Report creation date: 14.10.2008 - 11:51
Countr(y/ies): Sweden
Chapter(s): 1,2,21,22,23,24,241,242,243,244,245,246,3,31,32,33,4,41,42,421,422,423,424,425,426,427,428,429,4210,43,5,51,511,512,513,514,515,516,517,518,519,52,53,531,532,533,534,535,536,537,538,539,5310,6,61,62,63,64,7,71,72,73,8,81,811,812,813,82,821,822,83,831,832,84,841,842,9,91,92

Sweden/ 1. Historical perspective: cultural policies and instruments

Many important public cultural institutions of contemporary Sweden date back to royal initiatives in the 17th and 18th century, like the Royal Opera, The Royal Dramatic Theatre, The Royal Library, The National Archives, The National Heritage Board, The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, The Swedish Academy, The Royal Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities and the two royal universities of Uppsala and Lund. The single most important public cultural institution in pre-modern Sweden was The Swedish Church, responsible for basic popular education and for regional Gymnasiums. In the 19th century, these institutions and functions were reluctantly taken over by the civil nation-state. In the latter half of the century "the modern condition" of cultural policy emerged through the rise of commercial mass-markets in printing, media and exhibitions, eventually followed by the film and gramophone industries. The modern state, taking over old royal cultural institutions, the secularisation of basic popular education through a compulsory public elementary school system Stockholm and the various spiritual challenges of mass popular culture, including radical popular movements in civic education, were the main levers of modern cultural policy in Sweden.

Popular education, public museums, concert halls and public libraries were favoured areas of cultural policy in the early 20th century, typically with substantial contributions from private patrons. A modern key cultural policy institution - a monopoly public broadcasting company ("Sveriges Radio") - started in 1925. In the 1930s, the democratic welfare-state model for cultural policy, stressing equal access to quality culture, started to emerge. One innovative result was the state touring theatre company ("Riksteatern") in 1934. In the 1950s and 1960s, established cultural institutions were modernised and many new ones were created, such as state touring institutions for exhibitions and music, the Film Institute, municipal music schools, and state art and drama schools. The Author's Fund, supporting literary artists, was created in 1954. It was based on the innovative institutionalisation of lending rights to Swedish authors, whereby the government paid for loans in public libraries.

In the 1960s, political engagement in the cultural policy issue rose dramatically, resulting in a very ambitious ideological and institutional renewal of the whole cultural policy field presented in the Bill on Culture in 1974. The democratic welfare-state model of cultural policy triumphed. A new central authority, the National Council for Cultural Affairs (later called the Swedish Arts Council) was created. Perhaps the most noteworthy result was a very substantial strengthening of regional and municipal resources for the distribution and production of quality culture. In fixed prices, public cultural expenditure rose from about SEK 8 billion in 1973 to about 16 billion in 2000.

In the last decades of the 20th century, the most significant changes in the general conditions for cultural policy concerned, on the one hand, the revolutionary changes in media technologies and, on the other, the repaid increase of cultural and ethnic diversity through immigration and global mediation. The long overdue divorce between State and Church, in the year 2000, marked a symbolic end to Sweden's self-conception as a mono-cultural nation.

Sweden/ 2. Competence, decision-making and administration

2.1 Organisational structure (organigram)

Sweden/ 2. Competence, decision-making and administration

2.2 Overall description of the system

The Parliament (Riksdagen) decides upon the individual budgets of most central / national institutions and authorities in the field of culture and heritage, such as the Opera, the Museum of Modern Art and the Authors' Fund. Other institutions receive national financing, administered by the Swedish Arts Council, as part of a lump-sum provision out of which yearly grants are allocated to regional theatres or symphony orchestras, regional museums, county libraries, independent theatre groups, artists' consultants etc. This financing role is often shared with municipalities and / or regions. The Central Government's principal responsibility lies in co-ordination and longer-term planning of cultural policy via the appropriate ministries and related bodies (see organigram in chapter 2.1) and in presenting the annual Bill to the Parliament.

The Ministry for Culture: In 2005, the former Ministry of Culture and the former Ministry of Education were joined together to constitute the new Ministry of Education, Research and Culture. As of January 2007, the ministries are again separated. Culture, media, design, religious organisations and sports are the main fields of responsibility of the new Ministry of Culture. The new Ministry of Education and Research is responsible for the field of liberal adult education and the new Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality for the field of youth policy.

The Swedish Arts Council is a government authority whose principal task is to implement national cultural policy determined by the Parliament. The Council is responsible for:

the allocation of state cultural funding to theatre, dance, music, literature, arts periodicals and public libraries, and to the fine arts, museums and exhibitions;
providing the Swedish government with the basic data it needs to make cultural policy decisions, by evaluating state spending in the cultural sphere, etc; and
providing information on culture and cultural policy.

The Swedish Arts Council administers The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, an annual literary prize of SEK 5 million, established by the Swedish government in 2002. In co-operation with the National Heritage Board, the Swedish Arts Council runs the EU contact office for culture in Sweden, Cultural Contact Point Sweden. The aim of these offices, which operate in 31 countries, is to promote European cooperation in the cultural sphere, with special emphasis on each country's participation in cultural partnership projects, in European networks and in organisations in the cultural sphere. The Swedish Arts Council also administers the Swedish - South African Cultural Partnership Programme. In South Africa, the equivalent responsibility lies with the South African Ministry of Arts and Culture. The Programme was launched in 2004.

The National Heritage Board serves as Sweden's central administrative agency in the area of heritage and the historic environment. As the national coordinating agency, the Board has overall responsibility for promoting the objectives of Sweden's heritage policy. Among the Board's activities are various initiatives to protect the historic environment, which includes the accumulation and dissemination of information, preservation, conservation, interagency coordination and archaeological activities. The Board is responsible for heritage matters according to the Heritage Commemoration Act, the regulations of national building monuments, the Planning and Building Act, and the Environment Code, in matters concerning cultural reserves. The board distributes central government financial resources to regional heritage agencies and acts generally as a national centre of expertise in the heritage field. In recent years, the Board's role of supporting civil society initiatives has been stressed.

The National Archives supervises all public records of the agencies of the central government, while it delegates to the regional archives the supervision of records generated by regional and local authorities. The Military Archives, SVAR (Svensk Arkivinformation) and Arkion are also parts of the National Archives.

