14 applicants were granted Funding for Artist Residencies from the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture when the decision-making expert group gathered in Helsinki on 3 May. According to Mari-Liis Rebane, chair of the group, the experts put particular emphasis on sufficient provision for financially supporting participating artists.

“This round received 72 applications for a total of 3 million euro. We are very pleased to see so many interesting residency programmes taking place in the Nordic and Baltic countries”, says Mari-Liis Rebane.

“The committee very much considered the balance between administration costs and the benefit that goes directly to the artist. We prioritized projects that provided better conditions and fair fees for the artists. This is elementary for accessibility and creates realistic possibilities for artists from various backgrounds to stay at a residency”, says Mari-Liis Rebane.

Documented networks needed

Funding for Artist Residencies is available for all fields of arts and equally for all Nordic and Baltic countries. The Expert Group strives for a good balance between different areas of art and culture as well as various geographical areas in each application round. Funding decisions are based on how the applicant conveys its existing regional and international artistic context and its capacity to support the artist’s work. As a rule, the residency must also be able to work with more than one artist at a time and have documented co-operation with the local art and culture scene. 

“Besides assessing the professional level of residencies, we also considered the inclusion of both Nordic and Baltic artists, regional aspects as well as sustainability. I am happy with the outcome, we managed to balance the selection of projects by approving funding for both new or small initiatives such as The Hands on Press residency in Lithuania and well established residency centers i.e. Baltic Art Center in Gotland, Sweden”, says Mari-Liis Rebane.

Next round in 2025

“The overall quality of applications was very high. It was great to see that there are so many well organized and well equipped residencies with good local networks. We saw many projects and initiatives with high potential that we could not approve for funding this time due to high competition, but which we hope to see re-applying after developing their ideas or adjusting their budgets in an artist-friendly manner”, Mari-Liis Rebane concludes.

The exact dates for upcoming application rounds will be published on Nordic Culture Point’s webpage in autumn.  

Click here to see all granted residencies

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Four projects were granted long-term network funding (11 percent application acceptance rate) and nine projects (17 percent acceptance rate) were granted short-term network funding when the expert group for network funding met in Helsinki on 10 and 11 April. Katarina notes that international funds and agencies that grant funding across borders are bound to experience an increase in application volumes going forwards.

“Although it’s good that the state and municipalities are represented in the applications, networks need a wide variety of stakeholders. In general, we’re seeing a huge need for funding across borders, even if part of this should be covered by local resources,” says Katarina.

Clearly formulated added value an advantage

Katarina notes that many of the long-standing networks have identified and improved their societal relevance on different levels, which contributes to their long-term impact.

“Some of the long-term network projects that have been funded represent more marginal artistic fields that have both a need and an opportunity to take maximum advantage of the kind of funding that the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme offers,” she say

She notes that there were also many interesting applications for short-term network funding.

“Even short-term networks are wise to formulate their added value and impact of their project by stating in a few concrete points how the network can create benefits beyond the project’s own partners,” advises Katarina.

The next application round for short-term network funding opens on 26 August 2024 and will close at 15:59 (Finnish time) on 26 September 2024.

· See all the networks that received funding in this round!

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Participants took part of knowledge-building sessions held by the Finnish Peace Education Institute and the MENA Youth, Peace, and Security Coalition, and Capacity-building workshops led by the UN Youth of Finland and the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation. The event also included a hearing with the Nordic Youth Council, as well as discussions and workshops aimed at exploring UNSCR2250, and identifying its challenges and opportunities with its implementation and advocacy at both national and regional levels. Sini Al Fraidawi, who is the Project Coordinator of the Nordic Forum on Youth, Peace, and Security, described the event as well as the

“The Nordic Forum on Youth, Peace, and Security underscored the enthusiasm, innovation, and solution-oriented mindset of young peacebuilders, while emphasizing the imperative of youth inclusion in peace processes. However, it also underscored the necessity of a regional approach to UNSCR2250 Youth, Peace, and Security,”, says Al Fraidawi.

The forum’s greatest achievements is uniting Nordic young peacebuilders, identifying challenges and potential solutions, and most importantly, laying the groundwork for enhanced Nordic cooperation on UNSCR2250 with the establishment of the Nordic Coalition on Youth, Peace, and Security.

