The main objective of cultural policy (before 2004) was the maintenance and support of a centralized system. The creation of a decentralized model and the redistribution of powers were supported only on a declarative level.
In the post-revolutionary period (since 2004), experiments with entrepreneurism and total privatization of the cultural industries began. However, against the background of modified legislation and the institutional model of centralization, the cultural policy pursued did not provide a systematic capital inflow, but was focused on the “blind” application of market logic to the cultural sphere. This strategy failed, both in terms of investor interest and in terms of development of institutions and infrastructure. In practical terms, the institutional reform had led to changes in legislation which resulted in a strengthening of the centralized system, and unification, instead of diversification.
The coalition “Georgian Dream”, which won the parliamentary elections in October 2012, formed a new cabinet of ministers. Respectively, the new leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection started to develop a new strategy of cultural policy.
In 2016 the strategic document Culture Strategy 2025 was adopted. The formulation of the Strategic Goals and the sub-goals therein is of an integrative nature, which is an obvious innovation in the practice of cultural policy in Georgia. 8 Strategic Goals are:
- Awareness Raising and Education
- Access to Culture and Cultural Diversity
- Culture and Other Key Areas
- Funding of Culture
- Cultural Infrastructure and New Technologies
- Creative Industries
- Internationalization of Culture
- Principles of the Governance of Culture
Specific tasks (Chapter III: Sector-specific Tasks) are based on traditional forms of art and culture, such as:
- Cultural Heritage
- Cultural Tourism
- Libraries and Archives
- Museums
- Traditional Crafts
- Architecture
- Audio-visual sector
- Design
- Literature and Publishing
- Music
- Performing arts
- Visual arts
- Media and Broadcasting
This section of the document was based only on those expert opinions that were collected by the Ministry in the process of developing the Strategy (no strategies and full-scale research on the forms of art were available). Accordingly, the need for scientific, statistical research for the development of sub-strategies for each form of culture was declared.
The development of sub-strategies began with the implementation of the 2017-2018 Action Plan for Implementation of the Culture Strategy.
Despite a promising start, no significant steps have been taken towards strategy development and implementation in 2018-2021.
No changes were made in the culture funding model and diversification of financial resources, or in the implementation of the principle of “good governance” and full integration of culture in other industries in the context of sustainable development.
The main goal of the government programme for 2021-2024 – “Towards Building a European State” (published in December 2020) is:
“To overcome the crisis created by the pandemic, thereby ensuring a rapid recovery and development of the economy to create a stable and secure environment for every citizen.”
The following was again declared in the field of culture: “State programmes and initiatives promoting the development of arts and culture will be continued and expanded in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the Culture Strategy through 2025. Legislation regulating the arts and culture will be improved, including legislation in the field of cultural heritage. A flexible arts and culture management model will be established, which will be approximated to European standards and an effective funding mechanism.”
2021-2024
However, after the pandemic, from 2021 onwards, we have observed a growing deviation from the principles declared in the Cultural Strategy 2025, which can be called a precursor to the anti-Western rhetoric and general policy of the ruling party especially manifested in 2024.
An important internal topic for discussion is the real policy of the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth, which formally adheres to the priorities stated in the Culture Strategy 2020-2025. However, the lack of transparency, the closed nature of the Ministry and the inadequacy of some decisions taken both in the reform of institutions and personnel policy, and, as a consequence, the de-professionalisation of the system, especially in the cultural heritage sphere, cause conflicting and mostly negative assessments from the professional community.
While implementing in practice a policy of recentralization, it actively reforms the sphere of cultural heritage in general and the National Museum of Georgia in particular ( in 2021-2022, the structure of the Georgian National Museum was fragmented and many professionals were fired), while not basing its decisions on expert methods and not taking into account best scientific practices. The mass dismissal of professionals from the system has caused controversy among the public and several lawsuits have been won against the Ministry related to the professional discrediting of dismissed scientists.
In 2021, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth of Georgia was recognized by the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information as the most closed. https://idfi.ge/ (2022) This trend intensified in the following years as well.
Debates about recentralization and selective paternalization, the unrealized diversification of funding for culture, and the failed Culture Fund are ongoing in the media and among NGOs. However, there is no effective influence on the shut-in Ministry. There are precedents of lawsuits against the Ministry that were successful for the plaintiffs.
Since all these changes are taking place within the framework of the rule of one political force, the Georgian Dream party, it can be said that the political vector of the ruling party has shifted significantly in an anti-democratic, pro-Russian direction. This is confirmed by both legislative changes (for example, the “Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence“) and support for projects and ideas clearly directed against European values.
Accordingly, the repressions conducted by the Ministry of Culture have affected institutional independence, weakened public systems, and created individual censorship.
In this context, the situation was aggravated for the top officials too – the humanitarians and art-managers have been replaced by law enforcers (Thea Tsulukiani, the lawyer and former Justice Minister, who is also Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, former Minister of Interior, held the position of Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth in 2021-2024).
The Ministry’s consistent repressive policy has affected all spheres of culture and art, with the film industry, writers and cultural heritage institutions particularly under pressure.
Before the parliamentary elections of 2024, representatives of the cultural sphere founded the public initiative “Culture for Democracy”, within the framework of which the “Declaration of Culture of Georgia” (19.08.2024) was created: “The crisis was precipitated by an authoritarian governance model, where decision-makers were selected based on party affiliation, with professionalism not considered a leading criterion. Consequently, we have witnessed restrictions on freedom of speech and expression, the principles of justice, accessibility, professionalism, research, and academic freedom. Additionally, the diversity of Georgian culture and pro-European cultural values, recognized by the Constitution of Georgia and international conventions signed by Georgia, have been neglected”.
The President of Georgia and the opposition parties that overcame the barrier do not recognize the results of the parliamentary elections on October 26, 2024 (27.10.2024) and demand an international investigation into election fraud.
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