THEATRICAL WORKERS DISCUSS PROBLEMS OF SPHERE FOR TWO DAYS
TSAKHKADZOR, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAQN. The conference held in Tsakhkadzor
on May 5-6 was dedicated to activities and problems of theatres. Heads
and representatives of almost all state and non-state theatres of
Armenia took part in the event.
The conference organized for the fourth time on the initiative of
Seyran Avagian, co-ordinator of the Council of Culture under the
Armenian president, advisor to the president (prior to that, similar
conferences were held with the participation of representatives of
art, cinema and literature) aims to raise the current problems of the
sphere of culture, make proposals, discuss urgent issues and develop a
strategy for their soluition and for further progress.
The RA Minister of Culture and Youth Issues Hasmik Poghosian said that
the state should assume responsibility for maintenance of the
buildings of three theatres – after Sundukian, Paronian and
Stanislavski so that private theatres can stage and show plays in
these buildings.
In order to retain theatrical "polychromy", young stage managers
raised the problem of having a "free stage", proposing either to
construct a new building or to use one of the existing buildings for
this purpose. Those present also discussed the new form of theatrical
management, according to which the positions of artistic director and
stage manager should be separated. The conference participants
proposed lowering the amount of the value added tax (VAT) charged from
the price of a theatre ticket. The problem of restoring the tradition
of TV theatre was addressed as well.
Concluding the conference, Seyran Avagian noted that he will pass all
information about this discussion to the president of the RA. In his
words, in civilized and developed countries, all problems are solved
in the following way: all problems raised by specialists of the given
sphere and their proposals are discussed, after which general
solutions are worked out.
Towards the end of the event, some actors made a statement, appealing
to Seyran Avagian to convey their wish to the Armenian president –
regardless of results of the upcoming parliamentary elections, they
want to have a non-paryisan minister of culture.
To recap, the current minister of culture and youth issues Hasmik
Poghosian was proposed as a candidate from the United Labor Party but
recently she announced that she has no relation to this party.