‘Culture’s ecosystem has become ever clearer’

There is the risk that important parts of cultural life will not get going after the pandemic. How do you view that?

– Culture’s ecosystem has become ever clearer during the pandemic. It has also been shown how actors from various sectors, commercial, publicly financed and non-profit, are connected and work together. One risk is that culture’s importance to people is under-prioritised during a time of harsh socio-economic conditions, and it will not receive the required resources. Another risk is that less established networks are destroyed or further weakened, resulting in the most established structures being even more dominant. Right now, it is extremely tough for many parts of the free cultural life, for example freelancers are really struggling. The commercial sphere, which is wholly reliant on audience revenues, has also been hit hard. Another risk is that some of the public will not return to cultural life – that the fear and worry remain and that behaviours have changed for the long term.

You head the commission on the cultural sector’s restart. What kinds of proposals do you think you will put forward?

– We have just started the investigation work, and the proposals depend on what emerges from the surveys, interviews, analyses and basic data that we are now collecting and processing. Our work right now is to gather the needs and ideas voiced during our conversations with actors and practitioners from all over the country. We are also collecting good examples and initiatives from the Nordic countries and around the world. Already we can see some issues that are extremely important, for example regarding the social security systems for artists. During the pandemic it has become clear that they must be improved. It is important that there are still effective grants and support systems. I hope we can put forward proposals to develop cultural life in future.

What gives you hope for the arts and cultural life in future?

– That the pandemic slowly releases its grip and that we all can experience the arts and culture again, together! I am also curious about the new ideas and expressions that can be developed – not least in purely artistic terms – after such a sweeping transformation. Now when culture has been on the back burner for such a long time, it has become clear how unbelievably important it is to us, in an almost existential way. Hopefully, we will see a deeper understanding of the value of the arts in the whole of society.

Linda Zachrison was interviewed by Johannes Hylander, Senior Consultant & Partner på New Republic. ‘Three Quick Questions…’ is a series of interviews conducted by New Republic.