WWW.KULTURSTYRELSEN.DKOCTOBER 2013

DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTURE

DANISH AGENCYFOR CULTURE

DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTURE

Our discussions have led to the phrasing of a vision forthe recognition of culture as a driving force that movesus – both as individuals and as a community – andwhich supports democracy and creates value and unityin society. It is not an easy task to merge three government agen-cies, implement cutbacks, and in parallel to this carryinto effect legislative reforms within the arts supportarea, the museum area and the media area. Neverthe-less, the Agency has succeeded in doing so, and we arenow in earnest starting to benefit from the synergy ofworking across the different fields. With this in mind,we are delighted to be able to open our first ‘real’ an-nual meeting, where we have shuffled the cards.

One of the launching pads for the Danish Agency forCulture's new strategy has been a small SWOT analy-sis that we commissioned last year. The analysis de-scribes conditions that are of great significance to theplanning and development of the Agency's work. On the

one hand, it describes the great challenges that we fa-ce as a public authority. Funds are limited, while ex-pectations to the service level keep rising. On the otherhand, the analysis also describes the opportunitiesthat we can choose to seize. In Denmark, there is widesupport for and recognition of culture and its impor-tance. Culture holds an inherent potential for contri-buting to value creation, and barriers to internationalexchange continue to decrease.

Last, but not least, we are in the middle of a large digi-tal reorganisation, which involves opportunities as wellas challenges that we will have to address – whetherwe want to or not.

In our strategy, we focus on both sides of the equation.We have placed our main emphasis on the opportuniti-es, which we have summarised in four strategic actionareas: Alliance with the Danes, Culture and Growth,Internationalisation and Digitisation.

Anne Mette Rahbæk Director General

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CAN CULTURE BE DIRECTED VIA AN AGENCY? And if not, is it perhaps a paradox to have anAgency for Culture? Can a government agency serve as secretariat to several arm's-lengthbodies – while at the same time providing service for a government department? Is itpossible to be a civil servant and at the same time have a high degree of expert insight?At the Danish Agency for Culture we have had many and extensive discussions about theAgency's identity and execution of tasks.

IMPROVED COLLABORATION across municipalities and institutions; better frameworks for vo-lunteers within the cultural area, and increased user involvement – these are the main in-gredients of the Danish Agency for Culture's strategic action area ‘Alliance with the Danes’,which will be a focus area over the next four years.

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HOW DO WE CREATE ALLIANCES WITH THE DANES?

Changed social conditions – the role of cultureThe tight economy, the demographic development andthe many human and financial resources that the Da-nes possess have led to a changed perception of civil so-ciety's role. The development also affects the culturalarea, where the individual's possibility of contributingto cultural life or meeting societal challenges creates apotential for new partnerships and collaborative ef-forts that have not been seen before. These may inclu-de collaboration within the cultural area alone, butalso to a high degree collaboration with players fromother sectors.

The citizen centres at Danish libraries are an exampleof how a cultural institution provides the setting for aneffort that supports social cohesion and active, demo-

cratic citizenship. The citizen centres are informal andcross-sector advisory, learning and activity centres.They share premises with other municipal offers may-be in combination with voluntary organisations anddifferent associations, which together can help users dobetter in society. In this way, collaboration with the mu-nicipality and the voluntary associations is crucial forthe existence and efficiency of the citizen centres.

Volunteering because it creates ownershipApart from the fact that conditions in society havechanged, we are also witnessing an increasing focus onthe individual citizen's desire to ‘make a difference’ asa volunteer. This may, for instance, be as a voluntaryvisitor, a homework helper or a coach. The culturalarea also has a long history of voluntary work. This ap-

THEME: ALLIANCE WITH THE DANES

CULTIVATE! your libraryYoung citizens in Aarhus Northsow the first seeds in RisskovLibrary's development towardsbecoming a needs-orientatedroom of opportunities – a citi-zen centre.Photo: Aarhus Public Libraries

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plies to many museums, arts associations, dramatic so-cieties, preservation associations, local radio stationsand the area of popular education.

This voluntary involvement represents a communitytradition that has its roots in Danes' penchant for as-sociations, as well as more individually orientated citi-zens or groups who wish to make a difference via con-crete efforts for local cultural life, architecture, arts,festivals, libraries, museums or local cultural heritage.

The database for listed and preservation-worthy build-ings, for which dedicated citizens have taken and up-loaded photos of the buildings, is just one of many ex-amples of how voluntary resources play an importantrole in supporting the cultural area. In this case, one ofthe Danish Agency for Culture's public databases. Notonly do volunteers add increased value to the project,their relationship to and ownership for concrete cultu-ral objects also become something completely differentand more personal. You might say that an alliance iscreated between culture and citizens.

When speaking about volunteering in the culturalarea, it is important to stress that this is not a contrastto professionalisation. The professional cultural area isonly viable if it has a high degree of popular supportand visible involvement that can create room for thedevelopment of new initiatives. In other words, volun-teers and professionals must supplement each otherand together create a stronger whole.

‘The more you know, the more you care.’ This slogan characterises the project 1001 Storiesabout Denmark, where citizens upload their own stori-es about cultural heritage to the website www. kultur-arv.dk/1001fortaellinger. It is another way of involvingour fellow citizens, bringing their knowledge about cul-

ture into play. The opportunity for citizens to contribu-te to the dissemination of culture and cultural herita-ge in their own words supports a story-telling that isfar more personal and a real involvement on the citi-zens' terms.

This is also the case in Haderslev, where Victor Ash hasdecorated a silo at the waterfront during the summerof 2013. Here, the local arts association and local resi-dents handle communication about the work, e.g. viathe virtual site StreetDome. The target group includesthe local skaters who use the area, who are actively in-volved in the communication and thereby gain betterinsight into and understanding of both the artworkand its significance as a local identity creator. By in-volving citizens in such a concrete way in relation to theartwork, creating local ownership – even with youngpeople – the intention is also that people will be moreinterested in looking after the artwork than if the citi-zens had not participated in communicating its impor-tance.

Even more and even better in the futureThe Danish Agency for Culture’s alliance with the Da-nes is to ensure that in future, we stoke the cultural fi-res even more, and that we strengthen and improve al-ready existing alliances between culture, citizens andsociety. Alliance with the Danes is also to focus on find-ing new ways of developing new initiatives and creatingnew collaboration, so that the ties between culture andthe Danes become even stronger over the coming years.

Ownership and involvement in culture are to be moreevident as well as more significant, both to the indivi-dual citizen and to society as a whole. This is the way in which we can make the cultural fla-me burn even brighter in future for the benefit of eve-rybody.

The SiloThe Danish Arts Foundation andHaderslev Municipality have co-funded Victor Ash's art project.Visualisation: Victor Ash

National and international growth agendaInvestments in digitisation and tight public budgetsare a societal challenge, which requires that all parts ofthe public sector consider how their services and prio-ritisations can support a financial growth agenda. TheDanish Agency for Culture has therefore directed itsstrategic focus at addressing culture's contributions tothe creation of financial growth along with values suchas artistic experience, creative work and democracy.

Growth, growth, growth...Culture is not only important in the financial area, itis also valuable in its own right, because culture con-tributes to the development of the individual and soci-ety as a whole, including the development of valuessuch as creative power and the ability to meet the

world as involved citizens. The Agency's focus thereforeincludes both direct and indirect growth. This meansboth long-term cultural-political investments, e.g. sup-port of talent development through arts support, andprofiling of culture's significance through strategicwork to collect and analyse data that can shed light onthe value that culture adds to society.

New partnerships, new knowledge and increased profilingThe Danish Agency for Culture's strength in relation tothe national growth agenda, as it is phrased in Vækst-plan for kreative erhverv og design (Growth Plan forCreative Businesses and Design) (Ministry of Businessand Growth 2012) and the recommendations fromVækstteam for turisme og oplevelsesøkonomi (Growth

THE DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTURE'S EFFORTS IN THE CULTURE AND GROWTH AREA aim at strength-ening culture's contribution and role in relation to society's growth agenda over the next fouryears. This happens via support for synergy and innovation in the Agency's activities and pro-ject portfolio.

MAKE IT GROW!

THEME: CULTURE AND GROWTH

DesignAnette Meyer's suit in colourfulpackaging from Asia, the USAand Europe at the exhibition‘Icon Dressed/BODY-WRAPPInc’,2012-2013.Photo: Trapholt

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The sculpture ‘Han’ (He/Male) – Located by The Culture Yard in Elsinore; it was created incollaboration between ElsinoreMunicipality and the DanishArts Foundation's Committeefor Environmental/Public Art,which jointly appointed the artists, the Danish/Norwegianartist duo Elmgreen & Dragset,and approved and funded theproject

Team for Tourism and Experience Economy) (Ministryof Business and Growth 2013), is a close day-to-day col-laboration with stakeholders and players by virtue ofconsultancy tasks, subsidy administration and theAgency's facilitating of development projects. The closeinteraction with our stakeholders provides the oppor-tunity to influence culture's growth conditions by focu-sing on the following efforts:• Cultivating new partnerships and growth areas,

including export of cultural products.• Generating evidence-based knowledge about

culture's value-increasing contribution to other professions' products and services.

