THE JOINT WORKING GROUP ON CULTURE (JWGC)
Cross-border regional cooperation in the field of culture is an integral part of the Barents cooperation. The cooperation was initiated in 1993, when the first meeting of cultural ministers was held in Kirkenes and the Barents Cultural Committee was set up. In 2001 the Committee became the Barents Regional Working Group on Culture under the aegis of the Barents Regional Council (BRC) and in 2007 it was replaced by a Joint Working Group on Culture (JWGC), which works under the aegis of the Barents Europe Arctic Council (BEAC) and the BRC. The new mandate consolidates the status of culture in the Barents cooperation structures and engages governments more closely in the cooperation. The JWGC has representatives from all 13 Barents regions. In addition to the regional cultural administrations, the JWGC has the representation of the Finnish, Norwegian, Russian and Swedish ministries responsible for culture and of the Working Group of Indigenous Peoples.
According to the mandate the aim of the JWGC is to strengthen Barents cultural identities, and the impact of Barents culture, and to increase knowledge of arts and culture both in the region and outside of it. The means to this end include multilateral and bilateral projects. In order to develop better skills and knowledge, the JWGC encourage new networks, exchange of best practices and information on cultural co-operation.
Culture plays a fundamental role in human and regional development in the Barents Region. "New Horizons in the Barents Region" is the third Cultural Programme since the Barents cooperation in the field of culture stared in 1993. The first Programme "Voices in the Barents Region" was implemented in the period of 2003-2006.
The second programme of Cultural Cooperation 2008-2010 "New Winds in the Barents Region" was the framework for inter-regional cultural cooperation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region. It highlighted cultural diversity and the importance of culture and cultural industry as a unique tool for the development of the region. The cultural potential must be recognised and utilized to the full extend. It is structured in two parts: Cultural Policy Programme (Part A, which defines the main directions of cultural policy and priorities of the cultural co-operation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region (BEAR) for 2008-2010), which is implemented by means of the Action Plan and projects (Part B; this part is aimed at the practical realization of Part A). The overall objective of the Programme is to further strengthen cultural cooperation and thus increase the impact of culture in the Barents Region. The aim is to promote cultural diversity and multicultural dialogue and culture as a tool for regional, social and economic development and to create new cultural meeting places. The challenge is to boost international visibility and to develop joint projects with partners from outside the Barents Region in the framework of the EU’s Northern Dimension Policy and the EU-Russia Cooperation Action Plan for Culture in interaction with other international structures.
The third cultural framework "New Horizons in the Barents Region" highlights the importance of further strengthen cultural cooperation and its impact on regional, social and economic development in the Barents Region. The aim is to promote cultural diversity and multicultural dialogue, and to create new cultural meeting places.
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The Members of the Joint Working Group on Culture (JWGC)
The JWGC consists of members from regional and national (federal) competent authorities in each participating country and a representative of the Indigenous Peoples Working Group.
Joint Working Group on Culture at the open-air museum Gammlia, Umeå September 22, 2010
Members
Co-chairs 2009-2011
RUGAAS Bendik
Senior Adviser, Ministry of Cultural Affairs
Box 8030 Dep, NO-0030 Oslo, Norway
Tel: +47 22 24 79 92, Fax: +47 22 24 95 50
