“Art and culture build bridges between people, strengthen democracy, and foster understanding in a changing world. Mobility funding is therefore an investment in a free, dynamic, and sustainable future for our common cultural heritage,” says Janne Krogh Hansen, chair of the expert group for mobility funding within the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture.
The expert group decided on the first round of mobility funding for 2025 at its meeting in Helsinki on 27 March. Of the 532 applications received, 89 applications were granted funding totalling EUR 126,970. Fifteen percent of applications were granted funding. Mobility funding is applied for and granted on an individual basis and the focus is on the applicant’s professional career.
The quality and diversity of the applications in this round was at a very high level. According to the chair of the expert group, applications demonstrated both political and social engagement, coming from artists exploring issues such as the environment and mental well-being, as well as several applications of a more exploratory nature and cultural heritage-related applications looking to collaborate across borders.
“When there are so many strong applications pitted against each other, we look at what the artist intends to get out of the trip and what they can offer at their destination, as well as what the collaboration can result in from a longer term perspective. Put simply, we try to understand the value of the applicant’s mobility. Since we all represent different art forms, we also draw on each other’s expertise,” says Janne Krogh Hansen.
Thanks to her experience from national funding schemes in Denmark, including the Danish Arts Foundation, she sees particular value in the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme.
“The programme, and in this case mobility funding, is vital as it gives the Nordic and Baltic cultural scene the opportunity to flourish across borders. This is more relevant than ever given the state of play right now. After all, it’s culture that binds us together,” Janne concludes.