On this page

1. Main trends in young people's creativity and cultural participation

2. Main concepts

Main trends in young people's creativity and cultural participation

Available national studies indicate that children and young people in Norway continue to be frequent users of cultural services. Research from Statistics Norway shows that young people engage actively with cultural venues such as cinemas, libraries and museums, and that the school sector plays an important role in ensuring broad access to cultural experiences through programmes such as The Cultural Schoolbag (DKS).

Ungdata (a cross national collection scheme) surveys from recent years provide insight into young people’s cultural and leisure activities. These studies show that participation in cultural arenas remains common among young people. 

Digital platforms continue to play an important role in young people’s cultural lives. A national study published in 2026 finds that many young people discover and engage with cultural content primarily through streaming services and social media, where digital platforms influence what they encounter. The same study notes that arenas like cinemas remain attractive to young people, though accessibility and economic factors can affect how often they attend. 

Main concepts

In Norwegian cultural policy, “access to culture” is understood as giving children and young people opportunities to experience, participate in and create art and cultural expressions. This approach is reflected in national policy documents and in publicly funded measures such as DKS, which aim to provide access to cultural experiences regardless of background.

Norwegian cultural policy defines children and youth culture as artistic and cultural expressions created for, with and by children and young people. This understanding is established in White Paper No. 18 (2020-2021)  [«Oppleve, skape, dele»], which emphasises that children and young people should be regarded as recipients, participants and contributors in cultural life. White Paper No. 8 (2018–2019) The Power of Culture – Cultural Policy for the Future [«Kulturens kraft. Kulturpolitikk for framtida»] describes access to culture as making sure that everyone can experience, participate in and engage with a broad range of cultural expressions.