Six residency projects have been granted funding in the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme’s additional round for Residency funding. This round prioritized creating opportunities and a secure environment for Ukrainian artists in exile to continue developing their artistic practices.
In total, 31 projects applied for funding, amounting to almost €1.2 million in requests. The entire available budget of just over €243,000 was allocated.
Supportive readiness evaluated
Mari-Liis Rebane, chair of the expert group on residency funding, notes that this round placed particular emphasis on the residencies’ ability to accommodate entire families.
“Given the current life situations of many Ukrainian artists, the family aspect is very important. In general we looked at the readiness of applicant organizations to provide a supportive psychological environment and clearly articulated grounding opportunities, compared to what is typically expected in a standard residency application,” says Mari-Liis Rebane, adding that she was impressed by how well-structured and thoughtful the applications were in addressing this aspect.
Most of the organizations awarded funding had prior experience in hosting Ukrainian artists. Another key factor appreciated by the experts was applications based on strong partnerships, such as those by the Helsinki International Artist Programme (HIAP) and the Estonian Creative Residency Network (LOORE).
Support for living costs remains essential
Several multidisciplinary residency projects received support, covering art forms such as visual arts, literature, and drama.
“As in previous application rounds, it was important for the expert group that the supported projects offer artists not only residency spaces but also reasonable financial support to sustain themselves during the residency period,” Mari-Liis Rebane concludes.
Funding for artist residencies will open again for new applications in February 2025.