 2026. The official period of the program is set from April 7, 2025 to end of March, 2026.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants are required to submit the below documents to info@monojapan.nl (please mention on subject Application for MONO MAKERS PROGRAM) by Friday, 23 May 2025.
The application must be submitted jointly by a designer based in the Netherlands and a maker based in Japan.
Applicants must submit:
– Name of Applicant 1
– Link of ‘Profile page’ in MONO MAKERS MEET of Applicant 1
– Name of Applicant 2
– Link of ‘Profile page’ in MONO MAKERS MEET of Applicant 2
– Motivation letter regarding the collaboration in English.
– Targeted goal by the collaboration (What does your collaboration aim to achieve with our support?)
– Reference visuals and texts (images, sketches, presentation, etc. showing us the content of the collaboration)
Please note that applicants are also asked to write a motivation letter in English.
SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION
The selection committee of the MONO MAKERS PROGRAM will deliberate and discuss all the applicants/projects. The selected pair will be announced on our website by 5 June 2025 (planned).
* The committee will not provide each applicant with any comments, reviews or reasons concerning the application.
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
Period of introduction: Begin Jun. 2025
Collaboration: Jun. – Sep. 2025
Study tour & studio visit: Oct. 2025
Collaboration/production: Oct. 2025 – end-Mar. 2026 (Support program ends at the end of March, 2026)
Preparation of collaboration and presentation at the MONO JAPAN Fair: Jan. 2026
Presentation and/or exhibition at MONO JAPAN fair: end-Jan. 2026
Exhibition in Japan: Mar. 2025
* The schedule is subject to change.
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE
Japan Cultural Exchange
[Address] Pannekoekstraat 51A, 3011 LC Rotterdam The Netherlands
[TEL/FAX] +31-6-3831-2750
[Email] info@monojapan.nl
The result will be announced by the end of May 2026 on our website.
Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions about the support program or this platform, email your questions to our colleagues of the MONO MAKERS MEET project at info@monojapan.nl