The Swedish Film Institute is responsible for the promotion, support and development of Swedish film, the allocation of grants for the production, distribution and exhibition of Swedish films at home, and the promotion of Swedish cinema at international level. The Institute's activities are regulated by the Film Agreement, an agreement between the Swedish state and the film and media industry, and also by an annual appropriation of grants from the Ministry. From 1 January 2006, the current agreement regulates mainly support for Swedish film production, and the distribution and screening of films throughout the country. Finance for this support comes from government grants, the TV companies which are party to the agreement, and Sweden's cinema owners, who pay a levy of 10% on gross box office receipts. From 1 January 2006, the other activities of the Film Institute, including film archives, are wholly state-financed and regulated through the annual appropriation of government grants.

The Arts Grants Committee (Konstnärsnämnden), The Authors' Fund (Författarfonden) and The National Public Arts Council (Statens konstråd) are presented in detail in chapter 8.

In all, there are more than 40 public cultural agencies, institutions and public foundations under the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture.

The central government provides 47% of total public expenditure on culture, including the field of liberal adult education.

The County Councils (Landsting), numbering 18, and 2 regional unions, are tax levying, elective units / councils, geographically covering several adjacent municipalities. They are mainly responsible for regional health services, but provide support for regional theatres, orchestras, museums, and libraries - mainly county and hospital libraries. Additional resources may include municipal and / or central-government grants).

The County Councils provide about 10% of total public expenditure on culture.

The Municipalities (Kommuner), numbering 290, are tax levying, elective units, i.e. local councils, responsible for public libraries and cultural activities, such as music schools, theatres, art galleries and museums, as well as local branches of adult-education organisations. Funding comes mainly from locally derived municipal income, mainly taxes (additional resources may include regional and / or central- government grants).

The municipalities provide the remaining 43% of public expenditure on culture.

The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions represent the governmental, professional and employer related interests of Sweden's 290 local authorities ("kommuner"), 18 county councils ("landsting"), and 2 regions and strive to promote and strengthen regional / local self-government. Activities are largely financed by membership fees. The provinces' County Administrative Boards (Länsstyrelser), numbering 21, may overlap with the area of a county, but are the regional offices of the central government. Each province is led by a governor, appointed by the central government. With a view to enlarging provinces, to sizes comparable to those of other European regions, some are being reorganised. The County Administrative Boards have a special responsibility for the natural environment and cultural heritage.

Sweden/ 2. Competence, decision-making and administration

2.3 Inter-ministerial or intergovernmental co-operation

The Saami Parliament (Sametinget): The Saami Parliament falls under the Ministry of Agriculture. The state hearing on Sami rights, initiated at the beginning of the 1980s, led to the Riksdag's Decision to set up a special Parliament for the Saami people living in Sweden, in December 1992. The Saami also have strong interregional bodies. The Sametinget aims at increasing Sami influence and self determination on issues related to professional skills development, culture and language. The role of the Saami Parliament is decided by Sweden's Riksdag and regulated by law.

Related to the field of culture, 2005 was declared the Year of Design and 2006, The Year of Cultural Diversity: While the Year of Design resulted in a moderate level of inter-ministerial activities the Year of Cultural Diversity involved activities in a very large number of public agencies, institutions, foundations and corporations in the cultural field as well as certain universities and agencies of the Foreign Ministry. The project was monitored and evaluated by a special commission producing a final report with a thorough scrutiny of the conditions of cultural diversity in contemporary Sweden as well as a large number of proposals for improving the situation. (SOU 2007:50). The general direction of the proposals concerned measures to increase awareness and knowledge throughout the cultural sector including making the Swedish Arts Council the central authority responsible for monitoring development and initiating change. Grants to private organisations active in the field were proposed for a number of further investigations into diversity practice in the cultural field and also efforts for educating managers in public cultural organisations in problems and practices of cultural diversity. The new government did not allocate 2007 as special year, though the 300th anniversary of Sweden's internationally most famous scientist, Carolus Linnaeus has engaged many public authorities and agencies in the cultural field.

Sweden/ 2.4 International cultural co-operation

2.4.1 Overview of main structures and trends

Sweden actively promoted the decision of the UN to establish the World Commission on Culture and Development, as well as its programme connected to the World Decade on Culture and Development (1987-1997). In 1998, Sweden hosted the intergovernmental UNESCO conference, The Power of Culture, where the reports, Our Creative Diversity (UNESCO) and the Council of Europe report In from the Margins were discussed. The Action Plan for Cultural Policies for Development, proposed to governments, is often referred to in national policy discussions with close links to local life, culture, and the environment. In order to evaluate the use and impact of this Action Plan, the Swedish UNESCO Commission invited UNESCO counterparts and cultural policy researchers from all over the world to a workshop "Stockholm + 5", in 2003. There is a strong tradition of Nordic cooperation in the cultural field, with several institutions, including The Nordic Ministers Culture Fund. EU membership has also brought new perspectives and possibilities for international cultural co-operation, as well as helping to realise cultural projects in less populated areas in Sweden via the EU-Structural Funds.

Sweden/ 2.4 International cultural co-operation

2.4.2 Public actors and cultural diplomacy

The Swedish Institute (Svenska Institutet, SI), together with the Swedish Arts Council, is responsible for support and initiatives promoting international cultural exchanges. The SI is further entrusted to disseminate information on Sweden abroad and to facilitate exchanges in the spheres of education, research and public life in general. The SI has special assignments as part of its regular international development work and as part of its work in Central and Eastern Europe. The SI falls under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and cooperates with Swedish embassies and consulates throughout the world.

The Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) reports to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and is responsible for most of Sweden's contributions to international development cooperation. The goal of Sida´s work is to improve the standard of living of poor people and, in the long term, to eradicate poverty. Sida is responsible for developing cultural support and exchange projects, closely linked to their general support to third world countries and to Eastern European countries. Throughout the years, Sida has supported large cultural exchange projects, developed in cooperation with NGO's such as the Swedish-African Museum Programme (SAMP). From 2004, resources dedicated to a long term support and exchange programme with South Africa were transferred from Sida to the Swedish Arts Council. These resources are augmented by a contribution from South Africa and are to be invested in continued co-operation with the Ministry of Culture of South Africa. Priority areas include the development of creativity and cultural structures in both countries via mutual partnerships between institutions, agencies etc.

