Nordic Culture Fund Backs Next Phase of NAARCA’s Climate-Focused Artist Residency Network
Representatives from all of the NAARCA collaborators at the 2024 Saari Well. Photo: Jussi Virkkumaa
The Nordic Alliance of Artists’ Residencies on Climate Action (NAARCA) is delighted to share that the Nordic Culture Fund has awarded NAARCA a two-year grant for the continuation of the international network.
Co-devised by Cove Park (Scotland) and Saari Residence (Finland) in 2021, the Alliance aims to build a long-term bridge between Scotland and the Nordic countries around the most pressing global issue of our time. The collaboration was founded on the geological, cultural and linguistic similarities that united both regions, and was a starting point for an expansive and holistic network of international working around climate action.
During the first iteration (2022-2024), NAARCA facilitated 8 residency exchanges, 2 art commissions, 7 writing commissions, launched a podcast series and online exhibition, and created two toolkits: ‘Creative Climate Champions’ for young people and a Sustainability Toolkit for Artists’ Residencies.
In 2025 and 2026, with the support of Nordic Culture Fund, NAARCA will focus on supporting artists through residency exchanges, capacity-building for staff to develop ways of working with a long-term perspective, translation of toolkits, and sharing knowledge from the commissioned essays, podcast, and toolkits. Additionally, NAARCA is interested in exploring potential projects that expand our geographic focus from solely the Nordic and Scottish region to working with partners in other parts of the world.
“Our continued participation in NAARCA reflects Artica Svalbard’s deep commitment to fostering creative dialogue and action around climate change,” said Charlotte Hetherington, Director of Artica Svalbard. “This next phase will not only amplify the voices of artists working at the intersection of culture and sustainability but also strengthen the long-term capacities of our network, ensuring we continue to build meaningful connections and share vital knowledge across regions.”
Visit the NAARCA website for more.
The current partners of NAARCA are Artica Svalbard (Norway), Cove Park (Scotland), Narsaq International Research Station (Greenland), Saari Residence (Finland), and Skaftfell Art Center (Iceland).
The founding partners of NAARCA are Artica Svalbard (Norway), Art Hub Copenhagen (Denmark), Baltic Art Center (Sweden), Cove Park (Scotland), Narsaq International Research Station (Greenland), Saari Residence (Finland), and Skaftfell Art Center (Iceland).