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Recommendations Cultural sector cutbacks 2013 – 2016
The following are the recommendations of the Council for Culture for a new infrastructure for cultural organisations, for which the budget of €125m is lower than that in place for the current basic infrastructure. The State Secretary has presented the Council with the exceptionally difficult task of cutting the current budget by more than a quarter. The Council’s recommendations are far-reaching in their scope. If implemented there will be a marked decrease in cultural activities. Ticket prices will increase sharply, resulting in smaller attendance figures for shows and expositions. The employment situation of several thousand workers and freelancers, in and connected to the cultural sector, will come under severe pressure. There will be a considerable reduction in opportunities for the development of talent and for experimentation and innovation.
The Council has done its utmost to minimise the impact of its recommendations in as far as that is possible. As part of its recommendations the Council has stipulated the precondition that the State Secretary phase in these changes gradually before their full implementation in 2015. This opens up the possibility for legal measures that may be less expensive, and offers organisations, individual artists and other independent players the chance to explore other markets and avenues. This gradual phasing-in period is also necessary for some sectors in order to enable them to introduce substantial systematic changes.
In addition, the Council recommends the continuation of the student culture card, albeit as a slimmed-down version if required. This is in line with the State Secretary’s own plans, in which cultural education remains of primary importance. The Council also emphasises that a return to a VAT level of 6% is necessary in order to help increase income levels in the subsidised sector.
(Click on the external link to read the full summary of the recommendations.)
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