The second application round for Mobility funding for artists and professionals within the field and art and culture has now been distributed. The were 174 applications in this round, which is less than last round, but still a good number considering the ongoing Covid19 situation and the impact the pandemic has on the arts and cultural sector and cultural mobility. A total of 60 applications were granted funding to strengthen the conditions for cultural and artistic cooperation in the Nordic-Baltic region. The distributed amount was 110 210 EURO.
One of the projects that received funding is The Shameless Shongololo Band. The group based in Finland has been invited by the FAR Fest Afrika Festival to perform and conduct workshops in Iceland. For over ten years Fest Afrika Festival has been a meeting place that has provided a supportive multicultural atmosphere for the development of numerous projects based on the connection between the Nordic countries and the African continent. The band consists of musicians and dancers, and the project demonstrates collaboration, exchange, social sustainability and possible new constellations and expressions. The objectives of Fest Afrika Festival are to promote African performing arts through education and entertainment, and to create an awareness of African culture in Iceland.
Another project that was supported was Lace Guild from Estonia. Olga Kublitskaja and Aleksandr Kublitski from Narva in Estonia are invited to Reykjavik in Iceland by the Icelandic Handicraft Association to share their skills and expertise in bobbin lacemaking in cooperation with Icelandic lace makers. The meeting includes an exhibition of bobbin lace, lectures, and Master Class. Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually determined by a pattern or pricking pinned on the pillow. Bobbin lace is on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
There was a slight increase in the number of applications from the film field in this round. One artist who was granted was Hilke Rönnfeldt, an established film director and screenwriter based in Denmark, who has been invited to the Faroe Islands by Klippfisk Filmworkshop. Rönnfeldt will have workshops for young, Faroese film talents aged 14 to 18, and will also collaborate with the local film community and share her artistic experiences and perspectives.
Mobility funding is to cover the travel and/or accommodation expenses of professional artists and cultural practitioners in the Nordic Region and/or Baltic countries.
The funding gives applicants – individuals or small groups – access to contacts, skills, and knowledge from different parts of the Nordic and Baltic regions. Funding can be used to present art and culture productions, as well as increase interest in Nordic and Baltic art and culture.
Granted projects from this and previous rounds can be found by scrolling down the page Results.
The upcoming application rounds for 2020 are:
17.07.2020 – 17.08.2020
18.09.2020 – 19.10.2020
Please note that the application deadline is at 15.59 Finnish time.
