New-Old Priorities in Culture
The Serbian Prime Minister-designate and current Prime Minister Ana Brnabic announced greater investments in culture and creative work, particularly highlighting the need to further develop youth art education, improve the infrastructure in culture and solve the problem of the independent and freelance artist’s status.
"You can't have a society based on innovation if you don't invest a lot more in culture ,as number one, and then in creative work (as number two)," said Ana Brnabic on October 28, presenting an exposé in the Serbian Parliament, in which she described the new government as pro-European and as its main goals she announced further fight against Covid-19, the preservation of interests of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, the fight against crime and the mafia, the preservation of Serbia's independence and independent decision-making, the rule of law and economic strengthening.
As the new governments’ top priority Brnabic brought up more investment in art education of young talents. In that context she emphasized the need to build, expand and improve the conditions for the work of art universities, highlighting the Faculties of Fine, Applied and Musical Arts in Belgrade.
"We cannot have the Faculty of Musical Arts in a space that was created as temporary, 80 years ago," she said, adding that the projects for those three faculties have already been initiated.
She announced an improvement of professional high schools and strengthening of high school art education, and she is also proud that, in addition to specialized IT departments, art departments were introduced for the first time - in four high schools for now.
Easier conditions for work in the field of art are among the priorities of the new government in the field of culture, as Ana Brnabic stated, with a "focus on individuals", independent and freelance artists.
"I believe that we will finally, after several decades, resolve the status of independent and free artists" said the minister.
She also announced the conversion of cultural and industrial heritage buildings "by opening new cultural centers and creative spaces".
In cooperation with the authorities of Novi Sad, she expressed the need to support the project "Novi Sad - European Capital of Culture", which was postponed until 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In order to decentralize and strengthen local institutions of culture, she emphasized the need to initiate “the national capital of creativity" projects.
The final completion of the building of the National Theater in Subotica was mentioned again among the priorities.
Ana Brnabic announced also "a number of new projects", primarily the construction of a new building for the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra.
"I am proud of the fact that we are the first government to take a loan of 20 million Euros from international financial institutions - in this case from the Council of Europe Development Bank, to invest exclusively in cultural infrastructure and to improve working conditions for our artists, generally." stated Ana Brnabic, who endorsed Maja Gojkovic, former President of the Assembly of Serbia and a high-ranking official of the Serbian Progressive Party, as the Minister of Culture and Information.
*Photo: screenshot/RTS
(SEEcult.org)
*Support: International Relief Fund of the German Federal Foreign Office, the Goethe-Institut, and other partners
