Libraries, theaters, community centers and other performing arts institutes have received instructions to cut their budgets for this year by up to 90% of last year's.
The cultural sector has been underfunded for years, salaries are low, and fewer and fewer people want to work in it. The trend is also continuing for a large part of Bulgarians to have no real access to culture. What is the reason?
Salaries in the “Culture“ sector this year remain closer to the minimum wage than to the average for the country, according to the industry.
Kiril Binev, chairman of the “Culture“ to the Cultural Heritage Foundation “Podkrepa“: “Museums, local history collections, singing societies, literary societies — all these things were created by enthusiasts and it seems that even now it is counted on that these enthusiastic people will have to work. When your income is 40 euros a day and you have to feed a family, these people are deprived of many things.“
Mihaela Vasileva – deputy director of RIM-Blagoevgrad: “Maybe an employee with 20 years of experience, like me, gets about 900 euros. I don't even know if it's gross or net, along with class, qualification and other things that are calculated for him.“
Kiril Binev, chairman of the National Foundation “Culture“ to the Cultural Heritage Committee “Podkrepa“: “A young museum worker, a young librarian, a young musician actually starts with the minimum wage, which is very undignified.“
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kalina Ivanova, Executive Director of the National Library “St. Cyril and Methodius“: “There is never enough money for culture. If we have to lay off staff, close jobs, it will be increasingly difficult to work in the library.“
In addition to the low pay, there is no money for maintenance. The roof of the National Library has been leaking for years. And while libraries are still among those units that receive state funding, being a freelance artist is rarely sustainable.
Nikolai Kolev, artist: “In Ruse, I am the only freelancer, generally speaking, among my colleagues, so it is difficult.“
Kolev is part of the group of Ruse artists with a 40-year career.
Nikolai Kolev, artist: “I don't know where everyone who graduates goes, because in Ruse, out of the group of about 80 people, there are about ten young artists and they all work in something else. With us, the youngest artists who come are between 40 and 50 years old.“
Mihaela Vasileva works at the Regional History Museum in Blagoevgrad. She claims that the main problems not only here, but also of museums in the country as a whole are related to the outdated material base.
Mihaela Vasileva – Deputy Director of RIM-Blagoevgrad: “This is especially true for the depositories. These are the premises in which the cultural wealth of Bulgaria is preserved.“
According to her, their condition in a large part of the country has stagnated somewhere in the 70s and 80s. The museum in Blagoevgrad is currently being renovated and is closed to visitors. This means that for a year now, a large part of its own revenues have been gone.
Kiril Binev, Chairman of the NF “Culture“ at the KT “Podkrepa“: “Every year the money increases, that's a fact — the budget of the Ministry of Culture. There is simply no transparency in their spending.“
Nikolay Kolev, artist: “No matter how big the budget is, if it doesn't reach the people who are involved in fine arts, it makes no sense.“
For another year, the “Idea Factory“ association calculate the annual index “Access to Culture“.
Yanita Taneva, founder of “Factory of Ideas“: “What we find is that in some of the activities over 80% of Bulgarians have not attended a single event.“
According to her, the trends that are emerging are the cultural gap between the city and the countryside, as well as in terms of income and education.
The index measures the benefit of the state money directed to culture, which is currently not positive.
Yanita Taneva, founder of “Factory of Ideas“: “If we see a breakthrough of Bulgarian culture somewhere outside of Bulgaria, this is due exclusively to the persistence of artists and the cultural sector.“
There is an increase, albeit small, in attendance at the cinema, libraries and concerts.
The Ministry of Culture responded that they are currently conducting an analysis of the state of the department and based on the results, proposals will be made to the budget.