The Law on Professional Theatres was passed in 2013, which appears to be a hasty response to the Law on State Theatres of 2006.
TheLaw of Professional Theatres aims to:
- Providing legal safeguards for the creative freedom of theatrical activity;
- Preserving the identity of the national theatrical culture;
- Promoting the development of national theatrical art;
- Ensuring access to theatrical art.
The objectives of this Law are:
- To protect the legal safeguards of the activities of professional state, municipal, mixed and private theatres;
- To ensure the free creative activity of theatres;
- To promote the implementation of innovative projects;
- To pursue a consistent policy of state support for the theatrical arts;
- To ensure the professional development of theatre artists;
- To improve the material and technical basis of theatres and ensure social security guarantees for theatre artists;
- To contribute to the creation of audio, video and electronic versions of performances
- To ensure access for spectators to theatre performances;
- To develop international contacts.
The state is not permitted to interfere in or control the creative process in theatres.
The former Law on Public Theatres (2006)provided for the centralization of the management of theatre structures through concentration of responsibilities in a theatre director (supervisor / administrator). The theatre directors were solely accountable to the state authority for the general control of theatres, including administrative, economic, routine and financial control. The position of “art director” has lost its responsibilities as the legislation lacks the levers supporting and ensuring decision-making in the creative sphere. This provision has produced a discrepancy in the distribution of responsibilities between the director and art director and violated the rights of the latter.
In contrast, the Law on Professional Theatres (2013) excessively strengthens the powers of the art director, who will undertake both the creative duties and unreasonably extensive administrative, business, economic, and financial obligations that will result in irreversible management and staff problems in the future.
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