The Ministry of Culture is comprised of a central division and a number of cultural institutions. The institutions are divided into three main areas: Creative and performing arts; preservation and promotion of cultural heritage; and higher education and training in the areas of art and culture. Furthermore, there are national cultural agencies for libraries and cultural heritage.
 
Cultural institutions enjoy considerable freedom and independence in relation to the ministry. This liberty is guaranteed by years of tradition, by law and by financial appropriations.
 
Independence and the arms-length principle In order to ensure freedom of expression in art and culture, grants to artists are given with no political strings attached and, of course, criticism of “the establishment” is permissible. Therefore, independence and the arms-length principle are fundamentals of Danish cultural policy.
 
The arms-length principle implies that neither politicians nor the Ministry of Culture are involved in concrete subsidy allocation or act as arbiters of taste. The ministry’s role is first and foremost to act as architect of the framework for an overarching cultural policy and, in collaboration with Parliament, to set the objectives and to create the structures that form the basis for cultural policy in Denmark. Thus, neither politicians nor civil servants but independent peer groups grant money to the arts. The Ministry of Culture has councils for art, theatre, music and literature and they are currently being merged into a new institution called the Arts Council to promote cooperation and innovation. Likewise, public grants do not affect the independence of, for instance, sports associations or amateur activities.

 
Cultural policy values

Over the decades, Danish cultural policy has been rooted in certain basic values, including freedom of speech, quality, decentralisation, cultural democracy and the arms-length principle/self-regulation described above.
 
Freedom of speech: Art, sport, popular culture and the promotion of culture are supported by the State, but the State does not intervene in the artistic or cultural process.
 
Quality: State support of the arts should be given to the very best that the Danish artistic community produces. The same applies to cultural institutions and associations.
 
Decentralisation: Access to cultural life must be widespread and decisions on cultural policy taken at a level as close to the citizens involved as feasible.
 
Cultural democracy: This means that the State supports amateur as well as professional activities. In a broader sense, it also means that the State supports diverse cultural groups and thereby helps maintain civil society as a necessary counterpart to the State and the marketplace.