In 2023, a total of 156 applications were received for Network funding. Of these, 118 applications were for Short-term network funding while 38 were for Long-term network funding. As in previous years, the Short-term network funding had two application rounds while the Long-term network funding had only one application round at the beginning of the year.

A total of 27 applications were granted Network funding, of which four were long-term net­works and 23 short-term networks. The total amount granted was EUR 758 690, of which EUR 379 890 was issued to short-term networks and EUR 360 800 was issued to long-term net­works. 

As in the previous years, the highest sum granted to an individual short-term network was EUR 20 000 which is the maxi­mum amount that can be granted to a one-year collaboration. 13 networks in total received the maximum support within Short-term network funding. The highest sum granted to an individual long-term network was EUR 100 000 which is the maxi­mum amount that can be granted to a long-term network. There were two long-term networks in 2023 that received the maximum amount. However, it is worth noting that not all applicants apply for the maximum amount. Only one of the four granted long-term networks had not applied and received previous short-term network funding. 45 % of all applicants for Network funding were new to Nordic Culture Point.

Among all the granted networks, Denmark (participation in 63 % of granted networks) and Sweden (59 %) and Finland (55 %) were the top countries parti­cipating in the networks, closely followed by Lithuania (48 %), Norway (41 %), Estonia (37 %) and Latvia (37 %) with participation in at least ten networks of the 27 granted. Eight of granted networks have Icelandic partners (30 %). Faroe Islands is represented in three of the granted networks, Greenland in two. Only Åland Islands does not have representation any of the networks.

Of all 27 granted networks in 2023, 41 % of networks (11 of 27) included at least one partner from one of the Nordic countries and one of the Baltic countries. Four of the granted networks (15 %) consisted of the three Baltic countries only and twelve projects (44 %) were conducted as partnerships between the Nordic countries only. In addition, ten of all networks (37 %) included a country outside the region. Other partner countries participating in the networks include Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Spain.

26 % of the granted Network funding applications (7 of 27 granted networks) involved multidisciplinary initiatives. The most common single art forms among the grant receivers in 2023 was dance with 5 granted projects (19% of). Three of granted projects were for visual arts, two for music and theatre and then architecture and film were represented by one granted project each. Four collaborations stated other as their field of art. These included categories audiovisual, cultural magazines, contemporary music theatre, new opera and performing art in public space as their contents.

The Expert group has focused strongly on a good quality and chosen to leave weak applications without funding, despite available budgeted funding for the application rounds. They have maintained a distinction between networks and projects as forms of collaboration. As the Expert group identified an increasing need of new connections and means for travel after years of pandemic, they suggested a transfer from the Network funding module to Mobility funding. As agreed by senior officers at Ministries of Culture, a total of 151 000 euro (59 000 euro from long-term, 92 000 euro from short-term network funding) was transferred to and distributed for collaborations in the region via Mobility funding. Expert group meetings for Network funding were held in Helsinki, in April and November. 

Granted funding enabled added value to all partners, covered different art fields, geographical regions, both urban and rural environments. The following examples were granted short-term network funding:

Lýsa Network builds on the Nordic Lights project at Nordic Bridges, developing a network to foster and promote light art by Nordic artists (FI, SE, NO, DK) in the Nordic region and internationally. Lýsa aims to build touring networks, collaborations, and new sustainable strategies via site visits and a Spring General Meeting.

Professionals working in the northern dance field (FI, NO, SE) were granted funding for Arctic Dance Network, that aims to offer support, connections and an encouraging community with plenty of cross-border collaboration. The collaboration is answer to an after pandemic urge to connect again physically in the world of distance meetings and emails, to know the colleague by movement too.

The Baltic Contemporary Opera Network is a joint initiative led by partners from Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia. Its overarching goal is to facilitate cultural exchange, the sharing of best practices, and the development of collaborative ventures among independent creators and producers of contemporary opera.

Independent Community Radio Network connects like-minded radios in the Baltic-Nordic region for joint professional development and knowledge building activity. This network is a collaboration between independent community radios from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Latvia and Lithuania, together with partners from France and Germany.

Peers up North Camp is a music creation network and a music event, bringing together fxmale (= women, non-binary, and other gender minorities) writers and producers from Sweden, Denmark and Iceland for music business networking, meetings and talks, and a writing camp.

Networks granted long-term network funding were Nordic Neighbourhood Lab for Nordic city architects and knowledge institutions within architecture, Nordic Performing Arts Network Yggdrasil, Baltic Women in Film Mentorship and Network of Sound based Residencies in the Nordic and Baltic Regions.