The Swedish government commissioned a study on Sweden's international cultural activities and relations. The study, published in 2003, looked at all the actors involved in this field, such as authorities, institutions, and NGOs and includes related areas like foreign affairs, trade, and third world development programmes. It addressed issues of financing, responsibility, and the need for co-operation. As a result of the report, the Swedish Arts Council was given a special responsibility for developing a higher degree of internationalisation in the cultural field.

The Swedish Arts Council and the National Heritage Board function as contact points for cultural programmes within the EU, and since 1998, also as the official EU- cultural contact point in Sweden, together with the National Archives and the Swedish Film Institute. Swedish cultural institutions actively exchange and co-operate with colleagues in many parts of the world and take part in many international organisations and networks. The Swedish Arts Council gives grants for international cultural exchange, e.g. for performances, seminars, support to the national committees of cultural NGOs, etc. The Council also manages the state insurance provisions for exhibitions on loan.

The International Artists Studio Programme in Sweden (IASPIS) offers artist - in - residence grants to visiting artists and supports artists from Sweden exhibiting abroad. The programme is connected to the Academy of Arts in Stockholm and to other cities in Sweden such as Göteborg, Malmö and Umeå. In addition to The Nordic Ministers Culture Fund in Copenhagen, there are also bilateral funds available for the Nordic countries to realise common projects. In an effort to re-organise Nordic cultural cooperation, Nordic Culture Point was set up by the Nordic Council of Ministers in January 2007. Its mandate is to promote Nordic cultural co-operation as well as promoting Nordic culture internationally (see http://www.kulturkontaktnord.org). Some government measures are being taken in order to stimulate cultural institutions and professionals in Sweden to broaden their international scope. Since 2002, the Swedish Arts Council has been providing resources for a network of regional consultants to promote cultural diversity. Sweden is an active member of The Organising Committee of Ars Baltica, which was founded in 1988 to enhance cultural exchange and co-operation among the countries of the Baltic Sea region.

Sweden/ 2.4 International cultural co-operation

2.4.3 European / international actors and programmes

See chapter 2.4.1 and chapter 2.4.2.

Sweden has ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The Swedish National Commission for UNESCO will be, as is the case with earlier conventions, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the convention.

Sweden/ 2.4 International cultural co-operation

2.4.4 Direct professional co-operation

There is an extensive tradition of international professional cooperation, particularly within the Nordic region, involving, in practice, all major Swedish cultural institutions and government agencies.

Sweden/ 2.4 International cultural co-operation

2.4.5 Cross-border intercultural dialogue and co-operation

The final report of the commission monitoring the 2006 Year of Diversity ("Diversity is the Future", SOU 2007:50) includes a variety of proposals for promoting intercultural dialogue. Intercultural dialogue is one motive for extensive student exchange programmes.

For more information, see our Intercultural Dialogue section.

Sweden/ 2.4 International cultural co-operation

2.4.6 Other relevant issues

Information is currently not available.

Sweden/ 3. General objectives and principles of cultural policy

3.1 Main elements of the current cultural policy model

Cultural policy in Sweden, since the 1960s, is generally modelled by the country's self-image as a small, democratic, welfare-state nation. In the Bills on Culture, in 1974 and 1996, culture is recognised as a general public benefit because it unites society, because it is a central condition for democracy and because culture is a basic form of resource for individual well-being and collective welfare, which should be distributed and enjoyed equitably throughout the nation. Like the other Nordic countries, Sweden's version of the democratic welfare-state model of cultural policy is marked by the emphasis on popular participation, self-development and the role of popular movements in cultural development. Another distinctive cultural policy feature that Sweden shares with other Nordic countries is the special forms of copyright regulation, including lending rights payments to Swedish authors for books lent by public libraries.

In terms of regulation of and resource mobilisation for culture there is a complex web of interactions between the state, the market, civil society, private patronage and cultural professional associations. The dominant political attitude in cultural policy has favoured the cooperation between the state, civil society organisations and cultural professions in cultural affairs while typically, until recently, being more suspicious about market regulation and private sponsorship. The involvement of professional associations, particularly in the distribution of grants to artists, provides the Swedish cultural policy model with a mild corporatist influence.

In terms of degrees of centralisation, the cultural policy model in Sweden has for the last 50 years moved consistently towards decentralisation, increasingly stressing the values of cultural self-regulation of regions, local communities, minority groups and various subcultures. Such decentralisation is, however, typically dependent on the distribution of central government financial resources. New and enlarged regional structures have recently been established in the southern and western parts of Sweden. This implies new forms of dialogue and long-term planning between central and regional partners.

The complexity of the Swedish cultural policy model, in terms of administrative structure, is revealed by the very large number of heterogeneous units directly subordinated and / or financially dependent on the Ministry of Culture. A double arms-length principle is at work providing cultural institutions with extensive formal autonomy from the Ministry according to constitutional law. In addition there is a tradition of respect for the autonomy of artists and cultural professionals in matters of content and quality of cultural production. The safe-guards against political intervention in the practices of publicly owned and / or publicly financed cultural institutions are very strong, providing the administrative system of culture with a high degree of inertia.

A distinctive feature of the Swedish cultural policy model is the high level of consensus and the corresponding low level of political conflict over cultural policy issues.

Sweden/ 3. General objectives and principles of cultural policy

3.2 National definition of culture

There is no official definition of culture in Sweden. In the 1974 Government Bill on Culture, cultural policy is defined as measures within the areas of "language, the stage, images, sound, and in areas of media and communication. Furthermore it should include certain measures within the areas of adult education and organisational activities and measures to preserve and bring to life the cultural heritage." (Government Bill 1974:28, p. 287). The approach avoids traditional difficulties in this "essentially contested concept" by pragmatically defining culture as that which public cultural policy deals with. Trying to find a formula that summarises the object-matter of cultural policy, the Commission on Culture (Kulturpolitikens inriktning SOU 1995: 84, p. 40) identifies culture with matters concerning (1) the arts, (2) the media, (3) popular cultural creativity and education ("bildningssträvanden") and (4) the cultural heritage. This policy concept of culture entails an important restriction to quality culture, in contrast to many aspects of commercial mass culture, which are left outside of the policy domain. In addition to this definition of the cultural field, the new Ministry of Culture is responsible also for matters of design, religious organisations and sports.

