Meet The Nordics around the world – 28 new projects
Teitur at Días Nórdicos
Nordic talks on trust and equality in Korea, sustainable food culture in India, a digital design exhibition in Sao Paolo, Cape Town and New York, a democracy festival in Brussels and Nordic podcasts are just some of the 28 projects receiving funding after the branding project’s fourth open call, which closed in May 2018.
Starting new conversations
The Nordics is a Nordic Council of Ministers’ branding project and the open call was one of the initiatives designed to implement the strategy for the international profiling and positioning of the Nordic Region.
“The open call turned out to have a huge impact, and the cool thing is not just that it brings us into contact with a wide variety of interesting projects, but also that it helps connect different actors and organisations that can kickstart new Nordic collaborations and conversations,” says Tobias Grut, Proejct Manager for the Branding Project.
The open call turned out to have a huge impact, and the cool thing is not just that it brings us into contact with a wide variety of interesting projects, but also that it helps connect different actors and organisations that can kickstart new Nordic collaborations and conversations.
New brand toolbox
Another initiative to boost the mutual branding of The Nordics, is the newly launched digital platform www.thenordics.com, which serves as both a communications platform for the projects, and as a digital toolbox.
The website is full of stories, films, facts, images, an event calendar and other material to enable the projects, as well as other actors sharing a Nordic mindset, to contribute to a collective narrative about the Nordic Region and to create synergies between the various projects and organisations.
Applications were invited in two categories: “Supportive Co-operation” and “Creative Talents” and the successful applicants are sharing a DKK 2,3 million pool, with each project receiving between DKK 50,000 and DKK 250,000. The Nordic Council of Ministers received a total of 94 applications from various partnership projects across the world.
The following 28 projects have received funding from The Nordics
Supportive co-operation:
On Northern Routes – June, September and October 2018
“On Northern Routes” is an art project that traces sustainable tourism from the Nordics to the Baltic region. The project's main objective is to install aesthetically moving and yet informative art exhibitions portraying the ongoing respect towards nature of the Nordic countries.
Nordic Solutions for Sustainable Cities – Australia, October and November 2018
This project aims to strengthen the Nordic brand by inviting speakers from four Nordic countries to present examples of best practice in Sustainable/Smart Cities in three Australian states, in conjunction with Smart Cities Week in Australia, as well as World Planning Day and World Urbanism Day.
Faces of Democracy – March–August 2019
The project is based on co-operation between the Democracy Festivals – five Nordic and 3 three Baltic festivals, plus one each from the Netherlands and Germany, as well as the European Festival in Brussels. The aim is to promote Nordic/Baltic-style democracy festivals and to bring them to new contexts outside the region.
Nordic Smart Cities Initiative to Colombia – Colombia, February 2019
The planned project is a joint Smart Cities initiative involving four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) in Colombia. It consists of a one-day seminar with presentations, panel discussions, matchmaking and workshops.
Now Nordic – London, Sao Paolo, Cape Town, New York, Copenhagen, 2019
The proposed project will present and promote leading Nordic designers working in the intersection between craft, design and art to an audience consisting of the international design scene. “Now Nordic” consists of a digital design exhibition, as well as physical exhibitions and design talks in five different countries.
The Weather Diaries: West Nordic Fashion in the Baltics, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia – February and April 2019.
The exhibition “The Weather Diaries”, produced by Nordic House in Reykjavik, showcases 11 installations and 30 picturesque photographs from Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, exploring how local traditions, nature and weather conditions influence the creativity of West Nordic fashion designers.
Sustainable Capitalism: Nordics as our North Star – California, August–September 2019
“Sustainable Capitalism: Nordics as our North Star” is intended to spark a global conversation about sustainable capitalism, how the Nordics can serve as a source of inspiration in this area, and the vital role of sustainable business in the Nordics.
Nordic Film Days – 12 different cities and 12 countries across three continents/regions (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), 2018-2019
“Nordic Film Days” is a large-scale international presentation of the latest short films and documentaries, in a range of styles and approaches, from young Nordic directors.
Nordic International Film Festival – New York, October 2018
The Nordic International Film Festival is an annual celebration of Nordic and international film. The festival is based in New York City, at the renowned Scandinavia House on Park Avenue, also known as Nordic Center.
