Funding for Programmes of Public Needs in Culture
As one of the key measures oriented towards maintaining and developing diversity of cultural expressions in the Republic of Croatia, the measure of annual Calls for Proposals for Programmes of Public Needs in Culture at national level has to be mentioned. This measure shows the continuum of orientation towards cultural diversity and sustainable cultural development that stems from the constitutional provision on freedom of cultural and artistic creativity and expression (1990) and the Act on Financing Public Needs in Culture (1990 and 1993, with further changes in 2009).
The key objectives of the measure are oriented to regulations of support at state level of cultural creativity through annual public competitions in all fields of culture (theatre, film, publishing, music etc.), taking into account all the basic cultural activities (creativity, reproduction, transmission etc.) and supplementary cultural activities (support to cultural management education, information technology support etc.) as well. The Calls are announced annually and the applications are independently reviewed by members of Cultural Councils according to the relevant cultural field as stipulated by the Act on Cultural Councils.
The Call is announced once a year (September) for the upcoming year, and it defines programmes of interest to the Republic of Croatia as those programmes that put Croatian culture into the European context, promote intercultural dialogue, civil society development, which are professionally based, economical, and of high quality, that are profiled in relation to the core activity of the organizers and that take place continuously.
The right to submit applications based on the Call have: independent artists, art organizations, cultural institutions, associations, legal and natural persons performing cultural activities, as well as legal and natural persons dealing with protection and preservation of cultural goods and archaeological heritage. The Call covers cultural activities related to: regular activities of professional associations in culture; activities of drama and dance art and performing arts; music and music-scene art; cultural amateurism (music and folklore); visual arts; innovative artistic and cultural practices; activities of libraries; publishing of books, periodicals and electronic publications; literary manifestations and performances at book fairs; literary programs in bookstores; archival activity; museum-gallery activities; protection and preservation of archaeological heritage; protection and preservation of immovable cultural property; protection and preservation of movable cultural goods; protection and preservation of intangible cultural goods; digitization in archival, library and museum activities; international cultural cooperation; construction, maintenance and repair of cultural institutions.
The measure is expected to cover all forms of fostering and promoting of culture, thus, all cultural activities and the diversity of artistic expressions. Therefore, the continuous implementation of the measure is expected to contribute to sustainable cultural development and improvement of overall cultural life in the Republic of Croatia.
The financial resources are allocated annually through the budget of the Ministry of Culture as the authority in charge of implementation of the measure. Approved funds of the Ministry of Culture for the Call for Proposals for Programmes of Public Needs in Culture from 2012 to 2017 were as follows: in 2012 the funding amounted to 280 546 890 KN (37 406 252 EUR); in the year 2013 it was 311 956 793 KN (41 594 235 EUR); it amounted to 297 331 916 KN (39 644 255 EUR) in 2014, while in 2015 it was 356 403 748 KN (47 520 499 EUR); in 2016 - 300 875 496 KN (40 116 732 EUR) and in 2017 it was 330 668 088 KN (44 089 078 EUR).