Meelis Pai, the Director of the Estonian Puppet Theatre and Helena Fríðheim from the Faroese Islands. Photo: Estonian Puppet TheatreCooperation between the Estonian Puppet Theatre and the Faroe Islands will see the creation early this year of the Danish dependency's own puppet theatre, whose first production, 'The Kingdom of Babylon', will premiere in March. The founding of the Faroese theatre forms part of the Estonian theatre's initiative to establish NEENPAC – the Northern and Eastern European Network of Puppet Arts. Support for the activity was granted from the long-term cooperation module of the Nordic and Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture.

'The Kingdom of Babylon', which is based on Faroese folk tales, was written and is being produced by islander Helena Fríðheim. Its puppets and models are being created by Anni Jõeaas from the Estonian Puppet Theatre.

• students of puppet art from the University of Oslo in Norway will be in Tallinn from 18-22 March to find out more about the Estonian Puppet Museum, watch performances and take part in puppet-making workshops;
• a project entitled 'Dancing on the Ringmur' will be completed in spring in cooperation with the Gotland Länsteatern theatre, with rehearsals taking place in Sweden and Estonia and performances being given in Visby on Gotland and as part of the TREFF Festival in Tallinn;
• the extremely powerful Slovenian Puppet Theatre production 'Love Dolls' will be staged as part of the TREFF Festival in Tallinn from 24-27 May; and
• a general meeting of members of the network will be held during the TREFF Festival in Tallinn at which reviews will be presented and future plans made.

What do people need to take into account when applying for support from the Nordic countries? Viivika Orula, an acknowledged advocate of local life in Pärnu as well as a conference organiser and entrepreneur, shares her experience gained over the years.

How many times have you applied for Nordic support, and what were the projects?

I was granted support in 2007 to run the Pärnu international cultural tourism conference, and in 2011, after submitting my application in the final round, to run Pärnu's MONOMAFFIA international theatre festival in 2012.

The MONOMAFFIA application I lodged last spring got a 'no'. Another of the applications I had rejected was for an open studios project in 2010.

Photo: Karin Beate Nøsterud/norden.org2011 was an amazingly successful year for the people of Estonia, with the total amount of support granted via Nordic Culture Point programmes amounting to a record €242,796. Compared to previous years, the number of recipients of travel support doubled: 161 such grants were awarded during the year, 31 of them to professionals in the field of culture.

Visited most frequently, as might be expected, was Finland, although Denmark and Sweden also proved popular destinations. The same trend could be seen in reverse among Nordic applicants, with many Finns, Danes, Swedes and Norwegians keen to visit Estonia.

A total of 8 long-term projects received financing, 4 of which emanated from Estonia – including the Estonian Puppet Theatre's 'Different Cultures – One Language' Northern and Eastern European Network of Puppet Arts. Other Estonian partners featured in 11 of the 24 short-term projects financed in the Nordic countries and Baltic States.

Photo: Magnus Fröderberg/norden.org The deadlines for submission of applications for support from the Nordic and Baltic Culture Mobility Programme, Nordic Cultural Fund and Nordic Culture and Art Programme have been set.

The Nordic and Baltic culture ministers decided to continue with the Culture Mobility Programme until 2014. The goal is to promote communication between creative artists and the spread of their work in the Nordic and Baltic cultural space.

From 2012 to 2014 the total assistance amounts to EUR 4.6 million. The frequency of the application rounds is the same as in previous years: travel allowances can be applied for four times a year, support for short-term cooperation projects twice a year and support for long-term cooperation projects can be applied for once a year. There will be two creative residency operation allowances in the next three years.

"This is a truly unique programme, systematically supporting the rise and development of partnership networks and expanding across the continent," said Riitta Heinamaa, the director of the Finnish Institute in Estonia, describing the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture at a cultural forum held in Helsinki in September.

