About ArtNexus in English

ArtNexus is a 3-year international programme led by the Swedish Arts Grants Committee (SAGC) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), promoting artistic freedom, development and the strengthening of democratic processes.

The programme was launched in Albania in October 2021 and expanded to Armenia in April 2022.

Current Progress

Albania: In January 2021, the programme held its first dialogue meeting in Tirana, with representatives from the culture-, state- and private sectors present. The fruitful discussions are the first in a series of events for ArtNexus in Albania. In 2022, ArtNexus will hold targeted workshops in copyright and music and support the public art development in Albania.

Armenia: The programme will also, in dialogue with national stakeholders, further develop a mapping study of the needs of cultural practitioners in Armenia to plan for future demand-based workshops in the country.

Capacity-building activities

ArtNexus provides capacity-building activities targeting both art- and cultural practitioners as well as state and private actors in the partner countries. Art- and cultural practitioners constitute a marginalized group that tends to be underpaid and face difficulties to influence policy- and lawmakers. The ArtNexus programme aims to improve art- and culture practitioners’ practices and abilities to expand their networks both nationally and internationally. Thereby, ArtNexus facilitates channels of communication between art- and cultural practitioners and the state, which can generate required adjustments in policy and practice.

ArtNexus will implement its vision through:

• Arranging workshops, meetings and other capacity-building efforts targeting art- and cultural practitioners and state representatives to enable an exchange of knowledge and enhanced communication¨.
• Facilitating a transition towards more efficient regulatory frameworks and policies.
• Providing a limited number of grants and residencies to art- and cultural practitioners.

A demand- and needs-based programme

ArtNexus is a demand- and needs-based programme, meaning that activities are organized with consideration to direct feedback from art- and cultural practitioners and national stakeholders. The SAGC will be implementing important segments of the programme in collaboration with Sida, Swedish embassies and local partners. To promote evidence-based policymaking, ArtNexus will also conduct mapping studies and surveys in partner countries.