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.
The Nordic and Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture has been granting travel support to creative figures and activity support for art and culture residencies and partnership projects since 2009. Operating alongside this is the culture and art programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers, which was also established with the aim of fostering cooperation within the field of culture and cultural exchanges in the Nordic region and beyond.
Both of these programmes are managed by the Nordic Culture Point in Helsinki. Interest in them has been high since the very beginning but rose sharply in 2010, and the ever-increasing number of applications has made competition between projects even fiercer.
The changes made to the mobility programme – with creative groups of up to 6 people now also able to apply for travel grants (in addition to individuals) for trips lasting 1-10 days, including daily allowances – are adding to the attractions of the module in the eyes of applicants, since questions raised in previous rounds highlighted the need for such changes.
Applications for travel grants are accepted 4 times per year; those for activity support twice a year; and those for long-term projects once annually. Culture and art programme grant application submissions can be lodged in spring and autumn, while those for creative residency activity support are accepted once every 3 years – with the deadline for 2012 being 1 February.
Hopefully the support granted as part of these modules will further boost communication and cooperation and give people even more impetus for new and interesting undertakings in Nordic and Baltic cultural space.
Eha Vain, cultural adviser (telephone: +372 627 3104 / e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)