Go to content

Cultural policy collabora­tion

Nordic Bridges has aligned closely with Nordic culture policy goals by promoting democracy, diversity, and dialogue and provided a platform for ongoing dialogue and new partnerships.
Source: Oxford Research´s evalutation of Nordic Bridges
The momentum created by Nordic Bridges and its expanding artist-to-artist dialogues offered a unique opportunity to also initiate an exchange between decision-makers within arts and cultural policy from the Nordics and Canada, and facilitate in-depth dialogue, knowledge-sharing to network-building on an intergovernmental level.

Policy-dialogues strengthened the Nordic-Canadian cultural cooperation

In the fall of 2021, leading up to Nordic Bridges 2022, a series of virtual Nordic-Canadian policy-dialogues on arts and culture took place. Almost 200 senior officials and experts examined topical questions related to the cultural dimension of sustainable development and the green transition, diversity of content online and the future of mobility and cultural export.
The themes proved relevant for cultural policy and beyond – both nationally and internationally. The dialogues also made it clear that the regions are committed to cultural sustainable development and diversity both in a national and an international context. Common concerns and initiatives show that Canada and the Nordics aim to promote strong democracies, social inclusion, cohesion and well-being in the societies by supporting and harnessing the arts and culture. A summary of the outcome is available in an online publication, presenting 12 interesting takeaways.
+
The think piece Changing the system – promoting cultural sustainable development and diversity: Expert opinions from the Culture and Arts Policy Dialogues between Canada and the Nordics in 2021 can be read online here 
Cultural experiences and institutions are key to supporting sustain­ability messages and outcomes. 
– Stacy Wakeford, Director, Experience and Engagement, Canadian Museum of Nature (2021)

Nordic delegation took part in the official celebration of Nordic Bridges

In May 2022, a Nordic delegation, led by Anette Trettebergstuen, Norway's Minister for Culture and chair of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Culture 2022, with representatives from all the Nordic ministries for culture, industry organisations, and cultural agencies, embassies participated in the official celebration of Nordic Bridges in Toronto.
They experienced the Nordic and Canadian art and performances on site and met with artists, representatives of cultural institutions, and policy makers from Canada and the Nordics to exchange experiences, establish networks, and discuss ways of working together.
We get the opportunity as five Nordic embas­sies to use this as a platform to reach out with public diplomacy to Canadians of all walks of life and all the provinces.
– Jon Elvedal Fredriksen, Ambassador of Norway to Canada (2022)

High-level Nordic-Canadian meeting

During the May visit to Toronto, a high-level meeting between the Nordic Council of Ministers for Culture and the Government of Canada/Canadian Heritage was held. On the agenda were the post-pandemic recovery for the cultural sector, strengthening Nordic-Canadian cultural co-operation, and how to tackle tech companies' influence on freedom of expression.
The meeting resultated in a joint statement on combatting harmful content online.
+
Joint statement from Canada and the Nordic Council of Ministers for Culture
Let’s all take action to ensure that people every­where can express themselves freely in the digital space, free from harm.
– Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage (2022)

Roundtable on the inter­section between climate change and the arts

During a roundtable discussion on sustainability and the arts, policymakers, artists, and environmental activists dove into questions like How can cultural places transform to reduce environmental impact? and What role can arts councils and government play in that transformation?
Some of the take-aways were that governments should support grassroots environmental initiatives in cultural spaces, provide green resources, and help artists integrate sustainable practices through funding. Additionally, fostering an inclusive society can drive greater participation in climate crisis mitigation, while individuals and organizations should be mindful of their consumption.
+
We want Nordic Bridges to be a platform where artists can meet new colleagues, gain new insight, and establish long-term international relationships. This exchange of art, culture and ideas has a positive influence throughout the culture sectors in the Nordic Region - from artists and programmers to policy makers.
Anette Trettebergstuen, Norway’s Minister of Culture and Equality and chair of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Culture in 2022. (2022)  
High-level meeting between the Nordic Council of Ministers for Culture and Canadian Heritage (Government of Canada).
Photo by Worker Bee Supply / norden.org
Nordic Council of Ministers / norden.org/nordicbridges