Culture workers from Skåne organized the Culture Train in Malmö to protest cuts in the culture budget. The event proceeded from Lördagsplan to Stortorget, highlighting culture as a key election issue ahead of the September 13 vote. Organizers demand raising the state's culture budget from 0.62% to one percent.
On Saturday, musicians, actors, and other culture workers gathered at Malmö city library on Lördagsplan. With trumpet fanfares, the Culture Train began—a protest march against financial cuts in the culture sector. The train moved to Stortorget, where performances and speeches addressed the public. > State's culture budget is currently 0.62% of the total state budget. That's far too little, the lowest level in 25 years, said Jenny Månström, one of the organizers. She stressed that many culture workers live precariously and that the culture issue needs more public debate ahead of the election. > We are here to highlight culture as an election issue ahead of the September 13 vote. 17-year-old Mina Enberg called for more culture in schools for youth. > Instead of cuts, increased investments in cultural projects are needed. Eva Bonde, editor-in-chief of the magazine Historiskan, pointed to rising costs like paper prices and lack of grants for small organizations. Actress Eva Ekberg carried a sign reading 'Without culture, democracy dies' and lamented the absence of project funding. Temporary investments were made during the pandemic, but the situation has worsened afterward, according to participants. The Culture Train aims to urge the state and municipalities to invest more in cultural life.
