Regional screen ecosystems at the peripheries: Production and talent development in Tromsø and Aarhus

Abstract

This article addresses the regionalisation of screen culture in Norway and Denmark, focusing on how regional screen entities in Tromsø and Aarhus are working to professionalise production and talent development at the peripheries of both countries. We outline their distinctive characteristics and circumstances as regional hubs and delineate the key actors that constitute the respective screen ecosystems. We analyse the interplay between regional film policy, production, and talent development in relation to regional development, geography, creativity, innovation, and the economy of culture. Based on an analysis of policies, strategy documents, and interviews conducted with practitioners in Aarhus and Tromsø over the period 2014–2019, we explore the diverse strategies that these regional production hubs employ to develop and—more challengingly—retain talents in the region, and argue that despite the increased attention given to ‘diversity’ in film policy, structural and cultural obstacles remain in the way of sustainable growth.