After years of working in the independent cultural art sector and the cultural and creative industries, I realised I wanted to develop a new way of understanding the cultural sector in Sweden. I wanted to keep on facilitating creatives to develop and execute their projects but from another position.
So when the job as Grant Administrator for Cultural Support in Lund appeared, it felt like a sign. I applied and joined the team in September 2021.
Coming from the independent cultural field into a politically governed organisation has given me a valuable perspective on how culture is both created and sustained. The independent side taught me to think fast and collaboratively, while the municipal side has shown me the importance of structure, transparency, policies and long-term responsibility.
Since then, my focus has been on broadening access to Lund’s cultural support by establishing lower thresholds and creating opportunities for competence development for the cultural actors of the city of Lund, in order to make our grants more democratically accessible.
I’ve also initiated several projects to strengthen dialogue and learning within the sector:
Fika med en handläggare:open conversations about funding and project development.
FIKA MED EN HANDLÄGGARE
Once a week throughout the Project Grant application window, I host drop-in hours at Stadshallen in Lund, to discuss your project ideas, the support you can apply for with us, and point you to other relevant funding, organisations or people you can contact to develop and execute your project.
Collective Knowledge: a lecture series with STPLN, promoting diversity and practical know-how in the cultural sector.
Collaborations between supported organisations: encouraging exchange, visibility, and shared learning.