For the third consecutive year, the Swedish Museums Association and the Swedish Performing Arts Association have published a national status report based on responses from leaders of publicly funded performing arts institutions and museums across Sweden. This year, for the first time, cultural policymakers also participated in the survey. Their responses aligned closely with those of cultural managers: culture’s most important contributions lie in supporting children and young people, strengthening education, and enabling democratic engagement.
- Access the full report (in Swedish)
According to Mikael Brännvall, CEO of Swedish Performing Arts Association, this consensus underscores the wide‑ranging societal value of cultural activities. He notes that targeted investment in culture has the potential to further improve quality of life across the country.
Despite this shared understanding, the report also paints a sobering picture of the sector’s financial conditions. Many organisations describe increasing economic strain, restricted capacity to deliver their missions, and growing difficulties in reaching audiences. The report warns that without action, cultural institutions risk being unable to serve as the social force that both managers and policymakers envision.
A vision for strengthening Sweden’s cultural landscape
In response to the findings, Swedish Performing Arts Association and the Swedish Museums Association propose three key steps to help Sweden thrive as a culturally robust nation:
- Secure the economic base
Ensure that public funding keeps pace with rising costs, enabling institutions to plan long‑term, retain expertise, and maintain high‑quality operations. Stable, structural support is essential for both major institutions and independent actors. - Make cultural access for children and young people a true priority
Create sustainable structures and dedicated funding to guarantee access to meaningful cultural experiences nationwide, regardless of where children live or go to school. - Build a functioning social contract for culture across the country
Improve dialogue between the cultural sector and political decision‑makers. Many respondents described the current political dialogue as lukewarm, signalling an urgent need for clearer vision, consistency and long‑term policies that support cultural development.
According to Gunnar Ardelius, Secretary General of the Swedish Museums Association, the upcoming 2026 election in Sweden provides an important opportunity for political parties to articulate their ambitions for culture. He emphasises that a strong cultural sector is one of the most secure investments a society can make, but it requires courage, resources and a long‑term perspective from policymakers.
