Added Community Values Project

Background

Across the Nordic and Baltic regions, the vibrant civil society sector—spanning amateur arts, voluntary culture, and heritage—does more than bring joy and friendship to its participants. It plays a crucial role in fostering deeper community values, including social inclusion, social cohesion, active citizenship, democracy, and environmental sustainability.

While these societal benefits are significant, there is untapped potential to enhance them through conscious development. Until now, learning providers in the sector have relied on ad-hoc examples of good practice. There has been a clear need for systematic tools and methods to help organisations assess their impact and identify pathways to improve their daily practice.

Aims and Outputs

The primary goal of this project was to develop and promote robust methods and tools for cultural associations across the Nordic-Baltic region. These resources enable organisations to assess, compare, and enhance the added community values generated by their artistic activities.

Key Deliverables:

  • State of the Art Survey: We conducted a combined desk and field survey to map the current landscape of added community values within the cross-cultural civil society sector. This identified critical focus points and indicators across three key areas:
    • Social inclusion & cohesion
    • Active citizenship & democracy
    • Environmental sustainability
  • Online Benchmarking Tool: We developed a comprehensive online tool, complete with methodological guidelines, allowing stakeholders to assess the added value of their activities across various dimensions of societal benefit.
  • Dissemination: We actively shared results with the wider cross-cultural civil society community and key stakeholders across the region to ensure sustainable adoption.

Outcome

The project aims for a lasting impact on the extensive cross-cultural civil society sectors in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

By utilising these tools, organisations are better equipped to understand and intentionally work with the added community values of their activities. This empowers them to strengthen their contribution to inclusiveness, cohesion, democratic values, and community spirit. Crucially, it also reinforces the growing awareness of the importance of integrating green values and sustainability into cultural activities.

The Nordplus Adult development project

This State of the Art Report is part of the 2-year Nordplus Adult development project, August 2022 – July 2024, entitled “Develop online tools to assess the added community values of participatory culture (Acronym: ADDED). The Nordplus programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers has supported the project. The partnership comprises five organisations from four Nordic and Baltic states working in the areas of participatory culture, adult education and civil society development. Read the report below.

ADDED-State-of-Arts-report-v2Download

Good practises on added community values

During the development of our assessment tool, we interviewed representatives from organisations that intentionally seek to infuse additional community values into their cultural initiatives. In this section, we´ve compiled some valuable examples of how to enhance cultural activities with added value, such as Social inclusion, Social cohesion, Active citizenship, and/or Environmental sustainability. These examples demonstrate effective ways to incorporate added community values, enriching both the cultural experience and other community values.

Nāc līdzās – Come Along! -Latvia

09 / 10 / 2023

Nac-lidzas-LatviaDownload

The Maritime Kalvø – Denmark

09 / 10 / 2023

Maritime-Kalvo-DKDownload

New Theatre Institute of Latvia

09 / 10 / 2023

New-Theater-Institute-of-LatviaDownload

Leknes skole- og ungdomskorps – Norway

09 / 10 / 2023

ADDED-Good-example-Leknes-SUK-1Download

Bøstad skole- og ungdomskorps – Norway

09 / 10 / 2023

ADDED-Good-example-Bostad-SUKDownload

Buksnes kirkekor – A mixed church choir – Norway

09 / 10 / 2023

ADDED-Good-example-Buksnes-kirkekorDownload

Borge Brass Band Brassband for adults – Norway

09 / 10 / 2023

ADDED-Good-example-Borge-Brass-BandDownload

Salig Blanding- Norway

09 / 10 / 2023

ADDED-Good-example-Salig-blanding-1Download

The old library in Ejby – Denmark

The-old-library-in-Ejby-DKDownload

Vest-Lofoten Damekor, a ladies’ choir in Lofoten, Norway

ADDED-Good-example-Vest-Lofoten-Damekor-1Download

The Cultural Council of Køge – Denmark

09 / 10 / 2023

Culture-Guides-in-Koge-DKDownload

The Cultural Council of Furesø and Red Cross inclusion project – Denmark

09 / 10 / 2023

Drum-play-in-Fureso-DKDownload

The orchestra HOPE – Denmark

09 / 10 / 2023

Hope-Orchestra-DKDownload

Latvian Centre of Contemporary Art – Latvia

09 / 10 / 2023

LCCA-LatviaDownload

Portti Teatteri – Finland

ADDED-Portti-Teatteri-2Download

Lunds Ungdoms- och Hemgård – Sweden

ADDED-HemgardenDownload

Kalliola Setlementti – Making life meaningful together – Finland

ADDED-KalliolaDownload

Key Activities and Results

This project was structured around three core phases, moving from foundational research to tool development and broad dissemination. Our activities were designed to create practical, evidence-based resources for the cross-cultural civil society sector.

1. Benchmarking Survey and Research

Our first objective was to understand the current landscape of added community values.

  • Comprehensive Research: We completed extensive desk and field research, including four qualitative interviews in each partner country. This focused on uncovering key indicators across three primary areas: social inclusion and cohesion, active citizenship and democracy, and environmental sustainability.
  • National Reports: Each partner country produced a summary report detailing its findings.
  • Baseline Publication: The research culminated in a Baseline Survey Report, which provided key insights and recommendations for the development of our primary output, the Benchmark Tool.

