As culture in the Republic of Azerbaijan receives solid and comprehensive state support, public cultural institutions operate across all areas of cultural activity. Archaeological, architectural, garden-park, monumental, memorial, decorative, and applied art monuments and cultural, architectural, art, and ethnographic reserves form immovable cultural heritage. Museums of history, memory, ethnography, art, and archives and libraries protect movable cultural heritage. The centres of culture, houses of culture, and clubs represent the infrastructure of intangible cultural heritage, encompassing folklore, local lore, and crafts. Concert halls, theatres, art galleries, and exhibition halls are places where professional art is widespread. Music, dance, and art schools nurture professional skills and professional audiences. Finally, public film studios, cinemas, and publishing houses represent the public institutions of the cultural industry.
However, traditionally, there have been significant differences in approaches to managing and funding the heritage, arts, and cultural industries sectors. Generally speaking, it is striking that when examining these domains, the institutions and organisations related to cultural heritage (immovable, movable, and intangible) are predominantly managed by state bodies. In contrast, various forms of organisation in cultural industries tend to be more concentrated in the private and non-state spheres. Professional art, encompassing music, theatre, and the fine arts, occupies a middle position on this public-private spectrum. In terms of preserving traditions and training personnel, state institutions primarily dominate. Nevertheless, the performing arts and concert activities are more commercial and inclined towards monetisation. Furthermore, many arts and cultural activities, such as festivals, concerts, and fairs, whether international or local, attract considerable sponsorship from the private sector.
It is challenging to overestimate the importance and significance of cultural institutions as infrastructural units of almost all cultural domains and subdomains; improving cultural infrastructure has received considerable attention in the Republic of Azerbaijan. In this regard, two concepts developed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan for cultural infrastructure in recent years are worth noting: the concept of “Cultural and Creative Industries Development Centers” and the concept of “Multifunctional Art Centres.”
Implementing the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Centre (Creative Centre) concept commenced with the inauguration of the first Creative Centre in Baku on December 28, 2024. The main goal of the Creative Centre is to support young talents, improve their qualifications, and create conditions for realising their creative potential. It will also implement projects in the cultural and creative industries, supporting the formation and development of new entrepreneurial entities and start-ups. Additionally, it will help create and increase the export of local creative products and services, as well as attract talented young people from the regions. The Creative Centre is implementing several successful projects, including three incubation programs: Music, Gametech, and Cultech. Twenty new start-ups have already been established within the framework of these programs, and more than 50 residents currently utilise the Centre’s services. It is envisaged that the “Creative Centre” concept will be expanded to other regions of the country.
The idea of Multifunctional Art Centres arose from the need to restore the cultural institutions that were utterly destroyed during 30 years of occupation in the liberated territories of the Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan. These centres’ multifunctionality means combining a cultural centre, library, gallery, museum, creative industries, audiovisual and digital content. The areas for activities will include a multifunctional hall, open-air theatre, reading and choreography halls, meetings, academic study, rehearsal, training, association, makeup and interactive storytelling rooms, audiovisual studio, coworking centre, commercial and business offices, art workshop, sales point for paintings, sculptures and musical instrument, etc.
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