CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS

PRINCIPLES GOVERNING DANISH SUPPORT TO THE ARTS

Danish support to the arts and culture is based on the principle of the separation of politics from decisions on who is eligible for subsidy, the “arm’s length” principle.

The framework for determining which cultural areas will be publicly supported as well as the overriding principles for the allocation of cultural subsidies are decided at the political level – in other words, by Parliament and local governmental authorities.

The Ministry of Culture has established a number of councils and boards that, on the basis of professional, qualitative criteria, are responsible for the distribution of subsidies to recipients. These councils and boards are composed of artists and other professionals qualified in specific areas of the arts and other cultural endeavours. Members are usually selected by professional bodies and institutes within each specific artistic area and by the Ministry of Culture. Council and board members are usually replaced every third or fourth year.

A Theatre Council, Music Council, Visual Arts Council and Literature Council have been established in the area of the arts. Creative artists are also supported by the Danish Arts Foundation (Statens Kunstfond), which awards subsidies within the fields of visual arts, literature, music, decorative art and design, architecture, film and theatre.

A NEW STRUCTURE ON THE WAY
As of January 2003, a new structure for the support of the arts and international cultural exchange will take effect. The Music Council, Theatre Council, Visual Arts Council and Literature Council will be merged into a single Arts Council, which will have overall responsibility for the distribution of support in these areas, including new and interdisciplinary forms of art and areas of special interest. Furthermore, the new structure means that international cultural exchange will be administered collectively by the Arts Secretariat of the Ministry of Culture.

The individual initiatives and policies on the various areas of creative and performing arts can be found on this homepage under Music, Theatre, Architecture and Design, Film, Literature and Visual Arts.

ADDRESSES

The Danish Arts Foundation
(Statens Kunstfond)
Knabrostræde 30
DK-1210 Copenhagen K
Tel. +45 33 11 36 01
www.statenskunstfond.dk

The Arts Secretariat
(Kunstsekretariatet)
Kongens Nytorv 3
DK-1050 Copenhagen K
Tel. +45 33 74 45 00
www.kunstsekretariatet.dk