Background and Rationale

The Nordic performing arts sector operates in a constantly changing society. The cultural field has been shaped by past transformations and continues to face new pressures, including economic challenges, demands for sustainability, and evolving audience expectations. These shifts highlight the need for cultural organisations to explore ways to maintain energy, creativity, and resilience, while continuing to develop their work and keeping the arts a vital part of society.

Three experienced arts professionals from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden—all with backgrounds in both recognised institutions and the independent field—are in the process of, or have recently transitioned from, institutional roles to independent practice. They are coming together to explore what a regenerative partnership model could look like. Each partner is currently either establishing a new platform or rearticulating an existing one, and the network provides a safe, supportive space to experiment, share experiences, and co-create tools that strengthen individual practices while benefiting the wider Nordic performing arts ecosystem.

The cross-Nordic collaboration adds significant value: bringing together different national and organisational contexts allows the partners to exchange insights, test strategies in varied settings, and learn from differences in infrastructure, policies, and cultural practices. This diversity ensures richer exploration, mutual support, and collective growth. The project consciously incorporates the female perspective, exploring how leadership, collaboration, and organisational development can benefit from inclusive approaches.

The partnership is designed to be exploratory and practical, supporting resilience, creativity, and innovation in a time of transformation. It provides a framework where each participant can experiment and share ideas without immediate pressure, while also benefiting from the perspectives and guidance of the others. The partners view this period of change not as a setback but as an opportunity to co-create positive, sustainable, and future-oriented models for cultural organisations. In doing so, the network aims to strengthen individual practices, develop robust and sustainable organisational models, and contribute to a more resilient and regenerative Nordic performing arts ecosystem.

Objectives

The Nordic Regenerative Partnership aims to:

• Develop a prototype of a regenerative partnership model for small and emerging cultural organisations.

• Support mutual learning and growth among the three partners through workshops, peer exchange, and mentorship.

• Experiment with strategies, organisational structures, and collaboration methods that sustain energy, creativity, and resilience.

• Provide a safe and supportive space for reflection, experimentation, and collective growth.

• Strengthen each partner’s individual platform while building a robust, resilient Nordic network.

• Lay the groundwork for future dissemination, including potential workshops, panels, or other knowledge-sharing formats for other Nordic cultural actors.

Activities and Timeframe (2026)

The project unfolds throughout 2026, combining online and in-person activities:

• Kick-off meeting online (January 2026): Align expectations, map individual needs, and define the framework for experimentation.

• Workshops and co-creation sessions (online/in-person, spring–autumn 2026): Focus on regenerative organisational practices, testing models, and building effective collaboration structures. These sessions explore diverse approaches across Nordic contexts and strengthen peer learning.

• Three in-person meetings:

  • Sweden (February 2026): Connected EXPO: SCENKONST. Workshop on touring, sustainability, and regenerative structures. (Or something else?)

  • Denmark (May 2026): Connected to CPH Stage. Focus on business models, cross-sectoral strategies, and peer mentoring.

  • Norway (October 2026): Connected to Oktoberdans in Bergen. Reflection and consolidation; develop draft prototype or framework, connect with local networks.

  • Every in-person meeting is wrapped up with a public event, where we share and invite national experts to share the insights that we gain with the field in the respective countries.

• Individual mentorship sessions: External mentors will support each partner’s personal and organisational development.

• Peer testing and reflection (ongoing): Partners apply insights in their own platforms and share learnings with the group.

• Final reflection meeting online (December 2026): Consolidate learning, evaluate progress, and define next steps.

• Documentation: Short reports, collective reflection notes, and internal documentation to support learning and potential external dissemination.

This timeline balances experimentation, reflection, and collaborative development, while ensuring flexibility for online and in-person engagements.

Organisation of Collaboration

The collaboration is structured to ensure shared responsibility and accountability:

• Norwegian partner: Contributing to administration (shared responsibility with the other partners), coordinating one in-person meeting in Bergen including documentation for the visit in Bergen. Coordinating two online meetings including documentation. Research topic (to be shared with the others): regenerative artistic practices and sustainable collaboration. Additionally, bringing insights from the Norwegian performing arts context, ReArtica contributes perspectives that enrich the Nordic collaboration and support context-sensitive regenerative practices.

• Danish partner: Administration (budget, applicant organization), coordinator in-person meeting in Copenhagen including documentation for the Copenhagen visit. Coordinating two online meetings including documentation Research topic (to be shared with the others): regenerative business models

• Swedish partner: The Swedish partner has a history of working in the main swedish performing arts institution but also as an agent and independent producer for several performing arts companies. With a specific focus on inclusion and international collaborations as well as outdoor arts and placemaking, Follow the Rabbit, has a strong history in swedish performing arts scene with a specific focus on the circus scene.

All partners are jointly responsible for workshop content, peer learning, and decision-making. The network is founded on principles of mutual support, equality, and shared growth, ensuring that each partner contributes to and benefits from the process.

Expected Outputs

By the end of 2026, the network anticipates delivering:

• A prototype framework for a regenerative partnership model tailored to small and emerging cultural organizations (1-5 employees).

• Documentation of the process, including short internal reports, shared reflection notes, and preliminary principles for regenerative practice.

• Insights and tools that can be used to strengthen each partner’s platform and support collective Nordic cultural development.

• A foundation for future dissemination, including workshops, panels, or written materials that share knowledge more broadly across the Nordic field.

Relevance

The network is highly relevant for the partners, who are navigating the transition from institutional roles to independent practice in a time of rising polarization and where the arts field has to be strong and assertive in stating the value of art and culture in society - showing clearly what we bring to the table. The arts and culture sector needs to articulate and show up more relevant than ever - at least in recent times. Collaboration enables them to exchange knowledge, test new organisational models, and gain support in ways that would be difficult individually. For the wider Nordic performing arts field, the project offers innovative approaches to collaboration, mentorship, and sustainable organisational structures. It demonstrates the positive potential of change, showing how periods of transformation can foster creativity, resilience, and sustainable growth. The ripple effects are expected to inspire other cultural actors and organisations, creating a more robust, collaborative, and forward-looking Nordic performing arts ecosystem.

Communication

The communication strategy focuses on internal reflection and external exploration. Partners will:

• Maintain continuous internal communication via online meetings, shared documents, and reflective notes.

• Experiment with external communication formats, including short essays, digital notes, or moderated conversations during the three in-person meetings.

• Use documentation as a basis for future public workshops or presentations aimed at Nordic cultural actors.

• share insights in public events with the industries in Bergen, Stockholm and Copenhagen.

The goal is to raise awareness of regenerative organisational models, stimulate critical thinking about sustainable practice, and encourage experimentation within the Nordic performing arts sector.

Conclusion

The Nordic Regenerative Partnership offers a unique opportunity to explore, test, and co-create sustainable and regenerative models for cultural organisations. Combining the partners’ diverse experiences, perspectives, and networks, the project strengthens individual platforms while benefiting the wider performing arts sector.

Through collaboration, mentorship, and reflection, the network will generate tools, frameworks, and insights that support both individual growth and collective resilience. By embracing change as an opportunity, the project fosters creativity, sustainability, and innovation in cultural practice. The partnership’s outputs, documentation, and potential workshops will create ripple effects across the Nordic region, inspiring dialogue, experimentation, and cross-border collaboration. By the end of 2026, the project will have established a strong foundation for continued development, ensuring that regenerative approaches and resilient practices become tangible examples for the broader Nordic performing arts ecosystem.