The Art Initiative (Kunstløftet)
To develop interesting and relevant art projects for children and youth, and to enhance and strengthen the quality, acknowledgement of and general interest for art and art products for young people. Art directed towards children and youth should have an increased role in the public sphere.
Grants are allocated to various projects according to three strategies: supporting artists and various projects based on applications; developing knowledge and discourse based on edited websites and newspapers; and, finally; by special initiatives targeted at stimulated areas of interest (such as interactivity and participation); that projects and arts criticism for young people might challenge norms, mechanisms of power and public perceptions of arts for children and young people.
1150 applications have been received. Out of these, 352 applications within a wide variety of artistic art forms and genres, have received funding.
A gradual increase of artistic quality and a greater appreciation of arts and arts products for children and young people, as well as a stimulated general interest for arts in children and young people.
A total of USD 7 009 345 (NOK 60 million) has been granted from the Norwegian Cultural Fund, cf. Norway's first report, between 2008 and 2015.
This scheme has been evaluated twice, by the same research institution. The main conclusion of the evaluations were that the scheme was largely successful according to its objectives. The evaluations also found certain challenges, such as the Art Initiative's ambitious goal of developing and building the knowledge about, and status of, arts and culture for children and young people. There were also challenges relating to the variety of approaches and art forms for children and young people.