8.5 Developing cultural and creative competences
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Barne-, ungdoms- og familiedirektoratet
Norwegian National Agency
Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir)
Address: Postboks 2233
NO-3103 Tønsberg
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Fredrik Selmers vei 3
NO - 0663 Oslo
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Acquiring cultural and creative competences through education and training
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Specialised training for professionals in the education, culture and youth fields
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Providing quality access to creative environments
Acquiring cultural and creative competences through education and training
Creative competencies are integrated throughout the Norwegian Core Curriculum and embedded across all subjects in primary and secondary education. Cultural and creative learning opportunities in formal education include:
Formal education:
Creative competencies as a fundamental element in the Core Curriculum, integrated across all subjects. Art, Crafts and Music as compulsory subjects in primary education. Aesthetic learning processes frequently used in interdisciplinary teaching.
- Music, Dance and Drama
- Art, Design and Architecture
- Media and Communication
- Design and craftsmanship
- Media production
Upper secondary education programmes that support cultural and creative development:
- Music, Dance and Drama
- Art, Design and Architecture
- Media and Communication
Vocational education programmes linked to creative fields:
- Design and craftsmanship
- Media production
For more on formal learning, see Youth Wiki Education & Training, Chapter 6.7 Skills for innovation.
Non‑formal learning arenas also play an important role in building creative skills:
- Youth clubs (fritidsklubber) function as open, low‑threshold environments where young people can explore and practise cultural and creative activities such as music, dance, theatre, digital media and visual arts. Clubs typically provide access to creative tools such as instruments, studio equipment and digital devices, and are recognised as important non-formal learning arenas for young people.
- Libraries, such as Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo, offer creative workshops and maker activities, enabling young people to experiment with both analog and digital creative tools including textile redesign, robotics, programming and digital crafting.
- The Norwegian Youth Festivals of Art [Ung Kultur Møtes – UKM provides local and regional arenas where young people aged 13–20 can develop and showcase artistic skills through festival participation, workshops and creative collaboration.
Specialised training for professionals in the education, culture and youth fields
Teacher education programmes include opportunities to specialise in practical and aesthetic subjects and is offered through two pathways:
- Vocational teacher education (yrkesfaglærerutdanning) is a three‑year bachelor’s degree for candidates with a trade certificate and relevant work experience. It qualifies graduates to teach vocational subjects primarily in upper secondary education and adult learning.
- Teachers of arts and practical-aesthetic subjects complete a five‑year master’s degree (Lærerutdanning i praktiske og estetiske fag for trinn 1–13), established under the 2025 national framework. The programme includes specialisations such as dance, design, arts and crafts, drama, and music, and qualifies graduates to teach across all levels of schooling
Providing quality access to creative environments
Young people in Norway have access to a variety of creative environments across formal, non‑formal and informal settings. The Norwegian Youth Festivals of Art [Ung Kultur Møtes – UKM] provides platforms for participation in local and regional cultural activities. Youth clubs offer free or low-cost creative tools and spaces for artistic expression, including music rooms, dance spaces and equipment for digital creation, playing a central role in young people’s creative development. Libraries such as Deichman Bjørvika also function as open, inclusive creative environments, offering workshops and drop‑in maker activities for young people.