Lithuania

Last update: February, 2020

In 2018, Lithuania's GDP at current prices was 45 264 400 000 EUR, GDP per capita at current prices was 16 157 EUR. In 2017, public expenditure on culture* at all levels of government was 449 million EUR. The central government’s share of expenditure was 243.2 million EUR, and the share of local governments was 205.8 million EUR. Public expenditure on culture in percentage of the total public expenditure was 3.2 per cent, and in percentage of GDP was 1.1 per cent. Public expenditure on culture per capita was 158 EUR.

Figure 1. General government expenditure in Lithuania in 2017

Source: Lithuanian Department of Statistics

*Public expenditure on culture (ESA 2010) comprises data of the indicator CG080 “recreation, culture and religion” as it is presented in database of Lithuanian Department of Statistics and Eurostat according to the COFOG 1999.

Over the last five years, the total public expenditure on culture has been gradually increasing. Consequently, per capita cultural expenditure has also increased, both as a result of increasing appropriations for culture and population decline. The share in GDP of expenditure for culture has not changed substantially over the last five years and it is about 1 per cent of GDP.

Table 38: GDP and public expenditure on culture in 2013–2018

Source: Lithuanian Department of Statistics

Last update: February, 2020

Table 39. Public cultural expenditure by level of government, 2017

Source:  Lithuanian Department of Statistics

Last update: October, 2014

There is no detailed information on the direct government expenditure on culture by sector in Lithuania. The data can only be compiled approximately according to the Annual Budget Reports of the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, the Law on the Approval of Financial Indicators of the State Budget and Municipal Budgets for the corresponding year as well as annual reports of the Lithuanian Council for Culture, Film Centre, and the Press, Radio and Television Support Foundation.

Table 40: Direct state cultural expenditure by sector, 2018, in 1000 of EUR

Sources: data is compiled on the basis of the Annual Budget Reports of Ministry of Culture, 2018, Reports of Press, Radio and Television Support Foundation, annual report of the Ministry of Finance 2018 Appropriations Received by the State Budget Appropriations Managers, and statistics provided by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.

The Lithuanian Council for Culture provides data on the allocations of the Culture Support Fund by field in 2018. The Council implements two types of financing measures: funding of projects according to cultural programmes or arts fields, and funding of individual grants for artists. Data about funding are collected by the Division of Monitoring and Analysis of the Council and compiled according to the year of funding, arts fields, types of organisations, their geographical location etc.

Table 41: Allocation of funding by Lithuania Council for Culture by sector, 2018, in 1000 EUR

Source: Data for this table is provided by the Division of Monitoring and Analysis of the Lithuanian Council for Culture. With thanks to the team of the Division – Kristina Mažeikaitė, Martynas Tininis, and Martynas Darškus  – who provided additional explanation about financing measures and data.

Last update: February, 2020

In Lithuania, several institutions provide financial support for artists and culture through funding programmes: the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation, the Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute.

The Ministry of Culture allocates the biggest share of state financing for culture through direct institutional funding. It also implements a range of special programmes designated to support various fields of culture: the Programme of Libraries Development, Programme of Lithuanistics Traditions and Heritage, Funding Programme of Projects Implementing Initiatives to Preserve Historical Memory, Programme of Partial Compensation of the Cost of Dissemination (Venue Hire) of Professional Performing Arts Projects, Programme for the Partial Funding from the State Budget of Professional Performing Arts Institutions that Are not National, State or Municipal Theatre or Concert Institution (see chapter 3.3 for more about the last two programmes). The Ministry, in cooperation with the Lithuanian Film Centre and Lithuanian Culture Institute, also coordinates the participation of Lithuania in EU funding programmes Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens.

Other institutions – the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation, the Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute ­– implement financing programmes and allocate funding through calls for tender. Their budget consists of appropriations allocated by the Ministry of Culture.

The Lithuanian Culture Institute implements the Translation Grant programme. The Press, Radio and Television Support Foundation implements 6 funding programmes: 1) periodicals of culture and art; 2) national periodical press; 3) regional periodical press; 4) national radio and television broadcasting, 5) regional radio and television broadcasting; 6) Internet media. The Lithuanian Film Centre allocates subsidies for the development, production and distribution of Lithuanian films and international co-productions.

