1 Introduction and summary

Art and culture are expressions that build society, and cultural policy must be based on freedom of speech and tolerance. The cultural sector and civil society are prerequisites for an educated and enlightened public, and thus an investment in democracy. Culture must be free, based on personal involvement and voluntarism.

It is important to the government that people live free, independent lives. The government wants to help unleash and foster creativity in individuals and in the communities that are created at workplaces, in families and in voluntary organisations. A good society is built from the bottom up. The government seeks to empower individuals, families and local communities so that they can manage their everyday lives and shape their future. Opportunities for all citizens and freedom to live one’s own life can only be secured through a fair and sustainable welfare society where a person’s abilities and efforts count more than their background and origins.

A free society does not come into being on its own. We need functioning communities and shared values like due process, data protection, freedom of speech, trust, free media, a market economy, property rights and voluntary work. The government will defend these values and the institutions that form the pillars of our society. Cultural institutions are part of the basic infrastructure of our society.

Norway is facing a major economic transformation that will require innovative thinking in many fields in both the private and public sector. Creativity drives innovation and can improve our international competitiveness. Cultural policy can foster learning and creativity.

The government believes that the cultural sector, voluntary work and the public sphere of the media are independent building blocks of society. They should be left to develop on their own terms without government intervention. The government must facilitate development and a multitude of private and public sources of funding. Safeguarding our cultural heritage is an important task.

The cultural sector must be relevant and represent the entire population, and give individuals the freedom and ability to express themselves. Norway must be a country in which all citizens can succeed, regardless of their background. Cultural policy must actively advance this and foster artistic quality and autonomy. Cultural activities in the public sphere should ensure a distribution of power.

There are threats to democracy, and internationally we see that freedom of speech, artistic freedom and the free position of cultural institutions are under pressure. Trust and confidence in democracy are on unstable ground. «Insularity» appears to be on the rise in several countries, which are directing their focus inwards. We also see the growth of digital echo chambers, and large global players increasingly making decisions that guide the choices we make as consumers and users of culture and the media. This is a trend that exerts pressure on the diversity of expressions and of cultural expressions. Democracy is on solid ground in Norway, but it has become more vulnerable here as well. We have to work actively to demonstrate the value of the basic elements of a democracy, like freedom of speech, tolerant communities and respect for individuals.

A rich and varied cultural sector is one of the prerequisites for freedom of speech and a functioning democracy. In a world in which the public sphere is becoming increasingly fragmented, art and culture can educate, shape and strengthen communities and the societal structure around us. Immigration is a source of new impulses and cultural exchange. Variation leads to new thinking, innovation and creativity. A bold and targeted cultural policy will serve as an effective tool for the promotion of positive developments in society.