Part 1
Art and culture in an evolving society

2 The role of art and the cultural sector in society

2.1 The role of art in society

Art plays a key role in modern society. Art gives us a wide range of experiences. It can be a purely aesthetic experience, and it can foster reflection and set the public agenda. Art participates in the important discussions regarding ethical values in a complex present. By creating shared experiences, art strengthens communities in an increasingly fragmented public sphere. Such communities are a prerequisite for maintaining and developing all liberal democracies. Art plays a part in the story of who we are, and discusses who we should be. Artists play an important role in the public discourse. This is why it is important that the cultural sector is independent so as to prevent public authorities from intervening in artistic choices.

Artists have been involved in and inspired by relevant topics of debate for a long time. Art is expressions that touch people in other ways than the media and politics, and artists can shed a different light on topics through their art. Art can reflect reality in ways that foster a shared understanding and bring us closer to the truth. At its best, art is able to give us insight that we cannot achieve otherwise.

2.2 The power of the cultural sector to build society

Freedom of speech is a basic prerequisite for democracy and human rights. It is therefore particularly salient to highlight freedom of speech among the human rights enshrined in the Norwegian Constitution. Art and cultural expressions are precisely such. The so-called «infrastructure requirement» in Article 100 paragraph 6 of the Norwegian Constitution currently provides a constitutional basis for the government’s responsibility in the field of culture – see section 2.3 for further details.

Human rights arise from basic values – freedom, liberty and human dignity – which the state and the legal system must respect and protect out of consideration for each citizen. Art and culture provide a foundation for these pillars of society, as well as representing them. Furthermore, the cultural sector provides arenas in which the premises for society’s values are chiselled out, challenged, developed and honed against other values and attitudes.

Freedom of speech arises from three principles in Article 100 of the Norwegian Constitution: the principle of truth, the principle of autonomy and the principle of democracy. The principle of truth means that the truth is best found by exchanging opinions, and altering one’s perceptions through contact with other opinions. The principle of autonomy means that a certain level of competence is required in order to be able to function as an independent individual in an open society. Each citizen achieves this competence by meeting others, hearing their arguments and being challenged by alternative perspectives. The principle of democracy requires an open and critical exchange of opinions which can provide greater insight and thereby better decisions; see the principle of truth.

Art and culture contribute to all of these processes. The following is stated in the Official Norwegian Report Kulturutredningen 2014:

«[...] cultural activities provide schooling in participation in the community of disagreement that is a prerequisite for a viable democracy. They help develop a competence in expressing oneself that covers each individual’s preferred cultural expressions and forms of these and is also about dealing with new experiences and the tastes and expressions favoured by other groups and individuals. However, cultural policy must place a great emphasis on values like education, innovation, quality, criticism and diversity, in order for the cultural sector to function this way. A cultural sector that does not strive to achieve quality will not be able to fulfil other societal tasks either.»

The government concurs with this view.

Good artistic and cultural experiences are beneficial to individuals. They engage, move, provoke, entertain and shape us as people. Art and culture appeal to the imagination and the ability to understand relationships, and give us an understanding of aspects of life with which we were not previously familiar. Art may challenge, change conventions and move boundaries. At the same time, art and culture can provide room for peace and reflection, a place where we can find the necessary balance and a good rhythm to an everyday life that many people otherwise find to be characterised by haste and restlessness. Participation in cultural activities and conversations about these activities helps people develop competence in having an opinion of one’s own and other people’s tastes, and in expressing these opinions in the public arena.

Art and culture may create reflection and insight into values, society and what it means to be an individual in a society. Cultural heritage, in the form of tangible structures and intangible traditions, values and practices, also helps create an identity, insight, engagement and a sense of belonging. Our cultural heritage represents both our shared history and great economic and cultural assets. By providing an insight into history, our cultural heritage can help us view our own time and understand ourselves better. Our cultural heritage represents our collective memory. At the same time, our cultural heritage is about what we leave for future generations, and what will help shape their cultural identity.

Language is the foremost bearer and communicator of culture, history and identity. Culture and language are inextricably linked. We use language verbally and in writing to express ourselves and in order to interact with others, and language allows us to experience and interpret the world around us. A rich and vibrant language is a prerequisite in order for us to be able to evolve as people, and in order for each person to be able to participate in society and the public discourse. Good, clear and accessible language allows good learning, broad involvement and democratic participation. Another prerequisite for democracy is that language keeps up with the rapid development of knowledge in society. The existence of terminology that provides a foundation for artistic and cultural communication makes the discourse more efficient and public, and democratises it.

