Norway Invests in Culture to Combat COVID-19 Crisis

Norway has allocated approximately 1.8 billion Norwegian kroner to support culture, sports, and volunteerism in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Culture's extraordinary aid package includes scholarships for musicians, writers, and artists, as well as 650 million kroner for public cultural institutions like museums, music, and theater organizations. The government aims to ensure economic independence for the creative sector and support artists who are professionally vulnerable with unstable incomes. Private galleries initially excluded from public aid received support from other institutions: Nasjonalmuseet set up a 30 million kroner fund for new acquisitions from galleries and art centers, while Fritt Ord allocated 40 million kroner for digital mediation and communication projects. The article features interviews with four women working in Oslo's art scene: Marianne Reve (educational coordinator at Astrup Fearnley Museet), artist Ane Graff, Tuva Trondsdatter Trønsdal (director of Galleri Golsa), and Mary Grace Wright (director of STANDARD (OSLO)). They discuss digital initiatives during lockdown, such as Astrup Fearnley's meditation audio files and behind-the-scenes videos, Galleri Golsa's online content collaboration, and STANDARD (OSLO)'s 'One Plus One' exhibition visible from the street. The Norwegian government's approach reflects a belief that culture and creativity are strategically important for a advanced society.