The Theatre Federation of Cyprus is demanding a comprehensive overhaul of the terms and philosophy of the theatre funding framework.
The federation, comprising six theatres (Satiriko, Ena, Ethal, Skala, Dionysos, and Anemona), held a press conference on Tuesday at Ena Theater’s foyer, where they once again voiced their concerns about the current state of affairs regarding the distribution of funding for the performing arts.
They sound the alarm that the existing revised Thymeli scheme poses a long-term sustainability threat to the entire spectrum of the performing arts.
Despite their serious reservations, the six theatres submitted their funding applications under the revised terms of the Thymeli scheme, as they had no other choice and had to suspend their activities otherwise.
Nevertheless, they expressed certainty that the upcoming announcement of the results would reveal that the new funding framework is not sustainable in the long run for well-established theatres with uninterrupted operation.
Achilleas Grammatikopoulos, the artistic director of Ethal, reiterated the federation’s conviction, which they had previously expressed in the Parliament about two weeks ago, that this plan is destructive and will lead to the collapse of the entire sector. The consequences will affect not only the connected theatres but also the artists themselves, he said.
The six theatres elaborated on the reasons for their insistence on receiving a fixed “locked” amount of €160,000 annually, without evaluation but with strict control over fund allocation. This would give them the flexibility to offer a minimum of 20-month contracts and even engage in multiperson productions or collaborations. Moreover, they estimate that, in reality, they are requesting an increase of approximately 18%, which is not prohibitive considering that the relevant budget has increased by about 30% this year.
In any case, the representatives of the independent theatre entities consider it imperative to further increase the funding allocation for theatrical subsidies, ensuring the satisfaction of as many stakeholders as possible within the evolving theatrical landscape. However, as they imply, the primary beneficiaries should be the audiences who will enjoy more demanding performances without compromises.
It is worth noting that a significant part of the conference was dedicated to explaining the reasons behind the formation of the federation. They assured that this body emerged in response to specific needs arising after the pandemic and has no intention to defend only the interests of particular organizations or create conditions for the emergence of “two-tier” theatres. Instead, their goal is to safeguard the entire theatrical ecosystem.
The Theatre Federation of Cyprus concluded by stating that they will intensify efforts for an evaluation and revision of the funding framework as soon as possible, aiming to prevent its members from facing difficult situations in the near future, with the looming risk of suspending their operations.
