The Swedish sports movement has gained a strong political presence in recent years, notably to do with migrants’ integration. Sport has been touted as a ‘universal’ language where individuals from diverse backgrounds can take part in something meaningful together that does not require particular linguistic skills. However, even sport can be a contested space where access is not equal for everyone.

Maintaining the language and identity associated with heritage languages in the Nordic countries can be challenging: Official policies and economic opportunities, together with the cultural pressure to assimilate, can create a language shift away from heritage languages towards more dominant ones.

’Christian cultural heritage’ is widely discussed in public debates in Denmark and Norway, and often in polarising political discussions on integration. Headteachers and managers at public broadcasting services understand what is meant by Christian cultural heritage in different ways and likewise incorporate it in school curricula and TV programming differently. Some see Christian cultural heritage as fixed and self-evident, whereas others see it as a lived practice that develops and changes over time.

Contemporary research and evaluations of existing policy initiatives in the field of Romani studies reveal that cultural racism against Roma remains widespread in the Nordics today. An emphasis on ‘cultural difference’ is so endemic that it can make officials and decision makers blind to alternative reasons for exclusion, such as class and structural antigypsyism. Despite some evidence to suggest modest success with the Swedish “bridge builder programme", research and evaluations are often highly critical, suggesting that it may in fact support exclusory practices. This echoes our research and hands-on experience with teaching Romani students and collaborating with Roman civil society in Sweden. Meanwhile, other crucial steps for building trust, such as a permanent Roma agency, go unrealised.

Swedish artist Vera Nilsson developed an expressionist style and subjects included the landscape of Öland and the Spanish Civil War.

While Ibsen cannot go unmentioned in a discussion on Norwegian theatre, developments in other areas have also been varied and interesting. Regional theatres were established throughout Norway in the 1970s and these as well as others, such as independent theatres, have been used as fora for airing important issues as well as for entertaining since then.