Though Swedish cultural policy generally can be viewed as an instrument for strengthening the national community, it is not nationalist in an ethno-political sense.

Sweden/ 3. General objectives and principles of cultural policy

3.3 Cultural policy objectives

The basic principles for modern Swedish cultural policy were adopted by the Riksdag in 1974.

In the mid 1990s, a comprehensive scrutiny of cultural policy of the past 20 years was enacted by the Commission on Culture. The Government Bill on Culture, based on the recommendation of the Commission, adopted by the Riksdag in 1996, reinforced the validity of the principles of 1974 with only minor modifications. The currently valid national objectives for culture policy decided in 1996 are:

to safeguard freedom of expression and create genuine opportunities for everyone to make use of that freedom;
to take action to enable everyone to participate in cultural life, to experience culture, and to engage in creative activities of their own;
to promote cultural diversity, artistic renewal and quality, thereby counteracting the negative effects of commercialism;
to enable culture to act as a dynamic, challenging and independent force in society;
to preserve and make use of the cultural heritage;
to promote cultural education; and
to promote international cultural exchange and meetings between different cultures in Sweden.

These national goals have over-riding priority for all public cultural work and institutional activities receiving state support. They are mirrored in similar cultural policy objectives on the regional and municipal level. When appropriate, these goals are directive of public activities also within education, welfare and health.

The over-riding goals of cultural policy are complemented by goals valid for different sectors of cultural policy i.e. the arts, the media, popular creativity and education and cultural heritage. Under this level, there are specific activity goals for central cultural authorities and institutions.

In June 2007, the Minister of Culture appointed a committee with a comprehensive mandate to scrutinise the goals and forms of cultural policy at the national level and to propose whatever changes are necessary. It was expected that the appointment of this earlier announced investigation would reveal the cultural policy intentions of the new Non-Socialist coalition government, but this was hardly so. Apart from the assumption that private companies and civil society organisations should be more active in financing culture in the future, the directive given to the committee reveals no particular political will. The committee will deliver its proposals in December 2008.

Sweden/ 4. Current issues in cultural policy development and debate

4.1 Main cultural policy issues and priorities

In general, recent cultural policy debates in Sweden relate to the internationally prevailing issues as listed below in chapter 4.2 Multiculturalism, gender inequalities, provisions for minorities, global mediatisation, cultural industries, new technologies, forms of governance, and culture as a resource for regional growth are acknowledged as general challenges for cultural policy. Some more heated public issues have concerned the freedom of artistic expression in relation to an infamous picturing of the prophet Mohammed as a roundabout dog, conflict over the forms of copyright regulation of the Internet, debate over the possible re-introduction of an official national literary canon in the school system, the future of the Film Censorship Authority ("Statens Biografbyrå") and the introduction in 2005, and abandonment in 2007, of free entry to 19 state museums.

In the parliamentary election of 2006, issues of cultural policy were almost completely absent. The new Non-Socialist coalition government has so far revealed very little of its intentions in the field, not even in the directive to the investigatory committee on culture appointed in June 2007. The two Budget Bills of 2007 and 2008 presented by the new government contain only minor alterations as compared to the policies of the former Social Democratic government. Noteworthy is the discontinuation of a remarkably successful free entrance programme for state museums started in 2005 and also of a state company which had for a long time been publishing quality literature ("En bok för alla") at very low prices.

The phasing out of a SEK 300 million labour market programme, ACCESS, targeted for unemployed cultural workers is also proposed. SEK 55 million targeted for artistic activities in schools is the only significant new item in the Budget Bill for 2008, which otherwise entails a small reduction of state expenditure for culture. Other initiatives of the new government relate to the appointment of a special Museum Coordinator and the extension of a small Employment Pool programme ("Alliansen") originally targeted for actors to dancers and musicians also. A new Swedish language act has been announced and the government decided in 2007 to shorten the contract period for the public broadcasting company in order to make it possible for Parliament to consider the principles of public service in radio and television before the next election in 2010. If any general political tendency at all could be discerned in the cultural policies of the new government, it points in a generally liberal direction, mildly playing down the role of the state as compared to market and civil society agents.

General uncertainty as to the intentions of the new government makes it difficult to pinpoint current areas of priority in Swedish cultural policy. Some areas of importance could however be listed:

promoting artistic creativity within the school system;
promoting cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and international cooperation;
facilitating for artists to earn their living through professional incomes;
simplifying the administrative structure of state cultural policy;
coordinating state museum policy;
facilitating for market and civil society agents to increase their share in financing culture; and
strengthening the position of the Swedish language.

Sweden/ 4.2 Recent policy issues and debates

4.2.1 Cultural minorities, groups and communities

Cultural policy goals for the various ethnic groups living in Sweden mirror those of the government in general, including the objectives spelled out in its immigration policy. There are a few funding schemes developed specially for ethnic groups. Those that exist mainly provide support to projects in the fields of language and literature, and periodicals with cultural content. The majority of public measures are carried out on the local level, and provide support to associations, theatres, music and festivals.

The officially recognised cultural minority groups in Sweden are the indigenous Sami peoples, the Swedish Finns, the Tornedalers, the Roma and the Jews. The officially recognised languages are Sami (all forms), Finnish, Meänkieli (Tornedal Finnish), Romani Chib (all forms), and Yiddish. Historically and geographically, Sami, Finnish, and Meänkieli are based in the Nordic area, which means that more far-reaching measures are given in support of these languages and related activities. On the other hand, there are languages such as Yiddish and Romani which are part of a world wide network which helps them to survive.

The indigenous population, the Sami, is a minority of 15-20 000 persons within Sweden. There are also populations of Sami in northern Finland and Norway. The Sami have a special status compared to the rest of the population. The Sami Parliament (Sametinget) has been allocated an earmarked state subsidy for cultural activities, research and social development projects. Nordic co-operation between the Sami themselves, but also between the respective governments on Sami issues, is of great importance.

In January 2000, the government decided that Sweden should ratify the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. As a result, a number of measures have been proposed, aimed to strengthen the status of national minorities in Sweden.

