The Ministry of Culture has announced grants and adjusted the conditions

Prague - Theater artists, musicians, dancers, and visual artists can apply to the Ministry of Culture (MK) for grants for the next year. They have until the end of September to submit their applications. The conditions were published by the ministry on its website pages. Applicants should learn the results of the grant proceedings by the ministry's conditions by March 15. According to the principles approved by the government at the beginning of this year, the results, including the specific amount of the grant, should be known by the end of February at the latest.
    Officials from the Ministry of Culture believe they can adjust the principles. "The principles allow it," said Jana Vondráková, head of the arts department at MK, to ČTK. However, her words are not confirmed by Hana Frištenská, secretary of the Government Council for Non-Governmental Non-Profit Organizations. "They are acting against the cabinet's resolution," Frištenská told ČTK. The council will document the ministries' violations of the government's principles in a report, and then the government will decide what to do about it.
    Some representatives of cultural organizations are unhappy with the modification of grant conditions. According to Marta Smolíková, director of the Open Society, MK officials arbitrarily changed the principles agreed upon by the government with non-profit organizations. "The goal was to ensure timely publication of deadlines for submitting applications and to speed up the grant proceedings so that the money reaches the beneficiaries in time," wrote Smolíková.
    The Ministry of Culture has prepared an internal directive that, according to Smolíková, does not incorporate the essential elements of the government principles and acts more like a "deliberate act by officials." The directive reportedly allows the minister to decide on grants independently if there are particularly serious reasons for doing so. "The new minister should put an end to those who have gotten used to circumventing committees and exploiting the tendencies of officials and ministry management toward clientelism and protectivism," added Smolíková.
    Smolíková brought the issues of the directive to Minister Jiří Besser's attention during their meeting. He, through his secretary Stanislav Brunclík, communicated to ČTK that he is dealing with the case.