Art and culture are able to unite people across opinions, interests and backgrounds. Art and culture thus foster trust, respect, belonging and unity among people and different groups of the population, despite divergent views and opinions. Bringing people together across social, political and cultural cleavages may have a positive impact on the creation of social groups and networks that strengthen unity and inclusion. When culture works this way, it can civilise people and prevent fragmentation. It can block extreme thinking, counter alienation and promote tolerance and understanding of other people.

A society revolves around certain shared values and stories that unite us and give people the sense of being part of a larger «we». In a society made up of people whose cultural backgrounds are increasingly diverse, these values are constantly evolving. Cultural participation entails becoming used to a wide range of opinions and forms of expression, also opinions one disagrees with or dislikes. The cultural sector thus prepares us to better handle tensions in society that challenge openness and tolerance, and helps strengthen the community we need in order to build a democracy. Art and culture also contribute to international alliance building, as well as influence and competence sharing.

Art and culture can help minorities establish their own public arenas where they can develop their own collective identities. This may also give minorities a chance to be heard in the broader society and communicate with it. The art and cultural expressions of minorities represent voices and experiences that must be included if we are to demonstrate the entire breadth of our artistic and cultural sector.

The democratic impact of culture particularly lies in it being a channel for groups and individuals that search for an understanding of their own identity and history, and an arena for the openness and criticism that are essential in a democratic society. This makes cultural institutions and cultural policy instruments key parts of the societal infrastructure for freedom of speech and public debate, see section 2.3. This infrastructure makes it possible for art and culture to serve as a catalyst for new opinions, resulting in new policy and new visions of society, and consequently impacting on societal developments.

2.3 The need for a bold cultural policy

The so-called infrastructure requirement in Article 100 paragraph 6 of the Norwegian Constitution that was introduced in 2004 means that the state is under an obligation to actively establish and operate channels into the public sphere, so that individuals and groups have an actual opportunity to express themselves. The state’s responsibilities have thus been expanded from passively refraining from intervening in freedom of speech to actively facilitating it. The infrastructure of the public discourse is made up of a number of different elements and covers much of the policy on culture, the media, education and research. Within what can be defined as «the field of culture», the infrastructure will consist of arenas, channels and instruments that make it possible to produce, build knowledge, and disseminate artistic and cultural expressions to the population. This infrastructure includes both physical and digital arenas and instruments.

Cultural policy is freedom of speech policy. At the individual level, culture is a channel and arena for the need for expression, development, belonging and identity for individuals. At the societal level, culture is an arena for criticism and discussion that builds communities, civilises people and allows development.

An active cultural policy is a prerequisite in order for art and culture to benefit as many people as possible, by ensuring that all people have actual access to culture, regardless of their background. Cultural policy work is an investment in education and democratic development which can help improve all citizens’ chances of success in life, regardless of personal circumstances.

Being exposed to art and culture may increase people’s interest in experiencing culture. Participating in the cultural sector and using cultural offerings more actively may create a positive spiral of a growing interest in culture. Cultural policy can foster a willingness among the public to take risks. This means stimulating broader use, by enticing people out of their cultural comfort zone and challenging them to experience an unknown quantity.

The voluntary cultural sector provides a gateway to the cultural sector for many people. Norway has a vital and vibrant voluntary cultural sector. A strong voluntary engagement with culture is a necessity for the professional cultural sector. The professional and voluntary cultural sectors interact closely, and the boundaries are blurred. This interaction must be facilitated, and good framework conditions are required for the voluntary cultural sector.

Norway has ratified several international conventions that establish responsibility for promoting a wide range of cultural expressions through an active cultural policy. These conventions establish Norway’s rights and obligations in terms of maintaining and developing variation and a breadth of forms of expression as part of global cultural diversity. Norway has ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005). The Convention stipulates that cultural activities, goods and services can have a dual dimension: they can form part of a commercial market while being important elements that hold values and identities. The states parties have a sovereign right to introduce the culture and media policy measures they consider appropriate in order to protect and foster a variety of cultural expressions. The Convention establishes the right of states parties to take culture into consideration when designing such measures. Another international convention that directly addresses culture, and which Norway has ratified is the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003). Its purpose is to safeguard, ensure respect for and to raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage.1

Norway is also bound by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2015–2030, which is important in order to ensure an independent cultural sector and the safeguarding of cultural heritage.