Sweden/ 4.2 Recent policy issues and debates

4.2.2 Language issues and policies

Swedish is spoken by about 8.3 million people: the inhabitants of Sweden, a minority (approx 300 000) in Finland, and in North America (approx 100 000). Swedish is understood by a few more million people, mainly the Norwegians and the Danes, due to language similarities. In 1999, five minority languages within Sweden were declared as official, including Sami (all forms), Finnish, Meänkieli (Tornedal Finnish), Romani Chib (all forms) and Yiddish.

Even if Swedish is a majority language within Sweden, it is a minority language in a European and global context. It therefore receives great care from libraries and research institutions and is promoted via literature grants, media, and education. In recent years, the government has placed great emphasis on children's reading and speaking via support schemes for library purchases and reading campaigns.

Problems with language skills and training have to be examined in the context of globalisation and media developments. Moreover, due to recent immigration, more than 150 languages are spoken in Sweden today - an educational and cultural challenge for schools, authorities and the media.

In October 2006, the new government announced its intentions to propose a new Swedish Language Act, a new law, intended to safeguard access to the Swedish language as a condition for democracy. It is unclear how this law will relate to a recent debate on making mastery of the Swedish language a condition for citizenship.

Sweden/ 4.3 Recent policy issues and debates

4.2.3 Intercultural dialogue: actors, strategies, programmes

At the national level, intercultural dialogue is primarily a part of policies on integration and diversity. A new Ministry for Integration and Gender Equality was created on 1 January 2007. Issues concerning democracy, gender equality, integration and cultural diversity, and metropolitan affairs were formerly addressed within the Ministry of Justice. The integration policy comprises issues relating to the introduction of immigrants into Swedish society, grants to municipalities for the reception of refugees, Swedish citizenship, and measures to promote equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for all, irrespective of ethnic origin. Furthermore, it includes measures to prevent and counteract ethnic discrimination, xenophobia and racism.

Objectives of the integration policy are: equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for everyone, irrespective of ethnic and cultural background; social cohesion built on diversity; social development characterised by mutual respect, irrespective of background, (should participate and share a sense of community). In summary, Sweden has moved from an immigration policy to an integration policy. The integration policy is based on the Government Bill "Sweden, the Future and Diversity - from Immigration Policy to Integration Policy". Ethnic and cultural diversity is the point of departure for shaping general policies in all sectors and at all levels of society. High priority is given to addressing segregation in Swedish society, as well as to efforts to combat racism, xenophobia, and ethnic discrimination. Integration efforts will focus on creating opportunities that enable individuals to support themselves and participate in society, safeguarding basic democratic values and working to secure equal rights and opportunities for women and men.

Tightened laws counteract ethnic discrimination and active measures on the part of public agencies responsible for this area will contribute to preventing discrimination in the labour market. In its communication to the parliament (Riksdag) on "Swedish Integration Policy for the 21st century" (2001/2002:129), the government gave an account of the development of integration policy since 1997 and its future direction. There is greater awareness in today's society of integration goals such as equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for all. In a number of areas, however, the disparities between immigrants and Swedish-born citizens are still too large. To reduce inequalities of opportunity and conditions, the government will implement an extensive programme of measures. Greater attention will be given to matters relating to common basic values, gender equality and conditions for children and young people of foreign extraction while they are growing up. In the education and labour market spheres, various projects are in progress to increase employment among immigrants, such as improved introductory programmes and training in Swedish, supplementary training, validation of foreign professional qualifications etc.

The National Plan to Combat Racism was presented to the Riksdag in 2001. The action plan provides a good overview of work in progress and of both the national and international statutory framework within this area. In its action plan, the government also identified key areas for future work and presented several new initiatives that have been implemented or which are in the process of being implemented. These initiatives include the coordination of laws pertaining to discrimination and the Ombudsman against Ethnic Discrimination, information and educational efforts, anti-discrimination causes in public procurement, the build up of local activities to combat discrimination and new laws against racism. A Centre to Combat Racism was recently established by non-governmental organisations and receives a grant of SEK 5.5 million per year for its operations since 2004. The Centre operates as a non-profit organisation and its main task is to coordinate different efforts, spread information and carry out opinion-forming activities. The government has also initiated a youth project to combat racism, entitled Arm in Arm. The government has taken a considerable number of measures to assist girls who are threatened by their families on religious grounds. The areas involved are primarily legislation, social services and the education system. For the period 2004-2005, the government allocated SEK 100 million for continued efforts to provide sheltered accommodation, etc. for young people at risk of honour-related violence. Since 1 July 2003, a new Law Prohibiting Discrimination is in force. The new law means that effective protection against discrimination applies in certain other sectors of society outside working life and college. Related policy actions include the creation of a new state authority, The Living History Forum, in 2003 with the task to promote democracy, tolerance and inter-cultural understanding departing from the Holocaust.

2006 was declared The Year of Cultural Diversity resulting in a large number of projects and investigation. A final report on these efforts, also containing many concrete proposals for improvement has been published as a Government Commission Report - Diversity is the Future, (SOU 2007:50).

For more information, see:
Database of Good Practice on Intercultural Dialogue and our Intercultural Dialogue section.

For more information on the government's National Strategy for the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue please see: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/dialogue/strategies_en.html

Sweden/ 4.3 Recent policy issues and debates

4.2.4 Social cohesion and cultural policies

For centuries, cultural policy in Sweden has been geared at promoting national community and pride. The goal of modern Swedish cultural policy is to increase access to culture for everyone living in Sweden, both through access to culture of high quality and through practicing activities of their own. Hence, participation and social cohesion is at the very core of Swedish cultural policy.

Minority language rights. Since 2000, five minority group languages are officially recognised: Finnish, Jiddish, Meänkäli, Romani-Chib and Sami.

The Year of Cultural Diversity. Proclaimed for the year 2006, this project served as a means to highlight the vast variety of cultures and people in Sweden. The purpose of The Year of Cultural Diversity was to permanently increase the opportunities for everyone living in Sweden to take an active part in cultural life and to create cooperation between various cultural traditions. The purpose was also to create incentives for publicly financed cultural activities to reflect and incorporate the prevailing ethnic and cultural diversity. The Final Report (SOU 2007:50) was published in 2007. According to a review by the National Council of Cultural Affairs in 2005, public cultural institutions are increasingly aware of the necessity to increase cultural diversity in order to attract new audiences. This means higher degrees of representation of immigrant culture among artists, staff and repertoires.

