The Nordic Culture Fund has granted DKK 4.25 million in Globus FORWARD funding and launches next year’s applications deadlines in the Globus initiative

73 formally valid applications were received by the application deadline of 15 September for the Globus FORWARD programme. The Fund has decided to grant funding to 9 initiatives with a total amount of DKK 4,250,000.

Globus FORWARD is the newest direction in the overall Globus initiative. The programme was launched in the spring and builds on insights and experiences from the previous phases of Globus and the Fund’s dialogue with previously supported Globus projects. The intention is to create a more structural dimension to Globus support and give previously established collaborations the opportunity to further develop and consolidate their work.

As on previous rounds, the Fund has collaborated with an international expert panel in the assessment and final selection of proposals:

“We can wholeheartedly support this selection, knowing that the pool of applications was tough and that there were several qualified proposals.The focus on capacity building and the development of institutional strengthening strategies is important, as several projects often get truncated due to lack of funding – well before they can realise their full potential. Giving a follow-up grant through Globus FORWARD allows these collaborations to plan for the long-term, an aspect that is rarely considered by funding organisations”, the group states.

In 2024, the expert panel consisted of Jimena Lara, Chief Culture and Social Impact Officer, The Anglo Foundation in Mexico; Pooja Sood, Director of Khoj International Artists’ and Camilla Mordhorst, CEO of Danish Cultural Institute.

An overview of the supported projects can be found further down in this news item.

Multi-level development since 2020

Globus was launched as the Nordic Culture Fund’s multi-year thematic programme in 2020. The initiative has aimed to broaden perspectives on Nordic cultural co-operation by giving artists and cultural practitioners new opportunities to apply for funding for mutual co-operation initiatives that extend beyond the Nordic region. The ambition has also been to demonstrate the importance of strengthening the transnational character of art and culture in an increasingly turbulent and unstable world.

“We have focused on working at several levels to ensure a holistic perspective and strengthen the long-term prerequisites for more balanced Nordic/Global collaborations,” says Anni Syrjäläinen, Senior Advisor at the Nordic Culture Fund and project manager for Globus.“In addition to application-based funding programmes, the initiative has involved collaborations with key international organisations, adding an important infrastructural and cultural policy perspective to the work. We continue to see great potential in facilitating connections across policy and the practicing fields of arts and culture, thereby contributing to a broader understanding of the potentials and current challenges within international cultural cooperation.”

Application rounds and summary of Globus in 2025

The Globus initiative is aligned with the Fund’s current strategy period 2019-2025 and is therefore set to conclude in its current format at the end of 2025. During next year, there will be one application deadline for each of the current funding programmes in Globus. The Globus Opstart+ programme will have a single deadline on April 25. The programme will open for applications 25 March. The application deadline for the Globus FORWARD programme is on September 12, 2025.

A concluding evaluation is also planned to assess the results achieved through the overall Globus initiative and explore the potential for continued international and global focus in Nordic co-operation. The evaluation will also provide concrete recommendations on how the key ideas and experiences from Globus can be further integrated into the Nordic Culture Fund’s practice and serve as inspiration for other foundations and the wider arts and culture sector.

A list of granted projects within Globus FORWARD

The Nordic Alliance of Artists’ Residencies on Climate Action (NAARCA) by Artica Svalbard – 500 000 DKKNAARCA unites seven international artist residencies to collaboratively explore climate action through research, institutional change, and public education. The vision for the continued collaboration is to build upon the work from the previous phases, further testing, implementing and evaluating new types of behaviour and sustainable lifestyles in a safe environment where private, professional and public life intertwine.

Narratives of Extraction by Stiftelsen Färgfabriken – 500 000 DKKThe collaboration brings together cultural institutions from the Nordics, South America, Ukraine and Georgia. The project is a continuation of two initial phases that aims to build and support institutional capacity through an international know-how exchange platform on extractivism and green transition seen through contemporary art and architecture.

Reparative Encounters by Aarhus University – 500 000 DKKReparative Encounters is a network of artists and curators from the USVI, Ghana, Kalaallit Nunaat and Denmark that fosters artistic collaboration across regions differently impacted by Danish colonialism. The aim is to consolidate the network and create a support infrastructure for long-lasting collaboration between art practices from these regions.

Building Bridges – Breaking Barriers by Freemuse – 500 000 DKKFreemuse and network partners in Asia, MENA, Africa, the Americas and Europe will build on existing initiatives and experiences in analysing threats to artistic freedom and to improve and develop joint documentation, monitoring and advocacy, nationally, regionally and internationally. The objectives are to strengthen collaborations by understanding the individual partners’ current capacities, focus areas, and strengths as well as the multiple challenges they face.

Ecologists at Risk (ER) – Growing from the Roots af Perpetuum Mobile – 500 000 DKKDeepening and learning from the first pilot project for Ecologists at Risk (ER), which bridges the Caribbean with the Nordic region, the initiative aims to build a sustainable model to support ecologists and cultural practitioners facing environmental and social threats.

Para-Pedagogies of Resistance: Ecologies of Transformation af Erin Manning – 275 000 DKKThe 3ecologies project, a non-profit organization based in Québec, Canada, is an autonomous learning environment focused on collective techniques for creative thought and practice. Its goal is to build on previous Globus-funded work by connecting with collaborators in Kenya, India, Mexico, South America, and Europe.

How can heritage, craft & design inspire a new generation of conscious makers and creative entrepreneurs af Nonkululeko Mlangeni – 500 000 DKKThe South Africa-Nordic collaboration aims to strategically plan and develop a self-sufficient financial model and a platform, following their pilot academy launching in October 2024. The aims is to develop a collaborative network that is locally led, far reaching and proactive in finding creative solutions to everyday problems using heritage, craft and design as a tool to advance our society.

Fostering Digital Sanctuaries af Ghost Agency – 500 000 DKKFostering Digital Sanctuaries conducts artistic research, practice and advocacy aimed at strengthening accountability and response mechanisms of digital technologies and understanding the risks and potentials of claiming rights to privacy and safety amidst technological acceleration. The long-term vision of Ghost Agency is to build a robust organisation capable of partnering with NGOs, art institutions, universities, and foundations focused on women’s and environmental rights, fostering global social change in the digital age.

Rethinking Tourism: Network for Creativity, Culture and Community in Tourism af PRAKSIS Oslo 500 000 DKK“Rethinking Tourism” will further develop the global network that has emerged through the “An Urgent Situation” project. The aim is to strengthen expertise, share skills, and knowledge about the role of creative actors in shaping an alternative tourism model. Rethinking Tourism includes: establishing a global support network, a residency series, a publication, a podcast, two conferences, and a book launch. The intention is to create a sustainable, multi-year network for long-term collaboration.