Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture: Mentorship

Mentorship is part of The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture strengthens artistic and cultural co-operation in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The focus of the programme is on increasing the exchange of knowledge, contacts, presence, and interest in Nordic and Baltic art and culture.

Mission

The mentorship pilot within the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture in the Nordic Region and Baltic countries was set up in order to develop and share experiences, perspectives, skills, and learning with each other by way of regular meetings. The aim is to promote long-term relationships within cultural mobility.

The focus of the mentoring model is on sharing experiences, perspectives, skills, and learning from each other by way of regular meetings.

The mentoring process is an interactive relationship that benefits both mentee and mentor through mutual learning.

The process includes joint meetings to share experiences and pass on knowledge across geographical borders and artistic disciplines.

The module will benefit local art and culture communities in the region through long-term, sustainable, and committed collaboration.

Structure

The program is driven by the unique character of each mentor/mentee pairing, organised through individual meetings. The entire cohort of mentor/mentee pairs meet twice throughout the module/during the programme period, hosted by Nordic Culture Point in Helsinki, Finland. The shared meetings will provide the participants with the opportunity to share ideas across disciplines and build up further support among peers.

A key part of the process is the one-to-one meetings between mentor and mentee. The pair decides on a schedule and meeting routine that suits them. Two of the meetings are held physically in each other’s countries to share sources of inspiration, arrange meetings with other artists, facilitate contact with the arts and culture scene, and establish new contacts in the region. The pair are responsible for arranging the meetings.

During the mentorship period, all mentors and mentees will participate in two joint sessions to network, share experiences and learning, and discuss issues of mutual interest. Nordic Culture Point is responsible for these sessions.

Participants are expected to demonstrate a high level of commitment to the programme, to actively participate in all the meetings, and to contribute to the assigned tasks that are part of the programme.

The mentor and mentee will sign a common agreement before the mentorship period begins. After the end of the period, the mentor and mentee will submit a report.

History and context

Since 2009, the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture has supported professional artists, producers, and other stakeholders in all fields and sectors of art and culture in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The mobility funding within the programme provides individual applicants with access to contacts, skills, and knowledge from different parts of the region.

The mentorship aims to further strengthen these collaborations.

The programme does not expect any kind of specific content in term of the artists’ work.

Who should apply?

Young individual professional artists and cultural workers up to the age of 30 can apply to become a mentee.

Applicants must be resident in the Nordic Region (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and the Åland Islands) or the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) but do not need to hold Nordic or Baltic citizenship.

A disabled applicant can bring along a personal assistant.

Students are not eligible to apply.

Who are the mentors?

The mentors in the programme are preselected. The mentors are established professional artists and cultural practitioners living in the Nordic Region or the Baltic countries, with many years of experience.

The applicants state the name of the mentor they wish to be matched with in their application. Please note that you cannot apply for a mentor who lives in the same country as yourself.

Who decides the mentors, mentees, and pairs?

The pairs will be decided by the expert group for mobility funding.

What is the timeframe?

The mentorship period is six months, starting in October 2022 and concluding in March 2023. One-to-one meetings between mentor and mentee are to be held during this period. Two of the meetings shall be held physically in each other’s country of residence. In addition to this, there are mandatory joint sessions for all the participants in the programme.

Applications open: 28 February 2022

Application deadline: 28 March 2022

Decision meeting: 20 May 2022 (the mentor matching group will meet to match mentors with mentees)

Programme duration: October 2022 to March 2023 (six months). This is a six-month intensive mentorship pilot with meetings every month.

October 2022
13 and 14 October 2022: IRL introductory meeting in Helsinki with all ten mentors and ten mentees. (One-day fee as two half-days)

November 2022
Mentee/mentor visit. Date to be decided between the pair. (One-day fee)

December 2022
Mentee and mentor ONLINE meeting (one day). Date to be decided between the pair. (One-day fee)

January 2023
12 January 2023: ONLINE mid-term meeting with all ten mentors and ten mentees. (One-day fee)

February 2023
Mentee/mentor visit. Date to be decided between the pair. (One-day fee)

March 2023
27 and 28 March 2023: IRL final meeting in Helsinki with all ten mentors and ten mentees. (One-day fee as two half-days)

Travel and eligible costs

The funding is based on fixed remuneration and covers travel, subsistence, and other expenses directly related to the meetings during the programme period. This fixed remuneration is calculated based on the fixed rates for mobility funding.

Rate calculator

In addition, a daily fee of EUR 158 per meeting day applies. One meeting day per month is covered, meaning a total of six workdays for the programme period as whole. The schedule of the workdays/hours is to be decided between the pair.

Each mentor/mentee is to book their own travel and accommodation. How the fixed travel and subsistence allowance is spent is up to the mentor/mentee.