The programme was launched in early 2009, initially for the period of 2009-2011. Those charged with the task of assessing it in 2010 declared that it was working very effectively and had more than proven its worth among its users. As such, the ministers of culture of the Nordic countries and Baltic States decided in April this year to extend the term of the programme for a further three years – until 2014. The aim is to continue to promote communication between creative people and to showcase their work within Nordic and Baltic cultural space.

"Culture has always had a central place in cooperation between the Nordic countries," said Finnish Minister for Culture and Education Paavo Arhinmäki in his opening address at the forum. The mobility programme was discussed at the event on the basis of the experience gained from the last three years of culture-based partnerships and exchanges.

Go and watch the play 'Morten on the Ship of Fools' by VAT Theatre and Kuressaare City Theatre to see these fun adventures. The play is based on the children's book 'Adventure on Salamander' by Kaspar Jancis, and it premiered on 1 August in Sadamaait in Kuressaare. The programme describes it as a family show filled with circus and music.

This theatre project received support from the Nordic Culture and Art Programme.

The adventures, which last for an hour and fifteen minutes, entertain and excite both children and adults. The hall is filled to the rafters. Mums and dads are smiling happily, the children only have eyes for the stage, there is spontaneous applause. The tuba and the saxophone are perfect to accompany a sailing boat, but there are also other instruments that form the entertaining band Kriminaalne Elevant, and there are musical phrases that keep going around in your heard for a long time after the show.

The grants allocated within the scope of the public administration mobility programme created to boost cooperation between officials in Nordic and Baltic countries in 2011 totalled €349,493 and were divided between 64 projects. The biggest grant allocated to one project is €12,400 and the smallest allocated amount is €743.

The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Public Administration received 79 applications this year, which is more than in previous years. The biggest number of applications was submitted in Estonia (25), Latvia (24) and Lithuania (22). 8 applications were submitted in Nordic countries, the majority of them in Denmark (5).

This year was the first when grant applications could only be submitted electronically via the NB8-Grants application environment. An electronic application system is more environment and user friendly than submission of applications by e-mail or post. The NB8-Grants environment also contains a lot of tips and explanations for applicants that should help them avoid making mistakes in their applications.

Põhja- ja Baltimaade koostöö ja Põhjamaade Ministrite Nõukogu Eesti esinduse 20. juubeli tähistamiseks kutsume kõiki eestikeelsesse Vikipeediasse Põhjamaade-teemalisi artikleid kirjutama alates 23. märtsist 2011.

Teemavaliku hõlbustamiseks oleme loonud viis kategooriat. Iga kategooria parimat kirjutajat auhinnatakse 1000-eurose reisivautšeriga vabalt valitud sihtkohta Põhjamaades. Lisaks jagub tublimatele panustajatele mitmeid väiksemaid auhindu.

Auhindadele kandideerimiseks tuleb kirjutada või toimetada nõuetele vastavaid artikleid eestikeelses Vikipeedias hiljemalt 30. aprillil 2011.

Artiklite kirjutamise võistlusel on kolm peamist eesmärki:

• suurendada Põhjamaade koostööd puudutava asjatundliku ja usaldusväärse info hulka eesti keeles;
• täiendada ja täiustada Põhjamaade kohta käivat materjali eestikeelses Vikipeedias;
• saada eestikeelsesse Vikipeediasse uusi kaastöölisi ja toimetajaid.

Nõuded tekstidele:

• ootame artikleid Põhjamaade koostööst, mis kirjeldavad konkreetses valdkonnas Põhjamaade ühiseid algatusi, avaldusi ja omadusi;
• kirjutis(t)e sisu sobitub vähemalt ühte nimetatud kategooriasse;
• kirjutiste põhimaht ei tohiks koosneda (ajas) kaugele ulatuvatest ajalookirjeldustest.

