More aid will be available to amateur artists in the Nordic countries from the Culture and Arts Programme, for example. The ministers made their decision at a meeting on Thursday during the Session of the Nordic Council in Stockholm.

Close dialogue between the ministers and stakeholders has led to adjustments to the reform they introduced just four years ago. During the current process, the ministers devoted particular attention to funding issues. In future, it will not only be professionals who reap the benefits of the funding opportunities introduced by the reforms. The new changes will make funding available to a wider range of projects.

The ministers stressed the importance of making sure that Nordic culture and arts projects remain of the highest quality.

The ministers listened to what artists and other stakeholders had to say at a series of dialogue sessions, e.g. about making co-operation less restrictive and finding a better balance between narrow and broad definitions of the concepts of art and culture. To underline the importance of this balance, the ministers decided to change the name of the programme to the Culture and Arts Programme.

They also underlined the importance of clearer links between the programme and the ministers' own political priorities for the future of cultural co-operation.

The Nordic languages are a high priority. and the ministers have decided to relocate the Nordic Translation Support Programme from the Secretariat of Nordic Culture Point to the Nordic House.

The reform of Nordic cultural co-operation will be subject to a major review in 2010.

It was designed to make co-operation more flexible, dynamic and open to new stakeholders and forms of co-operation and to equip Nordic culture to meet the national and international challenges of the future.

Anna Enemark
Phone +45 29 69 29 23
Email anen@norden.org