• Working actively with cultural life's significance as a unique framework condition that can contribute to regions' and cities' possibilities of ensuring fi-nancial growth, e.g. through the development of cultural tourism.

Cultural tourism as a growth area The Danish Agency for Culture works to strengthencultural tourism by creating stories about our culture.In Europe, the number of cultural tourists is generallyon the increase, while in Denmark, we have only ma-naged to attract cultural tourists to a limited degree.The development provides cultural institutions withnew opportunities as there is an unmet, potential de-mand. The Government's Growth Team for Tourismand Experience Economy has made eight recommen-dations, which stress, among other things, the need forclose collaboration between private and public playersacross geographic units. The number of foreign users varies greatly among thecultural institutions. Foreign tourists, for instance, ma-ke up more than 50 % of the visitors at some museums,while in other places they make up less than 5 %, and

the number does not necessarily reflect a correlationwith the museum's size or the quality of the exhibi-tions.

What will the Agency do in the future?In the coming years, the Danish Agency for Culturewill, among other things, carry out analyses and de -velop models that can render visible culture's contribu-tion to society's direct and indirect growth. We will dothis by analysing statistical data and culture figuresbased on a macroeconomic perspective, and by exami-ning the indirect and derived effects of cultural invest-ments. In addition to generating numbers and dataabout cultural investments, the Agency also works withthe growth concept in relation to the Agency's majorprojects and initiatives, e.g. the new architectural poli-cy, arts support, development of the libraries' serviceoffers and annual media analyses.

The good examplesOne example of a growth-related initiative is the pro-ject IT Help for Small IT-prepared Businesses. In col-laboration with the Danish Business Authority, the pu-blic libraries assist small businesses and associationswith learning and facilitation in connection with com-pulsory digital communication with public authorities,for instance in connection with VAT declaration.Another example is the public celebration of SydneyOpera House's 40th anniversary in October. The cele-bration is a unique show window for young Danish ta-lents and an excellent opportunity for Denmark tostand out internationally. Using a number of culturalevents with the participation of Danish designers, ar-chitects and cultural businesses as a launching pad, at-tention is drawn to Denmark's creative potential andexport opportunities.

www.kulturstyrelsen.dk/institutioner/museer6

The Museum Act is the framework for a continual de-velopment of a strong, cohesive and decentralised mu-seum system with professionally and financially su -stainable museums. It will facilitate a continued sy -stematic development of quality and professionalisa-tion of the museums. The Act has updated the purposeof the museums, so that in future, they are to developtheir role as central cultural and knowledge institu-tions that are relevant to the users, and which contri-bute positively to society's development. The most sig-nificant amendments to the Act are an updating of themuseums' tasks and role, a new grant structure, and anew advisory structure for the Danish Agency for Cul-ture within the museum area.

The museums' tasks and roleThe museums' work will continue to be based on col-lection, registration, preservation, research and disse-mination of Danish cultural heritage. However, theirrole as learning environments has been stressed, andthe knowledge that they generate must continue to berelevant, meaningful and put into perspective. The mu-seums are to strengthen the cultural and natural heri-tage's value to citizens and society, partly by developingtheir societal role, which should accommodate the citi-zens' requirements and expectations to a greater ex-tent. The museums are also to contribute to putting thecurrent social development and debate

into perspective and create a basis for a personal sen-se of citizenship.

New grant structureThe legal amendments also include an approval of anew grant structure, which entails a simplification ofgovernmental running expenses grant schemes for go-vernment-approved museums. Each museum will nowbe granted one combined governmental running ex-penses grant, whereas previously, several differentrunning expenses grants were in play. An increasednon-governmental funding basis for the museum is arequirement for the allocation of governmental run-ning expenses grants. The minimum government granthas also been increased. All former government poolfunds for the museums are gathered into one pool forstrategic development within the museum area. Thegrant structure is to contribute to improving financialsustainability, and a new executive order came into for-ce on 10 May 2013.

New advisory structureA new advisory structure for the Danish Agency forCulture has been established for the museum area,consisting of a strategic panel, an expert museum com-mittee for each of the three museum categories (art,culture, natural history) and so far one working group.A new executive order about this area came into forceon 1 May 2013. The new advisory structure is to iden-tify development possibilities and potentials for themuseum area and make recommendations to the Agen-cy about action areas and national strategies for thenew pool for strategic development and implementa-tion of the same. The panel, the committee and theworking group all start their work in September 2013.

A total of 107 museums within the Ministry of Cultu-re's area are covered by the Museum Act, including se-ven national museums and 100 government-approvedmuseums.

A UNANIMOUS PARLIAMENT backs the amendments to the Museum Act that came into forceon 1 January 2013. This is a good launching pad for the museums' further operation anddevelopment as increasingly more professional and sustainable cultural institutions.

NEW LAUNCHING PAD FOR MUSEUMS

MUSEUMS

WHAT THE AGENCY DOES• Runs and supports implementation of the

new Museum Act.• Follows up on the recommendations of the

Museum Report.• Contributes to a qualitative and professional de-

velopment of the museums through quality assessments, project grants, consultancy and guidance.

Learn at the museumDialogue-based education at Thorvaldsen's Museum.Photo: Lars Skaaning

WHAT THE AGENCY DOES• Carries out the Listing Review over the period

2010 – 2015. • Lists or delists buildings and landscape

architectural works. • Handles maintenance and restoration of

Danish ruins.• Handles world heritage in Denmark. • Strengthens value chains between tourism

players and cultural institutions.• The Danish Arts Foundation awards working and

travelling grants as well as project support to Danish architects, designers and craftspeople, and it supports international biennales.

www.kulturstyrelsen.dk/kulturarv • www.kunst.dk 7

The Agency participates as advisor in relation to pro-jects that require special knowledge about the culturalheritage's values. It also serves as secretariat to theDanish Arts Foundation's committees for Architectureand for Crafts and Design, as well as to Det SærligeBygningssyn (government advisory committee for issu-es relating to listing and preservation of buildings).The committees provide grants for artistic peace andquiet to work, and for travel and projects; they alsoaward and purchase Danish design and crafts. Furth-ermore, the two committees support exhibitions, com-petitions and international biennales.

Review of Denmark's Listed Buildings The project Review of Denmark's Listed Buildings2010-2015 is the most comprehensive effort related toDenmark's listed buildings ever. Over a period of fiveyears, the Danish Agency for Culture will visit all thebuildings in Denmark that were listed from the timethe first Preservation of Buildings Act came into forcein 1918 and through to 1990, and the Agency will de-scribe all of the listed buildings' values to make it ea-sier to understand why they were listed. As a consequ-ence of the listing review, the Danish Agency for Cul-ture will delist a number of buildings where architec-tural and culture-historical values have been lost.

Strengthening of Danish design and crafts Since 1978, the Danish Arts Foundation has been buy-ing jewellery by the most esteemed and experimentingDanish jewellery artists. The purpose of the purchasesis for the jewellery to be worn and shown off in order tocontribute to raising the profile of Danish jewelleryart. The Danish Arts Foundation has therefore establi-shed the loan scheme Smykkeskrinet (The JewelleryBox) where people who appear on the public scene mayborrow a piece of jewellery. As of 1 January 2014, Danish Crafts will be merged in-to the Danish Agency for Culture. Danish Crafts' maintasks are to spread knowledge of Danish crafts in Den-mark and abroad and to improve the visibility of Da-

nish crafts as well as the demand for and sales of thesame. The merger will signify an important upgradingof the crafts and design area, which will increase thepossibilities of both national and international collabo-ration considerably.

New possibilities and collaboration Based on a legislative amendment in 2010, it becamepossible to list independent landscape architecturalworks. Over the next few years, the Danish Agency forCulture will focus on these possibilities, consideringthat parks and gardens may be equally as important asbuilding culture in the story about Denmark. The Agency also participates in projects that requirespecialist knowledge about building-cultural values. AtHerlev Hospital, for instance, the Danish Agency forCulture has entered into collaboration with the hospi-tal management about the preservation and mainte-nance of both the architecture and Poul Gernes' uniquedecoration. The Agency also participates in the comingrenovation of the Bellahøj area, and this year, the Da-nish Arts Foundation's Architecture Committee haslaunched an open ideas competition with the title Kanvi tegne et nyt land? (Can we draw a new country?). Thecompetition seeks visionary solutions to the greatstructural changes that are currently taking place inDenmark.

