Bulgarian actors are organizing mass protests in autumn, the chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Actors Hristo Mutafchiev announced. The reason is the proposed update of the state budget, according to which the funds for the "Culture" sector will be decreased by BGN 1.4 million compared to last year.

If passed, it would make their demand for a starting salary of at least 1500 leva (764 euro) for performing arts professionals unaffordable for cultural institutions. By comparison, salaries in most state-run theatres are currently under BGN 1,000 (EUR 511).

Mutafchiev commented bitterly that over the last 30 years there has been absolutely no respect for culture in Bulgaria.

Young actors are the ones who are the most affected by this situation. Once they graduate, it is difficult for them to find a full-time position in theatres, and if they do get the coveted job - the lack of funds quickly drives them away from the profession.

"We (actors) are the last ones to go off on society and engage it with our problems, but things have now escalated to the point of an existential crisis and it is very hard to work in such conditions" - said actor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Penko Gospodinov, Dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts at the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) "Krastyo Sarafov" in Sofia, in an interview with Radio Bulgaria.

So what will the solution be?

Action and support - these are proving to be the key elements in overcoming the situation and the Academy will demonstrate this. On 17 June, for the first time, NATFA will host the Support for Careers in Arts and Culture Forum.

"The idea of the career forum is to bring employers in the cultural sector together with young people through our partners from the Employment Agency and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

The young actors will have the opportunity to start work, with the state paying them a minimum wage for six months, for which they must submit documents to the employment office. The theatre directors, in turn, will be able to top up the amount of their remuneration within the means of their institution, making it adequate to the current economic situation.

We are trying to help young people not to get disillusioned and give up," Penko Gospodinov says.

The funding opportunities provided by the national programmes "Melpomena" and "Icarus" for launching the careers of young people in the field of arts and culture and the project "New Opportunity for Youth Employment", funded by the Human Resources Development Operational Programme of the EU, will be presented in detail. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gospodinov, funding and prioritization of Bulgarian culture are key to its survival.

"The Covid crisis has had a disastrous effect on theatrical artists. Many of our colleagues, especially in the independent sector, were literally left without a livelihood due to the closure of venues and restrictions on audience attendance.

I think the state is guilty of neglecting culture. The people in power fail to grasp what culture means and do not yet realize its potential.And even compared to our neighbouring countries, in terms of GDP per capita, we still have the lowest percentage allocated to culture, which is a shame for a country that is centuries old and has such a rich history. People of culture continue to work despite the state," says Gospodinov, although he acknowledges that there are sectors that exemplify good state work and the Ministry of Science and Education is one of them.

The new school year 2022/2023 will see the launch of the national programme "Together in Arts and Sport" with funding of 90 million leva. It targets all schools in the country and aims to engage children from a very early age in art and sport. Penko Gospodinov himself has been personally involved with the programme and has volunteered to recruit troupe leaders for the schools participating in the programme. He believes this will help children develop an affinity for art and make them enjoy going to school. 

Photos: Facebook/natfiz.bg