Cooperation in the Baltic Region

The Baltic Culture Fund

From January 2019, grants are available from the Baltic Culture Fund for joint cultural projects between Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. The main goal of the Baltic Culture Fund, founded on 8 July 2018 on the basis of the Agreement between the Ministries of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Estonia and Republic of Latvia on the Establishment of the Baltic Culture Fund, is to promote cultural cooperation between the Baltic countries and strengthen the internationalization of Lithuanian, Estonian and Latvian culture through joint cultural projects and events. Grants are awarded annually.
The statutes, application procedure and logo of the Baltic Cultural Fund are available on the programme’s website.
Contacts:
Estonia
Cultural Endowment of Estonia
Suur-Karja 23, 10148 Tallinn
Fund leadership period: 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2021
Latvia
State Culture Capital Foundation
K. Valdemāra iela 20, Riga LV-1010
Fund leadership period: 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024
Lithuania
Lithuanian Council for Culture
Naugarduko g. 10, 01309 Vilnius
Fund leadership period: 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2027


Baltic Council of Ministers / Baltic Cultural Committee

The Baltic Council of Ministers – the institution of trilateral intergovernmental cooperation - was established at the meeting of the Baltic Prime Ministers on the 13th of June 1994. The structure of the Council takes into account political interests and gives a possibility to manage the trilateral cooperation. The Baltic Council of Ministers operates under the guidance of the Prime Ministers’ Council.
Trilateral cooperation in the field of culture is coordinated by the Baltic Cultural Committee of senior officials, who meet annually to discuss cooperation issues. Cultural cooperation guidelines are provided by the Programme of Cultural Cooperation, signed between the all three Ministries of Culture.
Programme of Cultural Cooperation between the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Estonia for the years 2023-2026
Trilateral initiatives:
Kremerata Baltica;
Baltic Museology Summer School;
Competition Best of the Baltic Book Design;
International Folk Festival Baltica;
Baltic Students Song and Dance Festival Gaudeamus;
Baltic Seminar of National Libraries LiLaEst;
Congress of Baltic Librarians CoBal;
Baltic Drama Forum;
Baltic Dance Platform;
Baltic Orchestra Festival;
Baltic Music Days Festival;
Baltic Film Days;
Baltic Amateur Theatre Festival Baltic Ramp;
Baltic Architects Unions Association and BAUA Awards (BAUA);
Baltic Way (UNESCO The Memory of the World Register);
The Baltic Way Stories;
Baltic Song and Dance Celebrations (UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity);
Film Co-production Market Baltic Event;
Baltic Sea Documentary Forum etc.
 

Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture

Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture was launched in 2009 on the initiative of the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Ministries of Culture of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme is open to applicants from all the Nordic and Baltic countries. The Baltic countries, together with the Nordic countries, take part on an equal footing in both decision-making and funding.
The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture provides funding for:
mobility for individuals (open for professional artists and cultural workers)
network funding (open for individuals, groups, organisations or institutions)
artist residencies (open for organisations)

The Programme is administered by the Nordic Culture Point in Helsinki, Finland. 
 

Sweden-Lithuania Cooperation Fund

The Sweden-Lithuania Cooperation Fund supports projects which stimulate the development of bilateral relations between the countries. The purpose is to strengthen, broaden, renew and diversify Swedish-Lithuanian relationships.
The Sweden-Lithuania Cooperation Fund supports the development of promising project ideas and the start-up phase of new projects with a clear development perspective. Particular attention is given to exchange and cooperation for network building between young people to promote social cohesion, creativity, innovations and the formation of new enterprises.
The applications are welcome for travel and project grants that contribute to enhancing networking between young people.
 

The European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), Policy Area Culture

The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) was introduced as the EU's first macro-regional strategy in 2009. It has three main objectives: save the sea, connect the region, increase prosperity. In February 2021 the European Commission approved the new Action Plan for the Strategy. The revised Action Plan has 14 policy areas covering 44 actions. Policy area Culture aims to strengthen region’s cultural cooperation, connect people and increase region’s competitiveness. It covers three actions that are being implemented through various projects and initiatives:

• Promoting the Baltic Sea region cultural and creative industries, encouraging creative entrepreneurship;
• Promoting Baltic Sea region culture, cultural diversity and European values, promoting culture as a driver for sustainable development;
• Preserving the Baltic Sea region cultural heritage, strengthening regional identity.

The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland and the Ministry of Justice, Cultural and European Affairs of Land Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) have taken on the role as the Policy Area Coordinators. They are supported by the Baltic Sea Region cultural initiative ARS BALTICA and other relevant stakeholders as well as Ministries of Culture from the Baltic Sea Region.
 

Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), priority Regional Identity

Council of the Baltic Sea States’ work in the field of culture includes cultural heritage, contemporary culture and the promotion of regional identity. The CBSS addresses cultural cooperation through various regional partnerships and two specialized bodies, ARS BALTICA and the Baltic Region Heritage Committee, which report to the Ministers of Culture of the Baltic Sea Region.
The Baltic Region Heritage Committee – BRHC (former Monitoring Group on Cultural Heritage in the Baltic Sea States) is composed by nominated representatives of state authorities in charge of national heritage management in ten countries and was established back in 1998. National coordinator is Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of the Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.
The activities focus both on the intrinsic value of cultural heritage and its sustainable management. The BRHC promotes the potential of cultural heritage as a strategic resource for developing the Baltic Sea Region.
Read more on the BRHC homepage: www.baltic-heritage.eu
 

The Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (NDPC)

The Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture was established in 2010 as the fourth Partnership in the Northern Dimension Policy, a common policy for EU, Iceland, Norway and Russia(all activities including Russia are currently suspended). The NDPC countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture. Partnership encourages cooperation in the area of cultural and creative industries, developing a platform for dialogue and exchange of best practices, promoting cultural and creative industries and culture based innovation policies in the partnership countries, fostering cross-sectoral cooperation and research. Partnership is coordinated by a Steering Committee, involving representatives of partnership countries. National coordinator – The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.