THE DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTURE HANDLES A WIDE ARRAY of regulatory tasks, secretariatfunctions and projects within architecture, design and crafts. It also safeguards buildings,ruins and landscape architecture of national and international significance through pre-servation.

NEW RELATIONS, NEW POTENTIALS

ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN AND CRAFTS

www.kulturstyrelsen.dk/kulturarv8

New Danish architecture policyThe Danish building culture helps tell the story of oursociety's development. From the unification of the re-alm to the establishment of the capital; from the feudalsociety via industrialisation to the welfare architecturethat more than anything has shaped our humanist so-ciety model. Currently, great changes are taking placein society, which will also have physical consequences.Climate change, migration from the country to the ci-ties and great reforms of the welfare state will all bechanges in which architecture will play a decisive role.The Danish Agency for Culture therefore contributes tothe preparation of a new national architecture policy,which will contribute to giving Danish architecture thebest possible conditions for creating valuable physicalchanges. Through new architecture, but also to a greatextent through development, preservation and energyrenovation of the existing building culture.

The building heritage creates identity locallyThe Danish Agency for Culture enjoys good collabora-tion with the municipalities about safeguarding cultu-ral heritage in municipal planning. Through the initia-tive Building Culture 2015, the Agency uses dialogue,courses, seminars, articles etc. in order to communica-te knowledge and inspiration that can enable the mu-nicipalities to improve their preservation and develop-ment work, including safeguarding buildings that areworthy of preservation. This is very much a case of get-ting the municipalities to see their building-culturalheritage as a resource that creates value and identity.Similarly, the new government architecture policy willfocus on drawing attention to the value creation thatarchitecture contributes. An important part of the na-tional architecture policy will be directed at the muni-cipalities, which are important both as authorities andas developers in relation to large parts of our welfarearchitecture.

The building heritage must be vibrantThe Danish Agency for Culture handles applicationsabout construction work on listed buildings. The histo-

rical building mass adds to the local identity, and sur-veys have shown that the majority of the citizens see itas a value in itself. However it can be a financial chal-lenge to be the owner of a listed building. The Agencytherefore provides grants for owners who receive helpto prepare action plans for maintenance, and in rela-tion to construction projects, we aim to allow room forthe changes that ensure modern usage of the buildingswithout causing a deterioration of the principal pre-servation values. At Christiania, for instance, a prag-matic line has been set out, so that ancient sites andmonuments as well as buildings are preserved, while atthe same time, leeway is given for Christiania's peculi-arity.

Following a LEAN process for our case handling, theAgency has endeavoured to simplify administrativeprocedures, mainly in a digital direction. As a result ofthe approval of a new Preservation of Buildings Actand an executive order, it has been possible, since 1March, to initiate certain building works without priorpermission, solely by submitting a simple notification.

OUR BUILDING-CULTURAL HERITAGE along withnew architecture helps retain and developour Danish identity and gives the welfarestate a physical expression. At the same ti-me, there is a demand for Danish architec-ture, which is perceived as architecturethat has man at the centre.

BUILDING CULTURECREATES VALUEAND GIVES IDENTITY

BUILDING PRESERVATION AND PLANNING

WHAT THE AGENCY DOES• Processes all building cases related to listed

properties.• Gives grants to refurbishment of listed

properties.• Maintains a continual dialogue with the municipa-

lities about how they can utilise and safeguard their building-cultural heritage.

• Contributes to the preparation of a new national architecture policy.

• Handles the listed buildings and ancient sites and monuments at Christiania.

Christiania

www.kulturstyrelsen.dk/kulturarv/fortidsminder 9

The Danish Agency for Culture wishes to continuallyimprove and assure the quality of working proceduresand administration for the benefit of developers andother users – be that archaeologists employed at mu-seums, municipal caseworkers or ordinary citizens.The Agency is currently working on a number of mea-sures directed at both internal and external procedu-res in order to achieve this.

New collaboration within archaeologyOver the past year, the archaeological map of Denmarkhas changed considerably. A number of Danish mu-seums have entered into binding collaboration agree-ments, and actual mergers have taken place, resultingin fewer, but larger units. This means that as of 1 Ja-nuary 2014, the number of archaeological museums ormuseum collaborative efforts will be reduced from 42to 27. The objective of the structural change is to makethe individual museums even better, e.g. in terms ofprofessional expertise and administration. The changes have taken place based on, among otherthings, recommendations made by an international pa-nel in 2010 in a report about archaeological activity inDenmark. The increased quality requirements that ha-ve been imposed on the archaeological institutions willgive practical archaeology in Denmark a huge boost.

Marine archaeologyIn 2012, the Danish Agency for Culture asked interna-tional experts to give Danish marine archaeology a ser-vice check. The task was in part to assess whether theAgency's administration is efficient and sufficient, andin part to have a look at the outcome of the marine ar-chaeological work and at any possibilities of optimisingthe results. The expert panel concluded their work atthe beginning of 2013 indicating items that could bechanged with advantage in order to improve conditions.The Agency is now going over the 33 recommendationswith a view to realising those that are found to be mostimportant. The result is available in International Eva-luation of Marine Archaeology in Denmark, which canbe downloaded as a report from the Agency's website.

Look after your ancient site or monumentOver the last five years, staff from 10 museums havevisited all of Denmark's approx. 33,000 listed ancientsites and monuments on behalf of the Danish Agency

for Culture in order to check whether everything is asit should be in each case. This extensive work is now al-most complete, and the Agency has gained importantadditional insight. The good news is that many ancientsite or monument owners do actually take good care oftheir ancient sites and monuments. The sad thing isthat almost a quarter of the listed sites and monu-ments have suffered violations Apart from the fact thatnaturally, the many cases of negligence result in exten-sive casework in order to remedy the damage, it has also become clear that many plot owners lack informa-tion about what it means to have a listed ancient siteor monument on their land. The Agency will thereforeendeavour to make contact with different groups of plot owners over the coming years, and increase under-standing of the inalienable sites and monumentsthrough specific information efforts and monitoring.

THE MUSEUM ACT SETS OUT A NUMBER OF GUIDELINES in relation to both the digging archaeo-logy and Denmark's listed ancient sites and monuments. The majority of the tasks are ma-naged by the Danish Agency for Culture, but the Agency has assigned the responsibility fore.g. archaeological surveys to Denmark's archaeological museums.

ANCIENT SITES AND MONUMENTS A SOURCE FOR HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE

ANCIENT SITES AND MONUMENTS

WHAT THE AGENCY DOES• Increases communication about and accessibility

to a number of ancient sites and monuments under the projects Denmark's Ancient History in

the Landscape and Copenhagen's Fortifications.• Improves the basis for administration of the

protected stone and earth field boundaries.• Optimises the quality of the archaeological

surveys.• Prepares guidelines for handling and administra-

tion of listed ancient sites and monuments.• Contracts out a number of tasks to the

archaeological institutions.

Warship from 1644Marine archaeologist fromthe Viking Ship Museum inRoskilde examines the Swarte Arent wreck in theFemern Strait.

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Digitisation, perhaps the greatest technological break-through in history, has challenged cultural life in a waythat Delaroche could not have imagined. However,technology contains new potentials today, just as it didin years gone by.To the Danish Agency for Culture and the many cultu-ral institutions for whom it is a key task to work for adiverse cultural life, the digital development yields awhole string of new possibilities.

The development of digital infrastructures, platformsand mobile units means that citizens now have accessto knowledge and entertainment anytime and anywhe-re they want. The competition for users' attention isgreater than ever, but the cultural institutions haveembraced the digital development in earnest, and to-day, cultural offers move across a multitude of plat-forms, channels and social media. It is now possible e.g.to explore several Danish museums from your homeand view the collections in a degree of detail whereeven the naked eye cannot keep up. It is also possibleto dig into media archives from your smartphone andwatch and listen to Danish films, radio and TV showsfrom the last century.

Last year, the Danish Agency for Culture, in collabora-tion with several other cultural institutions, invited anumber of developers to spend a weekend at the RoyalLibrary where they would experiment with the deve-lopment of new digital solutions and services at a so-called ‘Hackathon’. The experiment resulted in severalnew and innovative services and gave inspiration as tohow digitisation can create new meetings between citi-zens and culture.

For several years, digital casework has been in focusthroughout the Ministry of Culture's area. Today, thework to support artists, projects and institutions is di-gital from start to finish. Whereas previously, it wasnecessary to make photocopies and index hundreds ofthousands of pages related to applications to arts coun-cils and committees every year, processing today takesplace via tablet PCs that communicate with the case-work systems.

The Danish Agency for Culture works continually toimprove the possibilities of digital application and case

processing, which is to make it easier for citizens andauthorities alike to communicate with the Agency. Inthe course of 2013, a new solution for digital buildingproject casework is being developed, which will help re-duce the casework time. The Agency has also starteddigitising several of its most important archives, e.g. inthe preservation area, in order to make them easily ac-cessible – both to the Agency's own staff and to citizensand authorities who need knowledge about how to pro-tect the shared cultural heritage.

