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.
