The role of the Danish Arts Council is to promote artistic development in Denmark and Danish art abroad. The Council has two principal tasks:

• to provide support for artistic endeavours within the fields of literature, the performing arts, the visual arts, and music
• to advise public authorities regarding matters within the Council's sphere of activity

The Danish Arts Council may take independent initiative and express itself on matters that fall within its area of competence.

The Danish Arts Council was founded on 1 July 2003. The Council's sphere of activity and duties are defined by the Arts Council Act. The scope of the Council's funding is determined by the annual Finance Act.

The Danish Arts Council has established a committee of experts for each of the four previously mentioned artistic fields. To a large extent, the Council has delegated its authority to award grants and to examine specific matters to these committees of experts. Most of the financial support awarded by the Danish Arts Council and its committees is allocated according to the guidelines laid down in the Literature Act, the Theatre Act, the Visual Arts Act, and the Music Act.  

Members of the Danish Arts Council serve for four years, after which time new council members must be appointed. The Council then draws up a plan of action for its period of office, which is subject to the approval of the Minister for Cultural Affairs.

Complaints concerning grants decisions may not be appealed to the Minister for Cultural Affairs or any other authority.

Organisational structure
The Danish Arts Council is structured in the following manner:

• The Arts Council, consisting of 10 expert members.
• The Arts Council's expert committees on literature, the performing arts, the visual arts, and music, as well as a committee dealing with Danish visual arts abroad. Each committee has five members, with the exception of the Committee for Music, which has seven.
• The Arts Council's board of representatives, whose members are appointed by organisations, institutions and special interest groups within Danish art and culture, as well as by the Danish Parliament's political parties and Danish municipal organisations.  The Danish Arts Agency, which performs administrative and secretariat functions for the Danish Arts Council, the expert committees, and the board of representatives.

The members of the Danish Arts Council and the committees are appointed by the Minister for Cultural Affairs and the board of representatives. The Minister appoints the chair of the Danish Arts Council and the chairs of the committees.

Grant areas and key figures for 2005
The Danish Arts Council has delegated its authority to award grants within various artistic genres to five committees: the Committee for the Visual Arts, the Committee for Literature, the Committee for Music, the Committee for the Performing Arts, and the Committee for International Visual Art.  

Grants are awarded on the basis of an application process. In 2003, grants were distributed as follows:  

• Visual arts: DKK 35.3 million 
• Literature: DKK 22.3 million 
• Music: DKK 73.2 million
• Performing arts: DKK 75.1 million
• Musical drama: DKK 7.4 million

In addition, DKK 224.9 million was awarded to venues for rock, jazz and folk music, music schools, theatres, interdisciplinary arts projects, talent development, recruiting artists as guest professors, and initiatives to introduce children to the arts.

In 2005, the Council awarded grants for international projects to the amount of DKK 17.6 million.

Read about the Danish Arts Agency