bosch parade 2026
Bosch Parade is the floating parade created in the spirit of Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. For the contemporary art event on and around the water, artists from all disciplines create new works to amaze, touch and connect people, as Bosch did 500 years ago and still does today. Our impact on society is that all our participants, creators and visitors learn to look at the world as ‘contemporary Hieronymuses’, making our existence a little more idiosyncratic and social. In the face of the quirky and rousing visual stories, they feel like escaping from the normal and everyday.
From 18 to 21 June 2026, Bosch Parade is organising the 2026 edition with the theme “Powered by Defect”. The supporting open-air studio with pop-up restaurant ‘Garden of Delights’ will be open from 21 May to 21 June.
We are looking for work that fits the theme and the framework. We are also looking for makers who dare to transcend themselves and, in doing so, dare to embark on an adventure with us.
Nothing and nobody’s perfect. Defects are everywhere, both large and small. Depressing poverty and unrisen cakes. Falsely sung notes and prolonged illness. Low-flying jets and dubious legal loopholes. Plagiarising academics and appallingly dressed carnival revellers.
“Community meets Artist meets Defect” is the credo. And so we would like to see, hear and read about which defects and which community you would like to depict for Bosch Parade 2026.
In this parade, we are explicitly looking for proposals that focus on the process between you and the community - to conceptualise or shape, produce and/or perform the work. What defect do you have in mind and which community do you want to engage with for this? Which community do you want to use to power your work? How do you want to shape the process between you and that community? And what result do you hope it will lead to?
The most important element of Bosch Parade is the confrontation of a very large and broad group of people with art. Bosch Parade involves a lot of people: they help to create the artworks together with the inspired artists. They either play on the artworks in the parade or come en masse to watch. It is important that they come into contact with art, literally or figuratively - and for once not in a museum, but outdoors and on the water.
Art is about coming together and marveling at unheard and unseen stories. The new stories of Bosch Parade will not only be told by dozens of professionals, but also by a wide range of hundreds of volunteers who will become co-creators. From actors to boatmen, from singers to swimmers, everyone is invited to help build Bosch Parade. Together, they make up the Bosch Parade Community.
Because we believe in working with the city, we give preference to makers who want to involve others in their work and working methods through active cultural participation. This can be done by involving co-makers, builders, painters, swimmers, actors, extras, musicians, dancers, choirs, etc., in the work. It is also appropriate to involve a specific target group in the preparation, realisation or performance of the ‘contemporary demons’ theme.
The maker will have a relevant higher education qualification or three years’ demonstrable work experience. We are attracted to multidisciplinary makers, collectives and makers who dare to look beyond the boundaries of their own practice. We invite professional makers to collaborate with our Bosch Parade community of amateurs, with or without experience. Of course, it’s also fine to search and involve your own community.
For each edition, Bosch Parade issues new commissions for visual works, compositions and texts to both young and established talents. We invite professional makers of all ages, nationalities and orientations to showcase their imagination. We are open to all disciplines: visual artists, architects, social artists, choreographers, scenographers, directors, playwrights, lyricists, composers, dancers, circus artists, costume designers, lighting designers, filmmakers or any other artist.
A binding working budget will be determined on the basis of the approved plan (including production plan). This working budget consists of:
1. Fee, depending on scope and complexity. As a minimum, it complies with the Artist Fee Directive and the Fair Practice Code. This ranges between €4.950 (one artist), €7.100, €9.150 and €11.100 (four artists).
2. Material and production costs, including costs for technique, such as sound amplification. For additional substantive work, such as a complex collaborative project or a contribution to the education track, grants of between €1,000 and €4,000 are available, depending on the number of artists involved.
3. Costs for hiring third parties, such as artists, project supervision or support in engaging a specific target group. Sometimes it is necessary to use professionals, because of a special role in the implementation, a special construction method or a special project leader. For this, budgets of between €1,000 and €4,000 are available, depending on the need and complexity. Amounts exclusive of VAT.
4. Travel costs for international artists, for international projects only. We can reimburse travel and accommodation costs for a maximum of three international projects. This only applies to artists who do not have their own accommodation in the Netherlands. Bosch Parade will only reimburse shared accommodation, such as our ‘Terra Nova’ Botel or a house or apartment arranged by the municipality, plus any (flight) tickets for the journey.
On application, we request that you provide:
Completed application form containing:
• basic personal data
• short description of the idea
• action plan for work
• brief explanation of professional practice and (for collectives) the form of cooperation
• brief explanation of how you will collaborate with the community
• motivation for participation
• An image of your idea: elaboration/sketch/description or other imaginative form
• Outline budget/cost estimate of your plan
• Short CV (maximum 2 pages)
• A maximum of 3 relevant images of previous work
• Link to website
We ask when shortlisted for selection:
• If necessary: further specified idea
• Detailed CV
• Detailed budget
• Outline planning
• Art degree (if applicable)
• Portfolio in pictures (up to 10 pages)