The Fritt Ord Foundation
The Fritt Ord Foundation is a private non-profit foundation that seeks to promote freedom of expression, public debate, art and culture.
The Fritt Ord Foundation is a private non-profit foundation that seeks to promote freedom of expression, public debate, art and culture.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has now awarded its annual grants to critics. At NOK 250 000 each, the grants are intended to result in a steady stream of reviews during the period from August 2022 to August 2023.
In August, the Fritt Ord Foundation will launch a new portal for the submission of applications, requests for the disbursement of funds, and reports.
Fritt Ord invites applications for grants of NOK 60 000 each based on contemporary factual prose and fiction on the topic of fleeing. In recent years, war and refugee crises have drawn attention to the topic of fleeing and literature that tells stories about the experiences of people on the run.
How has the war in Ukraine changed Norway’s role in the Arctic, in the High North and as a neighbour to Russia? As part of the series ‘Debates about Norway’s Future’, Fritt Ord invites the public to a live-streamed debate at Verdensteatret (the World Theatre) in Tromsø on 14 June.
Fritt Ord awards support for projects that help promote freedom of expression, public discourse, art and culture. The measures supported should contribute to the common good and be available to the public.
The Fritt Ord Foundation’s new application portal is now available.
It is now possible to submit applications in time for the deadlines in August.
Please note: All earlier applicants and recipients must click on ‘forgot password’ to reset their password the first time they log in to the new portal. New applicants must register and create a user profile in the portal.
Click here for our general guidelines for applications.
The portal can also be used to request the payment of funds for grants allocated in May. To request the payment of funds granted before May, please send an email to utbetaling@frittord.no.
It will not be possible to submit final reports on completed projects until later in August.
Go to the new portal here.
The Fritt Ord Foundation’s various deadlines for applications in 2022
The Fritt Ord Foundation is a private non-profit foundation that aspires to promote freedom of expression, public debate, art and culture. The projects that receive funding should benefit the Norwegian public and be accessible to all. In special cases, the Fritt Ord Foundation can help promote freedom of expression in other countries.
City of Refuge artist Ahmed Falah Al-Ogaili has received NOK 40 000 for his art project “Fighting Covid-19 with drawing”, in which innovative graphics and street art will be used to illustrate the recommendations issued by the World Health Organization and local institutions.
Espen Stueland has received NOK 75 000 to develop the manuscript for the book “Kontagium 2020” about the corona crisis and earlier literary works about pandemics and plagues.
Fritt Ord has taken the initiative for several research projects on freedom of expression that have been conducted by various Norwegian research communities. Among other things, the studies have examined social norms and political tolerance in respect of statements, online harassment and polarisation, artistic freedom of expression and freedom of expression in the workplace.
Over the years, Fritt Ord has worked to strengthen the position of documentary photography through special calls for applications for funding, providing ongoing support for photo books and exhibitions, and establishing projects like The Norwegian Journal of Photography.
Fritt Ord has launched various initiatives related to the communication of knowledge and the promotion of literature, including an annual subsidy scheme earmarked for Norwegian public libraries. In 2005, the Foundation took the initiative to establish Norway’s first house of literature and, in 2010, to ensure the further operation of Store norske leksikon.
Fritt Ord takes part in a number of joint projects outside the borders of Norway, primarily related to freedom of the press, democracy building and the strengthening of organisations of civil society.
Fritt Ord offers grants for students working on master’s theses or on documentary films in fields such as human rights, journalism, freedom of expression and democracy building. It also hosts the Fritt Ord Foundation Competition for Upper Secondary Schools and the Norwegian Historical Society’s competition for pupils.
Since its inception, Fritt Ord has had media and journalism as one of its core target areas. In today’s demanding media situation, the Foundation has set up separate grant and subsidy schemes for journalists and critics.
Books and reports published by the Fritt Ord Foundation, alone or with partners.