Digital infrastructureThe development of the possibilities for creating accessto content, knowledge and experiences via new digitalinfrastructures is a growing action area for both theDanish Agency for Culture and cultural institutionsacross Denmark.Along with Local Government Denmark and the muni-cipalities, the Ministry of Culture has started collabo-ration on the development of The Danes' Digital Libra-ry. The vision is to create a flexible and resource-effici-ent platform for the communication of digital materi-als, increase the spread and use of digital library of-fers, and promote citizens' possibilities of creating con-tent themselves.In the specialist and research library area, work con-tinues on expanding the infrastructure for Denmark'sElectronic Research Library in order to enable it to reach new target groups and thus increase access to re-search-based knowledge for more Danes.

Within the cultural heritage area, the Danish Agencyfor Culture collaborates with the national and govern-ment-approved museums about modernisation of thecentral registers and databases about Danish culturalheritage and the development of a new joint infra-structure for collection registration. The infrastructureis to ensure that the national overview of the museums'collections of artworks and culture-historical objectsbecomes much better than it is today. The infrastruc-ture is also to support digital working processes andreuse of data for the cultural institutions' own IT envi-ronments, and facilitate simple reporting to the pan-European culture portal, Europeana. It is also the vi-sion that better access to and exhibition of data are tomake it possible for researchers as well as businessesand private users to benefit from data for research or

THE POSSIBILITIES OF DIGITISATION

THEME: DIGITISATION

WHEN THE FRENCH PAINTER PAUL DELAROCHE (1797-1856) saw a photo for the first time, hisimmediate reaction was: “From this day on, the art of painting is dead!” Things have notturned out quite that bad, but in the course of history, the advent of new technology hasradically changed the conditions for our creation, communication, experience and preser-vation of culture.

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commercial purposes – or simply for hobby use. The ad-vent of digital map services and infrastructures thatcan be linked to cultural data does not only make itpossible for authorities and researchers to locate cultu-ral heritage geographically and gain an overview of thecultural landscape, it also makes it much easier for or-dinary citizens to find traces of history where they are.Within the media area, work is focused on spreading anew infrastructure for digital radio, which offers a newset of opportunities. The transition to digital radio ma-kes room for a much wider offer of channels, amongother things; the sound quality is better, and it also be-comes possible to transmit a whole string of data viathe signal so that recipients can obtain additional in-formation about the programmes they listen to.

Digital content In collaboration with all of the cultural institutions,the Danish Agency for Culture carries out comprehen-sive work on developing digital content by continuallydigitising objects, works of art, archives and case ma-terials within the cultural area and supplementing anddeveloping the registers about the Danish cultural he-ritage that are the responsibility of the Agency.

Digitisation and the general technological developmentalso continue to affect the way in which culture is cre-ated, generating changes in content types, businessmodels, distribution models and consumption. New content is ‘born’ digital to a rapidly increasing de-gree and it can be made accessible to the entire worldin just a few clicks. The lower production costs for digi-tisation also lead to an explosive cultural supply – so-me of it of a high quality, and some of it of not so higha quality. The classical business models change fromthe sale of units with limited content to the sale of ac-cess to enormous amounts of content. Cultural usersexperience a more varied supply with many more nicheoffers and easier access, but also a more unclear mar-ket where people shop around between many differentoffers.

The new distribution forms have also increased thecomplexity of handling intellectual rights, and formerbusiness models have turned out to struggle under thenew digital conditions. The development of sustainablevalue chains from artist to culture consumer and theprotection of content rights are some of the challengesthat still await solutions.

The digital development does offer new possibilities,but it also challenges us, which continues to spark sta-tements that resemble Delaroche's words some 150years ago. Today, the art of painting is still goingstrong, but its framework conditions have changed a lotand will probably continue to do so.

‘Hackathon’ 2012

at the Royal Library.

http://wiki.opf-labs.org

www.kulturstyrelsen.dk/medier12

The Danish Agency for Culture is working with mea-sures that are to support this development and at thesame time contribute to ensuring that the media con-tinue to take part in popular education and democraticdebate. The measures include, among other things, an-nual reporting about media development, reorganisa-tion of media support for printed and electronic media,and development of a digital radio strategy.

The Agency handles the secretariat function both forthe Daily Papers' Council, which administers supportfor the establishment, development and redevelopmentof daily papers, and for the Radio and Television Board,which makes decisions about advertising regulations,monitors public service stations and issues permitsand grants for radio and TV.

Reorganisation of support for printed and electronic mediaMedia distribution forms and media consumption areundergoing rapid change, and as a consequence of this,a political initiative has instigated the reorganisationof the present support system, so that the distributionsupport is to be replaced by production support forboth printed and electronic media, and an innovationpool for the establishment and development of mediawill be set up. Right now, the Danish Agency for Cultu-re is working on the implementation of new schemesthat are expected to be approved by the Danish Parlia-ment in the autumn of 2013 and enter into force at NewYear.

Implementation of digital radioIn the media agreement, it has been decided that theFM band is to be shut down by the end of 2019, provi-ded at least 50 % of radio listening takes place on digi-tal platforms in 2018. In the course of 2013, the DanishAgency for Culture is preparing a proposal for an im-plementation strategy for digital radio. The work invol-

ves a number of connected projects that are to contri-bute to ensuring a smooth transition to digital radio.In concrete terms, the Agency is working on a techni-cal study and the implementation of a switch betweenDAB block 1 and DAB block 2, determination of thetransition to DAB+, an information campaign, a hear-ing about the existing local radio stations' permits, atender for the remaining capacity in DAB block 2, anda tender for DAB block 3. The project is to future-proofthe radio media on a digital platform.

Focus on media developmentThe latest media agreement allocates DKK 2 millionper year in 2013 and 2014 for an annual report aboutmedia development. The Danish Agency for Culture isresponsible for the realisation of the project. In thisconnection, an editorial panel has been appointed,which is to contribute to identifying, prioritising andadvising on concrete studies and study methods. In ad-dition, efforts to find external parties to conduct theanalyses are well under way. The main themes of thereports will be media content, media use and the me-dia industry, and the first report is expected to be rea-dy in the spring of 2014.

THE MEDIA AND THE MEDIA CONSUMPTION are undergoing rapid development, and digitisationis here to stay. An increasing number of people read the daily news via their PC, tablet ormobile phone, while a decreasing number use the traditional, printed news media. On-de-mand TV supplies ever more flow-TV, and digital radio standards such as network radio andDAB+ are gaining ground.

CHANGING MEDIA CONSUMPTION

MEDIA

WHAT THE AGENCY DOES• Handles tasks concerning the procurement of

statistics and participates in international forums within the media area.

• Announces a complete timetable for the roll-out of digital radio.

• Works on a new scheme for non-commercial TV.• Contributes to the implementation of new media

support for printed and electronic media.• Acquires factual knowledge about the media's

development and conditions for use in an annual report about media development in Denmark. Thefirst report is expected to be published during spring 2014.

www.kulturstyrelsen.dk/institutioner/biblioteker 13

In future, the libraries' challenge will, to a great extent,be to help users exploit and utilise accessible knowled-ge resources – ideally in innovative ways and with theusers as active players.

The library spaceThe Danish Agency for Culture is conducting the pro-ject Model Programme for Public Libraries in collabo-ration with Realdania. The objective is to recommend away in which architecture can support the public libra-ry as the central, local meeting place that invites citi-zens inside and is open to citizens' network formationand learning needs. The programme's main product isa web-based inspiration catalogue with design princi-ples for interplay between space and function alongwith illustrated examples.

Informal learningThe Danish Agency for Culture emphasises the impor-tance of supporting the libraries' offers about learning,e.g. within reading and IT. This happens through col-laboration with a number of partners with a commonobjective, e.g. helping citizens and businesses utilisepublic authorities' digital self-service solutions. In2013, the Book Start programme began its secondround (2013-2016). Children aged 0-3 in vulnerable re-sidential areas in 20 municipalities are offered a totalof four book packages.

Organisation and infrastructure are based on collaborationBoth municipal and national libraries meet demandsfrom the surrounding world for user-orientated servi-ces, digitisation and streamlining. The Danish Agencyfor Culture therefore works closely with stakeholdersin the library sector to optimise offers and infrastruc-ture.

Local Government Denmark, the Ministry of Culture,the Danish Agency for Culture and the public librarieshave thus established collaboration for the period2012-2015 about The Danes' Digital Library (DDL),aiming to consolidate and optimise the digital infra-structure in the public library area and establish pur-chasing collaboration for all forms of digital resources.DDL will supply its first services to the municipalitieson 1 January 2014 and expects to have municipal back-ing corresponding to at least 80 % of the Danish popu-lation by the end of 2015.

