Norway's Government Cuts Culture as Part of the High North Strategy
The Norwegian government proposes to cut funds that are of great importance for cultural interaction in the North, say central cultural institutions in Northern Norway. Picture from the international indigenous festival Riddu Riđđu 2024 in Troms county, Northern Norway. (Photo: Sara Aarøen Lien)
In the national budget for 2025, the Norwegian government proposes a cut of NOK 4 million in funds for cultural cooperation in the High North. "Defense policy is not the only thing that must be pursued in the North," replies major cultural institutions in Northern Norway.
"So far, the funds have generated a lot of international cultural cooperation with all Arctic countries. The cut will have major consequences for all [undersigned, ed. note] actors and significantly weaken the Arctic interaction."
This is pointed out by six major cultural institutions in Northern Norway in a joint statement on Monday. These are the Riddu Riđđu Festival, the Tromsø International Film Festival, Pikene på Broen, the International Sámi Film Institute, the Arctic Arts Festival, and the Northern Lights Festival.
Specifically, they refer to the Norwegian government's proposal to reduce funds for cultural and informational purposes by NOK 4 million in the 2025 budget for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The reduction entails that the cultural dimension will no longer be part of the government's High North strategy," reads the budget proposal.
This results in less money for cultural cooperation across the borders in the North, of which all the aforementioned cultural institutions have been recipients in 2024.
Visibility and development
The six institutions emphasize that the funds have contributed to the international profiling of the Norwegian Arctic and further development of the Northern Norwegian and Sámi cultural sectors. This includes the creation of work and meeting places, which in turn contribute to viable local communities in the North.
"We, as cultural actors in Northern Norway, stand united in emphasizing the importance of not just pursuing defense policy in the North, but also working to ensure viable local communities. In this, culture plays an invaluable role," they point out and continue:
"International cultural cooperation is not just important for the population in Northern Norway, it is also important from a security policy perspective – that the living democracies in the North stand united and enrich each other."
More about the funds
The MFA's funds for cultural and informational purposes are managed in cooperation with the foreign stations and the Norwegian Arts Abroad (NAA) network.
NAA consists of Performing Arts Hub Norway, Design and Architecture Norway, Music Norway, the Norwegian Film Institute, Norwegian Crafts, Norwegian Literature Abroad, and Office for Contemporary Art Norway.
On behalf of the ministry, the NAA organizations administer various application-based schemes and project funds for international activities.
The government proposes to set aside NOK 38.6 million for this budget heading in 2025, which, as mentioned, is NOK 4 million less than for 2024.
The funds are intended to give Norwegian cultural life more international opportunities and a broader international contact surface, increase cultural exports, and give relevant target groups more knowledge about Norway, Norwegian views, and conditions.
"Geographically, the focus is on the most important markets, which are France, the Nordics, Great Britain, Germany, and the USA, and on the most important arenas, including Italy and Japan. Furthermore, priority is also given to other countries with great foreign policy importance, such as India, China, and Poland," writes the MFA about the priorities for 2025.
FYI: High North News organizes the debate series High Noon in collaboration with the Arctic Arts Festival, but does not receive any direct support from the MFA.
