Participating artists experienced benefits such as artistic growth, exploring new directions, and expanding horizons through engagement with different cultures and markets.

Source: Oxford Research's evaluation of Nordic Bridges

The programming for Nordic Bridges started with the Nordic Lights outdoor exhibition in Toronto while the city was still in lockdown due to the pandemic in January 2022. As the world opened up durning the spring, more and more in person events rolled out all over Canada and ran troughout the year.

The programme was built around four key pillars: Artistic Innovation, Accessibility and Inclusion, Indigenous perspectives and Resilience and Sustainability, with a focus on collaboration between Nordic and Canadian artists rather than showcasing Nordic arts in Canada.

Harbourfront Centre was lead-curator and 24 Canadian partnering venues and organisations were included through an open call conducted by Harbourfront Centre. Partners included museums, festivals, theatres and multidisciplinary art venues from Vancouver Island in the West to Newfoundland in the East, Yukon in the North to Toronto in the South.

Events and collaborations included e.g. performing arts festivals for children, design collaborations, songwriting workshops, residencies for visual artists, open air concerts, Nordic focus at film festivals, artist talks with novelists, exhibitions and much more.

– Nordic artist on their experience from Nordic Bridges

The programme played out in 13 locations across the Canada, and highlighted both artists well known in the Nordics and new talents, as well as other creative collaborations never produced before. More than 220 Nordic artists, groups and companies participated.

They reported positive experiences and direct effects resulting from these partnerships, such as artistic growth, exploring new directions, and expanding horizons through engagement with different cultures and markets.

Artists also highlighted the importance of economic incentives to their participation, pointing out how the support from Nordic Bridges has allowed them to access new markets particularly in Canada but not only, enabling them to tap into new audiences.

– Nordic Bridges Canadian Programming Partner

I have had the chance to become part of a new performing arts network for indigenous women from the Arctic region, started as a result of the participation in Nordic Bridges.

Nordic artist on their experience from Nordic Bridges

For more information about acts, events and activities during Nordic Bridges in Canada, please take a look in this PDF or visit nordicbridges.ca

For over two years we have worked with hundreds of Nordic and Canadian artists to get ready for Nordic Bridges, and we are thrilled to present their work, throughout 2022, from coast to coast to coast.

Iris Nemani, Chief Programming Officer at Harbourfront Centre (2022)

Multidisciplinary artist Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen was artist-in-residence at Harbour­front Centre in Toronto as part of Nordic Bridges. Picture from her solo exhibition "This is Not a Rehabilitation Project" at Harbourfront Centre in 2022.
Photo courtesy Harbourfront Centre.