Cultural policy
Article | Last updated: 24/08/2021 | Ministry of Culture and Equality
The Ministry of Culture and Equality is responsible for the development of national cultural policy through legal and financial instruments.
National funding for art and culture is primarily allocated via the Ministry’s budget. The majority of the Ministry’s artistic and cultural allocations are made to institutions that receive fixed annual operating grants. These institutions have substantial decision-making autonomy, and are restricted only by their specified objectives and general guidelines laid down by the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) and the government.
The cultural policy decision-making apparatus includes various organisations tasked with administering funds that are to be distributed to third parties in accordance with artistic and cultural assessments. The largest of these is the Arts Council Norway.