Artists’ Economic and Social Conditions

Professional artists form the foundation of a vibrant cultural life. They are at the core of cultural policy and play a crucial role in achieving the national cultural policy objectives.

Artists’ conditions depend on different policy areas

Artists form a diverse community, with conditions varying across both artistic disciplines and individual artists. However, many conditions and circumstances are shared.

Long-term improvements to artists’ economic and social conditions depend not only on cultural policy, but also on how other policy areas incorporate the artist’s perspective in broader societal development. This applies to social security systems, for example, as well as support structures for business development and innovation.

• The labour market for artists is characterised by temporary employment and usually short-term commissions. Many artists work with multiple employers and clients.
• The vast majority of artists are freelancers in some form, either through fixed-term or project-based employment or as self-employed entrepreneurs.
• Artists often rely on multiple income sources, including commercial markets within the cultural and creative sectors and public cultural funding.
• Their income is irregular, often fluctuating throughout the year and from year to year. Moreover, earnings are generally low.
• Advance and arrears payments are common, with a single payment sometimes serving as an artist’s primary income for several years.

Artists and social security systems

Artists’ typical circumstances often make it difficult for them to benefit from sickness insurance and other social security schemes. The main challenges for artists in securing a fair, predictable qualifying income for sickness benefits include:

• A mix of different income types, such as earnings from both employment and self-employment
• Irregular income, fluctuating both within a single year and between years
• Short-term assignments or employment periods that do not extend continuously for six months
• Difficulty in determining working hours in relation to income from self-employment
• The reliance on stipends as a key source of income at times, which can also impact eligibility for other benefits.

In our Guide for Artists, you can read more about artists and social security.

Why copyright matters for artists

Copyright is a fundamental right, recognised in multiple international conventions, that protects the work of authors and performers. For most professional artists, copyright is essential because it enables them to earn a living and develop their creative work.

Professional artists generally fall into two main categories under copyright law: authors and performers. Most artists are freelancers without a stable income. Copyright ensures that authors and performers can control how their work is used and receive fair compensation over time.

A well-functioning copyright system is vital not just for the development of individual artists but for the entire cultural and creative sector. The economic and cultural value generated by the creative sectors originates with the artists themselves.

Learn more about how copyright protects your work as an artist.

Artists in the cultural and creative sectors

In the spring of 2024, the government presented its strategy for the cultural and creative sectors. This 10-year strategy aims to “enhance the conditions for cultural and creative professionals and entrepreneurs within the cultural and creative sectors”.

Artists’ creativity and expertise are the foundation of the cultural and creative sectors’ economic and artistic value. To ensure the long-term growth of these sectors, it is essential that artists receive fair and proportionate compensation for the value they contribute with.

National measures for improving conditions for artists

The following documents are from Sweden’s Government Offices website and are in Swedish only.

International measures for improving conditions for artists

The following documents are in English.