The new steering committee for Denmark's ElectronicResearch Library (DEFF) bases its work on the strate-gy for 2012-2016, Libraries as a Catalyst for the Deve-lopment of Denmark as an Innovative Society, and onthe Government's innovation strategy, Denmark – theLand of Solutions.

The Danish Agency for Culture has implemented a newtransport scheme, which is used by almost all librariesto transport the materials that they borrow from eachother for the users.

THE INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY'S LIBRARY had as itsoverall target to provide access to all exis-ting knowledge. Due to the explosion in theamount of information, this is no longerpossible. Combined with other changes insociety, the result is that it is complicatedand difficult for many people to comply withe.g. the requirements that authorities poseon citizens.

THE NEW SHAPEOF THE LIBRARIES

LIBRARIES

WHAT THE AGENCY DOES• Launches strategy work about the development

of the libraries' content in accordance with the report Public Libraries in the Knowledge Society.

• Makes the physical library an action area in the Development Pool for School and Public Libraries.

• Distributes 25,000 book packages in the period 2012-2016 through the Book Start scheme.

• Collaborates with The State and University Library and the Ministry of Education about Homework Online.

• Coordinates the campaign Demark Reads, which is to encourage more Danes to read fiction over the next four years.

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The development in children’s and youngsters' cultureconsumption demonstrates that if we are to countercultural polarisation, there is a need for a continual ef-fort to ensure that all children and youngsters encoun-ter art and culture, that there are relevant cultural of-fers within all art forms, and that talent developmentbenefits from good conditions.

Three great challengesOne of the most urgent challenges in the children andyoungsters culture area is the primary and lower se-condary school reform and the collaboration betweenthe education and culture sectors. How do we ensurethat the reform leads to more art, creativity and cultu-re in the primary and lower secondary schools, provi-ding children and youngsters with enriching encoun-ters with the local cultural institutions, different artforms and their own creative potentials? A number ofresearch results indicate that music, drama and visualarts promote children's knowledge and abilities within

exactly these art forms – which in itself is a completelysufficient legitimisation of the subjects. However, in re-cent years, further research results have emerged thatshow that the aesthetic subjects also support children'slearning in other school subjects and life contexts. Thiscreates a strong incentive for strengthening creativesubjects at school, both in their own right and as crea-tive tools for making learning of the traditional sub-jects more relevant and innovative for the pupils.

Another great challenge is to ensure that children andyoungsters encounter art and culture as early as in theday care, because the early encounter with these areasis decisive for their relation to them later in life. Thereis in other words a great potential in young children –and in making sure that they encounter art and cultu-re as early as in the day care, and that they are invol-ved in creative processes where creativity is given pri-de of place and the children can play and use their ima-gination freely.

CHILDREN AND YOUNGSTERS have an increasing consumption of culture in several areas –this is clearly evident in the Cultural Habits Survey 2012. The survey also shows a notableconnection between the cultural habits of children and their parents.

NEW FRAMEWORK FOR THE WORK WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNGSTERS

THEME: CHILDREN AND YOUNGSTERS

Say hello to the Queen!The Anemone Theatre.Photo: Henning Hjorth

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Finally, the third challenge is to make our cultural of-fers match the needs and interests of youngsters. Manyuser surveys indicate that cultural institutions quicklylose the battle for youngsters' attention. Youngsters area far more independent target group than children, andthey have great latitude as to how they use their sparetime. It is an increasing trend that they choose self-or-ganised activities rather than participating in establis-hed cultural offers from associations and cultural insti-tutions. The youngsters' motivation is therefore crucialin our meeting with them. The question is what moti-vates youngsters to participate in art and cultural acti-vities.

Knowledge-sharing and new partnershipsIn order to meet the first two challenges in relation toyoung children and school pupils, the Danish Agencyfor Culture is working at creating new partnershipsabout art and culture for children between cultural in-stitutions and organisations on the one side and day ca-re and schools on the other. This is done via the publi-cation BØRN KUNST KULTUR – i en hverdag, der dur(CHILDREN ART CULTURE – everyday success). Inthe book, a number of experts, politicians and artists

propose ways in which children can encounter art andculture in their everyday lives. The Agency is also col-laborating with the Ministry of Education to establisha national network of school services that are to inclu-de the cultural institutions' resources in collaborationwith the schools. The purpose is to make collaborationbetween schools, museums and other cultural institu-tions even stronger.

The challenge in the youngsters' area is the focus of theModel Experiment about Youth Culture 2011-2014,which is part of a process to develop a best practicewith and by youngsters and support networks andknowledge-sharing in the area across institutional af-filiations and geography.

The Agency also plans to work on promoting uncon-ventional partnerships between cultural institutionsand young grassroots, i.e. between the established andnon-established cultural life, e.g. via the publishing ofa best practice publication and holding after-work me-etings. These partnerships are important for strengt-hening youngsters' participation in the established cul-tural life and their relations to cultural institutions.

The ParaphraseCreative exercises forchildren at Kunsten,Museum of Modern Art,in Aalborg

The Danish Agency for Culture handles the Ministry of Culture's work on cultural communication aimed at children and

youngsters, as well as secretariat service and chairmanship for the Children's Culture Network. The Network consists of

external partners who provide advice in relation to the Agency's work and efforts in the children and youngsters area.

www.boernekultur.dk

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The changes stem from the Act on the Danish ArtsFoundation's Activities, which was approved in Maythis year. The new Act entails that the Danish ArtsCouncil and the Danish Arts Foundation are merged,and that in particular crafts, design and architectureare given the same status as other arts areas.

In a number of areas, the new Act paves the way for asimpler and more transparent and flexible arts sup-port scheme.

Service conceptThe Danish Agency for Culture serves as secretariat tothe Danish Arts Foundation, the Danish Arts Counciland the board of representatives, and over the comingyear, the Agency will work at preparing and receivingthe new board of representatives and the new founda-tion. We aim to develop a service concept based on thecurrent committee members' experience. This will ma-ke it possible to offer a more professional service andfor the committee members to bring their expertise in-

to play to the greatest extent. The Danish Agency forCulture has therefore already started involving thecurrent council and foundation members in a survey ofhow the committee's competences can be used as wellas possible.

Focus on interdisciplinarityAs a part of the preparations for the new Danish ArtsFoundation, the Danish Agency for Culture will belooking at how interdisciplinary efforts can best beanchored in the future arts support system. Issues thatwill be analysed include existing schemes under theDanish Arts Council, the dialogue with the municipali-ties, the work to promote arts to children and young-sters, and the international work, as well as the newArts Foundation's possibilities of supporting interdisci-plinary development. In this connection, the DanishAgency for Culture will focus on involving knowledgeand competences across the Agency, so that the futurework within these areas will be coordinated and sup-ported by the Agency's expert offices.

CLARIFICATION ABOUT ARTS SUPPORT

INFORMATION: THE DANISH ARTS FOUNDATION

DANISH ARTS SUPPORT is facing a number of organisational changes that will come into for-ce at the establishment of a new Danish Arts Foundation on 1 January 2014.

GONE HOMEThe dance collective Fanclub received an award in 2012 for theirshow Gone Home.

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Examples of works/artists who have received support from the Danish Arts Foundation:

The artist duo Randi & Katrine transformed the ferry M/F Ærøskøbing into a large, floating work of art. One of three winning pro-posals in the competition Our Art in collaboration between the Danish Arts Foundation and the Danish Broadcasting Corporation.

1

The release of BRO/KNAK (CD) by Jakob Bro and Thomas Knak.2

The exhibition SHOW TIME at Gl Holtegaard featuring dance and choreography on a background of international contemporary art.Photo: Shaun Gladwell, Pataphysical Man.

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Slowly, it seeps through my fingers. Design by Nikoline Liv Andersen. Exhibition at Horsens Art Museum. 4

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3 4

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www.kunst.dk/kunstomraader/litteratur

The Danish Agency for Culture serves as secretariat tothe Danish Arts Council's Literature Committee andthe Danish Arts Foundation's Literature Committee,and it administers a number of grant schemes on behalfof the two committees. Combined, the two committeesreceive approx. 2,700 applications per year. The majori-ty of the grant funds are allocated as grants for the cre-ators of literature: writers, book illustrators, cartooncreators, playwrights and others. The Agency also manages the public lending rights fe-es, distributing approx. DKK 171 million in 2013 to wri-ters, visual artists and musicians whose works can beborrowed from Danish public and school libraries. Thepublic lending rights fees scheme supports writers who-se works all citizens in Denmark have access to at thelibraries. Thereby, it guarantees the spread of literaturein Denmark.