2. Development of the Benchmark Tool

Based on our research, we developed a practical online tool for cultural organisations.

  • Tool Design: We designed the framework and questionnaire for an online tool that allows organisations to assess their activities against one, two, or all three focus areas.
  • Multilingual Access: The tool was translated from the English master version into Danish, Latvian, Finnish, and Norwegian to ensure broad accessibility.
  • Testing and Refinement: Draft versions of the tool underwent rigorous national testing to ensure functionality and relevance.
  • Final Publication: The final online Benchmark Tool was published, complete with a user manual, in five languages.

3. Dissemination of Results

To ensure the project’s long-term impact, we focused on sharing our findings and tools widely.

Sustainable Outreach: We engaged in ongoing dissemination through newsletters, social media, articles, and presentations at relevant events to ensure the project’s legacy and continued use.

Digital Presence: We launched a dedicated project website to house all resources and information, including a direct link to the online Benchmark Tool.

National Conferences: Each partner country hosted a concluding conference to act as a multiplier event, sharing the project outcomes with key stakeholders.

Target Groups

This project is designed to serve and engage a broad network of stakeholders across the Nordic and Baltic regions. Our target audiences are divided into those who will directly utilise the tools and those who play a vital role in supporting the sector.

Direct Target Groups

The primary beneficiaries of our work are the professionals and volunteers driving the cross-cultural civil society sector. This includes managers, board members, and both paid and voluntary staff working in amateur arts, voluntary culture, and heritage.

We connect with this audience on three levels:

  • Project Partners: The organisations and networks actively participating in the consortium.
  • Local Networks: Neighbouring associations and cultural groups within the participating countries who can immediately adopt these new tools.
  • Regional Peers: Similar cultural associations across the wider Nordic and Baltic countries not currently represented in the consortium, extending the project’s reach and impact.

Indirect Target Groups

To ensure sustainability and broad adoption, we also engage with key enablers who support the cultural ecosystem. These groups facilitate the application of our results through political, financial, or ideological support.

Research & Education: Public and private institutions focused on participatory culture and lifelong learning. These partners help validate our findings and promote the importance of added community values.

Decision-Makers & Funders: Politicians, opinion-formers, and grant-makers who can provide the necessary backing to scale these initiatives.

Private Sector & Media: Local commerce associations, private businesses, and media outlets that may offer sponsorship, partnership opportunities, or visibility.

Research & Education: Public and private institutions focused on participatory culture and lifelong learning. These partners help validate our findings and promote the importance of added community values.

The Partnership Circle

This project is a collaborative effort between key organisations dedicated to strengthening civil society across the Nordic and Baltic regions. Our partners bring a wealth of expertise in cultural development, community engagement, and social research.

Interfolk – Institute for Civil Society, Denmark

Coordinator

As a non-profit research institute founded in 2008, Interfolk is dedicated to strengthening lifelong learning, active citizenship, and social inclusion within civil society. Interfolk leads the project, drawing on extensive experience in coordinating Danish, Nordic, and European development projects.

The Danish Cultural Council (DFKS), Denmark

DFKS is the national umbrella organisation for voluntary culture in Denmark, representing nine national associations. It works to enhance the visibility of the cultural sector and advocates for volunteers who create and manage arts, culture, and heritage activities nationwide.

Culturelab, Latvia

Culturelab is a non-governmental organisation founded in 2005 to promote sustainable social and economic development through the strategic use of cultural resources. It contributes expertise in cultural policy research, strategic planning, and creative cross-sectoral projects.

Finnish Federation of Settlements (FFS), Finland

Established in 1918, the FFS is a national organisation comprising 45 settlements across Finland. It is a hub for community-based work, employing over 5,600 professionals in areas like multicultural work, education, and social services. The FFS also hosts the International Federation of Settlements (IFS) and brings a deep commitment to social justice and human rights to the project.

Vestvågøy Municipality, Norway

The Culture Department of Vestvågøy Municipality represents a public enterprise perspective. As the largest municipality in the Lofoten Islands, it offers valuable insights into the role of cultural activities and nature in fostering community life and well-being in both urban and regional settings.

Website: www.vestvagoy.kommune.no

Contact: Trond Handberg, Acting Director of the Culture Department | trond.handberg@vestvagoy.kommune.no

CONTACT

Hans Jörgen Vodsgaard, Project manager and Chief executive, Nordfolk
Hjv@interfolk.dk

Bente von Schindel, Secretary General, DFKS
bs@kulturellesamraad.dk 

Ilona Asare, Chairman, Culture Lab  
ilona@culturelab.com

Petti Lemmetyinen, Secretary General, Finnish Federation of Settlements
pentti.lemmetyinen@setlementti.fi

Staffan Lindqvist, CEO, International Federation of Settlements (IFS)
staffan.lindqvist@setlementti.fi

Trond Handberg, Acting Director of the Culture Department, Vestvågøy Municipality
trond.handberg@vestvagoy.kommune.no