The Culture and Art Programme - Nordic Culture Point

The Culture and Art Programme supports Nordic cooperation within art and culture. You can apply for funding for a project with artistic and/or cultural quality which promotes a multifaceted and sustainable Nordic region.

Who can apply?

Everyone who is active within the field of art and culture can apply, provided that the project fulfils the programme’s criteria and the cooperation includes partners from minimum three countries, of which at least two are Nordic, that is, either Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, the Åland Islands, the Faroe Islands and/or Greenland.

Applicants can be:

• individuals
• groups
• organisations, institutions and companies

It is neither necessary for the applicants to live or work in the Nordic region. Furthermore, it is neither necessary for the person or members of the group to have Nordic nationality, as long as the Nordic dimension of the project is fulfilled in other ways.

How is an application assessed?

The assessment is conducted based on the aforementioned criteria and depending on how well the application has managed to convey the following:

• Nordic dimension
• The Nordic dimension is assessed based on how it promotes cooperation between the Nordic countries or between the Nordic countries and the rest of the world. This by, for example, contributing to greater understanding between the Nordic countries and/or knowledge of Nordic artists and their works. It would also be an advantage if the project promotes language comprehension in the Nordic region.
• In cases involving Nordic participation/themes in international projects, the Nordic participation should have a significant impact on the content of the project and should be clearly explained in the application.
• Cooperation
• The cooperation dimension is assessed based on how well it creates exchange of knowledge between the different participants and/or organisers of the project, and whether it creates new contacts between persons who work with culture.
• Quality
• The project is assessed based on how it develops and raises the quality of the art and culture area, the innovativeness of the project and whether the results of the work will persist. The applicant’s ability to complete the project in a good manner will also be assessed.
• Sustainability
• The project’s sustainability is assessed from a social, economic, cultural and ecological perspective. Projects are also assessed in terms of their contribution to creating cohesion and the promotion of an inclusive and multifaceted artistic and cultural life in the Nordic region. Please find more information on sustainability in the following co-operation programme on cultural policy. 

Strategic guidelines for cultural co-operation within Nordic council of ministers

The assessment of applications for Culture and art programme is also influenced by following two documents:

The policy for mainstreaming sustainable development, gender equality, and a child rights and youth perspective in the Nordic Council of Ministers

Co-operation programme on culture policy 2021–2024: Art and culture – driving force for sustainable development in the Nordic region.

Strategic priorities of the co-operation programme are:

• A green Nordic region: A green cultural life ensures good living opportunities for present and future generations
• A competitive Nordic region: Vibrant art and cultural life in and outside our region contributes to green growth
• A socially sustainable Nordic region: An inclusive Nordic cultural life promotes democracy, diversity, and quality of life

Finances

You can apply for support for all phases of a project, from preliminary work to implementing a full scale project. The amount applied for should be reasonable considering the scale of the project. The larger the amount applied for, the larger the requirement for self-financing from, for example, other funding bodies. Co-financing is considered a key part of the project’s conditions.

Projects can be granted:

• up to EUR 7,000 with full financing
• up to EUR 40,000 with at least 30% co-financing
• up to EUR 100,000 with at least 50% co-financing

Therefore this means that the grant from the Culture and Art Programme can cover between 50 – 100% of the project’s total costs, depending on the size of the applied grant.

In-kind financing can count towards co-financing. In-kind financing consists of goods or services as payment instead of cash. For example, voluntary work. How you estimate the working hours of volunteers should be specified in the budget and the amount must be reasonable considering the tasks and their duration.

We recommend that all the project’s costs are collated into one application to Nordic Culture Point. For example, all travel costs can be included in the application to the Culture and Art Programme.

For an example of how to make a detailed budgetary appendix, please see here.

Support from other Nordic organisations
It is also possible to apply for support from other pan Nordic institutions and organisations, such as, for example, the Nordic Culture Fund, for the same project. The total funding from the Culture and Art Programme and other Nordic organisations may not exceed 85% of the budget.