7. Financing and support
Albania
Last update: January, 2011
Information is currently not available.
Last update: January, 2011
Table 3: Public cultural expenditure: by level of government, in ALL, 2007
| Central / state level | Expenditure | % share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports | 2 651 000 000 | 100% |
| Staff (salaries, social security) | 725 000 000 | |
| Operating expenses (including project financing) | 539 000 000 | |
| Investments | 1 387 000 000 | |
| Investment from the state to the municipalities | - | 0% |
| Total | 2 651 000 000 | 100% |
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports, 2007.
There are three levels of government in Albania: central (the government), regional (district councils) and local (city and town councils, otherwise known as municipalities). Considering their legal authority and financial means, district councils (12 in total) are the weakest and the poorest of all three to the extent that most citizens are not aware of their existence. Given the lack of information from second and third level authorities, it is quite impossible to compile a figure on public cultural expenditure. Only a handful of city councils publish their budgets and, believe it or not, Tirana, the capital and biggest city, with at least one fifth of the population, is not one of them.
Last update: January, 2011
Table 4: State cultural expenditure: sector breakdown, in ALL, 2007
| Field / Domain / Sub-domain | Expenditure figures | % share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural Heritage: Monuments, Museums, Libraries | 439 210 000 | 16.6 |
| National Arts Institutions: National Opera, Art Gallery, National Theatre, etc | 1 634 250 000 | 61.6 |
| Ministry | 129 000 000 | 4.9 |
| Sports | 244 540 000 | 9.2 |
| Tourism | 69 000 000 | 2.6 |
| Special artistic projects | 135 000 000 | 5.1 |
| Total | 2 651 000 000 | 100.0 |
Source: Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, 2007.
Last update: January, 2011
There have never been any strategies for support to artists or creative workers. The first programme providing direct support to young artists was launched in 2004. The Young Directors' Festival is a financing scheme that supports the production of six plays by theatre directors under 35 years of age and a showcase, with the intention of awarding prizes for the best director, best performance and best male and female actor.
Another fund launched in 2008, the Young Artists Fund, provides incentives to national institutions hiring unemployed artists on a contractual basis and for specific projects lasting up to two years.
In October 2010 the government directly financed the programme "City of Arts", managed by the Academy of Arts, providing support for a total of 30 arts projects directed by professors and students of the Academy.
Last update: January, 2011
The President of the Republic grants pension supplements to certain artists who have been recommended by a body of experts from the Ministry of Culture. Otherwise, there are no special state support funds for artists in Albania.
Lack of information and experience has been a major obstacle for Albanian artists in their efforts to profit from international and / or European funding programmes, but lately there is a growing interest in this kind of funding. Film producers offer a good example to their colleagues from other genres. Unsatisfied with the Ministry's approach towards private initiatives in arts and culture, individuals and organisations working in other arts fields are increasingly trying to get sponsorships from EU programmes, like CARDS and Phare, or even USAID programmes.
There are no levies on book lending or sales, or audiovisual products or any other markets. Piracy remains a major issue in the Albanian cultural sector. In April 2006, the government approved a special Act on the Establishment of the "Albanian Office of Copyright", but the office has not been set up yet.
Film exhibitors must pay 5% of their box office revenues to the National Film Centre, which in turn, must invest them in film production; however, this means very little to the Albanian film industry.
Last update: January, 2011
In 2006 the government announced another initiative, the Excellence Fund, to grant scholarships to individual artists and scholars to study abroad, as well as travel and project grants to outstanding Albanian-born artists living abroad, to show their work in Albania.
In addition to project grants, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports issues five national prizes in the field of literature, amounting to 1 200 USD each (2005 figures), for poetry, prose, non-fiction, translation of works into Albanian and translation of works from Albanian into other languages. A selection committee of five members is made up of representatives from the Ministry, the National Library and professional associations. In addition, there is a special prize for children's literature including stories, poetry, works of non-fiction and illustrations. The selection is carried out through a similar committee, which also includes a psychologist and a painter.
Ten national prizes are awarded by KULT magazine, supported by the Ministry.
A prize for booksellers is planned for the future.
Except for the young theatre directors scheme (see chapter 7.2.1), there are no other programmes or grant schemes designed for start-ups or newcomers, scholarships for further training, travel bursaries or residency programmes.
Last update: January, 2011
There are very few artists' associations in Albania, all of which are struggling for survival. The biggest is the Writers' League, once the country's only artists' association, which survives only due to the rental of its facilities. Film artists have established three associations but they all function as lobby organisations for film producers; none of the existing associations provide any support for their members.
Unions do not operate in Albania.
Last update: January, 2011
There are no data for private funding of the arts and culture.