To “promote international and intercultural exchange and cooperation” is one of the national objectives of Swedish cultural policy. This is primarily considered an objective that should be promoted in all areas by mainstreaming it as a priority for all government agencies. As a main objective of cultural policy, this is evaluated by the new Government Agency for Cultural Analysis. In line with the objective of promoting inter-cultural dialogue, several institutions and government agencies run projects and activities in this area. The Swedish Arts Council has a grants programme aimed at projects within this area. The National Museums of World Culture has the facilitation of intercultural dialogue as a part of its objectives. The Arts Grants Committee runs a studio programme for visual artists (IASPIS), open to artists from Sweden and from abroad. The Swedish Institute has grants for international exchange within the arts, science, and media. There is also a system of state income guarantees, through which about 160 artists are guaranteed a minimum annual income.
The National Museums of World Culture is a government agency responsible for the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg, as well as for three museums in Stockholm. As a government agency, it is “aimed at adapting the collections of historical and ethnographic museums to the globalisation process, as well as to accelerating intercontinental migration and multicultural society“. The Museum of World Culture has a mission to, “in dialogue with others, [be] a forum for emotional and intellectual encounters that help people feel at home wherever they are, trust each other and accept joint responsibility for the planet’s constantly changing future.”
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