Who defines history? Sound & Vision is conducting provenance research into the Sticusa film collection

The projects awarded funding in the second round of the Colonial Collections Provenance Research Scheme are still in full swing. The Dutch Institute for Sound & Vision is conducting provenance research into three audiovisual works in its collection. The works were commissioned by the Foundation for Cultural Cooperation (Sticusa), an organisation that played a central role in cultural exchange between the Netherlands and Suriname, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius between 1955 and 1991.

This provenance research focuses on three specific productions: Lanta Para Watapana (1974) and Mosaiko Kultural (1979) by Wilbert Tecla, and Buskando (1973) by René van Nie. The Dutch Institute for Sound & Vision manages this Sticusa film collection following a merger with, amongst others, the film archive of the Netherlands Government Information Service (RVD).

Provenance research with a colonial context

With financial support from the Colonial Collections Consortium, the Dutch Institute for Sound & Vision is investigating the provenance of three audiovisual works in its archive. The following questions are central to this research:

• How did the works actually come to be?
• In what socio-political context were the films made and watched?
• How have power dynamics, funding structures and editorial interference shaped the representation of Caribbean history?
• Who were involved in the commissions? And what was the role of the population in the Caribbean countries?
• In what ways is the colonial context reflected in the content of the films?

The urgency of provenance research

Heritage expert Dyonna Bennett conducted the research by combining various methods to paint a multi-layered and (theoretically) balanced picture, drawing on sources such as archival documents, film analysis and oral history. One of the aims was to uncover the complex and often contentious dynamics between the Dutch institutional frameworks and the emerging Caribbean audiovisual autonomy of the 1970s.

The urgency of this provenance research stems from the need for critical reflection on how power relations shape history. At a time when archives are striving for pluralism and inclusivity, it is essential to investigate who was involved in the commissions, what role the inhabitants of the Caribbean countries played, and how the colonial context is reflected in the content of the works. Many of the filmmakers and experts involved from that period are now elderly or, sadly, no longer with us, which makes it crucial to consult the key figures who are still with us. The Colonial Collections Consortium works with museums, research institutions and archives to gain new insights into this intertwined colonial history. We share expertise and research methods, and make funding available, so that collection-managing institutions – such as the Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision – can carry out in-depth research into the colonial connections within their collections.

Would you like to find out more about the role of archives in managing objects from a colonial context? The NIOD has developed digital research aids on this subject for the Colonial Collections Consortium. These research aids provide tools for researchers and members of the public who wish to gain a better understanding of colonial objects and their stories.