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A mapping of funding channels and cultural projects in the Northern Dimension Area

Report prepared for the Institute for Russia and Eastern Europe, Helsinki By Kira Sjöberg

The aim of this report was to deliver information on funding channels within the Northern Dimension geographical area. The survey was conducted in order to get an idea of what types of projects have been completed and what funding channels exist to support the cultural life in this area. The survey did not further analyse the projects nor funding means and the material is a map of both larger scale projects and smaller scale personal grants and projects.

The information is collected from projects between 2006 and 2008 of most of the funding channels mentioned below. In relation to larger scale international funds, such as Culture 2000, the focus is on the Northern Dimension area. The projects detailed in this report were started and in most cases completed by 2006.

The material collected is based on internet research in Scandinavian languages, Finnish and English. All amounts are approximate and based on the information published on internet. It is worth noting that the amounts are approximate and only about 70% of the information could be found with the method used. Time was the main limiting factor in this survey and therefore the focus was primarily on large governmental run funding bodies in the ND area. Secondly some Finnish, sector- specific funding channels were looked at in order to deliver some data from the funding channels in a single country.

The eight multilateral funding channels and the three national Finnish funding schemes were:

Culture 2000 - Northern Dimension countries (except Germany):
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/culture/l29016_en.htm

Baltic Sea Region Interreg IIIB:
http://www.bsrinterreg3a.net/index.php?sec=prg&num=41

Northern Periphery Programme 2007-2013:
http://www.northernperiphery.eu/en/content/show/&tid=210

Nordic Cultural Fund:
http://www.nordiskkulturfond.org/
http://www.nordiskkulturfond.org/Hvad%20stoetter%20fonden.aspx

Nordic Film and TV fund:
http://www.nordiskfilmogtvfond.com/index.php?sid=64&ptid=2

Nordic Innovation Centre (NIC):
http://www.nordicinnovation.net/index.cfm?id=1-0-0

Euregio Karelia Neighbourhood Programme:
http://www.euregiokarelia.fi/EN/programme/funding.php

Ars Baltica:
http://www.ars-baltica.net/page/en/ars_baltica/about_ars_baltica_1

Finland:

Frame Fund:
http://www.frame-fund.fi/fi/apurahaohjelmat

Luses:
http://www.luses.fi/fimic/luses.nsf/webpages/hakuajat?opendocument

Esek:
http://www.gramex.fi/index.php?mid=182

The three Finnish funding channels are only a few of many national funding channels. If this survey should have looked upon the national funding schemes in the other Nordic and Baltic countries and in Russia the total amount of projects in the ND area during 2006-2008 would have exceeded to several thousands.

Details of the mapping

The mapping was created based on the criteria of mapping actors applying for funding within the cultural sectors. Seminars and other purely educational projects were not included in this mapping. The lower limit for the funded amount was € 4000. In the national Finnish funding schemes the limit was lowered even further in order to provide as wide as possible a view of potential cultural actors nationally.

The mapping identifies eight main funding channels and includes details of approximately 700 projects funded internationally. Details of grant recipients in Finland add up to approximately the same amount, totally the report has data on 1400 cultural projects (2006 - 2008). Concerning the Nordic funding the picture may not respond to the normal funding volumes and activities, because the structure of the Nordic cultural cooperation was reformed in 2006 and a new structure with new programs was launched in May 2007. Several pan-Nordic cultural institutions and programs closed down during 2006 and did not grant any funding during the second half of that year. The new programs had their first application dead lines in autumn 2007. This means that the volume of Nordic funding in this report is lower than usual.

Financially the report has a map of € 50 million worth of completed projects (70% of estimated sum), which only scratches the surface of all the activity in the cultural field. This report and survey is by no means exhaustive and the material should be further investigated and analysed.

The idea in relation to the selected projects has been the assumption that organisers of these 1400 projects are likely to be active cultural actors, and if presented with a financing mechanism, such as a possible future NDPC, they could have interesting potential projects to suggest for consideration.

Suggestions for future research

The mapping of this area has showed the great activity on the cultural field, and as stated previously this report only scratches the surface of all available data. Suggestions for further research:

1) A continued mapping of projects in the Northern Dimension area initially mapping out all the international sources, then continuing to national sources including major funds such as the Finnish Cultural Fund, Swedish Cultural Fund in Finland and so forth in each member state.

2) An analysis of the currently mapped out material and the projects' potential to develop towards creative economy if they could work on a long- term funding perspective instead of being funded as one - off projects.

Map of ND projects summary »