When the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges was adopted in Norway in 1995, Artistic Research was given the same status as scientific research as an objective of the institutions’ activities. The Norwegian Artistic Research Programme was established as an umbrella for the Artistic Research Fewllowship Programme (2003) and the Project Programme (2010).
The Fellowship Programme for Artistic Research was established in 2003 as a parallel to the doctoral programmes in the sciences. From the outset, the programme included a grant scheme with competitive fellowship positions funded by the ministry. In 2010, the Ministry of Education and Research introduced another grant scheme called the Project Programme for Artistic Research. Responsibility for the programme was assigned to the existing board of the Fellowship Programme. From 2012 untill 2023 the Norwegian Artistic Research Programme awarded funds to research projects that contributed to reflection and insight based on artistic practice through the Project Programme. 64 projects from all art fields were supported with at total of 167 mill NOK.
Institutional PhD programmes from 2018
The Norwegian model of Artistic Research is quite inter-disciplinary, with a joint professional training component for PhD candidates from all Art disciplines and Institutions in Norway. The Norwegian Artistic Research Fellowship Programme was established in 2003 and was Norway's first artistic research programme at doctoral degree level. The Fellowship Programme was replaced by institutional Artistic PhD programmes from 2018. The Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo was the first to establish an Artistic PhD programme in 2018, soon followed by the University of Bergen, the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, and NTNU in Trondheim. The University of Stavanger and the University of Agder have since established a joint PhD programme, and the University of Inlandet has a temporary programme. The PhD institutions have a joint research school.
The role of the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills
The Directorate shall serve as a unifying arena for Artistic Research in Norway. The Directorate shall strengthen the research culture and contribute to the development of quality and competence in institutions that offer creative and performing Arts education (translated from "Virksomhets- og økonominstruksen", The Ministry of Education and Research, 2025).
The Norwegian Artisitc Research Programme is part of the directorate.
UHR - Art, Design and Architecture
Artistic research has been a statutory component of higher art education since 1995. Within the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions (Universitites Norway - UHR) there is a strategic unit UHR-Art, Design and Architecture.
VIS – Nordic Journal for Artistic Research
The Norwegian Artistic Research Programme cooperate with Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH) on VIS – Nordic Journal for Artistic Research. VIS is a peer-rewied digital open access journal with a special emphasis on the Nordic region. The main languages for the journal are Norwegian, Swedish and Danish, though English-language submissions are also welcome.
SAAR – Nordic Summer Academy for Artistic Research
The Summer Academy for Artistic Research (SAAR) has served as a Nordic network since 2014, with partner universities from Sweden, Finland and Norway.
As the Ministry of Education and Research distributed the resources in the Norwegian Artistic Research Project Programme directly to the institutions, the programme board was dissolved from january 2025.
Morten Wensberg (University of Stavanger – chair)
Siri Langdalen (Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, the Norwegian Film School - deputy chair)
Janne-Camilla Lyster (Oslo National Academy of the Arts)
Jacob Jessen (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim Academy of Fine Art)
Anne Gry Haugland (the Royal Danish Academy of Music)
Kristin Bergaust (Oslo Metropolitan University)
Lisa Torell (UiT The Arctic University of Norway)
Ingvild Holm, (Østfold University College, Norwegian Theatre Academy)
Ivar Grydeland (Norwegian Academy of Music)
Merete Røstad (Oslo National Academy of the Arts)
Inger Stray Lien (chair)
Karmenlara Ely (Østfold University College, Norwegian Theatre Academy)
Christine Hansen (University of Bergen, The Art Academy, Department of Fine Art)
Martin Lundell (Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Design department)
Asbjørn Schaathun (Norwegian Academy of Music, Composition)
Deputy members
Øyvind Brandtsegg (Norwegian University of Science and Technology - Department of music)
Geir Davidsen (UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Academy of Music)
Gunnar H. Gundersen (OsloMet, Department of Product Design)
Snelle Hall (Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Dance department)
Siri Langdalen (Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, The Norwegian Film School)
Cecilie Broch Knudsen (Rector, Oslo National Academy of the Arts - chair)
Hans Knut Sveen (Associate Professor, University of Bergen)
Live Marie Roggen (Professor, Norwegian Academy of Music)
Frans Jacobi (Professor, Bergen Academy of Art and Design)
Serge von Arx (Professor, Østfold University College)
Ellen Røed (Associate Professor, Oslo and Akershus University College)
Efva Lilja (Professor (until 31.12.2015 and Annette Arlander, Professor, Uniarts Helsinki - from 01.01.2016)
Deputy members
Vanessa Ohlraun (Dean, Oslo National Academy of the Arts - for Broch Knudsen)
Geir Davidsen (Associate Professor, UiT The Arctic University of Norway - for Sveen)
Asbjørn Schaathun (Professor, Norwegian Academy of Music - for Roggen)
Christine Hansen (Associate Professor II, Bergen Academy of Art and Design - for Vikøren)
Jeannette Christensen (Professor, Oslo National Academy of the Arts - for von Arx)
Martina Keitsch (Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - Trondheim Academy of Fine Art - for Røed)
Inger Stray Lien (Special Advicer, University of Oslo - for Lilja og Arlander)
Aslaug Nyrnes (Professor, Bergen University College - chair)
Peter Tornquist (Associate Professor, Norwegian Academy of Music - deputy chair)
Jeannette Christensen (Professor, Oslo National Academy of the Arts)
Siri Dybwik (Associate Professor, University of Stavanger)
Nina Malterud (Professor, Bergen Academy of Art and Design)
Hans Knut Sveen (Associate Professor, University of Bergen)
Malte Wadman (Professor, Lillehammer University College)
Deputy members
Serge von Arx (Professor, Østfold University College - for Dybwik)
Kirsti Bræin (Professor Oslo National Academy of the Arts - for Christensen)
Mads Gamdrup (Professor - for Wadman)
Trine Knutsen (Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - for Sveen)
Mette L’Orange (Professor, Bergen Academy of Art and Design - for Malterud)
Wolfgang Plagge (Professor, Norwegian Academy of Music (for Tornquist))