The second application round of 2025 has seen more applications than ever before, with many applications of a high calibre.
“The expert group could grant funding to only a fraction of the worthy applications. The growing number of applications is clear evidence of the decrease in national and local funding for the art and culture field in general, and for cross-border co-operation in particular,” says Katarina Lindholm, chair of the expert group.
Power of innovation under threat
According to Lindholm, these hard times are evidenced in the fact that more and more institutions and publicly funded organisations, including the artists themselve, are in great need of funding for development, collaboration, and exchange across borders, which is precisely what keeps the art and culture field alive and innovative.
“At the same time, the lack of long-term funding and base funding for established Nordic and Baltic networks and collaborative platforms is also visible among the applications for network funding, as established but effective networks must be weighed against new and promising initiatives. Our unique regional funding instruments have, perhaps, come to play a more decisive role in the vitality of the Nordic and Baltic art and cultural scene than ever before,” says Lindholm.
Prominence of diversity issues and cultural heritage
A significant number of applications in the second application round for 2025 touched on inclusion, participation opportunities, and diversity in the Nordic and Baltic culture scene. The preservation of different types of cultural heritage also appeared in several applications, which is also reflected in the awarding of funding.
A total of EUR 160,000 in funding has been awarded, with almost EUR 1.6 million in funding applied for. This equates to a grant rate of 10 percent.
Examples of projects granted funding
- Cross-Border Network of Small Classical Music Festivals brings together small classical music festivals in the Nordic and Baltic countries in order to strengthen co-operation, share experiences, and tackle common challenges together. The aim is to improve artistic quality, broaden audience demographics, and build a sustainable platform for long-term collaboration to give people in sparsely populated regions access to high-quality classical music.
- Interlingual Network of Deaf and Hearing Performers unites hearing-impaired Nordic and Baltic artists and non-hearing-impaired collaborators in order to build a sustainable, hearing-impaired-led platform for interlingual theatre. Under the guidance of prominent experts, the network will develop a strategy to unite similar initiatives under one umbrella, with meetings held to create tools, test rehearsal models, and design long-term formats based on alliances and creative power.
- Nordic-Baltic Queer Archival Network brings together various stakeholders working with queer archives, cultural heritage, and art in the Baltic Sea Region and the other Nordic countries. Its primary aim is to promote an inclusive queer historiography by encouraging the exchange of knowledge, mutual learning, and joint initiatives. Through events and meetings, the network highlights marginalised identities, challenges heteronormative narratives, and improves access to queer archive material, which contributes to a more sustainable and inclusive society.