Accessibility to grants | Opið samtal

We invited Miriam Petra Ómarsdóttir Awad and Helga Dagný Árnadóttir - senior advisers in the Education and Culture Division at Rannís to discuss accessibility of Erasmus and European Solidarity Corps grants in Iceland and to think about how the library can be used as a platform to make grant opportunities more visible and accessible to all. One of the main focuses of Erasmus+ is inclusion and equal opportunities, but how can this goal be reached? And can the library help in reaching it?

The National Agency has dedicated a working group, led by Miriam, to develop a strategy for inclusion. The goal of the inclusion strategy is to influence an inclusive mindset in staff of the National Agency, stakeholders and in society as a whole. 

We talked about how the library could and should be used as a platform to regularly have information meetings with the public on access to grants. Inviting people to those information meetings and making the process easier for those who are less likely to apply to grants by creating a supportive and multilingual environment can be a simple first step towards inclusion. The library could also connect with independent cultural workers and other organizations to apply for funding together and create new partnerships and opportunities in this way.

We are open to new ideas on how to create a platform for active citizenship and democratic discussions. 

What is Opið samtal? A conversation platform for an open discussion about issues relating to rights, active citizenship and equity in access to society.
Program of Opið samtal

Further information
Dögg Sigmarsdóttir
Project manager | Civic Participation
dogg.sigmarsdottir@reykjavik.is