Võistluse reeglid:

• Võistlus toimub 23. märtsist kuni 30. aprillini 2011.
• Osaleda saavad kõik Vikipeedia registreeritud kasutajad, välja arvatud žüriiliikmed. Registreerumiseks tuleb kasutada Vikipeedia lehekülje ülaosas leiduvat nuppu "Logi sisse / registreeru kasutajaks".
• Kasutajanimi jätab võistleja anonüümseks, kui ta oma nime ise ei avalda. Auhinna vastuvõtmisel tuleb oma nimi avalikustada.
• Võistlusele registreerumiseks tuleb lisada enda kasutajanimi ja kirjutatavate/toimetatavate artiklite pealkirjad lehele "Osavõtjad ja artiklid".
• Hinnatakse eeskätt oskust koostada sidusat, hästi ja arusaadavalt sõnastatud põhjalikku, kuid ülevaatlikku entsüklopeedilist teksti, mis põhineb usaldusväärsetel viidatud allikatel. Eruditsioon, huvitav teemavalik, tõlkimisoskus, Vikipeedia nõuetele vastava vormistamise oskus jms ei ole peaauhinna määramisel otsustavad, kuid žürii võib määrata eriauhindu.
• Hinnatakse nii uue teksti kirjutamist kui ka olemasoleva teksti toimetamist.
• Kirjutamine toimub Vikipeedia põhimõtete ja reeglite alusel kasutajate koostöös.
• Ei hinnata mitte niivõrd artikli(te) lõplikku kuju, kuivõrd konkreetse kirjutaja panust artikli(te) kvaliteeti.
• Artikkel peab olema varustatud allikaviidetega, plagiaat ei kvalifitseeru.

Viis kategooriat (ja näiteid teemadest)

1. Energia ja keskkond
   (Põhjamaade ühine poliitika, algatused, tegevuskavad, avastused, tehnoloogiad)
   Näiteks: Põhjamaade Tippteaduse Algatus (Nordic Top-level Research Initiative), Skandinaavia Vesiniku Maantee (Scandinavian Hydrogen Highway), Põhjamaade keskkonnamärgis Luik (Nordic ecolabel), Põhjamaade Nõukogu keskkonnaauhind, HELCOM (Helsinki Commission); Helsingi konventsioon (1992); NEFCO (Nordic Environment Finance Co-operation); NordGen (Nordic Genetic Resource Centre); Maailma Seemnepank Teravmägedes (Global Seed Vault); Põhjamaade energiapoliitika tegevuskava 2010-2013; Nordpool; Läänemere strateegia ja Põhjamaad.
2. Kultuur ja pärand
   (Põhjamaade ühine kultuurivaramu, tegevuskavad, ettevõtmised )
   Näiteks: Põhjamaade disain; Põhja- ja Baltimaade kultuuri mobiilsusprogramm; Põhjamaade raamatukogunädal; Põhjamaade Nõukogu kirjanduse, filmi ja muusika auhinnad; Valhalla (noorte projektid); BIBBI – virtuaalne Põhjamaade lasteraamatukogu; Põhjamaade Filmi ja TV Fond; Põhjamaade kirjanike atlas; Põhjamaade mänguprogramm; Põhjamaade kultuuripunkt; Skandinaavia keeled; Põhjamaade saagad; orkester Norden.
3. Majandus
   (Põhjamaade majanduselus silmapaistvad ühised jooned, tegevuskava ja poliitika)
   Näiteks: Uus Põhjala Toit; KREANORD; Põhja-ja Baltimaade ettevõtluse ja tööstuse mobiilsusprogramm, Põhjamaade Investeerimispank; Nordjobb; Põhjamaade e-maksuportaal (Nordisk eTax).
4. Teadus ja haridus
   (Põhjamaade ühine poliitika ja tegevuskavad, saavutused, leiutised)
   Näiteks: Põhjamaade Kompetentsikeskused (Nordic Centres of Excellence); Põhjamaade Teadusnõukogu NordForsk; Põhjamaade Energiauuringute Keskus (Nordic Energy Research); Nordplus hariduskoostööprogramm; Põhjamaade Magistriõpe (Nordic Master Programme); Põhjamaade Rahvatervise kõrgkool; Nordregio (Põhjamaade Ruumilise Planeeringu Keskus).
5. Põhja- ja Baltimaade poliitiline koostöö
   Näiteks: Euroopa Liidu Läänemere strateegia ja Põhjamaad; Põhja- ja Baltimaade avaliku halduse mobiilsusprogramm; Põhja- ja Baltimaade koostöö (Nordic-Baltic 8, NB8); Põhjamaade heaolumudel; Põhjamaade Ministrite Nõukogu; Punkaharju peaministrite kohtumine; Valgevene Euroopa Humanitaarülikool; NORDEFCO (Põhjamaade kaitsekoostöö); Põhjamaade piiritõkete foorum.
   

