Although Sweden is the largest country with the largest population in the Nordic region, we are a small country in the north. But despite its size, Sweden is an important exporter of art and culture. In the field of music, we are extraordinary, with exports of SEK 5.4 billion in 2023.

Sweden is one of the few countries that exports more music than it imports. Computer games, film, design and fashion are also industries with extensive exports. In the visual arts, exports were reported to a value of at least SEK 367 million in 2024. Dance and circus are art areas that are completely internationalised and dependent on markets outside Sweden's borders.

For the cultural sector in Sweden, international cooperation is a central part of developing art and culture, reaching a larger audience and an opportunity to increase revenues. Just over five years after the pandemic spread across the world and knocked out the legs of the cultural sector and international cooperation, the ambition for international cultural exchange and cultural export is being raised. The Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, colloquially known as the 2005 Convention, points to the importance of artistic freedom, international exchange and good conditions for artists. They are prerequisites for art and culture to flourish as a sector and industry, with growth among companies and businesses and increased employment in both the Global North and the Global South. When Sweden signed the 2005 Convention, we also undertook to create opportunities for cultural actors from the Global South to take part in our markets – something we need to continue to develop.

Right now, the EU's new cultural programme and budget are being negotiated. The possibility of receiving EU funding has been crucial in strengthening cooperation between actors inside and outside the EU. In countries with reduced cultural budgets, it may also be one of the few grants available for international cooperation.

International rules for trade and exports are undergoing major changes, which also affects the cultural industries. Here, we need to continue to navigate and follow the sector's challenges and needs in order to best enable increased cultural exchange and cooperation. Collaboration with other authorities such as the Swedish Arts Grants Committee and the Swedish Institute makes us more accurate and creates synergies between our respective efforts.

Based on the cultural policy objectives, the Government's strategy for the cultural and creative industries and the strategy for foreign trade, more knowledge and tools will be developed for the internationalisation of the cultural sector. For the Swedish Arts Council, this includes continued efforts to promote Swedish literature abroad, Nordic cooperation to strengthen Swedish performing arts internationally, increased support for co-financing of approved projects within Creative Europe, and a new international travel grant for the free cultural life, which will open for the first time this autumn.

In addition, the Swedish Arts Council distributes funds to partner organisations around the world that work for artistic freedom and will represent Sweden together with the Ministry of Culture in UNESCO's Government Committee for the 2005 Convention.

In the challenging global situation, we are leveling up in several areas. In 2026, the Government will carry out a partial follow-up of the strategy for cultural and creative industries.

Soon we will know more!

Kajsa Ravin
Director General of the Swedish Arts Council

https://www.kulturradet.se/nyheter/2025/sverige-levlar-upp-internationellt-kultursamarbete/