The Lithuanian Council for Culture implements the greatest number of funding programmes and allocates the biggest share of programme financing. The Council implements two types of financing measures: funding of projects by cultural programmes or arts fields, and funding of individual grants for artists. Financing of arts fields includes projects of architecture, design, visual arts, photography, interdisciplinary arts, theatre, music, dance, circus, and literature. Projects funded by the arts fields programme have to be targeted at the following activities: 1) professional creation and its dissemination in Lithuania and abroad; 2) events; 3) accumulation of information (archiving, documentation) and its dissemination; 4) publishing; 5) professional criticism and analysis; 6) networking and mobility; 7) co-production. Cultural programmes financed by the Council in 2019 were the following: Periodical Events of Amateur Arts, Cultural Education, Artists’ residences in Lithuania, Strategic Funding for Artistic Organisations, Memory Institutions, Civic Education, Cultural Heritage, Ethnic Culture, Strategic Funding of International Events, Cultural and Creative Industries, Protection of Copyright and Related Rights, and Creative Initiatives of Communities.

Table 42: Amount of programme funding allocated by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation, the Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute in 2018

Sources: data is compiled on the basis of the Annual Budget Reports of Ministry of Culture, 2018, Reports of Press, Radio and Television Support Foundation, statistics of Lithuanian Film Centre and statistics provided by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.

Besides Lithuanian funding programmes, the artists can also apply for funding to international programmes, e.g. Nordic-Baltic mobility programme for culture: support to artists’ residencies. The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture aims to strengthen artistic and cultural cooperation in the Nordic region and Baltic States. The programme focuses on increasing the exchange of knowledge, contacts, presence and interest in Nordic and Baltic art and culture. The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme comprises three forms of funding: mobility, network and funding for artist residencies.

Last update: February, 2020

There are not many special funds in Lithuania dedicated to supporting artists of various fields. The oldest one is the Lithuanian Musicians Support Fund, established in 1992. The Fund is a public charity organisation and publishing house, which supports the development of Lithuanian musicians' creative activities, commemoration of musicians, promotion of music, patronizes talented musicians and music veterans. The Fund implements 12 programmes, such as various concourses, festivals and education programmes.

The Lithuanian Writers Union Foundation aims to give beneficence to the members of LWU and support programmes that correspond to aims of the Foundation or its subdivisions. In accordance to the Law on Charity and Sponsorship Funds of the Republic of Lithuania, the Literary Foundation supports publishing of fiction literature, especially the original type, management and publishing of the literary heritage of the members of LWU; literary events: conferences, literary evenings, commemoration of anniversaries, literary competitions, etc.; activities of the subdivisions of LWU, such as periodicals, publishing and bookshops; care of the memorials of the writers, other remembrance programmes; social and cultural programmes announced by Government.

The organisations of collective administration of copyright and related rights make payments for their members. National and international copyright is collectively administered by the Association LATGA established in 1991 and the Music Copyright Association NATA established in 2012. The collective administration of the performers and phonogram producers’ rights are performed by the Lithuanian Related Rights Association AGATA that was established in 1999. At the initiative of the performers and phonogram producers, the related rights association GRETA was established in 2013. The Association of Audiovisual Works Copyright AVAKA, established in 2008, administers the rights of the owners of audiovisual works. These organisations distribute royalties and make payments for represented right holders.

AVAKA has a Sociocultural Fund that is used to strengthen the audiovisual sector and encourage creativity through support of events, concourses, festivals, workshops, conferences and other activities, which enhance the professional competences of TV and film producers. The fund also can be used for special payments to AVAKA members in case of accidents, illness or death.

Last update: February, 2020

The main institution allocating grants for Lithuanian artists is the Lithuanian Council for Culture. The Council awards two kinds of grants: individual and educational grants. Individual grants are awarded to support individual artistic activities of culture or art creators, they amount to 600 EUR per month and may be awarded for a maximum of 2 years. Education grants are awarded for improving the professional skills of culture or art creators, in particular, for participating in traineeship programmes, courses, conferences, symposiums and other activities for building up professional skills. Education grants may also be used for covering the costs of creative residency or master classes. The grant amount to 3 600 EUR and may be awarded for a maximum of 6 months.

