Financial support to the bodies and institutes carrying out activities relevant to the purposes of the Convention

In the field of contemporary culture alone, there are 32 arm’s-length organizations or private cultural bodies regularly subsidized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports. These organizations are from the whole spectrum of the arts and pursue activities that are directly related, inter alia, to the objectives of the Convention on cultural diversity. The arm’s-length organizations implement their programs, actions, and cultural policy through the decision-making process determined by the competent governing boards and (art) directors, in consultation, where needed, with the political leadership and relevant services of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. It is worth noting that due to the financial crisis, the funding of the work of artistic groups or individual artists has been drastically reduced over the last four years. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Culture and Sports regularly subsidizes the Municipal and Regional Theatres nationwide.