concept for more efficient support of the arts in 2007–2013 - Divadlo.cz

- Music
In the field of music, almost all symphony orchestras were “de-nationalised” as part of the
transformation in the early 1990s – in the first stage of reform of public administration – in accordance
with Act No. 172/1991 Coll. on the Transfer of Ownership Title of Certain Assets from
the Czech Republic to the Municipalities.
Publishing and production spheres in the field of music were privatised in the very first
wave of privatisation. This involved Bohemia Video Arts, Supraphon (sound recordings), Edition
Supraphon (music news, books on music) and Gramophone Enterprises Lodûnice (Gramofonové
závody Lodûnice). However, the new legal environment had a fundamental influence on
the emergence of new, but smaller, and essentially non-commercial music publishers, which
have no real impact on the music market. That market is primarily influenced by large Czech
and especially international or global companies, for example, Universal Music, EMI, Sony Music/Bonton,
Warner Music, BMG Ariola, Popron Music, Supraphon, Multisonic, etc.*
In 1994, in the second wave of privatisation, the Czechoslovak art agency Pragokoncert, a
governmental organisation, was privatised.
*Number of sound media issued in 2000–2004.
The transformation of radio and television broadcasting led also to the transformation or
dissolution of some music bodies that had been established by the state-run enterprises Czech
Radio and Czech Television, while at the same time some new professional music ensembles
emerged – the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno (âesk˘ filharmonick˘ sbor Brno o. p. s.), the
Prague Philharmonia (PraÏská komorní filharmonie o. p. s.), and a number of ad hoc ensembles
established for particular events (recordings, foreign tours, etc.), most of whose members are
usually employees of other existing symphonic and theatre orchestras.
As of 1 st January 1991 the Czech Philharmonic was delimitated and governmental organisations
were founded: the Prague Philharmonic Choir (PraÏsk˘ filharmonick˘ sbor), Prague
Spring International Music Festival (PraÏské jaro) and ARDO – Association of Chamber Ensembles,
and then ARDO – Association of Chamber Ensembles (1994) and the Prague Spring
International Music Festival (1999) were gradually “de-nationalised”.
As the new legal environment was established, activities were launched by various new civic
association-type private legal entities, physical entities with the requisite trade authorisation, commercial
entities, and later also benevolent corporations, and these new entities considerably expanded
the selection of genres and types of musical arts. As a result new music festivals emerged, along with
new showcases, performance series, artistic workshops and artistic and commercial competitions.
Year
Total number (in millions)
– Theatre and Dance
Items in millions
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
2000 6.59
2001 6.52
2002 4.69
2003 4.37
2004 3.98
Number of items (in millions.)
2000 2001 2002
YEAR
2003 2004
The area of theatre, over all aspects of which the MC and the regional national committees
had monopolistic control over until 1989, experienced the first phase of the transformation of the
theatre network after 1990 relatively successfully, a process which involved the transfer of
theatres and their buildings to the competence of the towns. In the ensuing decade only nine
governmentaly subsidized organisations with eleven companies were dissolved or transformed.
The state enterprise Theatre Technology (Divadelní technika s. p.) was privatised. On 1 st April
1992 the National Theatre was delimitated, and the State Opera Prague and Laterna Magika were
established as independent governmental organisations of the MC. Until 1989 the dramatic arts
had been regulated under Act No. 33/1978 Coll., on Theatre Activities (the Theatre Act). In 1990
the Act’s restrictive passages were cancelled in an amendment, and the Act itself was rendered
void effective 1 st January 1996 with the introduction of Act No. 237/1995 Coll. on the Collective
Management of Copyright of Authors and Copyright Holders and on Amendments to Certain Acts.
Since 1990 various new subjects have emerged in the sphere of the dramatic arts in the
form of civic associations, commercial enterprises, and groups run by physical persons, which
alongside their theatrical work devote themselves to numerous other activities: reviews, festivals,
publishing professional periodicals and works, drama workshops, seminars, lectures, etc. A number
of important festivals have been established: the International Festival Theatre in Pilsen, the
Theatre of European Regions in Hradec Králové, Tanec Praha dance festival, Four Days in Motion,
etc. Interesting developments have also occurred in the field of the performing arts (that is
known as “independent scene”), which encompass new theatrical forms, new music, and new
dance forms. In the field of dance and dance theatre numerous new entities have been established
that focus on creating original works and on international residencies, workshops and
other forms of cooperation. In the 1990s especially a major role was played in the promotion and
advancement of contemporary dance by the above-mentioned dance festival Tanec Praha.
– Literature
Source: IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) Czech Republic (the Czech
national branch of this international non-governmental organisation).
Literature was the first fully privatised sphere of culture. With the exception of a publishing
house specialising in works for the blind (K. E. Macan Library and Printing House for the
18
19