The second application round for Mobility funding for artists and professionals within the field and art and culture has now been distributed. The allocations represent good geographical spread and high variety in terms of genre. There were 374 applications, and a total of 154 individual artists were granted funding to strengthen the conditions for cultural and artistic cooperation in the Nordic-Baltic region. The distributed amount was 236 580 EURO.
Among the artists receiving travel support were Samuli Laine, Joel Neves and Silva Belghiti who are travelling from Helsinki in Finland to Riga in Lativa to present the multilanguage performance Kuunteleminen/Listening at International Festival of Contemporary Theatre, Homo Novus. The group will also hold a workshop for the local deaf community and share practices with the other artists participating in the festival. Kuunteleminen/Listening is a sign language based and fully subtitled performance about the non-auditive human interaction. The aim of the performance is to create an accessible space for more emphatic human interaction.
Emil Nørgaard Munk is travelling from Copenhagen i Denmark to Greenland to work on a film project which investigates dreams, hopes, and actions in what appears dystopic future prospects. The purpose of the project is to produce several portraits of Greenlanders who are taking the lead and making a difference regarding sustainable consumption and living. The climate crisis is very evident in Arctic Greenland, but how is the future viewed among the Greenlandic population? The project “It makes a world of a difference” explores this question.
Another artist who received mobility funding was Elin Sundström. She is travelling from Vänge in Sweden to norther Norway to participate in the Kjerringøy Land Art Biennale in July 2021. Sundström is a visual artist based outside Uppsala, Sweden. Her practice is multi-disciplinary and performative using photography, ceramic sculpture, land art and installation, as well as writing. Her work is concerned with the relationship between human and nature, negotiating non-hierarchical ways of relating to the other-than-human. She will be creating a site-specific work for the biennale and will also participate in workshops and artist talks.
Young architect team Marija Katrīna Dambe and Floria Betat will travel from Riga in Latvia to Estonia to take part in the Urban Festival UIT in Tartu. The core theme of the 2021 festival is “parasite architecture” – encourage inhabitants, artists or architects to find creative ways to use the already existing resources and create much needed elements in public space. A public space installation will be created raising awareness of the environmental impact building industry. Inside of it, a seating for the locals and bypasses will enable space for discussion.
Hrönn Þráinsdóttir, Bjarni Thor Kristinsson and Egill Palsson are travelling from Reykjavik on Island to Narva in Estonia. The purpose of the travel is to start a new cooperation of Reykjavik Opera Days and Narva Opera Festival in Estonia by making a new, unusual and experimenting production of Beethoven’s Fidelio at Narva Opera Festival in September. Both festivals are working towards similar goals in their countries regarding strengthening the operatic and vocal art scenes locally and forming new international partnerships in the Nordic regions.
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 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.
The final application round this year is 01.09.2021 – 30.09.2021.
Please note that the application deadline is at 15.59 Finnish time.