The National Metropolitan Policy. This programme operated between 1998 and 2004. It aimed at reversing the trend of increasing ethnic segregation in metropolitan areas. The project contributed to new job opportunities and reduced long-term unemployment in ethnically segregated suburban areas by forming local development contracts between various local organisations and more generally to involve suburban minority groups in local political, social and cultural work.

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4.2.5 Media pluralism and content diversity

The overall aim of measures taken by the Swedish government within the field of culture and media is to safeguard freedom of expression, accessibility and diversity of content. Television and radio are today, through their wide range and dissemination, the most important providers of information on culture. Public service broadcasting companies hold a unique position and their mandate includes direct responsibility for culture, e.g. broadcasting of programmes which cover and debate cultural subjects and events, including religious issues. The growing number of commercial channels in Sweden, and the possibility to access channels from around the world via satellite and pay TV, provide a wealth of attitudes, images, and icons which is difficult for a public service policy to monitor.

The Swedish Film Institute is the central authority responsible for the film sector. The Institute now also includes regional film centres. These bodies help to encourage a new generation of actors, script writers, and film producers. Swedish films are becoming more and more appreciated by the great public and are receiving prizes at both national and international festivals. In this regard, the production of short films is going through a revival. Major short film festivals are held each year. Smaller festivals, focussing on special countries or subcultures, are frequently organised.

In addition to the traditional media, new forms of information and communication media have been developed (see chapter 4.2.8). The new information society technology and especially the Internet, creates new possibilities for increased public access to the work of artists and cultural institutions. A large number of projects are underway, for example, the digitisation of archives and museums and support to IT based art projects from different foundations and institutions. The commercial market of "edutainment" and electronic gambling is expanding rapidly and successfully, but causing problems both for the individual and society to cope with. The private downloading of music has been declared illegal. Legal measures have also been adopted to criminalise and prohibit the dissemination of images portraying child abuse.

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4.2.6 Culture industries: policies and programmes

As in the other Nordic countries, Swedish authorities have no specific policy towards the culture industries. However, schemes have been introduced to support quality production in the areas of publishing books and art periodicals, music and film. These support systems play an important role in Swedish cultural policy. For example:

government support (2006) to literature, including publishing books and periodicals, subsidies for libraries to purchase books and the promotion of reading, amounted to SEK 121.5 million; and
state subsidies for film production, promotion and distribution in 2006 were SEK 289 million (21.1 million euros).

In 2002, the VAT rate for books was reduced from 25 to 6%. The chief motive was the promotion of reading generally. Results point to lower retail prices and increased reading of fiction literature though mainly within groups already reading books. The Interactive Institute is a governmental initiative financing projects in creative virtual thinking, as proposed by artists, scholars, and partners within the commercial and industrial sectors. In latter years, regional development plans have, in a few cases, included the establishment of Industrial Development Centres (IUC) and support and cooperation with the culture industries.

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4.2.7 Employment policies for the cultural sector

Conditions of income and employment among artists and cultural workers have been the object of many government surveys and initiatives for several decades. Since 2005, the Arts Grants Committee is responsible for monitoring economic and social conditions of artists and publishes annual statistical reports. A major report on the labour market conditions of artists in Sweden is expected at the end of 2007.

As was reported in a governmental survey "Work for artists" in 1997, there is a problematic interdependence between the unemployment insurance system and several artists' groups, making the production of e.g. theatre, dance and music dependent on the more or less regular support of artistic labour from the unemployment insurance system. The unemployment insurance system has, thereby, de facto become a major source for the public support of artistic production. Several initiatives to "move" resources from the unemployment budgets to the cultural sector have been taken. An example of this combined budgeting is the "theatre pool", (Teateralliansen) financed by the government, to provide salaried training and rehearsal facilities for actors. Since 2006, a similar pool is in operation for dancers and the government has proposed an extension of the programme also for musicians in 2008. Another scheme is the "Access programme", through which the government in 2006 and 2007 has supported the employment of unemployed cultural workers in cultural institutions, particularly within the museum sector. The Swedish Arts Council has been responsible for distributing this support which, for 2006 and 2007, has amounted to more than SEK 500 million. Since 2004, the government has provided national and regional theatre and music institutions with resources ear-marked for improving future pension payments for artistic labour.

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4.2.8 New technologies and cultural policies

The major government priority on the Information Society has been education at all levels. Special funding for equipment and projects has been made available for schools in general and for educational programmes in museums and other cultural institutions. IT has become an effective tool in the daily work of all institutions, whether it is websites, digitisation of catalogues and online loans from libraries, documentation and registration of museums collections, use of digital equipment for stage and other music and drama performances, box-office sales, etc. IT has also become the natural medium for communication, networking, and creative expressions among artists in cross-cultural projects.

The government is launching a 24-hour service, giving citizens access to information and application forms; the Swedish Arts Council is part of this initiative. Culture Net Sweden is a portal for local and national cultural news. The network - as a multifaceted forum for Swedish culture - started out as a government initiative and has been located within the Swedish Arts Council since January 2000 until 2005. Users are provided with links to over 7 000 web sites presenting Swedish culture on the Internet - also in English. Archives, libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions are the largest information contributors; however there is also material covering independent cultural practitioners, associations, organisations and companies. Since 2005, the responsibility for Culture Net Sweden has been taken over by a private association.

While the Internet has brought about many advantages to facilitate access to information on cultural life in Sweden, the government has been concerned with issues of legislation against the multiplication of the abuse, via Internet, of freedom of expression and copyright, illegal websites on exploitation of children and illegal downloading of music and films.

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4.2.9 Heritage issues and policies

In the autumn of 2002, a report on industrial heritage was presented to the Ministry of Culture. As more and more industries close down due to relocation or to difficulties in the market, there is a growing number of industrial buildings that might be worth preserving. There is ear-marked money for this purpose. In 2001 - 2004, a national project "Agenda Kulturarv", run by the National Heritage Board, the County Councils and the County Museums intended to bring about a broad discussion on guidelines for future heritage policy and administration. The government has taken steps to stop the illegal traffic of movable cultural items and has increased its support for cultural institutions to work with the customs authorities.

