EEA Grants Cultural Cooperation Karen Varden, Senior Adviser, Arts Council Norway November 23rd 2016

Today PA14: The new combined programme area for culture. To show how both Cultural Cooperation and the Arts Council Norway are relevant to your work, and to inspire you in your future activities!

The Arts Council Norway We work together in 7 of the 10 countries with cultural cooperation programmes. Role of the DPP. In addition: The Arts Council Norway plays a significant role in helping POs meet one of the dual goals of the EEA Grants, that is in strengthening bilateral relationships. Cultural Cooperation programmes have traditionally had ambitious aims as regards bilateral partnerships, for example full partnership.

What is Cultural Cooperation? Programmes covered a wide range of cultural cooperation themes including: Music Performing arts / stage arts Visual arts Education Literature Cultural heritage

Czech Republic: Sniper’s Lake Foto: Vojtech Brtnicky

Portugal: Hands full of shells and feet full of flowers

Cultural Cooperation is … not just the icing on the cake not just an alibi for sustainable development not just an alibi for local and regional development Cultural Cooperation has its own value regardless of the fact that it …

Cultural cooperation … does have the potential to make historic venues come alive! does contribute to sustainable development! does contribute to local and regional development!

Cultural entrepreneurship Cultural entrepreneurship is likely to manifest itself differently in Cultural Cooperation and Cultural Heritage. The cultural field is diverse and the ways it can be included in programmes and projects are also diverse. For Cultural Cooperation, it is more the inclusion of entrepreneurial elements within initiatives. It is not just about profit and commercialisation. Establishment of Creative Norway.

What does a combined cultural programme mean for me? Likely to see a variety of models appear over the coming months as we work together. Possible to have two strands or components within a cultural programme. With at least one outcome for each component. Not necessarily a Small Grant Scheme.

Poland: Eastern Waves

Results: 2009-2014 Over 203 million euro was allocated to cultural heritage and cultural cooperation programmes. Of this almost 30 million euro went to cultural cooperation. Within these projects approximately 200 partners from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Impact More than exchange. It is an area that allows for cooperation at a high professional level and sustainability of results. Benefits have between two way. Professionalism has been increased in both parties. Opens players up to different parts of Europe as well as other networks and financing schemes.

They left unsure of themselves… They came home as stars …

Norwegian partners are not hard to find!

Securing partners There is already an enormous interest among potential partners in Norway! Contact relevant organisations where its link to the project is visible. Contact similar or at least complementary organisations. Avoid sending seemingly generic partnership requests. Find the balance between a well-defined and communicated project idea and room for the potential partner to influence the idea. Be clear on what you would like to get out of the partnership. Provide a good description of own areas of activity/fields.

What else can the ACN offer? Sectors are often organised differently and function differently in country to country. The Arts Council Norway can explain the Norwegian sector to help POs achieve their bilateral aims. However the challenges we face are surprisingly similar. The DPP-PO and PP-dpp relationships offer a unique way to tackle the challenges facing our sector.

For more information: Arts Council Norway: www.kulturradet.no Email: karen.varden@kulturradet.no