Sabeen Mahmud's The Second Floor wins prestigious Dutch award

T2F has been awarded for its courage in encouraging expression as well as for creating a ‘haven for tolerance’

Sabeen Mahmud's PeaceNiche/The Second Floor(T2F) has been awarded the Prince Claus Award 2016.

The award will be presented to the Principal Laureate and further Laureates in a ceremony at the Royal Palace Amsterdam in December.

The Prince Claus Awards are presented annually to individuals and organisations from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean for outstanding achievements in the field of culture and development and the impact of their work on their direct surrounding and their field. Quality is an essential condition for an award.



Founded by the late Sabeen Mahmud, who dedicated her life to providing a space for open expression for everyone, T2F has been awarded for its courage in encouraging expression and constructive discourse as well as for creating a ‘haven for tolerance’ and providing a platform to the youth for their talents and views.

According to the 2016 Prince Claus Awards Committee Report: “T2F is awarded for its courageous continuation of what should be normal civic activities; for promoting and enabling democratic discourse, progressive thought and critical debate in an increasingly polarised society; for creating a haven for tolerance, welcoming all shades of opinion within an overall framework of peace and secularism; for stimulating artistic expression in a broad spectrum of disciplines and encouraging experimentation that challenges local conventions; for mentoring and providing a supportive platform for younger generations to exercise their talents and opinions.”



The Awards will also be presented by the Dutch ambassador to the laureates in the countries where they live and work to increase local impact. Last year, T2F was nominated for the Dutch Human Rights Tulip 2015 award.  It was among 30 other organisations selected for the award.