The state's commitment to funding creators is just as important as the responsibility for education or science, says Sverre Fossen, head of the Art Economics and Innovation Division at the Norwegian Arts and Culture Institution. This spring, he participated in the lithuanian council for culture forum "The Power of the Creator/s". In it, he discussed the success story of Norwegian cultural policy, the importance of investing in creators and their empowerment.
Cultural policy in Norway – a 60-year success story
Over the past sixty years, Norway's cultural policy has been shaped by various guidelines between the size of the country and the impact of the arts, the principle of respectful distancing, the continuity of creators' rewards, cooperation between the Norwegian arts and cultural institutions and creators' organizations, as well as a responsible and measured change in the funding model.
According to Ms. Fossen, in order to ensure the vitality of the country's art and for creators to be able to engage in artistic activities, the state must also take responsibility for funding art and culture. "The state's responsibility for artists should be on a par with its responsibility for education and science," he said. However, even in this case, creators can and should engage in other activities. "However, many artists also have to teach and consult, and these works should not be considered inferior," Ms Fossen observed.
The representative of the institution mentioned that the financing of culture and art must be based on the principle of respectful distancing: "There is a desire that the political influence on our activities is minimized, and the principle of respectful distance allows art and culture to develop more freely and diversely, preventing the so-called state-approved art and political censorship," Fossen emphasized. This can be ensured through close cooperation with developer organisations. It is they who delegate representatives to expert groups providing recommendations for funding to the Norwegian Cultural and Arts Institution. This not only helps to maintain the principle of respectful distancing, but also gives recognition to colleagues who evaluate applications. "For many artists, it's almost as important as the scholarship itself," Fossen added.
Another important principle is the continuity of the creators' rewards. The Norwegian Institution of Arts and Culture has focused on creators with lower and less predictable incomes. In addition to this, extremely careful steps are being made in updating the financing model itself, which was developed between 1965 and 1973 and has remained almost unchanged to this day.
Scholarships for creators – to ensure diverse and innovative artistic activities
During the forum, the institution's representative also discussed the scholarships it awards, which are six – jobs, beginners, established and mature creators, as well as scholarships for various developers' needs. "The one-year scholarship is approximately 28,000 euros per year and is paid monthly. It corresponds to a half-time position," Ms Fossen said.
A labor scholarship can be paid for a period of one to five years and is designed to allow creators to develop artistic activity as the main profession. A scholarship for the work of novice creators can be paid from one to three years and is designed to allow young artists to develop and better prepare to make a living from artistic activities. "It gives them the impetus to become independent," a spokesman for the institution said. In addition to this, there is also a scholarship for newly graduated creators of bachelor's or master's studies, which helps to establish themselves in professional life. The established creators' scholarship is intended for those who seek to develop their artistic activities and consider it as the main occupation. A scholarship for mature creators providing financial security may also be awarded so that they can continue to engage in creative activities. "An artist must have reached the age of at least 57, and this scholarship can be awarded for up to 10 years," Ms Fossen explained. In addition to the usual scholarships, one-time ones can also be awarded, amounting to up to 8,700 euros. "They are designed to contribute to individual artistic activities, including courses, travel, studies, materials, equipment, marketing and consulting," a representative of the institution presented.
Has the Norwegian funding model worked?
During the forum, Ms Fossen was pleased that, "45 per cent. Norwegian residents have visited the gallery in recent years." However, attendance statistics alone cannot be relied on. He mentioned that many factors revealed that state funding for creators contributed to the growth of the artistic level. Ms Fossen stressed that the financing of arts and culture is important for supporting a welfare society in which citizens have the choice to express themselves. "Creators play an important role in showing and questioning societal norms and values," he said, stressing that it is an essential part of democracy.
By funding artists and empowering creators, Norway invests not only in the careers of individual artists, but also in the overall development and well-being of society. "It is an investment in cultural wealth, social cohesion and future innovation," Ms Fossen stressed. He also added that "our democracy is strong, our trust is high, and we think it's part of that. It's not just about art. It's about public health and strengthening democracy."
"The arts represent a unique and challenging cultural context," Ms. Fossen said. This is an area in which society has the right to demand high-quality services or works of art. It also seeks conditions that allow creators to provide such services or create such works. "While this has never been a clearly stated political goal, Norwegian cultural policy has empowered its creators. We think that's part of our success," he stressed.
About the Norwegian Institution of Arts and Culture
The Norwegian Institution of Arts and Culture was founded in 1965. It is the main state institution that implements the country's policy, provides recommendations on cultural policy and administers three funds. Of the 963 million people who have been killed, the U.S. government has 8.8% (€211 million) of the government's budget for culture was allocated to their institution. In 2024, it allocated $43.5 million to individual developers. Euro. The rest went to cultural and artistic organizations. In 2023, the institution received more than 11 thousand views. developers' applications, while funding 1,008.