Culture funding in Poland to increase significantly in 2016

“Overall spending on culture from the state budget in 2016 will be higher by 9.5 percent compared to 2015, with spending on art education up by 5 percent, on university art education by 5.5 percent, and on culture and protection of cultural heritage by 13.5 percent,” Sellin announced.

In particular there will be a 50 percent increase on funding for cultural heritage sites around the country.

“We believe that there are many arrears here. We have around ten times more requests to the Ministry from around the country to support these sites than we have funds,” Sellin explained.

There will also be a 100 percent increase in funding for the ‘Patriotism for tomorrow’ program.

Preparations underway for 2018

The Deputy Culture Minister also laid out initial ideas for the “Independence 2018” program, which will see Poland celebrate a hundred years since regaining independence at the end of the First World War.

“[The program will include] the opening of new institutions as well as cultural events, street events and happenings, which will be related to the hundred year anniversary. We want the hundred years of independence to be celebrated throughout 2018, and not just in November,” the Deputy Minister commented.

Sellin mentioned the planned Polish History Museum as one of the key projects for 2018, with PLN 11.6 million (EUR 2.69 million) allocated to it this year.

A letter of intent to build the museum was signed in July by then Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, and the Deputy Minister has confirmed that the decision to locate the museum in the Warsaw Citadel will not be changed.

“We would like this museum, which we could say has been put on hold for many years previously, to be completed in an ambitious way… and for the opening of this museum to be one of the most important events of the 100-years of independence celebrations in 2018,’ Sellin added. (sl/nh)

Source: PAP