The Joint Working Group on Culture
Cross-border regional cooperation in the field of culture is an integral part of the Barents cooperation. The development of cultural life serves the social and economic development in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region.
The aim of the Joint Working Group on Culture (JWGC) is to strengthen cultural identities, multicultural dialogue and cultural ties between the Barents countries and the regions. In addition to the regional cultural administrations, the JWGC has representation from the Finnish, Norwegian, Russian and Swedish ministries responsible for culture and from the Working Group of Indigenous Peoples.
In the line with the overall vision of the multilateral cooperation formulated in the Barents Programme 2014-2018, the JWGC strategy Cultural Cooperation in the Barents Region 2014-2018 highlights the importance of capacity building and exchange. It also encourages facilitating and promoting networking, creating different kinds of new cultural meeting places, focusing on the strong relationship between culture and cultural and creative industries as well as creating new international opportunities for strengthening the competitiveness of the cultural operators in the Barents Region.
JWGC established Barents Scholarship for Cultural Cooperation in 2016. More information here.
Previous programmes:
New Horizons in the Barents Region (2011-2013) was the third Cultural Programme. It highlighted the importance for further strengthening cultural cooperation and its impact on regional, social and economic development in the Barents Region.
The second programme of Cultural Cooperation 2008-2010 was "New Winds in the Barents Region" was the framework for inter-regional cultural cooperation in the region. It highlighted cultural diversity and the importance of culture and cultural industry as a unique tool for the development of the region. The overall objective of the Programme was to further strengthen cultural cooperation and thus increase the impact of culture in the Barents Region.
The first Programme Voices in the Barents Region was implemented in the period of 2003-2006.
Contacts:
Sweden
Mr. David Ek (chair)
Secretary
Ministry of Culture
Tel: +46 84053897
E-mail: david.ek@regeringskansliet.se
Ms. Kristina Nilsson
Head of Culture
Region Norrbotten
Tel: +46 705730881
E-mail: kristina.b.nilsson@norrbotten.se
Ms. Camilla Thorn-Wollnert
Head of Cultural Affairs
Region Västerbotten
Tel: +46 70 377 5779
E-mail: camilla.thorn-wollnert@regionvasterbotten.se
Ms. Pia Brinkfeldt
Region Västerbotten
Tel: +46 705165745
E-mail: pia.brinkfeldt@regionvasterbotten.se
Finland
Ms. Helena Aaltonen
Regional Development Specialist
Regional Council of Kainuu
Tel: +358 447100854
E-mail: helena.aaltonen@kainuu.fi
Ms. Maija Lummepuro
Counsellor for Cultural Affairs
Ministry of Education and Culture
Tel: +358 295330198, +358 400800218
E-mail: maija.lummepuro@minedu.fi
Mr. Tomi Aho
Special Advisor
Arts Promotion Centre, Lapland
Tel: +358 295330850
E-mail: tomi.aho@taike.fi
Ms. Auli Suorsa
Regional planner
Council of Oulu Region
Tel: +358 503868443
E-mail: auli.suorsa@pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi
Ms. Ulla Lassila
Special Advisor
Art Promotion Centre, Oulu
Tel: +358 295330860
E-mail: ulla.lassila@taike.fi
Ms. Hanna Susitaival
Special Advisor
Arts Promotion Centre Finland
Tel: +358 295330910
E-mail: hanna.susitaival@taike.fi
Russia
Ms. Olga Andonieva
Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation
Tel: +7 495 6294394
E-mail: olga.andonieva@mkrf.ru
Ms. Maria Sergienko
Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation
Tel: +7 9099 974155
E-mail: maria.sergienko@mkrf.ru
Ms. Veronika Yanichek
Minister of Culture of the Arkhangelsk Region
Tel: +7 8182 286369, +7 921 2980366
E-mail: minkultao@dvinaland.ru, yanichek@dvinaland.ru
Mr. Alexandr Batigin
Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Karelia
Tel: +7 8142 785507
E-mail: batigin@mincult.karelia.ru
Mr. Sergey Emelyanov
Minister of Culture, Tourism and Archiving of the Republic of Komi
Tel: +7 8212 255480
E-mail: adm@mincult.rkomi.ru, s.v.emelyanov@mincult.rkomi.ru
Mr. Sergey Ershov
Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Arts of the Murmansk Region
Tel: +7 8152 486319
E-mail: ershov@gov-murman.ru
Norway
Mr. Sverre Miøen
Senior adviser
Ministry of Culture
Tel: +47 22248013
E-mail: sm@kud.dep.no
Mr. Charles Petterson
Deputy Head, Department of Culture, Cultural Heritage and Environment
Finnmark County Council
Tel: +47 78 96 31 07
E-mail: charles.petterson@ffk.no
Ms. Nina Merete Austad
Adviser
Finnmark County Council
Tel: +47 78 96 30 38
E-mail: ninama@ffk.no
Ms. Bjørg Helene Jenssen
Director of Culture, environment and public health
Nordland County Council
Tel: +47 95867220
E-mail: bjojen@nfk.no
Ellen Østgård
Director of Culture
Troms County Council
Tel: +47 77788224, +47 91324339
E-mail: ellen.ostgard@tromsfylke.no
Representative of Indigenous Peoples Working Group (WGIP)
Ms. Valentina Zganich
Member of the Working Group on Indigenous Peoples
Tel: +8 8185 342046, +8 911 5829585
E-mail: vzganich@mail.ru