NEMO – Northern European Mobility Opportunity

About the Open Call

NEMO is a pilot programme for mobility and artistic exchange, supported by the Nordic Culture Fund and the arts funding agencies of Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The programme aims to foster international collaboration, strengthen artistic networks across the region and support more artists and arts professionals in engaging with international partners. The call focuses on individual artists and arts practitioners in the early stages of their careers, reflecting a shared recognition among the partners that this group has a particular need for additional support and opportunities in the current climate. The shared aims of this programme are to: Foster international collaboration, Develop artistic networks across the region, and Encourage more artists and arts practitioners to work confidently with international partners. Applicants can apply for a grant of up to DKK 75,000. Examples of what the grant can be spent on include: Travel for partnership development and/or research and development rather than co-production costs; Exchange of knowledge, know-how and experience; Mentorships (e.g., exchange of working methods, traditions, processes); Capacity building (e.g., strengthening of skills, resources, structures); Creation of / Design of a small-scale pilot for a future collaboration. Applications can be for physical, digital or hybrid activity in response to the programme aims. Expenditure should be on travel, accommodation and allowances for time spent. No performative artistic output is required, but budget can be spent on research and development for future activity. What cannot be spent on: Capital expenditure (such as buying equipment); Activity that starts before you receive a grant; Costs that are already covered by other sources of funding; Activities that generate a profit. As this is a pilot, there is a limited budget. The total available for this round will be approximately DKK 2,200,000 (approx. EUR 300,000), allowing for exchange rates. The fund expects to make around 30 awards worth up to DKK 75,000 (approx. EUR 10,000) each. Grants will be awarded in Danish Kroner. All applications will be received online by the Nordic Culture Fund and will go through an initial eligibility check. Staff from partner arts agencies and experts from the Nordic Culture Fund will select up to 100 applications most likely to strongly meet the fund’s criteria to proceed to a decision-making panel. The panel will consider a balanced portfolio of applicants based on diversity of identities, communities, art forms, and geography. Applications will be assessed against four criteria: Significance for artists and arts practitioners in the initial years of their career; Project structure (clarity of activities, timeline and budget); The partnership (quality of reciprocal engagement); and Potential for future developments and broader regional benefits. Limited feedback will be provided to unsuccessful applicants, and there is no appeals process.

What is Offered

A grant of up to DKK 75,000 (approx. EUR 10,000) for individual artists and arts practitioners to develop new partnerships and collaborations across the Nordic countries, UK, and Ireland. The grant covers costs for travel, accommodation, allowances for time spent, exchange of knowledge, mentorships, capacity building, and creation of small-scale pilot collaborations. Awards will be announced in November 2025.

Requirements

The call focuses on individual artists and arts practitioners in the early stages of their artistic careers (1-5 years professional experience), who are resident in one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Åland Islands), the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales), or Ireland. Applicants must seek to collaborate with a partner based outside their country of residence within the eligible partner countries. Only one application per individual is allowed. Applicants must have a bank account in their country of residence, a CV demonstrating their artistic track record, and limited prior international working experience. The application must be for a new partnership or collaboration, with a letter of invitation from the partner, and the collaboration must be completable within one year of receiving the award. Ineligible applicants include organizations, individuals with an established international track record, those not based in or working with eligible partner countries, full-time students (undergraduate or postgraduate), individuals planning to attend residencies abroad, and artists’ collectives involving multiple individual artists.

How to Apply

Applications are managed through the Nordic Culture Fund’s online application portal (paper applications are not accepted). The online form must be submitted by the deadline, together with a CV for the applicant and a letter of invitation from the chosen partner. The application form asks short questions about partner selection, collaboration goals, impact on practice, future developments, a timeline for key activities, and a basic budget breakdown in DKK. Personal access costs can be requested in addition to the activity budget, potentially exceeding DKK 75,000.