The coalition also serves as a networking platform for young peacebuilders across the Nordic Region, furnishing them with the requisite knowledge and tools to advance within the field of peacebuilding and propel the Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda forward.

Find out more about the Norden 0-30 Grant Programme, application deadlines and our other funding programmes in this link!

Foto: Kristian Keinänen

The post The Nordic Forum on Youth, Peace and Security appeared first on Nordic Culture Point.

The Demos grant programme makes it possible for Nordic civil society organisations to meet and network. One of the granted projects from 2022 is KOBB – The Nordic Co-housing and Co-building Network.

Foto: KOBB

The network KOBB consists the five organizations Foreningen for byggfellesskap, Ryhmärakennuttajat ry., Kollektivhus NU, Föreningen för Byggemenskaper and Bofællesskab.dk, which are working for co-housing and co-building in the nordic countries.

The Demos grant was used to meet, learn together and plan their future network activities. In Copenhagen and Roskilde they learned about co-housing and strategies from state, municipalities and a philantropic fund. In Trondheim and Stokkøya they learned about the power of initiative and in Gothenburg they presented the different nordic current states for the conference Socialt byggande.

Foto: KOBB

The network’s next adventure will be making a nordic pilot project course which is an education for advisor groups who want to build something together.

KOBB received funding from the previous Demos 2022-2023 Programme.

Find out more about the Demos modules and application deadlines for 2024 in this link!

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With an award rate of 17 percent (applications granted funding in relation to total applications), the new chair of the expert group Arttu Merimaa states that many good applications were not funded. However, he’s pleased that the group has been able to grant funding for both the individual applicants’ ordinary production and exhibition activities in other countries, as well as for trips with more pronounced networking and development purposes.

“There was a diverse range of applications, many more of which should have received funding. Travel between the larger countries was well represented in the applications, but we can also see that many people in the Nordics want to travel to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania where several interesting events are being held,” says Arttu.

Arttu and his colleagues in the expert group for mobility funding have been appointed for the period 2024 to 2026. Both the geographical distribution of the experts and their wealth of expertise from the field of art and culture contribute to an informed assessment.

“The situation for professional artists in the region is tight, especially in those countries where culture budgets are being cut. In order to practice art professionally, working conditions need to be safeguarded and other sectors need to offer their support and views on how the cultural sector’s business models can be developed,” says Arttu.

“On a societal level, I’d like to see artistic and cultural work be more widely highlighted and also appreciated as an intrinsic value in societal development,” Arttu continues.

Mobility funding is part of the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture. There are three application rounds for mobility funding each year – two in the spring and one in the autumn. The next deadline for applications for mobility funding is 31 March 2024 for activities commencing at or after the end of May.

See all the funding recipients in this round!

The post 105 artists granted mobility funding appeared first on Nordic Culture Point.

The project resulted in workshops and a multilingual cookbook co-created with children from Sweden and Norway. The workshop tools and methods not only deepened the children’s understanding of language but also fostered creativity in the context of exploring food culture.

With a focus on food sustainability, they utilized local food ingredients and embraced sustainable food practices such as foraging and exploring seaweed as a sustainable food option. They also learned about the different ingredients’ history as well as each other’s foods, cultures and traditions. Through this, the project highlights the similarities and differences in how families prepare food using the same ingredients in different ways. Ultimately it celebrates the diversity of food cultures in the Nordic region while also emphasizing the shared experiences that unite us all.

The project has been granted funding from the VOLT programme in 2023

The cookbook Out Kitchen Tales was also published digitally and can be accessed here.

The post Our Kitchen Tales appeared first on Nordic Culture Point.

A total of 8 out of 36 applications were granted funding from the first round of Norden 0–30 in 2024. Applications came from a wide range of countries across the Nordic region and were all themed around social, cultural, and political projects.

The expert group decided to award funding of EUR 277 000 to eight projects, with individual grants ranging from EUR 18,000 to EUR 50,000.

“The applications were generally of good quality. However, it’s always good to remind applicants to be very clear when describing the aim of the project”, says Angutitsiaq E. Isbosethsen, chair at the Norden 0-30 expert group’s meeting.

“If you are young and have a passion for something, it’s a really good idea to apply for Norden 0-30. It’s a great way to get started with a project or an organization”, says Angutitsiaq E. Isbosethsen.

Some examples of the granted projects JM Norway: LOUD!

