New report on Nordic Exchange opportunities in crafts and design

In 2023, Norwegian Crafts, the Danish Arts Foundation and the Nordic Culture Fund initiated a Nordic collaboration to explore and map the existing opportunities and future potential for exchange in the field of crafts and design in the Nordics. The core question in the three-part collaboration has been: how can specialised knowledge and skills in arts, crafts and design be developed and preserved in a sustainable way, with relevance both now and in the future?

Strengths and potential

The report identifies a number of strengths in the existing production environments and networks. Among other things, the report highlights that exchange and residencies for crafts and design practitioners contribute to renewed professional inspiration, continuation of craft traditions and increased public interest that strengthens their long-term relevance. At the same time, the report emphasises a clear potential for development and expansion of exchange opportunities in the field – also pointing to a need for increased strategic and collaborative efforts to strengthening the continued development of craft traditions and preservation of its knowledge today and in the future.

The report is based on interviews with selected production sites in the Nordic region and collected data from participating artists and practitioners in the exchange programme Nordic Exchange – Production Environments, Knowledge and Skills, funded by Norwegian Crafts and the Danish Arts Foundation. In addition, knowledge has been gathered from members of arts, crafts and design organisations in the Nordic region: the Nordic Network of Crafts Associations (NNCA), Danske Kunsthåndverkere og Designere in Denmark, Handverk & Hönnun in Iceland, Konsthantverkcentrum and Konstnärernas Riksorganisation in Sweden, Norske Kunsthåndverkere in Norway and Ornamo in Finland.

Norwegian Crafts

Norwegian Crafts is an organization for Norwegian craftmanship, established in 2012, working to strengthen their position and status, both inside and outside the Nordics.

The Danish Arts Foundation

The Danish Arts Foundation (Statens Kunstfond) is Denmark’s largest support agency for art and culture, whose secretariat is the governmental Agency for Culture and Palaces.

The Danish Agency for Cultural Analysis

The Danish Agency for Cultural Analysis (Kulturens Analyseinstitut) is a self-governing and independent institution under the Ministry of Culture, which gathers and spreads knowledge on the position of culture in society.

Read the full report here

The report is subject for discussion at the seminar International Strategies and Nordic Exchange during Stockholm Craft Week on 1 October, where the Danish Institute for Cultural Analysis will present the main findings. Participating artists and production sites from the exchange programme will also present their work and experiences. See the programme here:

See the programe for the conference here.