With its announcement, the Deputy Ministry clarifies with data the amounts of funding distributed to theater organizations with the "Thymeli" project in the first semester
The Deputy Ministry of Culture, following the announcement it has made public with the results of the evaluation process for the sponsorships regarding the partial financing of theater productions in Semester A 2024, but also following the reaction of some organized groups, wishes to clarify the following:
The Deputy Ministry of Culture fully understands the need for more support for all sectors related to culture – and of course also the theater area – and works systematically in this direction.
The intention and commitment of the Deputy Ministry is, with the existing means and resources at its disposal, to support as many theatrical productions as possible from as many bodies as possible. The norm is respect and the offer of equal opportunities to all, without exception, the bodies that represent the culture of our country and undeniably contribute to it.
With regard to the Thymeli Plan of the first semester of 2024 , it is reported that around €654,000 will be allocated to the financing of professional theater productions, compared to €570,000 allocated in the corresponding period of 2023. That is, there is an increase of the order of 15 % .
The amount in question of €654,000 of the A semester of the Thymeli Plan was distributed, based on the criteria that have been set, to 18 organizations – out of the 19 that applied – of which:
(a) 11 applied for and received a grant for the first time or have received an increased grant compared to last year .
(b) 7 have received a reduced sponsorship compared to last year.
It is reported that a corresponding amount will be allocated through an evaluation process in the B semester of 2024, channeling within the year 2024 the total amount of €1,300,000 to the Cypriot theater for the financing of some performances. It is also pointed out that the THIMELI Scheme offers only partial support for the production of theatrical performances and not the full financing of the producers.
In order to further support theater operators, the "2024 Operating Expenses Coverage Plan" enables operators to receive additional credits of up to €20,000. This latest Plan favors and supports theaters that have a "roof" , providing increased credits to this Plan compared to previous years, channeling an additional fund of €200,000 to the Cypriot theater to support it.
Finally, the sponsorship project "Culture" , Subcategory Theatre, allows yet another important source of funding for theater operators.
It is recalled that the Thymeli Plan recently came under the Deputy Ministry of Culture, and its legacy was on the one hand the self-evident weaknesses of the original plan, which are gradually improving, and on the other hand the need to balance the many and conflicting needs and voices within the Cypriot theater space. It is a fact that several positive steps have been taken in the Thymeli Plan and the nullification of its significant improvements and the equality it creates with its evaluation process is unfair to it, just as it is unfair to the institutions that succeeded with their value and their high rating to take part from the sponsorship of the Thymeli Project.
The Deputy Ministry expresses its intention to work together with all agencies , in a good mood and respecting the needs of all parties involved, for the further upgrading of the Plan, always within the framework of its budgetary possibilities and the legal procedures. The common goal of all should be to create a healthy theater ecosystem that promotes pluralism, inclusion, excellence and sustainability. We consider the good intentions of all parties involved to be a given.
In continuation of the above, it is pointed out that in accordance with the previous commitment of the Deputy Ministry, but also with the aim of improving the Plan, a public consultation will be held within the coming February for an in-depth discussion of the issues and points that need improvement. Our goal is to announce the revised plan for the 2nd semester by the end of March, so that the agencies have enough time to prepare their proposals.