Flagship

Art Line was appointed to a Flagship project in the EU in March 2013. The European Commission has selected Art Line as a role model for co-operation in the arts within Europe. Art Line with partners from the countries around the Baltic Sea is establishing a platform for future collaborations in between the art and the academy in the macro region of the South Baltic Sea.

The long process of being selected as a Flagship-project is made in many stages. The European Commission has restrictions and only selects few projects. To be appointed Flagship as a culture project is even rarer.

Art Line is now a part of the Action plan for the new Baltic Sea Strategy in EU, The European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region “(EUSBSR). EUSBSR is the first macro-regional strategy in Europe. Culture has been acknowledged as an important part of the development power and the growth in the region, among others through the concrete projects made by Art Line.  This is also the first time that a cultural project achieves this status in the South Baltic Cross-Border programme in which Art Line works, partly financed by the European Union (ERDF).

Art Line is seen as a high quality project with a focus on contemporary art, digital media and technology. Criterias that have been taken into consideration in the nomination process are that:

  • the partnership is based on mutual learning and exchange of knowledge.
  • it shows how cooperation has made the results stronger.
  • the results achieved are applicable/of interest beyond the specific local and national context.
  • the project focuses on ”life after the end of the project” aspects and creating a network for collaboration.
  • many of the projects have a visibility in the regions through different types of public projects.
  • the emphasis is on culture and cultural heritage in our regions.
  • contemporary art is combined with technologies and digital media.
  • the trans-disciplinary working methods.
  • there is a variety of partners in the partnership, from museum, academia, art galleries and a shipping company.
  • Art Line involves five countries.

Links to more information:

Information in English, Flagship projects.

Action plan, word document. http://www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/

With the appointment there also come responsibilities. Art Line should take part of meetings with Priority Area Coordinators for Culture in the EU for our macroregion, and also with other relevant upcoming flagship-projects to exchange knowledge and expertise.

Art Line took part of the historical first meeting for Flagship-projects in Berlin. Art Line was the only appointed Flagship-project in culture with results and experience to share in the meeting.

Soundbites!

During the Kick-off event for Culture as a Priority Area Art Line interviewed professor Gernot Wolfram and Swedish Cultural Attaché in Berlin Marika Lagercrantz.

Artline Partners

Art Line is an international art project. No less than 14 partners from 5 countries around the Baltic Sea have created a co-operative platform for art and academia in Poland, Sweden, Germany, Russia and Lithuania. One of the important achievements so far is a growing network between the institutions. The project has also led to opportunities for artists, who have been able to present themselves in new contexts, interacting with people in public space, on the internet, in exhibitions, and on the Stena Line ferries between Gdynia and Karlskrona. Thus the public in the participating countries has been given new opportunities experiencing contemporary art of high quality. The project period is 2011-2014, but the network and the platforms the project has created will live much longer than that.

Associated partners

Baltic Branch of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts (Kaliningrad NCCA)

Nida Art Colony

Stena Line Scandinavia AB

Region Blekinge