8.9 Enhancing social inclusion through culture
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Address
Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society
Myndigheten för ungdoms- och civilsamhällesfrågor
Liedbergsgatan 4
Box 206
SE-351 05 Växjö
Tel: +46 10 160 10 24
E-Mail: info@mucf.se
Website: www.mucf.se
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Fostering equality and young people involvement through cultural activities
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Combating discrimination and poverty through cultural activities
Fostering equality and young people involvement through cultural activities
There has been some initiatives from the government the last years to foster young people's involvement through cultural activities.
Combating discrimination and poverty through cultural activities
Promoting leisure activites
The main government initiative to promote young peoples' involvement in cultural activities in recent years is the leisure card (Fritidskortet), a benefit of 500 SEK (45 Euro) to all children between 8 and 16 years of age. The benefit may be used to pay fees for leisure activites, such as music and arts schools. For children with parents with low income, the benefit sum is 2000 SEK (183 Euro). The purpose of the increased amount is to combat differences in participation in leisure activites and enable all children to take part in meaningful leisure activites, regardless of their parents' income.
Promoting reading skills in areas with socio-economic challenges
The government presented a proposal for a three-year investment in the public libraries' work to promote reading in the budget bill for 2024. The proposal contained, among other things, an investment of SEK 40 million (about 3,5 million euro) annually in 2024-2026 for strengthening the public libraries' work in promoting reading. Efforts targeting children and young people must be given special priority.
This initiative includes More reading for young people, a grant aimed for promoting reading for young people (13–25 years) in areas with socio-economic challenges. The Swedish Arts Council (Kulturrådet) has been tasked by the government to distribute the grant.
Creative Schools
The cooperation programme between the Swedish Arts Council and the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket), Creative Schools (Skapande skola) (see section 8.8, Synergies and partnerships) is on-going since 2008.