Arts Council Norway Act (Lov om Norsk kulturråd)

Arts Council Norway is the main governmental operator for the implementation of Norwegian cultural policy. Arts Council Norway functions as an advisory body to the central government and public sector on cultural affairs. The Arts Council is fully financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture. Arts Council Norway supports arts and cultural projects throughout Norway. It conducts developmental work, and helps ensure that art and culture are created, documented, preserved and made accessible to the broadest possible audience. The aim is to guarantee an arts and cultural sector in Norway that is vibrant and diverse.

Each year, the Council receives some 20,000 applications for funding. In 2017, the Council handled around 139 million EUR in state funds earmarked for arts and culture, which is about 10 per cent of the national cultural budget. The work of the Arts Council Norway is regulated through the Act on the Arts Council Norway. The Act was passed in 2013 and confirms the Arts Council's independence and the principle of an arm's length from political intervention in the council's cultural professional decisions.