NEDNAC - Towards inclusive artscapes in the Nordic Region
Report written by Nicol Savinetti and published by IMMART
INTRODUCTION
With start-up network funding from Nordic Culture Fund and Nordic Culture Point, the Network for the Diversification of Nordic Arts and Culture (NEDNAC) was established to find ways to strengthen artistic and cultural cooperation in the Nordic region with regard to artists and cultural workers of foreign origin, together with non foreign-born actors and institutions. Working cross-disciplinarily and including research, we aimed to increase the exchange of knowledge in this area and increase the presence of and interest in art and culture produced in the Nordic region by resident producers of art and culture of diverse nationalities and heritage NEDNAC's objectives were:
● To pool our resources and skills in order to achieve our goal and maximize impact in the three countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland)
● To identify how the artscapes differ in the three countries and how their diversification can be mainstreamed across the Nordic region
● To identify how we can we work with local, national and Nordic foundations and arts and cultural institutions in both the private and public sector to improve and diversify opportunities.
WHY?
According to a 2018 report by the Swedish Agency for Cultural Policy Analysis, there is a distinct lack of diversity at state cultural institutions in the Nordic Region. Read more here. This trend is also visible in the mainstream arts and cultural scene in the Nordic countries. NEDNAC's mission is to make artscapes in the Nordic region inclusive and thus improve the situation for artists of foreign origin The network shall operate at the grassroots and policy level
WHO?
In this start-up phase, NEDNAC is administered and managed by IMMART NEDNAC is working with artists of foreign origin who are resident in Denmark, Sweden and Finland The member organisations/persons were: IMMART (Denmark), Fairooz Tamimi (Sweden), Globe Art Point
OF START-UP
NEDNAC (2018/19)
SUMMARY
PHASE OF
SUMMARY OF START-UP PHASE OF NEDNAC (2018/19)
(Finland), Culture for All (Finland), CUPORE - Center for Cultural Policy Research (Finland).
HOW?
Between November 2018 and April 2019, NEDNAC held virtual and face-to-face meetings, workshops, dinners in Malmö and Helsinki We invited artists of foreign origin to participate in the dinners and share their experiences and work produced while living in the Nordic region. The goal of these gatherings was to better understand the current situation for artists and cultural workers of foreign origin, identify the gaps in opportunities and services provided, and figure out how they can be bridged
OUTCOMES
During this start-up phase, the participating organisations were able to spend the necessary amount of time discussing their own work and the situation in their own countries, which allowed us all to gain a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the situation of foreign artists and the level and type of attention being given in each country on diversity and attention to diversity within the arts sector There were more differences than expected, with Denmark standing out as being less advanced than Sweden and Finland. We were also able to learn from one another's good practices some of which can be transferred and some not, depending on the goals of our organisations More time and funding is needed to establish tools and pathways for the further dissemination of knowledge already gained and potentially gained from NEDNAC
The activities in the start-up phase allowed us to investigate qualitatively and with a small number of cases, the situation of foreign artists. In order to lay a solid foundation for the network's activities, we agreed that the first step is to get more in-depth comparable knowledge about the situation by collecting quantitative data in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Iceland In Finland, data has recently been collected by CUPORE who have agreed to share their questionnaire and results of the data analysis so that the questionnaires disseminated in the other countries collect comparable data
GAP, IMMART and Fairooz Tamimi (who is starting up the organisation "Icebreaker") are the three organisations that work directly with artists and arts organisations The three are at very different stages of development with GAP being at the most advanced stage The three agreed to synergize on offering an arts organisations directory which GAP has already implemented and will advise IMMART and Fairooz Tamimi on
The most important experiences of collaboration with our Nordic colleagues has been the
SUMMARY OF START-UP PHASE OF NEDNAC (2018/19)
recognition and understanding of the similarities and differences between the situation for artists of foreign origin, and migrant-led arts organisations in the different countries; adapting to one another's different communication styles; the great potential and possibilities of sharing good practices; and facilitating the creation of opportunities for artists of foreign origin within and across regions
TIMELINE & PROGRESSION
● 30 November 2018: SKYPE MEETING
○
Introductions & Presentations of Organizations We discussed our methods of decision making; needs and possibilities assessment for each organisation; NEDNAC identity, short-term and long-term goals; other organisations of interest in the Nordic region; practicalities and future actions
● 24 January 2019 SKYPE MEETING
○ Plan for Malmö meeting and Artist Dinner; discussed webpage content
● 21 February 2019 Malmö (SE) - WORKSHOP 1
○ Meeting with Region Skåne Culture Director - Workshop meeting where we discussed Objectives 1 and 2; what were our individual organisations and eventually our group interests and goals with starting a Nordic network; what type of network is there a need for; what are the differences and similarities in the artscapes of DK, SE and FIN with regard to diversity and diversity awareness; what resources do we have among us, what is already out there, what is missing and what can we achieve in the short term and longer term - Artist Dinner @ The Studio where three artists of foreign origin living in Denmark, and three living in Sweden presented or performed their art; group discussion on similarities and differences between producing art in Sweden and Denmark
● 22 February 2019 Malmö (SE) - WORKSHOP 2
○ Reflections on day 1 and artist dinner Discussed Objective 3 - how we can we work with local, national and Nordic foundations and arts and cultural institutions plan to identify the existing key actors and institutions and identify gaps; defined NEDNAC goals (to become an advocay and information/knowledge sharing network at the Nordic level) and primary goal (to make the artscapes in the Nordic region more inclusive); discussed future funding possibilities; scheduled next meetings
● March
○ Technical issues for skype meetings so increased email communuication prior to face-to- face meeting in Helsinki in April.
