Norway/ 8.2 Cultural consumption and participation  

8.2.2 Policies and programmes

The most prominent programme to promote participation in cultural life in Norway in recent years has been The Cultural Rucksack (Den kulturelle skolesekken (DKS) which was established as a national scheme in 2001. From 2007, the programme was extended to also include high schools (see chapter 8.3.2).

DKS is a national initiative for professional art and culture in education in Norway, with the following objectives:

• to help to ensure that pupils in primary, lower secondary schools and high schools are offered a professional arts and culture programme;
• to make it easier for primary, lower secondary school and high school pupils to gain access to, make themselves familiar with and have a positive approach to art and cultural expression of all kinds; and
• to contribute to an overall incorporation of artistic and cultural expression in the realisation of the school's learning objectives.

DKS is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Research and is mainly funded by profits from Norsk Tipping A/S (Norway's state-owned gaming company). One of the preconditions of DKS is that experiences of art and culture in schools should compensate for any inequalities due to a pupil's social background.

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