Culture

Berlin, 16 May 2018. Check against delivery.

In the spring amending budget for 2018, the Government is proposing that the Swedish Arts Council receive SEK 10 million to go to culture for children and young people as a temporary initiative during 2018. The funding supplements the comprehensive grants towards culture for children and young people already provided by the Swedish Arts Council. The initiative is based on an agreement between the Government and the Left Party.

Building our society – a secure and sustainable Sweden

In the spring amending budget for 2018, the Government is investing an additional SEK 15 million in 2018 to provide temporary enhanced support to smaller cinemas and film festivals. This is a boost in addition to the investment of SEK 25 million being made annually in 2016–2019. The investment is based on an agreement between the Government and the Left Party.

One of the Swedish Government’s gender equality policy sub-goals is that men’s violence against women must stop. With reference to #metoo, the following lists some examples of implemented and forthcoming measures to counteract sexual violence, harassment and assault.

The #metoo movement in Sweden strongly demonstrates that more needs to be done to combat sexual harassment and sexual violence in workplaces and society at large. The Swedish Government requires all employers to take responsibility for a secure work environment. In the area of work environment and discrimination there are already many tools and relevant legislation, but the power and size of the petitions show that there are deficiencies in compliance with the regulations. For this reason, Minister for Employment Ylva Johansson and Minister for Gender Equality Åsa Regnér have met with the labour market and union partners, and several ministers have in recent weeks convened meetings with heads of government agencies and business leaders in order to focus on the responsibility of employers to counteract sexual violence and harassment.

In the Budget Bill for 2018, the Government is increasing the budget for culture by SEK 745 million. This includes SEK 275 million to be invested in libraries and SEK 115 million in freedom of the arts. In addition, further investments will be made on democracy policy and anti-discrimination policy. The Budget Bill for 2018 is based on an agreement between the government parties and the Left Party.

On 14 July 2018, Ingmar Bergman would have celebrated his 100th birthday. He was one of Sweden’s internationally most renowned and important artists ever. The Budget Bill for 2018 proposes allocating grants to the Royal Dramatic Theatre, the Ingmar Bergman Foundation, the Fårö Bergman Centre Foundation and the Swedish Film Institute for initiatives to highlight the centenary nationally and internationally.

The Government proposes in the Budget Bill for 2018 to give the National Library of Sweden an extra SEK 25 million per year for three years. The aim is to improve people’s digital skills and ability to critically appraise sources.

The Government proposes that SEK 250 million be allocated each year in 2018–2020 to increase the range and accessibility of library activities throughout the country. A total of SEK 25 million per year of this investment will be provided to the cultural cooperation model, which allocates funds to libraries and activities to promote reading and literature. The Budget Bill for 2018 is based on an agreement between the Government and the Left Party.

The Government proposes that the appropriation to the National Archives be increased by SEK 10 million from 2018 to abolish fees to access digital archive material. This will make some 100 million digital archive images freely available, reducing costs for private individuals to conduct genealogy or area research.

The Government has decided to make the ‘Unga Klara’ theatre company a national theatre institute for children and young people as of 2018. State support for the theatre company will amount to an estimated SEK 16.2 million in 2018, and then SEK 15.4 million per year. This means that state support to Unga Klara will be more than doubled compared with today.

To enhance artistic freedom throughout the country, the Government proposes an investment totalling SEK 115 million per year in the Budget Bill for 2018. This investment represents an increase of the grants and remunerations allocated directly to artists, independent performing arts groups and cultural publications.

Geneva, 29 June 2017. Check against delivery.

Stockholm, 29 May 2017. Check against delivery.

In the 2017 Spring Budget, the Government proposes that the Prins Eugen’s Waldemarsudde art museum be separated in organisational terms from Nationalmuseum. This change will give Prins Eugen’s Waldemarsudde better opportunities to operate in accordance with the provisions in Prince Eugen’s will. The proposal is expected to enter into force on 1 July 2017.

Stockholm, 4 April 2017. Check against delivery.

The Government today appointed Kieran Long as the new director of ArkDes, the Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design. Mr Long will take up his position on 18 April 2017.

Göteborg, 27 January 2017. Check against delivery.

The Huffington Post, 2 December 2016. Opinion piece by Ms Alice Bah Khunke, Minister for Culture and Democracy and Ms Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General.