Networks that have been granted long-term network funding in 2021-2023 were invited to a Nordic-Baltic Network Meeting in Tallinn, Estonia in May 2023. The meeting was arranged as a part of the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture and the aim of the meeting was to bring together granted long-term networks to share experiences and knowledge and to develop best practises together.

This year's meeting topics were sustainability and regional dynamics, with a focus on the connections between the Nordic and Baltic countries and different aspects of sustainable agency in both urban and rural regions. Meeting was organised in connection to Tallinn Music Week, with synergies in a local speaker from festival organisation, the possibility to experience artistic showcases and a grant programme presentation with panel as part of festival programme.

Among twelve participating networks was representation from fields of architecture, circus, dance, film, higher education and research, museums, music, theatre, textile and visual arts. Participating networks aimed at developing and sharing of competencies, deepening knowledge of partnering countries, sharing and developing new perspectives, promoting research work, creating dialogues and addressing complex issues, increasing national and international engagement, helping new artists and emerging talents to get funding and experience, inspiring younger generation and for enabling better work opportunities to female authors.

Participants shared experiences, learned from each other, and raised questions about what makes a functional network and what kind of knowledge can be shared between regions, both in Nordic-Baltic and urban-rural context. The meeting also included a critical reading of grant programme statistics, visualising outreach, demand, and effects. Participation of and direct contact with the Expert group was much appreciated by grant receivers – as well as response and feedback from the field was appreciated by the Expert group.

As an outcome for upcoming years the Expert group pointed out the obvious difficulty in arranging such a meeting during first year of programme period, when ones’ understanding of the funding form is under construction. There are several benefits of arranging the meeting in the second or third year of programme period, for a deeper mutual understanding of both aim of the funding and successful methods of realising planned collaborations.

“We have no idea what’s gonna happen, but let’s see, starts the Independent Community Radio Network broadcast from IDA Radio, Helsinki studio. With this phrase, the uncertainty that goes into maintaining a small-scale independent media practice finds its way into the content: even if sometimes embedded in funny, sometimes poetic, and sometimes truly existential, the leap of faith it signals is real. But more than just a doubt, it is also an invitation; a call for the listener to take that leap together. Let’s see – what can be the alternative ways of working, playing, and hosting together", says Ieva Gudaityte, Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Oslo in article Things We (Can) Do Together: Independent Community Radio and its Fuzzy Networks.

The same goes for the strongest network applications, where the end goal is not always evident, but the direction, description of common context and reason of being are clearly articulated. Network funding enables periods for cooperation, exchange of ideas and knowledge between professional artists and cultural workers in the Nordic region and/or the Baltic countries. Expert group has stressed the difference between project funding and collaboration in networks, the latter being the core of this funding programme.

“On a meta level, the networks are about strengthening what our countries and our respective art fields have in common, as well as remembering that all partners in a network don’t necessarily need to arrive at the same point. The most important thing is to work towards a common horizon,” says the chair of the expert group Daniel Urey.

Several long-term networks that have finished and reported for their activities during 2023 were affected by covid-19 in multiple ways, as cancelled meetings, and new solutions for cooperation. As presented by Baltic Contemporary Music Network:

“Before Baltic Contemporary Music Network, organisational cooperation between contemporary art organisations was fragmented and lacked regularity. The main innovation, taken from the corporate field, was the extensive use of distant meetings. Although this technique was used before, during COVID-19 it became the main tool to coordinate and sustain the network activities. It helped to reduce contact meetings in favour of very common meetings focused on concrete tasks, whether it was project planning, developing strategy, setting goals, discussion about practical tasks or sharing knowledge.”

Despite the challenges in networking, travelling, and sharing of understanding it is evident that the networks have gained from their invested time and effort. The following quote is by one of the networks granted long-term funding as a continuation from previous short-term network funding, ARTiculate Pedagogy Network within circus in the Baltic countries, recently expanded to include partners from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

“We have so much strength when we work together. That is the lesson we learned again and again through our strategic meetings. Each person, even those who run venues or schools, recognised that they alone could never carry out their ambitions to outreach and engage individuals on such a large scale.

When we work together across the region anything becomes possible. The pandemic has given us insight into the ‘new’ conditions we now work in as the aftermath of the pandemic unfolds. We have stopped travelling without reason and search for meaningful live experiences more than ever. It’s very clear to us that just meeting to talk without a clear schedule or activity isn’t what our target group of individuals needs. In order to engage the new individuals and attract them to be active in the network we need to do so with attractive and engaging activities.”

Independent Community Radio Network connects
like-minded radios in the Baltic-Nordic region for joint professional development. Credit: NTS