Well-being increasingly prominent in project applications

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From left: Expert group members Rosa Tolnov Clausen, Mathias Lafolie, Gunnar Karel Másson, Guðrið Poulsen, Auri Ahola, Sheyda Shafiei, and Bente S. Andersen. Not pictured: Ivaaq Kriegel. Photo: Geir Lindahl

Sustainability and health, particularly mental health, were recurring themes in the latest application round of the Culture and Art Programme.

“The situation in Europe is strained, which is certain to be reflected in the applications and may also be a sign that mental health is generally receiving more attention in today’s public debate,” says Gunnar K. Másson, chair of the expert group for the Culture and Art Programme.

“The aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still evident in the cultural field and in artists’ mental health,” he adds.

Nordic added value – also outside the Nordic Region

Out of 202 applications requesting a total of nearly EUR 7.8 million, 38 applications were granted funding totalling just over EUR 1.1 million. The peripheral areas of the Nordic Region were well-represented in the application round,

including The Field Station’s audio theatre project Øya er død (translates as The Island is Dead), which will take place on Ingøya in the northernmost part of Norway. The project uses art and technology to connect history with the present and “bring the island back to life”.

In their discussions, the members of the expert group also noted that the requirement for Nordic added value in the Culture and Art Programme does not mean that a project needs to have Nordic project management. An example of an approved application with project management in Lithuania was Architektūros fondas’ Experiments’ Platform, an educational and mentorship programme for researchers and developers in architecture and related art fields.

Significance of the programme is growing

According to Gunnar K. Másson, the Culture and Art Programme is one of the most important funding programmes for Nordic co-operation right now, as the criteria are broad and can encompass nearly anything related to art and culture.

“The significance of the programme is further increasing not only as countries scale back national cultural funding, but also because the art field is becoming more open, boundaries are getting blurred, and more people are working in interdisciplinary arts,” he says.

“That’s why I hope that the threshold for applying to the Culture and Art Programme remains as low as possible in the future. You shouldn’t have to be a professional applicant to succeed with a project idea that delivers high artistic quality.”  

See the list of projects approved funding in this round

The Culture and Art Programme will open for new applications again in February 2025.

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