Centralised and local state budgets support cultural creativity and artists in Azerbaijan, mainly by providing relevant conditions for maintaining cultural institutions, salaries, honoraria, and retirement and health contributions. The Law on Targeted State Social Assistance (№ 1039-IIQ of October 21, 2005), the Law on Social Benefits (№ 55-IIIQ of February 7, 2006) and other such regulatory documents are some examples of building economic and social frameworks to support cultural and creative workers indirectly.
There are also other ways the state supports creativity by involving artists in implementing state development programmes and projects and supporting private projects and initiatives. For example, holding festivals and competitions in different spheres of culture for professionals (theatre, music, visual arts, etc.), sending delegations to international events, providing free primary, secondary and higher specialised education etc., may be taken into account.
Targeted support for the particular culture and art forms is an approved approach to cultural financing; examples are the orders of the President and decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers that provide direct support to particular artists or groups. Thus, for example, the Presidential Order on Measures to Improve the Activities of the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibayli (№ 701 of December 2, 1997) intended to increase the monthly salaries of employees from January 1, 1998, by four times.
The average monthly salaries of the ballet troupe of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre were increased from January 1, 2000, on average by five times, by the Order On Improving the Social Security of the Ballet Troupe of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (№ 281 of December 6, 1999).
The Order On improving the Social Security of the Azerbaijan State Choir Capella (№ 432 of June 2, 2000) increased the monthly salaries of the Azerbaijan State Choir Chapel employees by four times on average from July 1, 2000.
The Order On Increasing the Salaries of Employees of Some Music Groups Financed from the State Budget (№ 565 of 29 December 2004) provided increases from January 1, 2005, by on average twice the average monthly wages of orchestra employees of:
- The Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibayli,
- The Azerbaijan State Choir Capella,
- The Ballet Troupe of Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre,
- The Azerbaijan State Dance Ensemble,
- The Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra named after Gara Garayev,
- The Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, and
- The Azerbaijan State Musical Comedy Theatre.
The recent Order on strengthening the social protection of the artistic staff of the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibayli (№ 3340 of November 3, 2017) determined the supplement of 500 AZN to the monthly salaries of the employees of the artistic staff of the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibayli from November 1, 2017.
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