Swedish Arts Grants Committee and The Culture bridge

The overarching objective of the work of the Swedish Arts Grants Committee is to promote the opportunities of artists to develop their artistic talents, which is crucial to attaining the national objective of cultural policy that culture is to be a dynamic, challenging and independent force founded on freedom of expression. The opportunity of artists to develop their artistry is also promoted by highlighting artist policy issues in the national and international arena. The Committee works to fulfil its objective through overarching government commissions, information and analysis. Government grants are allocated via a spectrum of different support systems, covering national grants as well as international grants and subsidies. The Committee’s extensive international work, including its international programmes, is an important element of the promotional work that the Committee carries out. The Committee’s international strategy has involved greater cooperation with and support to actors across Sweden, which in turn has encouraged internationalisation on the part of the artists themselves. At the same time the Committee has worked at EU level to encourage artist mobility, which has also involved obtaining and passing on more knowledge at national level. The Arts Grants Committee has also been involved in UNESCO’s comparative study on the conditions of artists and translated and disseminated a UN report on the state of artistic freedom in the world.

Within its government mandate of promoting the role of culture in freedom of expression and democratisation, the Committee has worked to create a discussion platform between culture and aid policy. The Committee’s support for the cultural exchanges of artists with aid countries has been highlighted as an important factor for freedom of expression and democracy. Since 1 October 2015 The Culture bridge has been a special decisionmaking body within the committee. The task of The Culture Bridge is to support innovative culture, and new forms of running and/or financing cultural activities.