E-mail: bendik.rugaas@kud.dep.no
Norrbotten
LAX Elisabeth
Head of Cultural Affairs, County Council of Norrbotten
Robertsvikgatan 7, SE-971 89 Luleå, Sweden
Tel: +46 920 28 40 20
Mobile: +46 76 82 84 020
E-mail: elisabeth.lax@nll.se
2nd in contact of the Norrbotten Co-chair
KOHKOINEN, Annette
Section for Culture and Education
Robertsvikgatan 7, SE-971 89 Luleå, Sweden
Tel. +46 920 28 42 59
Mobile: +46 72 74 24 263
E-mail: annette.kohkoinen@nll.se
Finland
Lapland
AHO Tomi
Secretary General, Arts Council of Lapland
Vapaudentie 10, FIN-96100 Rovaniemi, Finland
Tel: +35 8 4009 368 32
E-mail: tomi.aho@minedu.fi
Osterbotten
JUURIKKA Maria
Senior Adviser, Culture and Education
Council of Oulu Region
Kauppurienkatu 8 A , FIN-90100 Oulu, Finland
Mobile: +358 50 9190 576, Fax: +358 8 3214 055
E-mail: maria.juurikka@pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi
Oulu and Kainu
LASSILA Ulla
Secretary General, Arts Council of Oulu Region and Kainuu
Veteraanikatu 9, FIN-90100 Oulu, Finland
Tel: +358 40 7712 290, Fax: +358 8 311 0735
E-mail: ulla.lassila@minedu.fi
National representative
LUMMEPURO Maija
Counsellor for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture
Department for Cultural, Sport and Youth Policy, Arts Division
Meritullinkatu 10, Helsinki
Box 29, FI-00023 Government, Finland
Tel: +358 9 1607 7292, Mobile: +358 400 800 218, Fax: +358 9 1607 7145
E-mail: maija.lummepuro@minedu.fi
Norway
Finnmark
RIESTO Kirsti
Finnmark County Council
Fylkeshuset, NO-9815 Vadsø, Norway
Tel. +47 41 25 90 88
E-mail: kirsti.riesto@ffk.no
Nordland
BADENDYCK Nina
Director of Culture and Environment, Nordland County, Culture and Environmental Affairs
Bodø, Norway
Tel: +47 75 65 05 00, Fax: +47 75 65 05 01
E-mail: nina.badendyck@nfk.no
Troms
ØSTGÅRD, Ellen
Director of Culture, Troms County Council, Culture and Sports Affairs
Troms, Norway
Tel. +47 77 78 82 24, Mobil. +47 91 32 43 39
E-mail: ellen.ostgard@tromsfylke.no
Russia
Republic of Karelia
ANIKINA Irina
First Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Karelia
185035, the Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk, Lenin's Square, 2
Russia
Tel: +7 814 278 35 96, Fax: +7 814 278 35 96
E-mail: anikina@mincult.karelia.ru
Republic of Karelia
DROBAHA Natalia
Head of the Projects and Programs Department, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Karelia
185035, the Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk, Lenin's Square, 2
Russia
Tel: +7 814 278 5507
E-mail: drobaha@mincult.karelia.ru
Republic of Komi
YURKOVSKIY Vladimir
Minister of Cultur of the Republic of Komi
73 Lenin St., Syktyvkar, Komi, Russia
Tel.: +7 8212 24-11-69, Fax: +7 8212 24 05 09
E-mail: mincult@rkomi.ru
Murmansk Oblast
ANISIMOVA Olga
Murmansk Regional Administration Committee of Culture and Arts
3, S. Perovskaya str. 183950 Murmansk, Russia
E-mail: kultura@com.mels.ru
BUTORINA Lidia, Co-chair
Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Culture of the Arkhangelsk Region, Head of Culture Department
Troitsky prospect 49, 163000 Arkhangelsk, Russia
Tel.: +7 8182 286369, Fax: +7 8182 286325
E-mail: butorinaLV@dvinaland.ru
National Representative
DIKOVA Natalia
The Ministry of Culture and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation
Kitaigorodsky pr., 7, build. 2, Moscow, Russia
Tel.: (+7 495) 623-13-78
Fax: 628-44-25
E-mail: rg@mkrf.ru dikova@mkmk.ru
Sweden
Västerbotten
LAWSON Bella
Region Västerbotten
Box 443SE-901 09
Umeå, Sweden.
Fax: 090 - 77 05 91
Tel:+46- 90 16 57 98
Mobile +46- 70 676 72 73
E-mail:bella.lawson@regionvasterbotten.se
National Representative
SCHULTZ Mikael, Co-chair
Director, Ministry of Culture
SE-10333 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: +46 8 405 35 29, Fax: +46 8 21 68 13
E-mail: mikael.schultz@culture.ministry.se
Representative of Indigenous Peoples Working Group (WGIP)
ZGANICH Valentina
Member of the Working Group on Indigenous Peoples
Ul. 60 let Oktyabrya, 2-11 166000 Naryan Mar, Nenets Autonomus Okrug, Russia
Mobile: +89115829585
Tel: +8(81853)4-20-46
E-mail: vzganich@mail.ru