Sweden/ 1. Historical perspective: cultural policies and instruments  

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 and voluntary work. A key cultural policy institution started in 1920s is the public broadcasting monopoly company Sveriges Radio. In the 1930s the democratic welfare-state began to evolve, including cultural policy. During the same period the efforts in popular edu­cation made by movements such as the Labour Movement, the Temperance Movement and the Nonconformist Church Movement solidified into government funded organisations. Other important institutions were already old, often created by royalty inspired by French, German or Italian models. Examples of such organisations are The Royal Opera, The Royal Dramatic Theatre, The Royal Library, The National Archives and The National Heritage Board. From this point the main feature of Swedish cultural policy would be an emphasis on equal access to quality culture. One initiative typical of this period was the national touring theatre company Riksteatern, created in 1934, organised according to a corporative model combining the ideals of state centralism and membership-based popular movement organisations.

In the post-war years of the 1950s and 1960s Social Democratic governments continued to expand the state to create an all-encompassing welfare system. Established cultural institu­tions were modernised and new ones were created, e.g. touring institutions for exhibitions and music, the Film Institute, municipal music schools, and state art and drama schools. Another example is The Author's Fund, created in 1954 to distribute government grants to writers, at the same time a support system based in cultural policy and a compensation for the right of public libraries to lend out books.

In the 1960s, political activity in cultural policy debates rose dramatically, resulting in the first general cultural policy objectives in the Government Bill on Culture of 1974. The democratic welfare-state model of cultural policy was now institutionalised. A new gov­ernment agency, the National Council for Cultural Affairs (later called the Swedish Arts Council) was created. While these objectives was an initiative of the national government, the most significant result may have been the substantial strengthening of regional and municipal resources for the distribution and production of quality culture during the following years. 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 have been results of increasing regionalisation, globalisation and the media; in particular the increased movements of people, cultural products and cultural influences across national borders. The main cultural policy responses to these changes can be summed up as a new perspective on Sweden as a multicultural society, and a more positive perspective on the creative industries. In 2009 a new Government Bill on Cultural Policy was passed by parliament setting new objectives for Swedish cultural policy.