Measures and activities based on Culture 2020 and Action Programme of the Government of Estonia
The national cultural policy Culture 2020 is based on constitutional aim of ensuring the preservation of the Estonian nation, language and culture. This objective is viewed as the harmony between the preservation and continuation of culture on the one hand and the innovativeness and openness of culture on the other hand. Culture 2020 is the basis for the state's decisions in the field of culture up to 2020. In this document, Estonian culture is defined as both the creation of Estonians as well as creation of all other nationalities living in Estonia. All members of society take part in the process of culture either as creators or as persons interacting with the results of the creation. Estonian culture along with its unique regional cultural spaces is a part of world culture. Culture 2020 is closely interlinked with several other national policy areas including educational, economic, social, environmental, employment, integration, regional, tourism and foreign policy.
The objective of the cultural policy is to form a society that values creativity by maintaining and improving the national identity of Estonia, researching, storing and transferring cultural memory and creating favourable conditions for the development of a vital, open and versatile cultural space and for participating in culture.
Implementation of Culture 2020 is based on Development Plan of the Ministry of Culture, annual work plans of the Ministry of Culture, and coalition agreement and Action Programme of the Government of Estonia.
Each measure based on Culture 2020 and described in Action Programme of the Government focuses on specific field and/or topic. The Action Programme of the Government of the Republic 2011-2015 set seven priority areas for 2015, covering 55 objectives in 18 different fields of policy. Among other priorities following guidelines were stated:
The cultural policy of the government coalition aims to ensure the preservation of the Estonian nation, language and culture through the ages. To this end, we will pursue a cultural policy that provides a free and creative environment for both creators and consumers of culture and thereby contributes to the preservation of the nation and the state. Maintaining the existing effective framework for culture, preservation of traditions and heritage, a new and broader view of the future, and working with young people will be the priorities of the cultural policy in the coming years. Globalisation puts pressure on all national cultures; the mission of Estonian culture is to balance mass international culture with outstanding Estonian culture.
In order to improve access to culture, the development of the film sector was fostered, availability of professional arts (cinema, theatre, visual arts etc.) in small towns and communities was enhanced, online availability of cultural magazines was improved, etc.
For treatment of creative industries as part of Estonia’s new economy, measures were taken to help bring together creative people and businesses, contribute to the creation of curricula combining economic and artistic disciplines, help support creative complexes and train culture managers. Also the development of an environment favourable for creative industries, incl. investments in creative complexes was supported.
The programme has been updated annually: once initial goals have been met, follow-up actions required to fulfil the coalition’s objectives have been added to the programme.
Financial resources are allocated in the yearly budget of Estonian Ministry of Culture.
As there is no unique evaluation system or process for evaluationg the impact of the implementation of Action Programme of the Government, the main conclusions are related to the scope of the activities implemented and whether the initial goals are achieved or not.