The market alone is not enough to maintain a rich and varied cultural sector in a country with a relatively small population and in a linguistic area that is as small as Norway. Cultural policy is therefore necessary in order to provide a broader and more diverse cultural offering than the market can develop on its own, and ensure that art and culture that are considered relevant are created, preserved and communicated, and which challenge, engage and provide the public with rich experiences.

Cultural policy is also necessary in order to secure stable and diverse art production that is beneficial to society. It can help people seek out new arenas for art and culture and thus acquire a new understanding and knowledge of other views of reality and contexts in the society we live in.

Cultural policy also impacts on many other areas of policy and may considerably aid the achievement of objectives in policy on business, education, welfare, climate, integration, foreign affairs, defence, public health and crime prevention.

Culture helps promote learning, creativity and creative power in the transformation of the Norwegian economy and in business and labour. Cultural policy can thus play a positive role in the transformation of Norway.

3 Developments in society and the cultural sector

3.1 Societal and socio-economic developments

Norway is well-equipped to face the future. Many people are professionally active, we have vast natural resources, a competent workforce and sound state finances. The Norwegian population generally has the resources, safety and ability to live free and independent lives.2

Climate change is a challenge to political and social developments worldwide, and Norway is no exception. This is a trend which must be taken into consideration by all sectors when devising new policies.

Wealth is distributed more evenly here, and there is greater trust in the authorities than in most other countries. Small differences between the population means that many people share in the wealth, which means that trust is high, both among people and in the public authorities. A high level of trust gives individuals a sense of safety and community, and has resulted in a socially and politically stable society. Even though differences are relatively small in Norway, figures from Statistics Norway show that the differences between income levels have increased since 2009.

The employment rate in the Norwegian population is relatively high. High labour force participation is a cornerstone of Norwegian society. For many people, having a job and stable income allows personal development and participation in social arenas. There is a social cleavage in Norway today between people who are professionally active and those who are not. The fact that a considerable number of people do not participate in the labour market is a challenge for the individuals concerned and for society.

As we are entering a period of lower growth and lower public revenues, but where public expenditure remains high, more competence sharing and co-operation are required across societal sectors and policy areas. New industries, business areas and sources of income must be developed, and more jobs must be created in the private sector. Steps must also be taken to facilitate a more inclusive working life and more social arenas and offerings for people who are not professionally active.

3.2 Population and democratic participation

Voter participation in Norway has declined, and fewer people are members of political parties. Voter participation is often considered an indicator of the strength of a democracy. However, it is also important to examine who the participants are. Low voter participation, combined with disparities in social backgrounds, can be interpreted as a weakening of the democratic form of governance. The Local Democracy Survey 2015 analysed the 2011, 2013 and 2015 elections. The Survey showed that a number of voters stand out socially and never vote at elections. When social groups never or rarely participate in elections, these groups may be underrepresented in the political system. However, democratic participation has remained stable for the past 25 years, as other forms of political engagement and democratic participation have increased. This means that people participate directly or indirectly in decision-making that impacts on them by engaging in organisations and the voluntary cultural sector, expressing themselves in different public channels, etc. There is reason to believe in a continuation of the tradition of broad political participation in Norway, but that participation is now taking place in other, more fluid arenas than in the past. Democratic participation makes it possible to influence and shape own surroundings, and thus experience co-determination and freedom of choice. Participating in democracy through organisations and associations also expands each individual’s network, and is thus a source of social capital. It is nonetheless a prerequisite that organisations and associations manage to include groups that normally do not participate in elections or the political system. This is important to ensure that other forms of participation do not result in alienation and to make democracy more resilient.

Statistics Norway’s population projections for 2018–2060 show that Norway is facing somewhat lower population growth in the years to come and demographic changes as a result of centralisation. The excess of births over deaths is declining, while immigration is on the rise.

2033 will be the first time that there are more elderly people in Norway than young people and children. The population group aged 70 or more will increase from 12 per cent in 2018 to 21 per cent in 2060, and we will see more than a tripling of people aged 80 or more. Ageing will be seen most clearly in rural areas. An older population means that a relatively small part of the population will be professionally active and pay tax, while the elderly also represent an important resource for society in general and the cultural sector in particular.