E-books and public lending rights feesLiterature is in a period of unrest. Digitisation as bookformat (e-books) and platform (presentation of e-books)has become a key issue for the entire book industry. The Danish Agency for Culture chairs and serves as se-cretariat to the Committee for Public Lending RightsFees for Books and Music. On 1 October 2013, the Com-mittee is to submit a report to the Minister for Culturewith a proposal as to how the public lending rights feesscheme can be organised so that it can also cover digi-tal publications in the future. Furthermore, the Agencywill hold a conference about digital children's books incollaboration with the Danish Arts Council's LiteratureCommittee in the autumn. This is a field that has beendeveloping rapidly in recent years, and the Agency andthe Committee wish to facilitate knowledge meetings.

Readers meet writersDanish writers travel throughout Denmark to presenttheir works to readers in every corner of the country. Atlibraries, in reading clubs, in church halls, at cafes – of-ten with support from the Writers' Centre. The numberof applications and grants within the scheme has incre-ased notably in recent years. The Danes love to watchand listen to their writers live. The most recent optionis that it is now possible to apply for funding to carryout writers' events for primary and secondary schoolpupils during school hours and for teacher training col-leges. This expansion of the scheme is an extension of

LITERATURE AT HOME AND ABROAD

LITERATURE

THE COMMITTEE FOR PUBLIC LENDING RIGHTS FEES FOR BOOKS AND MUSIC is to propose a di-stribution of public lending rights fees that gives consideration to digital publications; theChildren's Books Exhibition is touring Denmark and the world and the Danish Arts Council'sLiterature Committee provides funding for international writers' meetings and reading-pro-moting writers' meetings at schools.

WHAT THE AGENCY DOES• The Danish Arts Council's Literature Committee

supports writers, translators, publishers, residen-cies and others in Denmark and abroad.

• The Danish Arts Council handles promotion of Da-nish literature abroad via funding and various initiatives, including participation at inter-national trade fairs.

• The Danish Arts Foundation's Literature Com-mittee distributes working and travelling grants to writers and gives awards for literary works.

• Distributes translation support on behalf of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

• Future-proofs the public lending rights fees scheme.

• Facilitates various projects focusing on Danish literature's framework and conditions – currentlywith special initiatives within the digital area and the children's books area.

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Danish illustrated children's booksInternational exhibition on tour

the Minister for Culture's reading campaign, DenmarkReads, which will unfold over the coming years.

In Denmark and abroadGrants are not just given to events featuring writers inDenmark. Danish writers' journeys abroad and foreignwriters' visits to Denmark in connection with presen-tation of their works are also supported to a great ex-tent. This works closely with the grants that are givento translators and publishers, respectively, for transla-tion. The Danish Agency for Culture has establishedextensive network collaboration with translators andpublishers across the world. In addition to this, theAgency organises various literary events abroad on be-half of the Danish Arts Council, and often in collabo-ration with the publishing industry.

19www.kunst.dk/kunstomraader/billedkunst

The Danish Agency for Culture serves as secretariat tothe Danish Arts Council and the Danish Arts Founda-tion, whose visual arts committees provide grants forand in other ways support various visual arts purposes.The main objective is to ensure and support good con-ditions for contemporary art in a vibrant and diversevisual arts environment.

Contemporary art for allVisual arts hold a great potential for creating inspiringand valuable physical settings in interplay with archi-tecture. The Danish Arts Foundation is therefore invol-ved as consultants when visual arts projects are to beestablished in connection with new construction pro-jects and urban development.The Danish Arts Foundation supports the spread ofcontemporary art across the country by forming part-nerships with municipalities and institutions aboutplace-specific permanent works and by providing fun-ding for temporary art projects in public spaces. Insti-tutions that are publicly accessible can also borrow artthrough the Arts Foundation's so-called deposit sche-me. The purpose of the scheme is to give citizensthroughout Demark the opportunity to experience con-temporary art of a high quality where they are. Thiscould be e.g. at schools, libraries or hospitals. In Janu-ary 2013, the Danish Arts Foundation launched www.voreskunst.dk, where interested parties can see theartworks that can be borrowed and apply for loans ofworks purchased by the Arts Foundation.

A boost to the children and youngsters area In the autumn, the Danish Arts Council's Visual ArtsCommittee is launching a three-year trial pool, whichis to support and promote children's and youngsters'encounter with visual arts. Individuals, organisationsand institutions that work with children and young-sters and visual arts at a high artistic and educationallevel can apply for funding from the pool.

VISUAL ARTS HERE AND NOW

VISUAL ARTS

DANISH VISUAL ARTS ARE OF INTERNATIONAL FORMAT and have an ever growing audience atthe Danish arts institutions. It is therefore important that Danish contemporary artistscontinue to have good conditions and possibilities.

WHAT THE AGENCY DOES• The Danish Arts Foundation distributes working

and travelling grants to Danish artists.• The Danish Arts Foundation purchases and

awards works by Danish artists.• The Danish Arts Council supports visual arts

production and communication and promotes Danish art abroad and foreign art in Denmark.

• The Danish Arts Council is the contracting principal for the Copenhagen Art Festival.

• The Danish Arts Council is behind the initiatives Our Art and TV Art in collaboration with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation.

• The Danish Arts Council is responsible for the Pool for Funding Municipal Visual Arts Councils.

• The Danish Arts Council funds Danish participation at the Venice Biennale.

The Venice Biennale 2013Jesper Just video installation (section)

A secretariat will be set up, which will handle the de-velopment of networks, collaboration and partnershipsin the area. The secretariat and the affiliated organi-sations will, among other things, develop and conductpilot experiments with teaching children and young-sters about visual arts. The purpose of the initiative is also to show possible di-rections for future efforts aimed at children and young-sters in the visual arts area, including selecting someof the political initiatives and financial options thatmay give the area a boost in the long term – locally inthe municipalities, regionally and nationally.

New input and expanded international networkThe Danish Arts Council's International Visual ArtsCommittee has started collaboration with the DutchMondriaan Fonds about offering two places for profes-sional Danish curators and museum people at the an-nually recurring research journey ‘Orientation Trip’,which in 2013 goes to Eastern Europe: Estonia (Tal-linn), Lithuania (Vilnius), Poland (Warsaw and Kra-kow), Slovakia (Bratislava) and Hungary (Budapest).

www.kunst.dk/kunstomraader/musik

The Danish Agency for Culture serves as secretariat tothe Danish Arts Council and the Danish Arts Founda-tion, whose music committees also provide grants forand in other ways support various musical purposes. In2013, the Minister for Culture's music action plan, OneMusical Scene – Many Genres 2012-2015, is implemen-ted via pools and projects aimed at supporting rhyth-mic music venues, transport support, talent develop-ment, diversity and music export. At the same time, thecentral musical institutions are focusing on audiencedevelopment via government framework agreements.

The music action planThe Danish Arts Council's Music Committee is respon-sible for the practical implementation of large parts ofthe Minister for Culture's music action plan: Adverti-sing and re-advertising new pools and grants for newprojects, including strengthening regional and fees-supported music venues, talent development at musicschools, transport support for Danish musicians, musicexport via Music Export Denmark, international ca-reer development for the best young musicians and or-chestras, and Pop-Pilot, a music camp for teenage girlsorganised by the Danish Rock Council, ROSA.

Focus on audience developmentOver the coming years, regional music venues, genreorganisations and regional orchestras will be focusing

PLAN AND FRAMEWORK FOR MUSIC

MUSIC

WHAT THE AGENCY DOES• The Danish Arts Council works to promote de-

velopment of music in Denmark by distributing grants to e.g. professional orchestras/bands, concerts, music schools and music venues.

• The Danish Arts Council works to promote Danishmusic, music export and music exchange with other countries.

• The Danish Arts Council funds visitor programmesfor international players in the music industry.

• The Danish Arts Council funds residency program-mes in Denmark and abroad.

• The Danish Arts Foundation distributes working and travelling grants and composer remunerationfor commissioned works by Danish composers.

• Ensures a continual dialogue with musical insti-tutions about framework agreements, including regional music venues, regional orchestras and other orchestras and ensembles.

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WITH THE SIGNING OF FRAMEWORK AGREEMENTS for a growing number of musical institutionsand the Minister for Culture's music action plan for 2012-2015, the Danish musical sceneis better equipped to plan long-term and focus on development.

Spleen United Awarded a prize in 2012 for School of Euphoria.Photo: Søren Solkær Starbird

on audience development. This focus has now been in-corporated into framework agreements for 44 musicalinstitutions supported by the Danish Arts Council'sMusic Committee and the Ministry of Culture.

In 2013, five key musical institutions have made fra-mework agreements with the Danish Arts Council'sMusic Committee about annual grants for the first ti-me: Edition S, the Danish Suzuki Institute, DanishAmateur Music (DAM), the Copenhagen Jazz Festivaland the SPOT Festival. The framework agreementsguarantee a long-term and agreed basis for the insti-tutions' strategies and finances.