The “LOUD!” project will create an exhange of participants, leaders and volunteers at band camps in Norway, Iceland, Finland and Sweden for girls, transgender and non-binary youth. The aim of the exchange programme is to build networks and compentencies, and to develop methods and project content through exchange of experiences and ideas. 

Forandringsfabrikken: Our rights – Our future 

“Our rights – our future” gives children, young people and adults knowledge about children’s rights. Young people, from 12 to 21 years old, will create information material and present this through social media and exhibitions. The impact will contribute to a future where children’s rights are widely known and secured.

Green Habito: Discovering Nordic Food Culture

The project increases young people`s knowledge about sustainable Nordic food culture systems and improves their habits and skills on sustainable lifestyle in our communities by changing consumption habits, encouraging healthy choices and reinforcing young people`s role as multipliers. 

New round of Norden 0-30

A new round of Norden 0-30 has recently opened. New applications are accepted until the 26th of April.

If you have any questions regarding an upcoming application, please contact advisor Sidsel Emilie Eskesen at sidsel.eskesen@nordiskkulturkontakt.org or book an online meeting.

All granted projects can be found on the Nordic Culture Point’s website

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Presented by Walhalla, Svenska nu, Pohjola-Norden, and Nordic Culture Point in collaboration with the Swedish Embassy, you have the opportunity to enjoy a diverse range of new and classic Nordic films.

The spring programme includes the award-winning Danish film Empire, the Icelandic drama Driving Mum, and the Swedish documentary Miraklet i Gullspång. The programme also features Historjá – Stitches for Sapmí, Clara Sola (rarely shown in Finland), the beloved classic film Hamsun, and The Most Beautiful Boy in the World in collaboration with the Swedish Embassy.

Screenings are organised once a month in ten cities in Finland. The selection of films varies between locations, taking into account local preferences. Free of charge for pre-registered school groups.

Screening locations and partners:

• Espoo: Hanaholmen Cultural Centre, Svenska nu.
• Hämeenlinna: Museo Militaria, Kino Tavast.
• Joensuu: Movie theatre Tapio, Pohjois-Karjalan alueellinen elokuvayhdistys & Pohjola-Norden.
• Jyväskylä: Kino Aurora, Keski-Suomen elokuvakeskus.
• Lahti: Kino Iiris, Päijät-Hämeen elokuvakeskus ry.
• Oulu: Elokuvateatteri Studio, Oulu Film Centre.
• Tampere: Arthouse Cinema Niagara, Pirkanmaan elokuvakeskus.
• Tornio and Haparanda: Aine Art Museum, Pohjola-Norden.
• Turku: Logomo, Film Centre of Southwest Finland.
• Vaasa: Kino Ritz.

Find screening times and more details in Swedish on Pohjola-Norden’s website under “Evenemang”.

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience Nordic cinema!

The post Nordic Film of the Month: Spring 2024 appeared first on Nordic Culture Point.

Foto: Owen Fiene

The photos show a preliminary workshop in Reykjavík where Marble Crowd were joined by local children to create various monsters from unwanted, second-hand textiles, gesturing to the composite body of Frankenstein’s creature. Through the lens of the supernatural vampire we are examining suspense and suspension from the viewpoint of choreography.

If you happen to be in Oslo, join Marble Crowd at Ice Hot Nordic Dance Platform and see A Year Without Summer February 17 2024!

The project was granted funding from Culture and art programme in 2023.

The post Creatures of Change – Exploring emotions and climate change through creative expression appeared first on Nordic Culture Point.

Welcome to listen to the Swedish author Joanna Rubin Dranger, winner of the 2023 Nordic Council Literature Prize, talk about her work as an author and her award-winning book, “Ihågkom oss till liv” (“Remember us back to life”, not published in English).

In her documentary graphic novel, Joanna Rubin Dranger makes use of both text and images to portray her own Jewish family history and what really happened to the relatives who “disappeared” during the Second World War. Rubin Dranger’s work combines photography, drawing, watercolour, and text into a story where the forgotten comes alive and reminds us not to forget.

Joanna Rubin Dranger is interviewed by author and journalist Philip Teir.

Welcome! (The conversation will be held in Swedish)

Location: Helsinki Central Library Oodi (3rd floor, Saarikoski rug).
Time: Wednesday 28 February 2024 at 17-18.

Organisers: Nordic Council of Ministers/Nordic Council, Nordic Culture Point.

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