For almost half a year, we have been watching the Minister of Culture Martina Šimkovičová, with the assistance of the Secretary-General Lukáš Machala, cancelling subsidies, attacking LGBTIQ+ people, drafting a new Act on RTVS (public service broadcaster), proposing legislative changes to independent funds for the support of culture and art or dismissing management staff of cultural institutions. In a matter of minutes, she can dismiss experts with a stretching history of professional service who maintained the culture a lively sphere and filled it with meaningful content despite the small budgeting and modest rewards that the long-term underfunded field of culture has been dealing with.
The current government and the leadership of the Ministry are currently replacing these experts with unprofessional, incompetent, non-transparent „our people“ who will carry out their political censorship.
That is why we joined forces in a non-partisan civic initiative, Otvorená Kultúra! Platform (Open Culture! Platform). It is a grassroots initiative made up of people from all across Slovakia working in various positions in cultural and educational institutions. We build upon the open call for Martina Šimkovičová's resignation from the Minister of Culture post, published on 17 January 2024 and closed on 26 January 2024, which attracted over 180,000 signatures. Our goal is to say NO to censorship in culture, loud and clear.
We call for expertise, competence and transparency at the Ministry of Culture.
In the Otvorená Kultúra! Platform, we highlight and protest the dismissal of duly elected directors of cultural and educational institutions and the humiliating ad-hominem statements of the Minister of Culture or members of the Slovak National Party, which turn them into living targets for the followers of the local misinformation scene to ventilate hate onto. We draw attention to the practice of imposing censorship by individuals, which in turn secures them important positions within state administration. Also, we draw attention to the cancellation of subsidies, to activities of independent funds, public service television and radio, and also to attacks on LGBTIQ+ people and other members of minorities in Slovakia.
We already unite representatives of institutions funded by municipalities, local and central government, non-budgetary organisations, and independently acting cultural workers. We bring together protagonists from the audiovisual industry, cultural heritage protection, visual arts, dance, music, theatre, literature, architecture, design, traditional and folklore arts and other areas of culture, art and creative industries.
Our common goal is to bring the topic of culture to the centre of public debate, to promote and fulfil the vision and objectives of the Culture and Creative Industry Strategy of the Slovak Republic 2030, and to participate in creating legislation for the culture sector. However, we need your financial support for this.
Support people from different cultures, arts, and media now. It is essential.
Otvorená Kultúra! Platform is a volunteer-based initiative that needs your financial help. Thanks to your help, we can legally support colleagues whose labour rights were violated by their employers, albeit by cultural institutions or the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. You will also allow us to submit expert legislative comments on proposed harmful law changes.
You will support the planning and technical support of events, gatherings, performances, concerts or campaigns for the independence of culture, against politicians' efforts to impose robust and censorious control. You will also significantly contribute to increasing the awareness and outreach of our activities through communication on social networks or in the media.
Let Minister Šimkovičová and the Slovak National Party know that arrogance, incompetence and non-transparency shall not cast a long shadow over the entire cultural sector. Donate now and send a message to the Minister of Culture.
THANK YOU.
Representatives of the Otvorená Kultúra! Platform!: Dominika Moravčíková, Katarína Mišíková, Eva Pavlovičová, Veronika Němcová, Andrej Gregorčok, Daniel Vadas, Adam Balogh, Zuzana Révészová, Ivana Laučíková, Ivana Krištofíková, Erik Kliment, Aleš Vojtášek and others.
Photo sources: Denník N, Plus 1 Deň, Aktuality.sk, TASR
