Copenhagen Makes Major Investment in Arts and Culture for Children and Youth

With DKK 10 million allocated in the 2024 budget, the City of Copenhagen’s Culture and Leisure Administration (Kultur- og Fritidsforvaltningen) is now actively working to realize the vision of Copenhagen as the capital of arts and culture for children and youth. The goal is clear: all children and young people in the city should encounter art and culture as a natural part of their upbringing – regardless of where they live or what their daily lives look like.

The ambition is to foster strong cultural habits early in life and ensure that culture is not a privilege for the few but becomes accessible to everyone. Culture should be visible all year round and easy to access – especially for children and young people who may not naturally come into contact with it. The vision is about gathering and promoting the rich cultural offerings already available for children and youth in the city and inviting even more into the world of art.

“All children and young people in Copenhagen should encounter art and culture as naturally as they encounter sports. Whether you grow up in the inner city or in a suburban neighborhood, culture and art must be made accessible. Exposure to different cultural experiences offers new perspectives and strengthens creativity, community, and well-being. Hopefully, we’ll see children and young people grow up with inspiration and the courage to be creative. That’s the whole idea behind Copenhagen as a capital of arts and culture for children and youth,” says Mia Nyegaard, Mayor of Culture and Leisure.

A range of initiatives is already underway to give children and young people opportunities to experience art and culture up close – and to actively participate in creating it. Many of the activities are placed in areas of the city where there is not typically easy access to cultural experiences.

Among the projects already launched is Postyrium, the Royal Danish Theatre’s mobile universe for children, which will be in Copenhagen during weeks 40 to 42. Here, children and families can enjoy interactive performances featuring drama, opera, ballet, and music. Another initiative focuses on dance for school students and youth in after-school clubs, with Dansehallerne, Danish Dance Theatre, and Dansekapellet offering workshops and performances in modern and street dance. On Amager, the School Olympics are being combined with cultural programs and creative workshops, and at selected public schools, Teatercentrum is ensuring that young pupils experience professional performing arts both at school and in children’s theatres.

At SOSU H, a recent art project involved students working with artist Mie Mørkeberg to create new artworks now installed in the school’s stairwell. These initiatives all share the aim of bringing art closer to children and youth, allowing them to take an active role.

Several new initiatives are also on the horizon. One is Jazzy Børnehaver, where professional jazz musicians will visit kindergartens in vulnerable residential areas, offering interactive concerts and instrument kits that children can use themselves. In collaboration with Thorvaldsen’s Museum, young people from FGU Hovedstaden will create their own artworks inspired by the museum’s upcoming exhibition. Their works will later be displayed in a dedicated exhibition.

The Copenhagen Music School is expanding its offerings in Bispebjerg and Brønshøj-Husum, with a focus on new formats, community, and diversity. The performance PAS – The Struggle to Belong will be restaged by cultural organization Compound at Amager Bio in autumn 2025, with 2,000 free tickets reserved for young Copenhageners aged 13 to 20.

The Almene Kunstklubber project will expand its art clubs for children and youth to new locations in Nørrebro, in partnership with public housing associations and cultural institutions. Autumn 2025 will also see the launch of Alle Kan Synge (“Everyone Can Sing”), a pilot project at ten public schools where entire early-grade cohorts will participate in two-month choir programs led by professional conductors, ending with morning concerts for parents.

From 2024 to 2027, DKK 2.5 million will be allocated annually to support the activities under the children and youth culture capital initiative, including funding for a dedicated children’s culture coordinator.