The second round of the Arts and Culture Programme in 2021 received 115 applications for funding totalling EUR 4,077,307. The budgeted total funding available of EUR 1,182,000 was divided among 36 applications, corresponding to 31% of the applications. The individual grants ranged from EUR 7,000 to EUR 78,750.
Some examples of projects from this round
Diverse Nordic Dancer is a project in which dancers with and without functional variations are creating a new performative work for CODA Oslo International Dance Festival in collaboration with the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Spinn dance company, and Zodiak. Dancers with functional variations encounter several obstacles to their professional development. This can be remedied through the exchange of experiences between the Nordic art fields, especially with Swedish role models from the field.
Another dance project that has been granted funding is Kolonisterna by Bobbi Lo Productions, which will create an interactive dance performance with a focus on the problems that follow the colonisation of indigenous peoples. The project is carried out in collaboration with artists and schoolchildren from Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Sweden.
Designers and architects from the indigenous peoples of the north collaborate in The Futurecasting Project to highlight the need for self-defined design in the Arctic communities. The collaboration showcases duodjarat and architects from Sápmi, Inuit Nunangat, and Turtle Island. The project also aims to inspire young people from these areas to strive for access to design education.
North Calotte is also present in Meddelanden från Norr by The Tornedal Theatre, The Kven Theatre, and the artist collective Piste Kollektiivi, which together are creating a joint North Calotte performing arts production in Meänkieli, Kven, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Sami. In addition to the performance, the collaboration is expected to develop long-term and stable networks across national borders, as a means to curate knowledge, experiences, and new skills and to turn these into new collaborations in the future.
In the field of music, the project The Nordic Choir Expedition – New Discoveries sees four professional chamber choirs from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden collaborate to create, document, and communicate to a wide audience within the Nordic Region and beyond.
All projects that have been allocated funding can be found on the Nordic Culture Point website.
Two rounds of applications per year
The Arts and Culture Programme supports Nordic co-operation in the field of arts and culture. Funding can be sought for a project with artistic or cultural quality that promotes a diverse and sustainable Nordic Region. The funding programme is run by Nordic Culture Point.
The funding programme has two application rounds per year. The next round of applications will take place between 7 February and 7 March 2022. The application period closes at 15:59 Finnish time.
