Bőhm, of junior governing coalition partner SZDSZ, said he did not believe such a large reduction in support for theatres to be feasible. In order to guarantee the operation of the capital's theatres, no more than HUF 300-400 million should be cut from city council subsidies, he added.
Coordination talks are underway on Budapest's 2007 budget concept, and meetings with theatre directors will be held in the next few days to find ways to reduce costs, Bőhm said.
Last year, the city council granted a total of HUF 1.7 billion to the 14 Budapest theatres it operates, among them the Comedy Theatre, the Katona József Theatre, the Madách Theatre and the New Theatre.
Minister of Education and Culture István Hiller told a meeting with theatre directors on November 30, 2006 that the state would guarantee unchanged support for theatres in 2007, director of the Budapest Operetta Theatre Gábor Miklós Kerényi said. In the past, changes to local council funding for theatres has occurred only when state funding rises or falls, which is why it is strange that the Budapest City Council is cutting theatre funding, he added.
Last year, Budapest theatres received HUF 3.7 billion in state support, Kerényi said.
Budapest's rich offering of theatre performances generates significant tourism revenue, and such a large reduction in support could cause irreparable damage to the capital's theatre scene, Kerényi said.
Programmes have already been finalised for the 2007 season, and ticket prices cannot be increased. Revenue from ticket sales is not all that significant anyway, Kerényi said. Staff cuts would not solve the problem either, as these would involve severance pay.
Kerényi said theatres always allow for a 4-5 percent deviation from their budget targets, therefore a cut in support of this size would be acceptable.
He also called for the city to create a post of deputy-mayor responsible for culture, adding that the theatre's lack of representation puts it at a big disadvantage.