Greater ethnic and cultural diversity entails a meeting of different languages, cultures, traditions, religions, beliefs and values, and greater variation in ways of life and social relations within the population.

Our health is good for longer than before. However, even though four out of five people believe that their health is good, we are seeing an increase in mental health problems, particularly among young people. 16 per cent of the population are lonely; and loneliness has a greater effect on the young and the old than others. More young people do not make friends at school or in their local community, and feel excluded. Many elderly people feel lonely because they no longer have a workplace to go to or because they have lost the person they shared their life with (Statistics Norway, 2017).

3.3 Technological developments

Technology develops even faster today than before. This creates new opportunities, as well as new ethical dilemmas.

A key descriptor of the technological developments is upheaval, which means that we must expect the unexpected. We are surrounded by an increasingly extensive and complex technological infrastructure, and we are unable to foresee how it will develop. The only thing that is certain is that technology will develop very rapidly, and that we will see great changes in technology and user habits also in the future.

Digital technology and automation may challenge the business sector, the labour market and society, in the same way as with major technological and social upheavals in the past, and challenge established systems and structures. For example, a new Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market is being dealt with in the EU system (see section 8.1), partly as a result of technological developments and new framework conditions.

The Norwegian population has come far in adopting digital solutions, and there is a fairly good digital infrastructure in this country. Norway thus has a good foundation on which to exploit the opportunities afforded by new technology, but calls for every sector of society to be willing and able to renew itself and change.

3.4 Value creation and innovation

Our future welfare depends on us managing to develop new industries, business areas and revenue streams. This requires transformation in many fields, both in the private and public sectors. Creativity drives innovation and may increase our international competitiveness. InFuture (2018) points out that there is correlation between cultural participation in one country and how highly the country scores on innovation. Figure 3.2 shows this correlation, based on the European Innovation Scoreboard 2017 and the index of cultural practice in the 2013 Eurobarometer. Norwegian data are not included.

Source inFuture analysis, European Innovation Scoreboard 2017 database, index of cultural practice

The government’s Productivity Commission has submitted a proposal to increase productivity and the ability of the Norwegian economy to grow. The Commission writes that an important platform for restructuring, in the form of new jobs and new markets, is the development of new and improved products and processes. A new idea or invention does not become an innovation that generates added value and productivity growth until it has been put to practical use and creates value. Digitalisation and automation may increase value creation and employment in new sectors, and at the same time create new jobs. Globalisation and digitalisation may provide easier access to new markets, as well as stronger competition in the home market.

In several countries, investment in intangible assets, i.e. different forms of company-specific knowledge capital, is more important to value creation than traditional investment in physical capital. There is a lower level of such investment in Norway than in most other OECD countries.

A handbook on cultural awareness written by a working group of EU member states highlights the role of culture in fostering cognitive skills, learning and innovation (EU, 2016). A study devised by the CASE programme of strategic research in the UK3 shows, among others, an increase in children’s cognitive skills as a result of participation in structured artistic activities.

Despite fairly good overall productivity, the innovativeness of Norwegian businesses are at mid-level seen from an international perspective. The EU’s Innovation Union Scoreboard is the main source of such rankings. In 2014, Norway ranked 17th among 34 EU and EFTA countries on an overall indicator of innovation performance and the conditions for innovation. Norway is in the group of moderate innovators, while Sweden is the innovation leader, followed by Denmark, Germany and Finland.

3.5 Media and the public discourse

Much of the interaction between people, the public discourse and cultural participation is moving from physical to digital arenas. We have constant access to a global repertoire of information and cultural expressions. We can find new communities within topics that engage us, but we are no longer linked as closely as before by concurrent shared experiences. We spend less time on social and physical interaction, but still need to meet each other face to face. Digitalisation increases the need for new content for physical meeting places, and it will be necessary to take an innovative approach to future meeting places that support or create unity.

We tend to seek out and believe information we already agree with. Digitalisation reinforces such confirmation-seeking tendencies. Search engines and media content are increasingly controlled by algorithms designed to reinforce these tendencies. Content is filtered and guided by preferences and past use, leaving us less exposed to other perspectives and opinions. However, the algorithms can also be used in other ways. One example is how national broadcaster NRK uses algorithms to guide viewers. Algorithms have replaced transmission schedules in many cases, as the public watch TV less linearly than before. After finishing a programme in the streaming service, viewers receive algorithm-driven advice about other programmes they may like. In line with its mission as a public broadcaster, the algorithms developed by NRK not only suggest other similar programmes, but also challenge the viewer, and make more unexpected suggestions.

