State Secretary Varteressian’s speech at closing event for the EEA and Norway Grants Culture Programmes

Dear colleagues, partners, and friends,

I am delighted to be here today to celebrate the achievements made in the culture programmes under the EEA and Norway Grants.

In the period that is now behind us, the EEA and Norway Grants have invested over 200 million euros and supported more than 400 projects on culture and cultural heritage in eight countries.

No doubt, each one of these projects have had significant impact on the people and on the communities where they have been implemented.

But before showcasing some of the results that have been achieved, let us look at these projects within a larger picture.

In doing so, we see how arts and culture strengthens vital components of functioning democracies.

Arts and culture create venues where expressions of minds and opinions are free, where reflections can be critical, dialogue is encouraged, and diversity respected.

These are all essential ingredients in safeguarding the values that we hold dear – the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and the respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.

In a world where the geopolitical order is wavering, where war is being fought on our doorstep, and where environmental degradation and climate change are challenging our mere existence, there is an ever greater need for people, communities and countries in Europe to unify through the sharing of values and principles that fosters understanding, solidarity, friendship and peace.

Norway remains a committed champion of these values, and a stable partner for the EU and all its member states in ensuring a strong, resilient, prosperous and democratic Europe.

The EEA and Norway Grants are an important tool to this end and represent one of Norway’s key contributions to the social and economic development of 15 EU member states, and the strengthening of our bilateral relations. The aim is to help build a Europe that is green, democratic and resilient.

The EEA and Norway Grants stand as a testament to Norway’s unwavering dedication to the European project.

This year the EEA and Norway Grants celebrate 30 years.

Support for arts, culture and cultural heritage has been an intrinsic part of the Grants for all these years and will continue to do so.

The aim has been, and will be, to strengthen the foundations of democracy and social cohesion, and to create prosperity and resilience across the regions.

Let me share some examples with you of some of the great results that have been achieved:

In Lithuania and in Portugal, established cultural organisations have teamed up with Norwegian, Icelandic and local artists, schools and communities to create high-quality artistic productions engaging children, youth and elderly people. The active involvement in cultural activities, like travelling exhibitions, theatre plays, open air screenings and discussions has reinforced the feeling of community and created a cultural vibrancy in places where people before have felt isolated and left behind.

In Slovakia, the Grants have supported multi-year cycles of cultural events and art residencies in small, independent cultural centres, mostly in rural towns. Events and places established are often the only venues in the region staging contemporary art and thus creating an important venue for inclusion, reflection and open discussion on issues that influence their lives.

Such projects have significantly improved access to arts and culture regardless of where people live, so that they all have an opportunity to enjoy art, express themselves, to learn and to reflect.

Other projects have focused on the preservation of cultural heritage, and on making cultural heritage more accessible.

The cooperation between the Museum of South Trøndelag and the Astra Museum in Sibiu in Romania is a great case in point. The renovation of the historical building Casa Artelor has granted the community with an outstanding regional centre for traditional arts and crafts with an educational space for children. Through small workshops, local craftsmen teach traditional restoration methods that reinforces ownership of local heritage and promotes more resource efficient renovation of buildings that are also kinder to the environment.

This project demonstrates how cultural heritage sites may play important role in bringing a local community together, to safeguard identity and social cohesion and to foster social and economic development. The protection and preservation of such sites is thus a great contribution to securing thriving local communities where people come together, to share, to learn and to evolve.

Importantly, the Grants also promotes the rights and inclusion of minorities. The Memorial to the victims of the Roma holocaust in Lety in Bohemia shows us how places of remembrance can start a healing process of historic wounds in society. I was touched to be present at the inauguration ceremony, where the state acknowledged the systemic discrimination against Roma in the past, by that opening a new chapter in coexistence and the inclusion of Roma in Czech society. The Falstad Centre helped the Museum of Roma and Sinti with the educational programme.

And finally, in Romania a team of professionals have curated a cultural experience by establishing a queer museum and cultural archive that fosters diversity and increases public access to queer cultural artifacts. With a focus on visual, performative, and literary arts, the project is also creating job opportunities. The project has directly benefitted 220 artists, 80 theatre workshop participants, and 20 researchers. The museum is regularly hosting events, encompassing exhibitions, performances, workshops and more that is showcasing and promoting queer rights.

These are just a few examples taken from a long list of great projects with positive achievements.

One important aspect is also the fact that 90 per cent of the projects were carried out with partners from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. No doubt, the culture programmes have made a significant contribution to enhancing bilateral relations between our respective countries.

Dear Friends,
It is both impressive and rewarding to see the positive results and the significant effects of the Grants on the cultural sector and beyond in the different countries.

Tangible strides have been made toward our common goals of social inclusion, sustainability, democracy and freedom. These are not abstract ideals, but the very foundation of a thriving and peaceful Europe.

The EEA Grants have transformed lives and communities, and today, we celebrate those accomplishments. 

Nothing of this however, would have been possible without the strong dedication and sincere commitment of all of you present her today, and of your colleagues back home that have worked so hard to ensure the success of the Grants.

Let me sincerely thank you all and extend my strong appreciation for your contribution for making a vital impact on our societies.

Norway’s support through the EEA and Norway Grants is one of our key investments in Europe’s future. It is a tangible expression of our belief in cohesion, social justice and the power of civil society. A strong and vibrant cultural sector is among the keys to unlock a resilient and democratic Europe in which we can all live, enjoy and prosper.

I look forward to following your continued work in the years to come.

Thank you.