● 16 April 2019: HELSINKI Meeting 1
○ Recap on Malmö meeting and decisions; discussion and decisions about how to align/synergize our in-country activities in order to set NEDNAC up for success; need for basic quantitative research in DK, SE, NO and Iceland on situation of artists of foreign origin; FI actors willing to share best practices and questionnaire
SUMMARY OF START-UP PHASE OF NEDNAC (2018/19)
structure and content in order to have comparable data across Nordic region; established an operational plan for the next 3 years with a structure where the leadership rotates; IMMART takes responsibility for research plan; collectively hav funding applications ready for September 2019 with goal of December of 2020 as final date for analysis of data and report; decided on short term and long-term Communications Plan - stick to IMMART website and each organisation's social media channels until long-term funding is achieved; decided on Growth Planorganic growth with realistic goals and timeline.
○ Artist Dinner @ GAP offices where three artists of foreign origin living in Finland presented their work
● 17 April 2019: HELSINKI Meeting 2
○ Impressions from Artist Dinner; recap on previous meeting; discussed criteria for acceptance of new members to the network (open to associations whose work is focused on diversity AND who are diverse (of foreign background), rather than individuals Individuals can be part of steering groups; associations who share the mission of NEDNAC’s work; associations of and or by foreign artists, cultural workers) and locating partners in Norway and Iceland; discussed division of responsibilities and different possible organizational structures - have a working group with one member from each organisation; a Board with one member from each organisation and one institution to be the financial host (possibly GAP); aim for NEDNAC to be completely established by 2020/21
OUTCOMES
IMMART now has a collaboration with Brazil-based M'BARAKA, presented by Leticia Stallone at the Malmö Artist Dinner. The international exhibition at The Dome in Aarhus in Nov. 2019 is part of a worldwide exhibition to be staged in Brussels marking 30 yrs since the fall of the Berlin Wall. 3 artists from the NEDNAC artist dinners in Helsinki & Malmö will exhibit and one will hold a kids workshop
IMMART and Fairooz Tamimi presented, and IMMART held a workshop, at the OPENING THE NORDIC ART SECTOR seminar organized by GAP in May 2019, with participants from all Nordic countries (Ministries, academia, and civil society). Talks are ongoing between Fairooz Tamimi and IMMART on collaborations with new Norwegian and Swedish partners.
GAP was able to extend a Nordic invitation to Diversité artistique Morntréal to exchange knowledge, with itineraries organised in Sweden by Fairooz Tamimi, and Denmark and Sweden by IMMART All three organisations are invited for future visits to Montréal
SUMMARY OF START-UP PHASE OF NEDNAC (2018/19)
CONCLUSIONS
● Globe Art Point (Finland), IMMART - International Migration Meets the Arts (Denmark), and Fairooz Tamimi (Sweden) are at very different stages in their evolution, as is the state of the art of engagement with diversity within the arts and culture sector in Denmark, Finland and Sweden A more comprehensive overview of the situation in all of the Nordic Countries is needed if NEDNAC is to achieve its vision, mission and goals
● Should NEDNAC continue, the goal should be to focus on impacting policy, information sharing, and doing advocacy work at the Nordic level in the fields of arts, culture and ethnic diversity
● In order to legitimize the policy and advocacy work, NEDNAC members would collect and analyze primary data from the Nordic countries pertaining to the situation and needs of artists of foreign origin.
● IMMART has begun groundwork for collecting primary data on artists of foreign origin and the state of the art in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Iceland In Finland, GAP and CUPORE are analysing data already collected
● CUPORE and Culture for All are prepared to continue in an advisory capacity
● The current members should establish a list of criteria that future member organisations must fulfil, and initially actively seek out member organisations in Iceland and Norway.
● A mission statement for NEDNAC should be formulated and published in June 2019
● Funding should be sought in order to carry out the basic scientific research required (see point 2 ) and to allow the network to operate efficiently
