About the Swedish Arts Grants Committee

The Swedish Arts Grants Committee is the primary government agency responsible for implementing policy on artists.

Professional artists are the backbone of a vibrant cultural life. Since 1976, our agency has promoted opportunities for artists to pursue and develop their practice. Our mission spans the entire country and encompasses all artistic disciplines.

We are tasked with promoting the arts

We aim to support artists in their pursuit of artistic development. Specifically, this involves providing stipends and grants, building knowledge, fostering collaboration and providing information on artists’ economic and social conditions.

Our mission covers professional artists in all artistic disciplines:

• Visual arts and design
• Music
• Theatre
• Dance
• Film
• Circus
• Literary arts

Please note: Grants from us are available to artists in all fields except for the literary arts, which fall under the mandate of the Swedish Authors’ Fund.

Government directives

Each year, the agency receives budget directives from the government. These directives, decided in December, establish the financial framework for the agency’s activities, along with specific tasks and reporting requirements for the coming year.

Safeguarding artistic freedom

The Swedish Arts Grants Committee must report to the government on the actions it takes to safeguard artistic freedom within the scope of its grant award process.

This mission is rooted in Sweden’s cultural policy objectives and the principle of arm’s length, which ensures that artistic decisions remain independent from political influence. In recent years, this issue has become increasingly relevant in cultural debates. As a result, the Swedish Agency for Cultural Policy Analysis was commissioned to review cultural policy governance, with a particular focus on awarding grants. In June 2021, they submitted their report, “Så fri är konsten”, to the government. Several government agencies, including the Swedish Arts Grants Committee, were then tasked with taking action.

Specific missions

The importance of copyright in artists’ businesses

The Swedish Arts Grants Committee must inform about copyright and its impact on artistic entrepreneurship in the cultural and creative sectors, as well as how technological developments affect their conditions.

You can read more about our information on copyright on the Guide for Artists page.

The role of culture in freedom of expression and democratisation

In international contexts, the Swedish Arts Grants Committee must promote the role of culture in supporting freedom of expression and democratisation. As part of its mission, the agency must also foster synergies between cultural and development policy initiatives.

Artists’ exposure to threats, violence and harassment

The Swedish Arts Grants Committee must highlight the risks artists face, including threats, violence and harassment, in their professional practice. To support affected artists, we have gathered essential information on the Guide for Artists page . We also collaborate with the police and other relevant organisations to exchange knowledge.

Ordinance with instructions

The fundamental missions of government agencies are formulated by the government through an ordinance. According to the Swedish Arts Grants Committee’s ordinance, we are an agency governed by a board with the mandate to promote artists’ opportunities to pursue and develop their artistic practice. The agency is also tasked with fostering innovative culture.

Additionally, the agency must analyse and share knowledge about the economic and social conditions of artists, while regularly monitoring the design and application of social security systems as they relate to artistic businesses.

We must also track and provide information on the conditions for artists’ entrepreneurship within the cultural and creative sectors.

Ordinance governing the awarding of grants

The Swedish Arts Grants Committee is tasked by the government with awarding stipends and grants in all artistic disciplines, except for the literary arts, as well as to foster innovative culture. The government formulates the purpose and criteria that govern the award process in what is known as an ordinance on state funding.

The following list of ordinances govern our grant award process. This information is in Swedish only. All links open to the website of the Swedish Government Offices.

Annual reports and budget documents

The agency’s annual report to the government consists of two sections: an operational section and a financial section. Our operational report serves as the basis for the government’s assessment of our performance and the implementation of activities.

Each year, the Swedish Arts Grants Committee submits budget documents to the government containing our request for activity funding for the upcoming three fiscal years. This information is in Swedish only.