In the autumn of 2025, Nordic Culture Point has anew the opportunity to allocate additional funding for residency activities to support Ukraine’s cultural scene. Ukrainian artists and cultural creators are still in need of international contacts and working opportunities abroad, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The special initiative is part of the residency funding module of the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme.

What is eligible for funding?

Only residency centres located in the Nordic and Baltic countries can apply for funding, and only artists and cultural creators who are Ukrainian nationals can be considered for residency placement in this round. Residency centres that are granted funding can therefore invite Ukrainian artists and cultural creators, as well as cover all the artist’s or creator’s costs, along with those of any accompanying family members. Groups can also be invited. The other criteria for Nordic-Baltic residency funding will apply in the assessment.

The purpose of the initiative is to enable a safe and secure space for Ukrainian artists and cultural creators to explore their fields and to promote their professional networks in the Nordic and Baltic region and beyond. The funding will also help to facilitate dialogue between Ukrainians and those living in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Funding for artist residencies is part of the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture, which strengthens artistic and cultural cooperation in the Nordic region and the Baltic countries.

Funding for artist residencies is available for all areas of art and culture. During their residency, professional artists must have the opportunity to focus on their work without distraction, meet other artists, and establish contacts with local practitioners of art and culture.

“Professional” means that invited artists have documented experience in the field of art and culture and/or training in art or culture.

Although there is no limit to the length of a residency stay, the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture recommends longer stays of approximately 2-4 months, if possible. The funding can cover the calendar year in which the application is submitted, plus two additional years. Funding is not available for activities that have commenced and/or been completed before the decision on the application has been made. This means that the activities applied for cannot start before two months after the application deadline.

As long as the application meets the above requirements, the residency centre itself can select the artists based on its own guidelines. You can invite both individual artists and small groups. Artists can be selected through an open call following the grant decision, or you can apply for funding for the artists that have already been selected.

Who is eligible to apply?

Funding can be applied for by existing residency centres or organisations and institutions that that have at least one year of documented experience of organising residencies in the fields of art and culture.

Individual applicants cannot apply for funding for artist residencies.

Residency centres applying for funding must be located in the Nordic Region (Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Åland) or the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania).

The funding covers all areas of art and culture.

How much money can you apply for?

Funding for residency centres can amount to EUR 50,000. The funding is to be managed by the centre and shall cover costs arising from the Ukrainian artist’s residency stay at the centre. The funding can also include remuneration to the artist during their stay.

In addition to travel expenses, subsistence, remuneration and other direct costs which arise in connection with the artists’ stay, the budget may contain a maximum of 15% towards administrative expenses (to be specified).

The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture must not be the only source of funding for the residency centre’s activities.

How are applications assessed?

An assessment is made based on the above criteria and the degree to which the application successfully conveys the following:

Existing regional and international work

The residency centre shall have experience in conducting ongoing residency activities for professional practitioners of art and culture on a regular basis. An assessment is also made of whether the residency is part of a current artistic and cultural context. Applicant organisation shall have the ambition to create contacts in the Nordic-Baltic region and with the international practitioners in the fields of art and culture.

Capacity

The residency must have the capacity to support the artist’s work. As a rule, the residency must also be able to work with more than one artist at a time and have documented co-operation with the local artistic and cultural scene. It’s important that the residency has the capacity to offer its artists opportunities for the creation of international networks.

Sustainability

The residency organisation shall have guidelines for sustainability and for a safe work environment. The sustainability of the artist residency is assessed from a social, economic and ecological perspective.

Please note that the application deadlines for all programmes is at 15:59, Finnish time.