Table 43: Individual grants for artists by field of arts, distributed by the Lithuanian Council of Culture in 2014–2019

Source: Lithuanian Council for Culture

The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania gives annual awards and prizes for outstanding achievements in arts and culture. The most important award is the Lithuanian National Award for Culture and Arts. The award was established in 1989. It is granted for outstanding achievements in culture and arts and has been awarded annually in six categories since 2006 (between 1989 and 2006 there were nine categories). The prize is formally bestowed on February 16, when the decorations and diplomas are presented to the laureates at Presidential Palace, commemorating the anniversary of the 1918 Act of Independence of Lithuania.

The Lithuanian Government’s Awards for Culture and Arts were established in 2006 and aim to promote art creators, performers, musicians, film makers etc. for their merits to Lithuanian art. Up to 12 awards are granted by the Lithuanian Government annually to Lithuanian cultural and artistic creators and actors.

The most significant works of professional theatre creators and outstanding professional achievements in the fields of drama, opera, operetta and musical, ballet, dance, puppet and object theatre as well as children’s and youth theatre are awarded with prizes conferred by the Ministry of Culture – the Golden Stage Cross and the Borisas Dauguvietis Earring. The award ceremony is held on World Theatre Day – 27 March.

In order to encourage and appreciate the creators, translators and critics of literature, the Ministry of Culture has been annually awarding premiums for the best works: the Armchair of the Translator of the Year (in cooperation with the Lithuanian PEN Centre), St. Jerome’s Prize (in cooperation with the Lithuanian Association of Literary Translators), as well as the Yotvingian Prize and the Young Yotvingian Prize (in cooperation with the Association “Druskininkai Poetic Fall”).

The Ministry of Culture organises the Dalia Tamulevičiūtė Competition for Lithuanian Authors of Performing Works of Art – a winner is selected from the sketches/extracts of performing works of art submitted to the Ministry of Culture from professional performing arts theatres according to the established procedure, to whom funding is allocated for the production of a play or one-person play.

Balys Buračas photography award is annually granted to Lithuanian photographers for the most significant work or series of works that analyse, document or interpret Lithuanian culture.

Bronius Savukynas award was established in 2010 by the Ministry of Culture. The award is granted annually to authors of publications and chief editors of cultural publications for the purity and correctness of the Lithuanian language, and the dissemination of humanistic values, analytical thought and intellectual culture in periodical cultural publications.

Young Artist Prize is awarded annually by the Ministry of Culture. Nominees for the prize may be either young artists (14 to 35 years old) or teams of young artists.

Martynas Mažvydas Premium for merits to the Lithuanian language, history of writing and book art is awarded for the best research achievements in Lithuanian literature, language history, culture, and book science.

Last update: February, 2020

There are in Lithuania 19 artists’ associations that have a special status of “artists’ organisation” granted them according to the Law on the Status of Artists and Artists Organisations (1996): Architects’ Association of Lithuania, Lithuanian Union of Journalists, Lithuanian Theatre Union, Professional Folk Artists’ Association, Lithuanian Writers’ Union, Lithuanian Musicians’ Union, The Lithuanian Association of Literary Translators, Lithuanian Composers’ Union, Lithuanian Filmmakers’ Union, Union of Lithuanian Art Photographers, Lithuanian Designers’ Society, Lithuanian Painters’ Association, Lithuanian Association of Landscape Architects, Contemporary Dance Association, Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association, Association of Performing Arts Critics, Lithuanian Association of Chores, Association of Vilnius Region Folk Artists,  Lithuanian Association of Artists. The latter organisation is an umbrella association of twelve artists unions. It was established in 1995. Its aim is to coordinate cooperation between artists and artists’ organisations in Lithuania, represent interests of Lithuanian professional artists and writers abroad and organize public debates between artists and politicians on the development of culture and arts. The association organises conferences on culture and art, submits proposals on draft laws and regulations, participates in programmes for artists, reviews professional art programmes, and defends copyright.

Artists unions and associations that have the status of “artists’ organisations” granted them according to the Law on the Status of Artists and Artists Organisations can apply for funding to the special programme “Implementation of Strategic Programmes of Artists Organisations”, created by the Lithuanian Council for Culture in order to support these kind  of organisations. Its budget for 2018–2021 is 721 000 EUR.