Appointment

The experts decide about how the funds of the cultural programmes of the Nordic Council of Ministers are allocated, so the principle is that the expert groups should consist of people with top-level professional competence in their specialist fields. The experts represent the whole region and all fields of art and culture.

Each country and autonomic region first nominates its candidates. The proposals are delivered to the Nordic Council of Ministers, which then appoints the experts to establish a group that has the competence to assess applications from all fields of art and culture.

The nominations of the countries and the autonomous areas adhere to the following competence criteria:

a) Mobility and Residency Programme: Network Support and Mobility Support

• diverse knowledge of the field of art
• broad and recognised expertise in their own artistic disciplines
• working experience in at least two professional roles (e.g. artist/producer)
• wide-ranging networks and international experience

b) Mobility and Residency Programme: Support for Artist Residencies

• diverse knowledge of the field of art
• specialist competencies in residency activities in the Nordic Region and/or internationally
• wide-ranging networks and international experience

c) Art and Culture Programme

• diverse knowledge of the field of art
• broad and recognised expertise in their own artistic disciplines
• working experience in at least two professional roles (e.g. artist/producer, designer/critic, composer/festival organiser)
• good information basis on national cultural policy
• wide-ranging networks and international experience
• interest in creative solutions and innovative procedures
• ability to analyse and communicate
• ability to communicate, orally and in writing, proficiently in a Nordic language and in English

Guidelines about independence

As part of the nomination process, the countries and the autonomous areas also pay attention to the experts' independence.

An expert is not considered independent in relation to the Nordic Council of Ministers if he/she:

• works or has worked in the last five years in the Nordic Council of Ministers' Secretariat
• represents any board of directors or steering group under the Nordic Council of Ministers or has done so in the last two years
• acts as an expert in any working group or group of experts under the Nordic Council of Ministers or has done so in the last two years.

To ensure transparency, the experts can only be nominated for a single three-year term. The period cannot be extended, and once it is over, new experts will be appointed.