State cultural policy

The National Cultural Policy represents a new strategic framework for the role of culture and creativity in the Czech Republic. This is not just a strategy of the Ministry of Culture for a new era, but a fundamental change in the approach to culture, creativity and art. The overall objective is a broader concept of culture and creativity as a cross-sectoral area that is an integral part of society and the economy. The need for this transformation has been particularly emphasised by the current ongoing pandemic that has hit the cultural and creative sector extremely hard. In order to renew it, the role of the Ministry of Culture must be extended to be a good manager of the entire sector and not just of a selected part of it, as has been the case so far. A broad conception of culture and its cross-sectoral nature is an essential part of the renewal of the cultural and creative sector, as highlighted by the current European strategy. During the pandemic, the need to link culture and creativity to business, regional development and social areas arose more clearly, but also with the education system and health care. The Ministry of Culture must therefore be a good partner for the rest of the public administration and the private sector. State cultural policy therefore sets the general direction for culture, creativity and the arts for the next five years and serves as a basis for public and private sector cooperation in this area. The participatory nature of the preparation and the style of the whole document corresponds to the new approach to the elaboration of the State Cultural Policy. This method of processing does not change the core activity of the Ministry of Culture. Even with regard to its scope, the State Cultural Policy does not replace sectoral concepts and strategies. These are thoroughly described, in particular, in the core of the current activities of the Ministry of Culture, and the State Cultural Policy is complementary to them. The first three objectives of the State Cultural Policy focus on the more traditional areas of the Ministry of Culture. The other three develop new areas and increase the capacity of the Ministry to effectively manage the cultural and creative sector.