International music trade fairsThe Danish music scene is increasingly orientating it-self internationally. This is reflected in the interestthat the Danish music industry and the organised mu-sic scene show in participating on international plat-forms for music, e.g. music trade fairs, festivals andconferences. On behalf of the Danish Arts Council'sMusic Committee, the Danish Agency for Culture orga-nises a Danish-Nordic joint stand at the large interna-tional music trade fair MIDEM in Cannes and the newclassical music trade fair Classical:NEXT in Vienna.Small record companies, music publishers, manage-ments, bands, orchestras and organisations all partici-pate here.

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The Danish Agency for Culture serves as secretariat tothe Danish Arts Council's Performing Arts Committeeand the Danish Arts Foundation's Film and PerformingArts Committee, which support a wide array of perfor-ming arts purposes. This ranges from working grantsfor individual artists, over performing arts projects,running expenses and development support for compa-nies and theatres, to support for communication initia-tives. The Agency is also secretariat to the Reimburse-ment Committee for Visiting Children's Theatre, whichapproves government reimbursements to organisers oftheatrical performances for children. The DanishAgency for Culture also administers governmentalrunning expenses grants that are given to a number oflarge performing arts institutions, including the regio-nal stages, the Theatre of Copenhagen, the Danish Na-tional Opera and Dansehallerne (the Dance Halls), aswell as government funds for regional theatres andsmall city theatres. Finally, the Agency administersfunds for reimbursement of purchases of visiting chil-dren's theatre and ticket subsidies for organisers.

Open stage in CopenhagenBased on political agreement within the theatre area,work is now in progress to find possible solutions to theneed for open stage capacity in Copenhagen for the be-nefit of both independent groups and provincial thea-tres. The examination of needs and stakeholders' re-quirements and of the practical possibilities of estab-lishing an open stage, either via a completely new sta-ge or via existing stage capacity, has been in progresssince 2011 with the Ministry of Culture as co-ordinator.The organisation and funding of an open stage are im-portant elements in the effort to find a solution thatsuits both the agreeing partners and the environment.

The regional theatre areaAt the request of the Danish Arts Council's PerformingArts Committee and the Theatres' Interest Organisa-tion (TIO), among others, the Agency contributes to aprocess that examines solution proposals for the deve-lopment of the regional theatre legislation in order toensure that the quality level at the theatres remainshigh. Work is also in progress to ensure local anchoring

DEVELOPMENT OFPERFORMING ARTSTHE DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTURE IS CURRENT-LY FOCUSING on optimising frameworks andstructures for the performing arts areas.The objective is to promote development,diversity and quality at all levels.

WHAT THE AGENCY DOES• The Danish Arts Council supports performing arts

production and communication.• The Danish Arts Council funds visitor and re-

search programmes for international performing arts players.

• The Danish Arts Council decides whether regionaltheatres are entitled to funding.

• The Danish Arts Council supports quality develop-ment at regional theatres.

• The Danish Arts Foundation approves shows for ticket subsidies from the Communication Scheme.

• The Danish Arts Foundation distributes working and travelling grants to Danish performing arts and film artists and awards prizes for particu-larly outstanding products.

• The Reimbursement Committee for Visiting Chil-dren's Theatre approves shows for governmental reimbursement.

• The Agency handles applications to the Communi-cation Scheme's three pools.

• The Agency administers governmental running ex-penses grants to a number of large performing arts institutions as well as the governmental funds for regional and small city theatres.

• The Agency reimburses expenses related to pur-chases of visiting children's theatre and ticket subsidies for organisers.

• The Agency is active in international performing arts organisations and networks.

www.kunst.dk/kunstomraader/scenekunst

CUTThe theatrical group LIVINGSTONE'S CA-BINET was awarded for their show KLIP(CUT) at the Boat Theatre in 2012.

PERFORMING ARTS

in the municipalities, and to find out how the uncer-tainty of the municipalities' budgets in connection withthe varying governmental reimbursement percentagecan be minimised.

The communication schemeIn 2013, a new executive order about communicationgrants for the reduction of ticket prices is implemen-ted. The grant is awarded based on the number of tic-kets that a theatre producer has sold at a discount in-stead of being based on the value of all ticket discountsas was the case before. Larger grants are awarded fortickets sold to children and youngsters.

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Culture is international and orientated towards thesurrounding world. It is enhanced by developments inthe globalised world's opportunities. It is therefore es-sential to have an international focus in Danish cultu-ral life so that Denmark as a small country with a li-mited market can both achieve wider exposure andfind inspiration in the surrounding world and therebycontinue to attract qualified labour and tourists in thefuture.

The Danish Agency for Culture focuses particularly onDanish culture's chances of getting EU funding thatcan support the wide European collaboration betweenDanish and European cultural institutions and artists.The Agency also supports the possibilities for the Da-nish culture sector to gain ground in new global growthmarkets. These are just some of the many possibilitiesthat the Agency aims to address at a strategic level.

The Agency's international focus builds on the Govern-ment's focus on the BRIC countries and the newgrowth markets, which is the basis for the work of theMinistry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairsand the Ministry of Business and Growth in the Inter-national Culture Panel.

More EU support for Danish cultureDuring the period 2010-2012, approx. DKK 915 millionwere distributed to cultural collaboration projects inEurope via the EU's Culture Programme. Only 3 % we-re allocated to Danish cultural institutions. The Da-nish Agency for Culture will reinforce the effort to pro-cure a larger share of the funds for Danish institutions.In order to help Danish institutions get a share of themany EU funds and participate with their Europeansister institutions in projects and partnerships fundedby the EU, relevant cultural institutions are offered aspecially organised training course in the autumn of2013 and the spring of 2014. The training course willplace emphasis on the concrete work related to goingfrom draft ideas to the establishment of collaborativeagreements and an actual application. The establish-ment of a knowledge network among Danish institu-tions will also be a new strong focal point for the Da-nish culture sector, just as the Agency intends to

strengthen online communication, involvement of indu-stry organisations and continual consultancy and men-toring. The music venue VEGA is one of the institutions thatwould like to apply for EU funds for collaboration pro-jects with European colleagues. Magnus Restofte, As-sistant Manager and Head of Communication at VE-GA, says:“We lack experience in preparing applications for EU-funded projects, partly because the complexity appearsto be greater than in the Danish support systems.Continual mentoring and help to progress towards awell-prepared application is the be-all and end-all forwhether VEGA reaches or misses the target.”

New global marketsAn increasing number of concrete Danish projects aregaining a foothold e.g. in the Middle East, Chile, Chi-na, Brazil, Australia, South Korea and Russia. Danishculture's positions of strength within e.g. architecture,design, museum communication and learning spaces,children and youngsters and art in public spaces are indemand by countries outside Europe.

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS IN DANISH CULTURAL LIFE

THEME: INTERNATIONAL

THE DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTURE INVESTS IN NEW OPPORTUNITIES for Danish cultural institu-tions' international collaboration. Danish culture can participate in setting the agenda bothin the European market and in new markets, thereby gaining access to both professionaland financial development opportunities.

Restoration of the Finn Juhl Hall This was based on an invited design competition launched by the Danish ArtsFoundation. The task of the competition's winners, Kasper Salto and ThomasSigsgaard, was to design a new furniture series for the hall as a supplement andupdate to Finn Juhl's original design. The photo shows the participants in thedesign competition and staff from the Danish Agency for Culture on a guidedtour (spring 2011), and the large photo on page 23 shows the final result. Photo: Asbjørn Kristensen Høgsbro

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The Danish Agency for Culture supports the culturalinstitutions' desire to enter into new partnerships innew global markets by creating framework conditionsfor partnerships between Denmark and a given coun-try. In 2013, we made framework agreements with Chi-le in the museum field about the exchange of museumdirectors. In relation to China, agreements have beenmade within the museum area, collaboration betweenmusic conservatories has been set up, and cultural in-stitutes have been established in both Denmark andChina. Framework agreements with Russia, Saudi Ara-bia and South Korea are also in the pipeline. In otherparts of the world, the Danish Agency for Culture helpsestablish pilot projects and development projects thatcan open doors for direct, sustainable partnershipsbetween cultural institutions in Denmark and thecountry in question.

The personal meeting: Research and visitor programmesThe Danish Agency for Culture contributes to makingit possible for Danish cultural life to learn from othercountries. This happens, for instance, by offering insti-tutions the opportunity to invite their foreign partnersto make a research trip to Denmark. In such cases, theforeign partners have travel and accommodation ex-penses up to DKK 15,000 paid, which enables the cre-ation or expansion of a Danish network. It is the visi-tors who submit the application for funding.

Visitor programmes are used strategically and they co-me about solely at the invitation of the Danish Agencyfor Culture to key culture personalities who may beco-me of vital importance to future collaboration due totheir invitation to visit Denmark. In 2013, the DanishAgency for Culture has invited players from Russia,Brazil, Australia and Chile. Both the visitor program-mes and the research trips contribute to creatingstrong ties between Danish and foreign institutionsand people.

