Support for performing arts, such as theatre, opera, and dance, have long been a central part of Swedish cultural policy. The Royal Opera dates back to the 18th century, the Royal Dramatic Theatre to the 19th century, and the National Touring Theatre to the early part of the 20th century. Today, the two main government agencies supporting activities in the performing arts are the Swedish Arts Council (Kulturrådet), and the Swedish Performing Arts Agency (Musikverket). The main actors in this field on the national level also include institutions such as The Royal Opera, The Royal Dramatic Theatre, The National Touring Theatre, The House of Dance, and The Drottningholm Palace Theatre. Most of these institutions are organized either in the form of government supported foundations, or as government-owned and government-supported limited companies. Regardless of organizational form, they are supported with grants in the national budget. The National Touring Theatre is a national government-supported non-profit organization providing theatre performances all over the country.
On the regional and local levels, all regions have regional theatres, and some cities have city theatres. These have long received government funding, which is now included in the Culture Cooperation Model (see chapter 1.2.3 and 1.2.6). In order to increase the availability of dance performances outside of the bigger cities, several dance institutions (including theatres, opera houses, and concert halls) cooperate in the government supported network Dansnät Sverige. The performing arts have seen relatively severe consequences during the Covid-19 pandemic, even though they have received significant additional government support during this period. In 2022, the number of performances had again reached the same number as before the pandemic, but audience numbers had yet to recover.
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