Czech Culture Minister aims to reduce number of subsidised organisations

Culture Minister Vaclav Jehlicka has said he is considering merging or abolishing a number of subsidised organisations on the grounds that the government's draft state budget will provide the ministry with lower funds next year. The ministry now manages 32 subsidised organisations, and it may lower the number by up to one third, the Czech news agency CTK has reported. The institutions, which include 18 museums and galleries, would receive 3.3 billion crowns from the ministry - almost half of its budget last year. The minister stated that the first organisations that might be merged were the Theatre Institute and the National Information and Consultancy Centre for Culture. He also mentioned a long discussed possible merger between the National Theatre and the Prague State Opera.