On the state level, cultural creativity is supported - both directly and indirectly: support from the budget through annual public calls in all fields of culture (theatre, film, publishing, music etc.) that encompass all the basic cultural activities (creativity, reproduction, transmission etc.) as well as supplementary cultural activities (support for cultural management education, information technology support etc.);direct support for cultural institutions;grants that directly support artistic creativity (e.g. writing, visual arts);payment of retirement and health contributions for independent artists; andad hoc support from the Ministry's reserve of budgetary funds for projects that have already ensured some of the above-mentioned types of... read more →
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If you are not happy with the results below please do another searchAs mentioned in chapter 1 and 1.2, until 2003 the cultural system was completely centralized. According to the government’s Decision on the Network of National Institutions in the Field of Culture (2003), a division of jurisdiction was made and 63 of 115 cultural institutions gained the status of local institutions. It meant that local authorities were responsible to provide financing of basic costs (salaries, running costs etc.) of these institutions. However, it was never put into practice since the Ministry of culture continued to finance these local institutions through a mechanism called monthly block-donations. This was usually justified due to... read more →
General labour laws apply in the same manner to the culture field as in any other sector that is funded from the government's budget. There is also (more or less) a unified system of salaries for those working in the public sector. The Retirement Law that came into effect in September 2007 made huge changes in the general retirement policy that seriously affected the cultural sector. Changes were made to the benefit of some groups in the cultural sector. It especially concerns ballet dancers in the Macedonian National Ballet, who now are required to work more years than before. The... read more →
In general, The Ministry of Culture distributes public funds for culture on the basis of an annual plan. The allocation of the overall state budget to different sectors is prescribed by law (annual Law on the National Budget). The Law on Local Self Government (2002) re-allocated some responsibilities to the municipalities, such as: accomplishing and development of local interest in culture; institutional and financial support of cultural institutions and projects, preserving folklore, customs, old crafts and similar cultural values; organising cultural events; encouragement of various specific forms of art. According to the Decision on the Network of National Institutions in... read more →
One of the constant burning cultural issues since 2009 is the controversial (and in many parts illegal) government project "Skopje 2014". It was enforced by the previous regime (2006-2017) without consulting the Parliament or the expert community. The so called project completely reshaped the (modernistic) city centre of Skopje with antique-looking monuments (including a giant 30 metre high monument to Alexander the Great, his father Phillip II and mother Olympia, other local / national political figures etc.), public buildings were re-shaped in pseudo-baroque and neo-classic style, a triumphal arch was built etc. Moreover, the so called "Wiretapping" scandal (2016/2017), involving... read more →
There is no overall legal framework to specifically promote and develop the cultural and creative industries. The legal provisions that affect cultural industries refer to specific cultural sectors (book production, music, audiovisual products, etc.) and to economic sectors, e.g., micro and small-medium sized enterprises, activities. One of the burning public dilemmas in the field of culture during the period 2002-2010 was whether there was a cultural market in the country, and whether culture could exist under market conditions. One of the arguments on the deficit of a private market for culture is the small size of the territory and the... read more →
There are approximately 11 200 buildings registered as part of the immovable cultural heritage (4 260 archaeological sites; 1 726 churches and monasteries with over 150 000 square metres of mural fresco paintings; etc.) and 500 000 museum pieces. Institutional responsibility for cultural heritage (by types) rests with the institutes for the protection of cultural monuments (immovable cultural heritage) and museums, libraries and the national cinématheque (moveable cultural heritage). The process of revalorisation of the cultural heritage is in process for several years. The first institution for protection of cultural heritage was founded in 1949 in Skopje as a central institute for protection of cultural... read more →
Officially recognised ethnic (cultural) minorities are those mentioned in the Preamble of the Constitution: Albanians, Turks, Roma, Serbs, Bosnians and Vlachs. According to the latest census of 2002, the total population was 2 022 547, of which 64.18% are Macedonians (1 297 981). The rest of the population is made up of: Table 2: Share of ethnic minority groups, 2002 Ethnic minority groupsTotal number% share of total populationAlbanians509 08325.17Turks77 9593.85Romans53 8792.66Serbs35 9391.78Bosnians17 0180.84Vlachs9 6950.48Others20 9931.04 Source: State Statistical Office, Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Macedonia, 2002 In 2006, there was an official demand made by Croatia to recognise the Croatian ethnic minority as a Constitutional minority,... read more →
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for implementing and monitoring all the international (bilateral or multilateral) agreements and conventions. The Ministry of Culture (with UNESCO National Commission) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, depending on the field of interest, are responsible for implementing and monitoring the conventions in the field of culture, such as the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The Convention was ratified on May 22, 2007. In the past several years UNESCO has supported 15 projects in the fields of culture, education, science etc., and 8 grants for young... read more →
Up until the beginning of the 1990s (in the so called “socialistic period”), citizens were both directly and indirectly involved in decision-making on issues considered of local importance including the field of culture. After gaining independence in 1990, the autonomy of municipalities in the field of culture was abolished and the entire competence was transferred to the Ministry of Culture. On July 1, 1991, the Ministry of Culture became responsible for all public cultural institutions, which had been formerly the responsibility of the municipalities. This signified the transition from a completely decentralised system, based on the principles of socialism and... read more →