Utan kulturen, vad är vi då? : En undersökning av kulturaktörers föreställningar om barnkulturen och dess framtid i Norrköping

There is currently a debate about the cultural politics in Norrköping, combined with an ongoing recession in the country. This has led to a deprioritization in the cultural field, both in financial resources and political value. Therefore, this study aims to examine how cultural institutions in Norrköping work with culture for children and to further investigate the experience of the current cultural debate and its consequences according to participants in the cultural field. Furthermore, it aims to research the participants' outlook on the future of children's culture. Based on the theories of phenomenography and Luke Goode and Michael Godhe's Critical Future Studies, this study performed five semi-structured interviews with cultural participants at established cultural institutions in Norrköping. The results showed that the cultural participants all present different types of futures. Some display positive interpretations, while others are dystopian. Furthermore, all participants share similar perceptions of the situation, and several patterns are prominent. There is an experience of limited financial resources and accessibility in the cultural field. The participants also perceive similar risks in restricting children's culture and share the experience of politicians' disinterest or misjudgment of the value of culture in society and for children. However, all participants have a relatively positive view of the situation, their possibilities of executing their work, and their perception of the future of children's culture.