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Katona József director Gábor Máté outlined the aims of the conference ? to present different types of theatre support across Europe and to try to find a solution to financing problems and the general cutbacks in cultural funding ? in his opening address to the participants.
Iphigenia Taxopoulou, head of the Mitos21 theatre network, reported that state support for the theatre in Greece had been cut by one-third to 6 million euro as a result of the economic crisis. But she expressed hope that the crisis would force the Greek theatre sector to undertake needed reforms while maintaining its current values.
Vladimir Procházka, director of the Cinoherni klub in the Czech Republic, and Piotr Cieslak, chairman of the Union of Theatre Schools and Academies, also complained about a cut in state support for the theatre. But they said the stress now has to be placed on quality rather than quantity.
Managing director of the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus Manfred Weber called the theatre a place for social debate and said its democratic task would be made impossible by a lack of state support. He added that theatres should aim to keep their current audiences as well as draw in new layers of society.
Retired ministerial advisor on theatre affairs in Germany Wolfgang Hoffmann pointed to the importance of solidarity in the theatre community, noting that several theatres in Germany had been saved from closure because of the intervention of their peers.
Managing director of the Theatre National de La Colline Patricia Michel stressed the need for rationalisation in theatres in France, where audience numbers have fallen and sponsor money has ?been frozen? as a result of the crisis.
József Csóti, business director at the Comedy Theatre of Budapest, said some in government think there are too many theatres that receive fiscal support. He added that there were fewer profitable Hungarian companies, which bit into sponsorship.
Deputy-mayor of Budapest Miklós Csomós said support from corporate tax could be a lifeline for theatres in the capital, which has troubles of its own.
Chairman of Hungary?s National Culture Fund László L. Simon said Hungary?s theatres were in a much better position than their peers in Greece, the Czech Republic or France. He added that Hungarian state is spending 135 million euros on theatre structure in the country.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI) / Photo: Bence Kovács
