Culture in danger: Styrian funding on the abyss?

Culture in danger: Styrian funding on the abyss?

In Styria, the culture scene is bubbling: Apparently, many funding commitments are on the brink, because decisive course was ignored in the last election campaign. Lidija Krienzer-Radojevic from the Kultur Styria interest Group is concerned: "If there are any movements here, additional movements-keyword cuts-come, then this is a clear blow for the whole Styrian cultural landscape." The FPÖ's intention to abolish the ORF state levy, which has previously secured a large part of the cultural funding, seems particularly threatening. According to the DPÖ, this could release 30 million euros for alternative uses. Manfred Weissensteiner from the Theater on Ortweinplatz explains: "It has been so much built in recent years, recently recent decades that I cannot imagine that you are breaking it now."

uncertain future of cultural promotion

The new Council of Culture Karlheinz Kornhäusl (ÖVP) tries to smooth the waves by promising the compensation of the noisy state. How this should be done in concrete terms is still unclear. There is also criticism of artistic freedom, especially with regard to festivals such as the “Styrian autumn”, which traditionally appear critically against politics. Commentator Gabor Thury warns: "Orban was often cited as a model for Europe and from Hungary I can only report that a lot of funding for critical art has been stopped." These fears are reinforced by the statement by the artist Ninja Reichert, who indicates a possibly one -sided cultural policy.

The freedom value attaches importance to a cultural policy that deals with taxpayers' money and does not subordinate to the interests of a self -proclaimed elite. The mismatch of the funding is worrying: Even with a cultural budget of 72.9 million euros, the folk culture only had a small proportion of 3.99 percent. Instead, the free artists and projects that are hardly noticed in the general public often benefit. In doing so, the FPÖ and other critics demand that the care of folk culture and traditions should be given a greater status and should be secured in constitutional rank, as was emphasized in a report by FPOE-STMK.AT.

The current discussion about cultural promotion in Styria raises many questions and the uncertainty in the scene remains great. How the situation will develop remains to be seen, while the funding and its distribution in the government must be decided.