Our image of the world is greatly shaped by the media, and many people are involved in sharing information. There has never been greater access to information, but not all information is correct or credible. There can be factual errors, mudslinging, fraud or politically-motivated disinformation. The recipient is responsible for assessing the quality, relevance and truth of the information. A survey by the Norwegian Media Authority on fake news shows that half of the adult population of Norway watch news at least once a week that they do not perceive to be completely truthful. Forty-five percent watch news that they believe has been fabricated or is deliberately untruthful at least once a week.

In order to use the media safely and wisely, it is necessary to both understand and assess content. The current situation makes greater demands on media competence and source criticism. Media competence is a matter of knowing how the media works and of the recipient’s ability to assess quality, relevance and truth in information. It is also very important that as many people as possible are able to communicate and participate in the public discourse in a way that promotes understanding between people. This means that the population must be willing and able to understand a variety of expressions and how different recipients will understand and experience them.

At present the entire public is experiencing a range of critical changes. This is not least due to digitalisation and the opportunities it affords and its consequences, in that players understand and adapt to the situation in different ways. Everyday life and the public discourse are being changed in many fundamental ways as a result of the opportunities offered by digital information and expressions. A well-developed, vibrant democracy depends on an enlightened public opinion and open and free exchange of opinions. Perceptions must be judged against each other. In order to prevent concentration and abuse of power, the power of definition must be shared by several actors. Art, culture and language play an important role in free discourse, and the development and sharing of new thoughts and ideas. This role will become increasingly important and relevant in the future we envision, with an increasing use of digital technology.

3.6 Developments of particular relevance to the cultural sector

The general developments in society naturally impact also on the cultural sector. They change the framework conditions and challenge both established structures and legislation, as well as the players in the sector and the rest of the population. As developments are proceeding at a faster pace and the pressure to change is increasing, there is also a greater need to understand the drivers of development, and how they may affect us in the future. It is important to understand which drivers will have the greatest impact on the cultural sector, and which ones the future national cultural policy will need to take into account.

All participants that attended a meeting in order to give input to this report were asked to answer the following question: Where do we want the Norwegian cultural sector to be in 20 years? What are the opportunities and what are the challenges? The Ministry of Culture has gained a good understanding of the cultural sector’s own assessments and perspectives based on these meetings and written input to the work with the report.

The cultural sector wants the present report to highlight the importance of art and culture, both in themselves and in order to achieve objectives in other social arenas. Many people pointed out that politicians in every part of the public administration must make culture an important policy area. Others clearly expressed hope that public funding of art and culture will remain strong, despite a tighter public economy. Several people highlighted the way in which technological developments impact on the cultural sector and established business and funding models.

Many placed emphasis on the changes in the composition of the population and the demography, especially how the cultural sector can better mirror the diversity of the current population. The need for physical meeting places in a digital era was highlighted both verbally and in writing.

Many people also pointed to the need for a more knowledge-based cultural sector, stating that they want cultural policy to facilitate mobility, networks and cross-border cooperation.

The Ministry of Culture also commissioned a future analysis and involved the cultural sector throughout the country. Some of the main findings of the analysis follow.

The role of culture in society will increase. Society is transitioning from generally being one large community to many small ones. People meet face to face less than before, and the proportion of young people who go out with their friends is declining. Less physical interaction intensifies the trend towards small communities and digital echo chambers.

Norwegian businesses and the labour market are also in the early stages of a major transformation, partly driven by technological developments. Learning and creativity will become increasingly important for this transformation to succeed, and the cultural sector can play a positive role here.

The public’s use of culture is changing, and funding is expected to become even more strained. The attitudes of the population towards publicly funded culture depend on whether they use culture or not. While one in four users of culture is negative or neutral towards publicly funded culture, almost half of non-users share this view.

The Norwegian language and culture are facing greater competition from international players. Platform companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Spotify are becoming increasingly powerful.

There is a variety of reasons why members of the public become motivated to consume culture, and the public’s cultural activities are taking new forms.