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Cultural Studies
CULTURAL POLICY
Author:
City
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Baku
Country :
Azerbaijan
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Issues of culture in Azerbaijan are under the direct managing of the following bodies: the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Sport, Youth and Tourism, State Committee on TV and Radio Broadcasting and State Archive. Such dividing into different departments causes one cardinal problem: necessity of working coordinated cultural policy with well-developed system of horizontal links. Including the State Committee on Preservation, Restoration and Utilization of Monuments and commercial association “AZERKINOVIDEO”, which have been before functioning independently, into the structure of the Ministry of Culture. As a result of restructuring the Ministry on Information and Press, a part of its functions has been also departed to the Ministry of Culture. Undoubtedly, these steps had to be appreciated as positive ones, because these steps ease planning and realizing of the whole state cultural policy, creates the common ground for its functioning.
Thus, for today two main tendencies define the development of cultural policy: axipetal and centrifugal. On the one hand – the functions of managing cultural institutions are consistently passed to local bodies of executive authorities on the level of towns and villages, on the other hand – such important trends as monuments’ preservation, publishing and cinematography are united under the one administration – the Ministry of Culture.
Due to progressive spirit of European “conceptions of three D” , implying acceleration of the processes of decentralization, demonopolization and democratization in the sphere of cultural administration, at the same time, it’s necessary to note that today in Azerbaijan realization of these demands needs large prudence. The problem is, that if in big cities the democratic changes are obvious, so in rural regions and districts these changes do not happen enough intensively, and the budget resources are not always spent expediently. In these conditions it’s necessary to make search of transitional models of administration, which could combine strong administration on the common state level with flexible approach in each concrete situation, and budget planning with special and individual projects.
Formally, the process of decentralization has got a real place in daily practice of cultural activity. So, the proportion between the center and local authorities is accordingly defined in average as 20 per cents to 80 per cents. But, the real distribution of these 80 per cents, adequacy of its using, at last, control on its realization wishes to be much better. Unfortunately, namely these local objects of culture very often are in unsatisfactory condition. Spraying of the resources and insufficient qualification of local specialists play a role of no small importance.
The process of demonopolization of cultural activity develops in two directions: from “the top” and “below”. So, for example, according the presidential edict of October 4, 1987 the system of license was brought in, which gives the right for independent, not depending on the state, holding of concert and spectacle activities; privatization of non-profitable cultural objects is carried out.
On the other hand, the market of cultural industries is impetuously developing: publishing, press, audiovisual and phonogram production, industry of entertainment and new technologies. Practically, today it is a completely independent business (except cinematography), which is non-integrated into national cultural policy, non-financed and non-controlled by official authorities. At present the Ministry of Culture together with the Open Society Institute implements the project “Cultural industries in Azerbaijan: the modern situation and the perspectives of its development”, which is the first attempt to designate border of this market to study a problem of observance of copyrights and to carry out sociological researches in this area. Already at the early stage this project’s realization it became obvious, that many figures do not lay on a surface and are carefully preserved by private businessmen. However without the profound researches it is clear, that in the market of audio, video and computer production there are serious problems with the copyright and observance of tax laws. For the state policy it would be an inexcusable mistake to underestimate a role of cultural industries and a mass culture, which it makes. Providing the conditions for legal business, perfection of tax laws, advisory and technical assistance are those means which will help the state to find the common language with this “infante terrible” and to legitimate it.
Development of private sector in the sphere of offered services is achieving energy. These are opening of galleries, souvenir shops, design offices, etc. Most of all, such traditionally public sphere of culture, as heritage preservation, begins to get “competitors” as private museums.
Forming of civil society assists to the process of democratization of cultural life, opens wide opportunities for displaying individual initiatives and realizing individual projects. Opportunities of new legislation caused in huge quantity creating of non-governmental organization, working in the sphere of culture and the meeting-point with it. Number of the organizations, officially registered in the Ministry of Justice, is 80. The spectrum of directions which they cover is extraordinary wide. However it does not mean, that all of 80 organizations work actively and fruitfully. Some of them, created by “grant fever”, appear and disappear without beginning of real activity. At the same time, there are some organizations, which achieved stability and conducted the contacts with many international organizations during the recent years. Such organizations as the Soros Open Society Institute and ISAR are among them. Their activity directed to supporting and developing the third sector (Open Society Institution and ISAR). Unfortunately, on this phase limited opportunity of budget financing does not allow to support NGOs on the state level. But, as a priority concern, the Ministry of Culture defines broadening of such contacts and involving of these organizations into joint projects.
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