he government supports and promotes music and theatre arts through the purchase of works of art and social-creative orders (started in 2001), which mainly pursues two aims: the first aim is to include works by modern artists in the repertoire of theatrical-concert organisations and the second aim is to improve the social conditions of the workers. However, these funds are not sufficient yet to implement the above mentioned goals and there is a need to expand the framework of the state purchase of works involving other fields of art, such as fine arts, choreography and photography.
Indices of the social-creative orders, 2006-2009 state support
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. | Price (AMD) | N. | Price (AMD) | N. | Price (AMD) | N. | Price (AMD) | ||
| Music works | 2 | 2 000 000 | 4 | 6 300 000 | 13 147 000 | 10 855 000 | |||
| Drama works | 16 | 39 200 000 | 18 | 3 720 000 | 81 910 000 | 73 529 500 | |||
| Total | 18 | 41 200 000 | 22 | 43 500 000 | 95 057 000 | 84 384 500 | |||
Source: Ministry of Culture of RA.
Indices on purchase of musical and dramatic works, 2006-2009
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. | Price (AMD) | N. | Price (AMD) | N. | Price (AMD) | N. | Price (AMD) | ||
| Purchase of dramatic works | 2 | 500 000 | 2 | 500 000 | 2 | 600 000 | 14 | 1 684 003 | |
| Purchase of musical works | 11 | 3 000 000 | 10 | 5 000 000 | 17 | 5 900 000 | 12 | 3 000 000 | |
| Total | 13 | 3 500 000 | 12 | 5 500 000 | 19 | 6 500 000 | 26 | 4 684 003 | |
Source: Ministry of Culture of RA.
Taking into account the significant number of artists involved in the creative unions (Union of Composers and Musicologists – 125 members, Theatrical Workers’ Union – 708 members, Artists’ Union – 1 092 members, Choreographers’ Union – 50 members, Cinematographers’ Union – 171 members), as well as those working in the 40 state theatrical-concert organisations, the present number of social-creative orders are not adequate yet to fulfil their mission.
At present, the following creative unions operate in the Republic of Armenia:
- Writers’ Union of Armenia;
- Artists’ Union of Armenia;
- Composers’ Union of Armenia;
- Architects’ Union of Armenia;
- Theatre Workers’ Union of Armenia;
- Cinematographers’ Union of Armenia;
- Designers’ Union of Armenia; and the
- Journalists’ Union of Armenia.
The total number of members in the unions is more than 4 750.
The Ministry of Culture does not subsidise these unions annually; instead, state support is carried out only by full or partial financing of applications.
The Ministry of Culture also funds the replenishment of museum and library collections. In 2010, libraries in Armenia received about 67 502 books, and museum collections received 34 797 objects.
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