Kirjutada võib ka teistel kategooriasse sobivatel teemadel.

Auhinnad
Parimad viis saavad 1000-eurose auhinna kätte 20. mail Tallinnas Hopneri majas (Raekoja platsi ääres), kus terve mai vältel toimub Põhjamaade disainikuu Nordic Look.

Žürii
Teele Vaalma (Vikipeedia); Madis Kanarbik (Põhjamaade Ministrite Nõukogu esindus Eestis); Liina Kümnik (Rootsi Suursaatkond), Silvi Teesalu (Taani Kultuuri Instituudi esindus Eestis); Madis Tilga (Põhjamaade Ministrite Nõukogu esindus Eestis).

Vastused küsimustele
Küsimustele saate vastused, kui jätate need lehele Vikipeedia arutelu: Põhjamaade-teemaliste artiklite võistlus
(alates 23. märts).
Kontakt Põhjamaade Ministrite Nõukogu Eesti esinduses: Madis Tilga, tel 627 31 03 või
e-post madis.tilga(at)norden.ee

Inspiratsiooni ja teemasid leiab meie koduleheküljelt!

Scanning documents, attaching them to e-mails, sending them – and starting all over again if you make a mistake – are things of the past. Applications for cooperation support for Nordic and Baltic officials, companies and industry can now be submitted online.

The new electronic application environment, which is called NB8-Grants, referring to the five Nordic countries and the three Baltic States, allows applications to be completed a little at a time right up to the deadline. The deadlines are:

- Cooperation support for civil servants – 30 March 2011
- Cooperation support for companies and industry – 31 March 2011

In the event that you receive support, you will later need to submit a report via NB8-Grants – which will also host all communication between applicants, recipients and administrators.

Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Tallinn. The office also has a branch in Tartu as well as information points in Valga, Narva and Pärnu. Photo: Väino Silm/norden.ee"You only need to look at where we are on the globe and check the thermometer on the window to see that we're as Nordic as any of the Nordic countries!" said Valga County Governor Margus Lepik at the signing of a cooperation agreement between the county government and the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) for 2011. Local newspaper the Valgamaalane viewed the event and the cooperation of the NCM as signs of the continued support shown by the Nordic countries for the region.

Beth Sundström, who only took up the post of director of the NCM Office in Estonia a few weeks ago, says that the cooperation between the Nordic countries and Estonia – which will soon be marking its 20th anniversary – has been very successful, writes Valgamaalane journalist Sirje Lemmik. "Finland is our presiding country this year, and they place a lot of focus on green ways of thinking, so this year we will be concentrating more on environmental cooperation and economical behaviour," Sundström explained.

Tiina Hallimäe, a senior specialist on enterprise with Võru City Government, says that the support the city's timber and furniture manufacturers received through the mobility programme allowed them to take a six-day trip to timber industry competence centres in Denmark and Sweden last November. "The support covers transport and accommodation expenses, and applying for it and reporting back on it couldn't be easier," she explained. "The advisors are very helpful and friendly, too."