Collaboration and focusAlthough the international dimension should prefera-bly be a natural and integrated part of the organisationof all projects, exhibitions, development and exposureof artworks, both within the Agency and at institu-tions, it is the Agency's experience that this is far fromalways the case. It is therefore clear that there will be a sustained needfor the Agency to be active in international cultural ex-change through participation in international net-works and through the launch of international culturalexchange programmes. At the same time, efforts must focus on and be develop-ed in areas where players and institutions do not yetconsider it viable to launch initiatives by themselves, orwhere new national initiatives need to be developed,e.g. in connection with the promotion of growth withincreative and artistic professions.

Danish design – internationallyThe UN building in New York underwent extensi-ve alterations in the spring of 2013. Denmarkwas in charge of the restoration of the so-calledTrusteeship Council Chamber, which was desig-ned by Finn Juhl in 1949.

24

As a player in Danish cultural life, you are often asked:“But what are the value and the effect of what you do?”Value and effect can be summed up in many ways. Theycan be turnover for the individual institution, turnoverin the creative professions or turnover in associatedprofessions and export, but it is also necessary to verb-alise other values and attempt to add them up. It maybe a case of value measured in terms of jobs, visitors,learning, education, democratisation etc. Some of theseelements are harder to identify than others.

The Danish Agency for Culture contributes to the col-lection, processing and dissemination of informationand results that can develop cultural life and answerthe opening question in the long term.

Establishment of cultural statisticsSince 2009, the Danish Agency for Culture has colla-borated with the rest of the Ministry area to collect va-rious existing statistics about cultural areas from Sta-tistics Denmark's Statistics Bank. The work has now

BUT WHAT IS IT WORTH?

THEME: CULTURE FIGURES

NOT EVERYTHING

THAT CAN BE COUNTED, COUNTS,

AND NOT EVERYTHING

THAT COUNTS CAN BE COUNTED

(Albert Einstein)

This challenge most definitely applies

when we want to analyse culture's value

and effects, but we have an obligation

to endeavour to give a multi-faceted

picture of the fact that culture and

investments in culture are of immense

value to society and the individual.

Photo: Trapholt

25

been completed, and it opens up for a whole new stringof possibilities for producing knowledge about Danishcultural life. The cultural statistics include a number of industry-specific statistics within the following areas:

• Museums and Cultural Heritage • Libraries• Films and Media• Performing Arts• Cultural Habits and Sports• Future industry statistics within musicIn addition, there are a number of cross-disciplinary

statistics about the finances and structure of culturallife. These cross-disciplinary statistics facilitate com-parisons not only across the cultural industries, but al-so across all other sectors in Denmark. This makes itpossible to compare culture's value at a macroeconomiclevel by analysing e.g. employment, turnover, workpla-ces and levels of education.

Statistics Denmark supplies valid, objective data as abasis for democracy and the national economy. In futu-re, the culture statistics will be a part of Denmark's ge-neral statistics, and they will be communicated on apar with the many other statistics.

The culture sector's business structure, area, unit, activity,

time. Full-time employees, end of November 2010

6.083 - 13.330

13.330 - 20.577

20.577 - 27.824

27.824 - 35.071

35.071 - 42.316

CULTURAL EMPLOYMENT

CULTURE FIGURES

Based on recognised register-based employment re-cords, it is possible to analyse employment in the cul-tural industry and – which is very important – compa-re against other industries and employment as a who-le. In July, Statistics Denmark published a new state-ment about employment in the Danish cultural indu-stries.

In 2010, there were 86,350 full-time employees. Of the-se, 17,610 were employed within sports, while the me-

dia area occupied both the second and the third placewith 10,109 full-time employees within daily papersand magazines, and 9,887 full-time employees withinbroadcasting, respectively. The new figures also make it possible to see the distri-bution of employees across the five regions (www.stati-stikbanken.dk – KULTERH1 and KULTERH2).These different options make it possible to follow theeffects of cultural investments across sectors andacross regions and municipalities.

26

CULTURE FIGURES

WHERE DOES THE MONEY END UP?

One of the completely new statistics is the new disbur-sement statistics, which shows how all of the govern-ment funds for culture are spent. For instance, it is pos-sible to see how much money is disbursed within the

museum area, distributed across municipalities, orhow many of the total funds are paid to private indivi-duals, distributed across gender and cultural area(www.statistikbanken.dk – KUBS01).

The coin treasure from MønMore than 650 coins were found in 2012near Magleby on Eastern Møn. They proba-bly date back to 1535-1536.

VISUAL ARTS AND DESIGN

DK

K m

illi

on

s

SPORTS AND LEISURE

OTHER CULTURALACTIVITY

CULTURAL HERITAGE

MEDIA, LIBRARIESAND LITERATURE

PERFORMINGARTS AND MUSIC

27

WHAT DO THE DANES WANT?

Value is a lot of different things. The Danes' CulturalHabits 2012 provides us with insight into how the Da-nes use culture. The first corresponding survey wasconducted in 1964. The figure shows the proportion of the adult popula-tion that has participated in art and culture activitieswithin the last year, unless otherwise indicated.

The Danish Agency for Culture also prepares industrysurveys, e.g. the National User Survey within the mu-seum area and barometer surveys within the libraryarea, which provide a so-called poetical snapshot ofwhat is going on at the libraries in Denmark.

HOW DO I MOVE ON?

The Danish Agency for Culture has gathered all surveysand results in our knowledge bank at www.kultursty-relsen.dk/videnbank. Here, you can also find contact de-tails for the staff who work with the individual areasevery day. Over the coming years, the Danish Agency for Culturewill work specifically with the development of analysesand statistics. In order to ensure that the entire Danish

cultural life benefits from the effort, and ultimately inorder to improve the basis on which decisions about in-vestments and initiatives in Danish cultural life aremade, the Danish Agency for Culture will conduct anumber of training courses and knowledge-sharingcourses for selected industries. This work will start inthe autumn of 2013. The events will be announced atwww.kulturstyrelsen.dk.

CULTURE FIGURES

Non-fiction (daily/weekly)

Fiction (daily/weekly)

The libraries' website and online offers

Library visits

Museums' websites and online offers

Natural history museum

Cultural history museum

Art museum exhibition

TV series (daily/weekly)

Films on video/DVD etc. (daily/weekly)

Films at cinema

Other music event

Rhythmic concert

Classical concert

Theatre/plays, musicals/theatre concerts, opera, ballet, modern dance, children's theatre/puppet theatre

Listens to music (daily)

28

The Agency is headed by a board of directors made upof Director General Anne Mette Rahbæk and two AreaDirectors, Trine Nielsen and Poul Bache. The organisa-tion is divided into 11 expert offices and three officeswith executive functions:

• Ancient Sites and Monuments• Building Preservation and Planning• Design, Architecture and Crafts• Digitisation• Executive Secretariat • HR• Libraries • Literature• Media• Museums• Music and Performing Art • Resources• The Danes’ Digital Library• Visual Arts

The Agency has some 250 employees; it administers anannual budget of approx. DKK 4.5 billion, and imple-ments the Government’s cultural policy in a number ofareas. The Agency’s employees are primarily expertgroups including architects, librarians, Masters of ar-chaeology, music, literature, dramaturgy, art historyetc.

THE DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTUREIS AN AGENCY UNDER THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

RESOURCES EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT GROUP HR

ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN AND CRAFTS

BUILDING PRESERVATIONAND PLANNING

ANCIENT SITES AND MONUMENTS

DIGITISATIONMUSEUMS LIBRARIES MEDIATHE DANES’ DIGITAL LIBRARY

LITERATURE VISUAL ARTS MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS

CONTACTDanish Agency for CultureH.C. Andersens Boulevard 21553 Copenhagen VDenmark

Phone: +45 3373 3373E-mail: post@kulturstyrelsen.dkWebsite: www.kulturstyrelsen.dk

Danish Agency for Culture

Published by the Danish Agency for CultureOctober 2013

Printed copies: 500

Graphical production: Stæhr Grafisk

Printing: C. S. Grafisk

Photos: All photos are from the Danish Agency for Culture'simage archives, unless otherwise stated.

Front page: Photo of Ivan Andersen's work Vampyr Spejl(Vampire Mirror) on the fence around the Metro construction siteat Enghave Plads, Copenhagen. The work is a part of the projectCity Mirrors, which is supported by the Danish Arts Foundation. Photo: Metroselskabet/Lene Skytthe

The publication can be downloaded from: www.kulturstyrelsen.dk/publikationer

DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTURE, H.C. ANDERSENS BOULEVARD 2, DK-1553 KBH. V WWW.KULTURSTYRELSEN.DK