The Collaborative Cultural Model
The Collaborative Cultural Model was introduced in 2011 to create greater scope for regional prioritisation and variation. Previously the Government decided which regional and local cultural institutions were eligible for government funding. County councils/regions that are part of the model decide, following dialogue with the municipalities the arts and the civil society representatives in the respective county, how the Government grant is to be allocated to regional cultural activities.
The shift in government cultural policy to putting more responsibility on the county level regarding the allocation of funds presumes closer collaboration between the different agencies and organisations that support the collaborative cultural model. The solution chosen by the Government was to set up a Collaborative Council. The government agencies and organisations in the Collaborative Council are: The Swedish Arts Council (chair), the Swedish Arts Grants Committee, the National Library of Sweden, the County Administrative Boards, the National Swedish Handicraft Council, Sweden’s national touring theatre company, the Swedish National Heritage Board, the National Archives of Sweden and the Swedish Film Institute.
The Swedish Arts Council board makes decisions on allocating government funding to regional cultural activities in January each year. The decision is made following consultations with the Collaborative Council. The cultural plans of the county councils/regions form the basis of the grants awarded by the Arts Council.
As previously, before the introduction of the collaborative cultural model, the aim is to give Sweden’s population an opportunity to engage in a varied range of cultural expressions characterised by renewal and quality. Cultural infrastructure and regional diversity must be promoted and creators of culture across Sweden must be able to pursue their endeavors. The State bears overall strategic responsibility for national cultural policy.
The key feature is to give Sweden’s population an opportunity to engage with a varied range of culture characterised by renewal and quality. Cultural infrastructure and regional diversity must be promoted and creators of culture across Sweden must be able to pursue their endeavours.
That the regional culture policymakers will have a closer connection to policy decisions in dialogue with artists groups and civil society.
Approximately SEK 1,4 billion.
The Collaborative Culture Model has been evalutated by the Swedish Riksdag in 2015. The main conclusions was that the model as one of the most comprehensive reforms in cultural policy during the last decades has led to increased regional and local influence in the regional cultural field. The state control device, however, is in some respects remains strong. The model has contributed to increased dialogue and revitalization of the cultural area at regional and local level and done that culture has come higher on the political agenda, which is positive. Meanwhile, the introduction of the model so far not led to any changes in contributions or distribution to changing opportunities to reach the cultural policy objectives. Against this background, the Swedish Riksdag concluded that the model needed to be reviewed.