Important national museums have been built or rebuilt since 1998, including the Museum of Modern Art (1998), the Maritime Museum in Karlskrona and the Museum of World Cultures in Göteborg (2004). More than 20 regions renewed or rebuilt their main museums and others of importance like the Tanum Stone Carvings Museum and qualified art museums in smaller municipalities. Information about collections and sites are available in digitised formats.

In 2005 - 2006, entrance to the permanent exhibitions of most state and state supported museums in Sweden (around 20) was free of charge. The majority of these museums are situated in Stockholm. As a consequence, the number of visitors roughly doubled. From 1 January 2007, the government restricted free entrance to persons under 20 years of age resulting in a sharp decrease in the number of visitors. The reason for abandoning free entry to state museums was not presented in a systematic fashion by the government. Statements made by the Minister of Culture indicate that the principal reason was the fair competition between on the one hand the 19 state museums (almost all located to Stockholm) and on the other public museum in the regions and private museums generally. Free entrance to state museums was thus felt to unduly favour the capital over the regions and would make museum visitors unwilling to pay entrance to any museums - which would damage the private museums. In 1999, the government set up a "Forum for the humanities and democracy, based on the Holocaust". The new premises for the new "Forum for Living History", were opened in 2004, and functions as a combined museum and education centre.

For more information, see
European Heritage Network: Country profile Sweden

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4.2.10 Gender equality and cultural policies

Mainstreaming is one of the points of departure of Swedish efforts in the area of gender equality. The idea of mainstreaming assumes a transparency in the structures and norms of today. Gender in Swedish cultural policy is viewed from three different perspectives: professional art and artists' policies, citizens as audiences and citizens as participants via their own creative activities. General trends and statistics indicate that many women work in the cultural sector but that men still predominate in the higher and more prestigious positions; theatres in particular. The same goes for the absence of those people, women and men, with various ethnic backgrounds. However, a slow change is taking place and is most apparent on the political level and also in the museum and library sectors. For example, since 2000, there is an increase of women directors in the cultural sectors appointed on national and regional / municipal levels. To date, Sweden has not undertaken a total survey of the representation of women in all institutions, operations and committees. The Arts Grants Committee has contributed to the debate by analysing the Committee's awarding of grants from a gender perspective. A project launched by the former Ministry of Culture has looked into the possibility for museums to include gender issues and perspectives in collections of objects, documentation of data and in the content and design of exhibitions. A special investigation, Gender in museums (Genus på museer, Ds 2003:61), has suggested several measures to strengthen gender perspectives in museum practices. In 2004, the Swedish Film Institute started a programme of special grants for professional training of women film makers. Within the area of performing arts, a committee on gender equality was appointed 2004, reporting suggestions for improvement in this field in 2006. As a result, the Swedish Arts Council was given a special task to monitor and initiate improvements in gender equality conditions in the field of theatre, dance and music.

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4.3 Other relevant issues and debates

Other issues relate, for example, to the possible re-institution of a literary national canon in the school system. The final report, in 2007, of a commission on the general regional administrative structure and the division of power between state and county in Sweden ("Ansvarskommittén") may eventually involve further steps towards regional self- regulation in the field of culture. In June 2007, the Minister of Culture appointed a new committee on culture with a remarkably wide directive to consider and propose reforms concerning national goals and directions of cultural policy as well as concerning the general structure of state policy implementation systems. The Commission will report in December 2008. The directive given to the committee reveals little of the cultural policy intentions of the new government. Whatever the specific proposals of the committee, one can expect a period of heightened public interest in cultural policy issues in Sweden for the next few years.

Sweden/ 5.1 General legislation

5.1.1 Constitution

The Swedish Constitution (Grundlagen) consists of four fundamental laws; the Instrument of Government, the Act of Succession, the Freedom of the Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression. The central provisions are contained in the Instrument of Government, and this corresponds more closely to the Constitution of other countries. The Riksdag Act is not a fundamental law, although special rules govern its amendment. Article 2 concerns the basic principles of government (chapter 1): "Public power shall be exercised with respect to the equal worth of all, and the liberty and dignity of the private person. The personal, economic and cultural welfare of the private person shall be a fundamental aim of public activity. In particular, it shall be incumbent upon the public institutions to secure the right to health, employment, housing and education, and to promote social care and social security. Public institutions shall promote sustainable development leading to a good environment for present and future generations. Public institutions shall promote the ideals of democracy as guidelines in all sectors of society and protect the private and family lives of private persons. Public institutions shall promote the opportunity for all to attain participation and equality in society. The public institutions shall combat discrimination of persons on grounds of gender, colour, national or ethnic origin, linguistic or religious affiliation, functional disability, sexual orientation, age or other circumstance affecting the private person. Opportunities should be promoted for ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities to preserve and develop a cultural and social life of their own". In addition to articles on fundamental democratic rights and freedom of expression, information, religion, and assembly, there is a special Article 19 concerning artists: "Authors, artists and photographers shall own the rights to their works in accordance with rules laid down in law".

The provisions on the Freedom of the Press Act (1766) apply to the freedom of the press and the corresponding freedom of expression on radio, television and other transmissions, as well as in films, video recordings, sound recordings, and other technical recordings. It also contains provisions concerning the right of access to official documents.

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5.1.2 Division of jurisdiction

The Supreme Court is the highest court of general jurisdiction and the Supreme Administrative Court is the highest administrative court. The right to have a case tried by the Supreme Court or by the Supreme Administrative Court may be restricted in law. A person may serve as a member of the Supreme Court or the Supreme Administrative Court only if he holds currently, or has held previously, an appointment as a permanent salaried justice of the Court.

A court of law other than the Supreme Court or the Supreme Administrative Court must be established by virtue of law. No public authority, including the Riksdag, may determine how a court of law shall adjudicate an individual case or otherwise apply a rule of law in a particular case. The Chancellor of Justice, the Prosecutor General, the central administrative boards and the county administrative boards come under the government. Other state administrative authorities also come under the government, unless they are authorities under the Riksdag according to the present Instrument of Government or by virtue of other laws. Administrative functions may be entrusted to a local authority or may be delegated to a limited company, association, collective, foundation, registered religious community or any part of its organisation, or to a private person. If such a function involves the exercise of public authority, delegation shall be made by virtue of law.

