The paper aims to generate an understanding of the role of entrepreneurship within local cultural policy, specifically in relation to the context of the Frederikshavn municipality. This is achieved through (1) a discussion of cultural policy and its relation to entrepreneurship in Denmark and internationally, and (2) an overview of the current situation and recent developments in Frederikshavn.

The discussion of cultural policy is focused primarily on the development of cultural policy in Denmark within the previous 50 years and the perception of culture represented by different trends in policy within this period. A distinct change, which has occurred, is that the boundaries between the fields of culture, economy and leisure have become increasingly unclear. It is the background for this change that is sought in recent history of cultural policy. The overview of the situation in Frederikshavn is centred on certain developments within the last decade, in which the efforts to transform the city’s economic base from that of industry to that of experience, has resulted in changes in local cultural policy. In addition to this the Karizma project is introduced, as a recent initiative within cultural policy to facilitate the mobilization and development of local talent and creativity. As such Karizma represents an effort towards creating an entrepreneurial culture in the local community (within the fields of culture and leisure), and a continuation of past efforts to transform the role of the municipal departments from mere welfare provision to catalysis of local development.

The paper is part of the initial stages of a PhD project concerning cultural policy, experience economy and entrepreneurship in Frederikshavn. As such the paper assists in building the theoretical framework of the project, with regards to an appropriate conceptualisation of entrepreneurship, in relation to local cultural policy.