We – in the Nordic Council of Artists – strongly protest against the withdrawal of funding to Circolo Scandinavo

Statement of support to Circolo Scandinavo –
Skandinaviska Föreningens Konstnärshus i Rom

The Nordic Council of Artists is the collaboration network of artists’ organisations in the Nordic countries and in the autonomous territories. Together we represent almost 100,000 professional artists from all art disciplines in the Nordic countries.

We hereby have to express our deepest concern regarding the planned withdrawal of funding to Circolo Scandinavo from 2024 and the effect it will have on the Circolo’s operations. For many years the Nordic Council of Artists have given active support to strengthen the financial grounds of the residency through dialogue with the Nordic Council of Ministers. We also fully support the letter to the Nordic ministers and parliamentarians sent on the 10th of March from the director and from the president of Circolo Scandinavo. See attached file.

Circolo Scandinavo is a unique Nordic cooperation that started in 1860. It has since then been an important center for Nordic artists from all art disciplines to create art in an inspiring environment that links them to the history of world culture. An essential part of the Circolo’s work is to provide a platform for intercultural exchange between the Nordic art world and the currrent international melting pot of Rome, and for the diachronic encounter with Italian culture that constitutes the original raison d’être for the Circolo.

Futhermore we would like to emphasise the importance of the community established by the artists themselves while staying in Circolo Scandinavo. There they get a rare opportunity to communicate across the different fields of the arts, cultures and nationalities, often establishing lasting ties and fruitful projects of cooperation.

Moreover, with regards to the great societal challenges we are facing, we are convinced that interdisciplinary collaborations between science, politics and the arts have become increasingly important. Here Circolo Scandinavo is an important platform, and this is something Circolo focus on in its daily operations as well as in projects and cooperations.

The Nordic Council of Artists encourages the Nordic Council of Ministers to recognize our appeal to reconsider the planned withdrawal of funding and continue the supporting and the strengthening of Circolo Scandinavo’s economy for the purpose of further development of this important platform of Nordic art and culture in a dynamic Roman environment.

Since we received information about the planned cuts in the cultural budget 2021-2024 from the Nordic Council of ministers we have taken actions and made several joint Nordic statements (link to the latest Restore and strengthen the nordic cultural budget – KLYS ) to stop it. It is therefore devastating to hear about the plans for Circolo Scandinavo.

We urge you who are responsible ministers and parliamentarians in this matter in each Nordic country, to reconsider the decision and instead restore and strengthen the budget for Circolo Scandinavo from 2024 and onwards, so that it can develop and create new arts and artistic cooperation in the future.

Society of today with all its crisis (pandemic, war, climate and economic crisis etc) needs more cultural platforms like this, not less!

On behalf of the Nordic Council for Artists:

Karin Inde, chair of KLYS, the Swedish Council of Artists

Nis Römer, chair of the Danish Council of Artists

Erling Johanneson, chair of BIL, the Icelandic Council of Artists

Virpi Hämeen-Anttila, chair of Forum Artis, the Finnish Council of Artists

Heidi Marie Kriznik, head of the working committée of Kunstnernettverket – the Norwegian Artists Network

Karen Anne Buljo, chair of the Sami Council of Artists