Artica Svalbard Featured as a Case Study in New European Guide on Greening Artistic Residencies
Left: Charlotte Hetherington, photo: Catherine Lemblé; Right: Jaana Eskola
Artica Svalbard is featured as a key case study in Greening Artistic Residencies: Cultural Mobility Funding Guide 2025, a new publication from On the Move exploring how European residencies are adapting their practices in response to ecological and climate challenges.
Read the guide: https://www.on-the-move.org/resources/funding/greening-artistic-residencies
Artica appears in Part 3: Case Studies. The guide highlights how Artica’s programme — shaped by its Arctic context and developed under the direction of Charlotte Hetherington — integrates sustainability into both operational decisions and artistic support.
A holistic approach to sustainability
The case study outlines several aspects of Artica’s work, including:
Longer residency formats that support deeper research and reduce mobility pressure.
A reflective application process, encouraging artists to consider why their project must take place in Svalbard and whether travel is essential.
Locally rooted community engagement, such as the Coffee Club, which brings together residents, locals, scientists, and international practitioners.
Together, these practices position Artica as an example of how smaller residency organisations can integrate sustainability in meaningful and achievable ways.
Networks and NAARCA
Artica’s role within NAARCA – the Nordic Alliance of Artists’ Residencies on Climate Action — also explored in the case study — demonstrates how collaboration and shared learning can strengthen sustainability efforts across regions. NAARCA contributed to Artica’s environmental strategy and reinforced the value of longer, slower, more intentional residencies.
The case study and a related article were written by Jaana Eskola, whose earlier work with Artica through NAARCA informs her perspective.
Sharing Arctic perspectives internationally
Edited by Claire Rosslyn Wilson and co-funded by the European Union, the guide offers practical resources for artists, residency organisers, and cultural mobility stakeholders. Artica’s inclusion brings an important Arctic perspective to this broader European conversation, demonstrating how sustainability can be embedded in residencies situated in fragile and rapidly changing environments.