Días Nórdicos South America, November 2018
Based on a well-established cultural strategy, “Días Nórdicos” is a festival that highlights the resonance of modern Nordic culture in Spain and South America.
#JoinTheNordics, digital, 2018
“Join the Nordics” is about an international network of tech talent ambassadors who have moved to the Nordics. Their stories are conveyed through video testimonials and a social media campaign.
The Nordics Vitalizing Sustainable Food Culture in India, – New Delhi, December 2018
This project aims to connect The Nordics with India through the Indian Food Manifesto and by creating new conversations and New Networks in Sustainable Agriculture, Food Tech and Food Culture as well as Food Smart Cities and Smart Culinary Practices.
Scandinavian Manifesto – Italy, June 2018
This project aims to support Nordic sustainable fashion. It will be presented at Pitti Uomo Italy, one of the world’s leading fashion shows.
NORDtalks: Nordic Lights on the Korean Horizon – Korea, 2018
Through a series of events to be held in Seoul in 2019, this project intends to start a conversation about topics with global topicality, Korean relevance and Nordic added value. The aim is to shed Nordic lights of innovation, sustainability, openness, equality and trust on the Korean horizon through the “NORDtalks”.
Creative talents:
Nordic Day Reception – May 2018
The Nordics aim to make their mark in Malaysia with the upcoming Nordic Day Reception. On 8 May, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland will come together to host a lavish celebration on an unprecedented scale in Kuala Lumpur.
Living and working with the Nordics – digital, 2018
This podcast is an introduction to Nordic values such as trust, equality, openness and cooperation, and a guide to living in Nordic communities and thriving in Nordic workplaces.
Mapping Coastal Marine Litter Using Aerial Imagery, – digital, 2018
This project will use drone photography to identify the areas around Svalbard that are in the highest need of urgent waste disposal initiatives. The photography will take place over five weeks during summer 2018 and follow standard procedures developed by the international network “Dronet”.
Nordic Music by Design – Shanghai, 2018:
“Nordic Music by Design” is a collaborative project Nordic in which Chinese musicians create new music for live audiences. The project brings together artists from different cultures who would normally not have the opportunity to interact.
Traces of North in Chinese Youth – digital, 2018
“Traces of North in Chinese Youth” aims to tell Nordic stories from a new perspective by interviewing Nordic people with different backgrounds. The project will publish stories from Nordic creatives and the people behind Nordic brands and institutions.
Echoes of Nordic Design – digital, 2018
“Echoes of Nordic Design” is a magazine-style podcast magazine about how Nordic design has left its mark on the world. The podcast highlights voices and stories of Nordic design in an international context.
The Nordic Way: Discover the Secret to Happiness – Thailand, 2018
The Nordic embassies in Thailand will stage an event exploring Nordic notions of happiness. A further aim will be to highlight and enhance relations between the Nordics and Thailand.
The Nordics and 21st-century Cities – digital, 2018
This project, under “Traces of North”, shows the world how the Nordics have influenced sustainable urban development beyond their borders.
Stories from the North (version 2.0) – digital, 2018/2019
“Stories from the North” lets people create, share and tell their life stories through Nordic Storytelling Labs and an online digital storytelling platform.
Nordic Film Week – Israel, November 2018
The aim of “Nordic Film Week” is to convey the image of the Nordics as modern, progressive and multifaceted countries, while highlighting our individual quirks.
Fighting Gravity: Living the Nordic Dream in America – digital, 2018:
The project tells the story of a family who have spent the last decade living in both the Nordics and the United States. It explores how they apply lessons learned in the Nordics to their daily lives in America.
60 Mins. with Nordic Safe Cities – New York, 2018
“60 mins. with Nordic Safe Cities” creates global communication about the Nordic prevention model that ensures safe, inclusive and resilient cities for all citizens.
ENFOQUE: LGBTI – a challenge from Norwegian and Swedish cinema –Cuba, 2018
A nationwide Nordic LGBT+ Film Festival in Cuba – opening up the discussion on equality! This LGBT+ film festival will tour around the island and open up the conversation on topics related to LGBT+ rights.
Digitalisation – Nordic experiences – Serbia, 2018
This is a unique opportunity to position the Nordic brand in Serbia, a country where the Nordics are already viewed as role models. With Serbia firmly on a path towards European integration, enhanced Nordic influence in the field of digitalisation will generate great goodwill and possibilities for future co-operation.
