Spain and Norway step up their cultural cooperation
29 projects of cultural cooperation between Spain, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein funded with 500,000 euros. Music, theatre, dance, photography and much more… This is the EEA Grants Cultural Diversity and Cultural Exchange Programme which have just finished in Spain, but the story doesn’t end there.
16.12.2014
I Contemporary Norwegian Jazz Cycle in Madrid, Princess Kristina and the Goblin, artists exchange… These are only a few examples of the 29 projects cofinanced by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA Grants) in the framework of the Cultural Diversity and Cultural Exchange Programme, managed by the Norwegian Embassy in Spain. A closing event last 11 December put an end to this successful programme which during more than one year has promoted cultural diversity, something crucial in order to strengthen mutual understanding in Europe and social cohesion.
However, the cooperation among artists from both countries doesn’t finish here. Or at least, this was the wish expressed by the Norwegian Ambassador in Spain, Johan Christopher Vibe, and the General Director of Cultural Policy in the Spanish Ministry of Culture, Education and Sport, Teresa Lizaranzu, during the opening session.
The challenge now is how to harness the positive links and synergies created during this Programme. There are some options on the table: Spanish public aids for cultural internationalisation; Creative Europe Programme within EU; or the possibility of looking for partners in the countries still recipients of the EEA Grants, like Poland.
Why it is a good idea to invest in culture? The EEA Grants finances 19 programmes in 14 beneficiary states with 201,4 million euros. “Culture contribute not only to economic growth and job creation, but also to mutual understanding”, explained Sheamus Cassidy, Cultural Senior Adviser in the FMO. Indeed, 3,5% of the employment in Europe is related to culture. And despite the fact there are many public aids to cultural projects within each country, they are very limited for transnational projects.
The EEA Grants have stepped up cultural relations among Spain and Norway and everything suggests that this trend will continue in the future.