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5.1.3 Allocation of public funds

The Swedish Arts Council is a governmental agency that administers the national funding of the autonomous regional and local cultural institutions whose legal status ranges from limited companies to foundations or public bodies. These institutions usually have joint financing shared by the state, regional public authorities, and / or the local public authorities in addition to their own income. The same applies to funds allocated by the National Heritage Board for the documentation and preservation of sites, buildings and monuments; the National Public Arts Fund and the Art Grants Committee. Other additional government sources of funding are the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning, the Swedish Employment Service, the National Board for Youth Affairs, the Public Fund of Inheritance and the Culture of the Future Foundation.

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5.1.4 Social security frameworks

There is no comprehensive legal framework for artists in Sweden; general principles for social security and taxes apply. There are several artists' unions that represent their members in labour market negotiations and which also function as lobbying groups with the government and the public authorities. In general, artists have lower incomes than the average person, which affects general social security for the individual. Self-employed artists have specific problems vis-à-vis public health insurance, pensions and unemployment insurance, since their "business", often small-sized, is not comparable to the usual trade or enterprise. Some of the specific national or regional grants to individual artists are not taxable (one- and two-year scholarships) and thus, cannot be included in the life- income that relates to their pension. There are, however, certain experimental projects being conducted by the employment office service. Support is given for intermediary employment centres within the fields of theatre, music, photography and film, for data banks, and for training facilities for professional dancers and actors during periods between job contracts. Work is in progress to introduce more stringent employment criteria (see also chapter 4.2.7).

For more information, see our Status of Artists section.

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5.1.5 Tax laws

The issue of corporate sponsorship in the arts is very much under debate, both in the media and in political fora. Culture and Business (Kultur och näringsliv) is a forum especially created to further debate, obtain contacts and experiences from joint projects, and to source financial contributions from the market. So far there are no special legal incentives, like tax deductions, aimed at promoting private sponsorship of culture, as is the case for sports. In 2001, after intense criticism, the 25% VAT rate on books was lowered to 6% by the Parliament. The effects of VAT have been analysed by the Value Added Tax Rate Inquiry. In an interim report (Statens Offentliga Utredningar, SOU 2005:57), the Inquiry recommends a switch to a single flat rate of 21.7 per cent (provisional estimate) for all categories of goods and services, the cultural area included.

The general tax system also applies to artists. This means that all costs incurred in order to earn an income are tax deductible, provided that the income is generated from professional activities. Tax deductions outlined by local tax authorities may sometimes be of great importance for the individual artist. Self-employed artists face a number of problems within the current tax system: for example, basic pensions are calculated on the income generated over their lifetime and as most scholarships or grants are not taxable, they are not included in the overall total of lifetime income.

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5.1.6 Labour laws

The following list of labour laws are relevant to the field of culture, whether on a national or local level, with regard to private persons, a cultural institution or a free theatre group:

Prohibition of Discrimination in Working Life because of Sexual Orientation Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 1999:133);
Prohibition of Discrimination in Working Life of People with a Disability Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 199:132);
Measures to Counteract Ethnic Discrimination in Working Life Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 1999:130);
Parental Leave Act (Swedish Code of Statutes1995:584);
Public Employment Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 1994:260);
The Equal Opportunities Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 1991:433);
Working Hours Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 1982:673);
Employment Protection Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 1982:80);
Work Environment Ordinance (Swedish Code of Statutes 1977:1166);
Work Environment Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 1977:1160);
Annual Leave Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 1977:480);
Employment (Co-Determination in the Workplace) Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 1976:580); and
Employee's Right to Educational Leave Act (Swedish Code of Statutes 1974:1981).

For more information, see our Status of Artists section.

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5.1.7 Copyright provisions

The development of copyright in the artistic field has long been a part of the priorities of national cultural policy. In Sweden, basic copyright provisions are similar to those of other European countries. The basic legal provision is the Swedish Copyright Law of Literary and Artistic Works (Upphovsrättslagen, Swedish Code of Statutes 1960:729). Important developments concerning authors' rights have been linked to the implementation of EU-directives within the copyright field, aimed at harmonising and facilitating the single market. Sweden has implemented the following EU-directives:

rental and lending rights;
satellite broadcasting and cable retransmission; and
harmonisation of the duration of rights protection (70 years after the death of an author).

Legal measures against copyright infringement have been intensified. The digitisation of production, access and consumption of protected works and performances are continuously producing new possibilities and new problems. Since 1998, possessors of legal rights in the music field have been awarded copyright-based financial compensation for the losses that have been caused by private copying of phonograms, such as on blank cassette tapes. Revenue is estimated to be about SEK 60 million per year and is allocated to creators and performers by their respective collecting societies. Reimbursement to composers and musicians has also been introduced for public lending of phonograms and to composers for public lending of sheet music. For authors, translators, and illustrators, such reimbursement has existed since the 1960s.

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5.1.8 Data protection laws

Sweden has implemented the EU Data Protection Directive of 1995 (95/46) as the Personal Data Protection Law (Personuppgiftslagen, Swedish Code of Statutes 1998:4)

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5.1.9 Language laws

There is no special language law regulating the media in Sweden. However, there are generally formulated rules on the use of the Swedish language in the legislation for radio and TV and public administration. For many years, there has also been an effort to preserve the purity of the Swedish language, including supervision of the development of the language, guidelines for setting language standards, the production of manuals and dictionaries, and promotion of relevant guidance and research. There are three main institutions responsible for these activities: the Swedish Language Council, the Centre for Technical Terminology, and the Swedish Academy. Sign language is declared a language in its own right, accompanying news and debates, yet on a limited scale.

As a consequence of recent immigration to Sweden, radio and TV programmes in various immigrant languages are supported. The Riksdag enacted special laws in 1999, entitling individuals to use Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli in dealings with administrative authorities and courts of law in localities in which these languages continue to be used. The law also requires municipalities to offer pre-school activities, but also elderly care in official minority languages.

Sweden/ 5.2 Legislation on culture

There is very little overarching legislation in the cultural field. There are only two basic Laws: one on Local Public Libraries and the other on Preservation of the National Heritage. Apart from general legislation adopted by the Parliament, there are a great number of regulations issued by the government to guide central institutions on the use of government funds for various cultural purposes.