Working as a Guest Artist or Expert in DKS, Norway’s Cultural Schoolbag

Every year, Norwegian pupils meet professional artists, writers and cultural experts during school hours, for free. This happens through Den kulturelle skolesekken (DKS), “The Cultural Schoolbag”. If you are an artist, a cultural communicator or an expert who would like to work with schools in Norway, this guide explains how DKS works, who chooses the programme, and how to send in a proposal.

Read the guide, watch the video, or press play and listen.

What DKS is

DKS is a national programme that gives all school pupils in Norway, from first grade to the last year of upper secondary school, the chance to experience professional art and culture every year. It has been part of national culture policy since 2001, and it is free for pupils.

The programme’s own English site describes it as the only programme of its kind in the world. It is financed mainly with Norwegian state lottery money (Norsk Tipping), often topped up by counties and municipalities.

Who runs it

• Kulturtanken (Arts for Young Audiences Norway) has the national responsibility for DKS.
• County councils (fylkeskommuner) and municipalities (kommuner) plan the programme in their area, book the productions and sign contracts with the artists.
• Schools host the visits and connect them with what pupils learn.

For you as an artist or expert, this means your real “client” is usually a county or a municipality, not an individual school.

Art forms and who can take part

DKS covers six areas: film, cultural heritage, literature, music, performing arts and visual arts. Productions must be of professional quality.

Most participants are professional artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers and cultural heritage communicators. If you are an academic or another kind of expert, the usual path is to be part of a production in one of these six areas, for example a cultural heritage programme together with a museum, or a literature visit as an author.

How to apply

1. Develop a production designed for a specific age group, such as primary school, lower secondary or upper secondary.
2. Register in the DKS portal, the national online system for proposals.
3. Submit your proposal with a clear description, the grade levels it suits, the art form, and if possible audio, video or photos.
4. Watch the deadline. Proposals for the following school year are due by 1 October at 23:59. The portal opens on 15 August. The 2026 round closed on 1 October 2026, so the next chance is the round that opens on 15 August 2027. Check the official site for each year’s exact dates.
5. Follow up in the portal. You can see the status of your proposal there, and you will be contacted through the portal and by email.

How productions are chosen

Producers and programme planners in the counties and municipalities pick the programme, together with local panels of experts. Decisions usually come between January and March. Proposals are typically judged on three things:

• Artistic quality: professional, original and relevant.
• Relevance for the age group: suited to the pupils’ age, interests and abilities, without talking down to them.
• Practical feasibility: can it tour and work in real school rooms, gyms and halls?

What a DKS assignment looks like

DKS offers assignments, not permanent jobs. A typical assignment is a tour of a few weeks, visiting several schools in one county or municipality. You may perform or run workshops several times a day for different classes. Short travel days, simple set-ups and flexible formats help a lot.

Pay and contracts

Artists usually work as independent contractors. Minimum fees are set in a national framework agreement between KS (the association of Norwegian municipalities and counties) and Creo (the Norwegian union for art and culture), known as ASA 4401. It sets a minimum rate per presentation day and an hourly rate for meetings and preparation. Rates are adjusted over time, so check the current figures with KS, Creo or the county that books you.

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, also check the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) rules for working in Norway before you accept an assignment.

Tips for a strong proposal

• Start from the pupils. Explain what they will experience and do, not only what you will show.
• Include participation. Productions where pupils take part often work best.
• Show it. A short video or audio sample helps the panel understand your work.
• Think about language. Most visits happen in Norwegian. Music, visual art and dance can travel across languages more easily. If you work in another language, explain how pupils will follow.
• Don’t contact schools directly to sell a DKS visit. Bookings go through the county or municipality.
• Build your network at showcases and industry events where DKS producers look for new work.

Watch: DKS in practice

FAQ

Sources and next steps

• Official English information: The Cultural Schoolbag and For artists and performers.
• Fees: KS on the ASA 4401 framework agreement (Norwegian).
• Practical guide for musicians: Musikkontoret (Norwegian).
• Learn the language: Mondosol’s Norwegian course, the free lesson Norwegian B1: Job Applications and Interviews and 30 essential Norwegian phrases.
• Related: How Norwegian schools work for families who move here.

Information checked in October 2026. DKS rules, dates and rates change, so always check the official DKS site and your county before applying. Mondosol is not part of the DKS administration.

Top image: Heidi Arild, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.