Funding cuts on the rise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfy2ydsj3ge

I like to go where I already have money. This true truth is also in the cultural sector, and since 2008 many fundraising opportunities have disappeared. And as funds disappear from the field, many people lose the opportunity to participate as audiences and as cultural practitioners.

Is culture easy to live in?

Cultural work is, in fact, labor, and it must be treated like that for it to flourish. If this is not the case,RTS, publishing, and even academia are increasingly reserved for those who don’t make a living from their work. Now, when ethnic, sexual, social minorities and women begin to acquire key roles in traditional white cis-dominated fields, money essentially disappears from the region, leaving an intelligent, diverse and competent dedicated cohort to wipe away tears with project paper and PHD certification.

Making meaning has long been a relaxed entertainment for lessons. And as the funds have disappeared from the scene, we are heading this direction again.

The tragedy of Slovak cultural labor

For example, Martinasimkovichova, the head of culture in Slovakia, “The culture is Slovak and there should be no other.”. For her, this means exclusion of LGBTQIA+ organizations, a full attack on independent art and the media, entrusting directors of iconic arts institutions for their political views… the classic case of culture wars you know.

The attack is not unprecedented even in direct regions of Slovakia. For more than a decade, Hungary and Serbia have wiped out funds for independent culture and weaponized funds for arts and media objections. Poland has a right-wing government that has tried something in a similar vein until 2023, and Europe has strong competitors dreaming of such a chance of acquiring. Romania narrowly avoided the selection of far-right football hooligans just a few weeks ago, and coming second would hardly stop George Simion’s AUR party from dominating domestic affairs.

Conservatives and far-right seem to recognize that culture is where a worldview is formed and that they do the worst to limit what actually reaches people.

Culture fights back

But independent cultures fight back.

In Slovakia, for example, national initiatives have begun organizing cultural communities under the umbrella of cultures. Last year, 400 institutions and around 2,000 artists gathered around the country to attract 10,000 people for public protests in Bratislava.

The fight against political pressure on culture is extremely important. In particular, long-standing ways to avoid such funding cuts have become even more difficult as previous influential funding partners such as USAID are no longer trustworthy partners who have reduced more than 80% of their projects. As you know, the chain of bureaucracy.

Let’s talk about Usaid

USAID Founded in the 1960s to administer humanitarian aid programs on behalf of the US government, it is based in over 60 countries. Since the 1960s, it has been a lifeline across many disciplines, ranging from healthcare to publishing, advocacy and human rights organizations. It not only provided millions of people with important services, but also provided a lot of soft power to the United States. This seems to be unconcerned or caring for the Trump administration. The effects of these rashes are so great that, according to the WHO, Afghanistan is escalating in a humanitarian crisis that escalates with the “WHO.”The outbreak of diseases such as measles, malaria, and polio.” As the Guardian reported.

Olena Repta, head of the Khalkiv Crisis Information Centre in Ukraine, saidStopping USAID funds causes information, especially for local or hyperlocal media.t, ‘

The Information Centre was established after Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, and is an editorial office that produces news and multimedia in areas that are otherwise very difficult to reach. Olena Leptuha points out that withdrawal is an attack on freedom of speech, warning that “war-weary people will receive less information and make them easier to manipulate.”

Many of my colleagues working in the cultural sector around the world have already lost their livelihoods or risk losing their livelihoods, and are unable to provide essential services and cultural access to the millions of people who have served previously. The cuts in USAID funding have made it extremely vulnerable to reveal how news outlets, humanitarian assistance and cultural programs rely on foreign aid.

So how can we strengthen cultural institutions? And why is it so difficult to get state support?

We invited four guests to talk about the subject.

guest

György Szabó Trained as an economist. His work focused on innovation in the performing arts. One of his main objectives was to promote recognition of the contemporary performing arts among a wider section of society. He was the founder of the Workshop Foundation and Trafohouse.

Maximilian Leaner is The managing director of Eurozine is a curator, critic and art historian who explores non-normative temporality through collaborative forms.

He is Funduk, Bad Curating Inc. , and is part of Anomalies. His work spans Europe and has past roles including education and publication at Ku Linz Artforum, Cadgetand more.

Maria Popovich alias Zmaja He is the Program Director for the Magnet Association and manages several creative Europe projects through the Student Culture Centre Novi Sad and Foundation Exit. Since 2000, she has worked as a project manager, trainer, evaluator and consultant for various EU programmes, and has also trained and evaluated multiple national institutions and the European Commission.

Tarun Cade This is Wiener Festwochen’s drama Torge, previously active at Thalia Theater, Theater Bremen and Münchner Kammerspiele. He co-founded modesofoperation.com and worked closely with directors such as Okadaya and Leonie Boehm.

This episode is hosted by the library of the Academy of Art in Vienna.