Slovak Culture Ministry Cuts Multi-Year Grants, Affecting Dozens of Festivals and Cultural Centers

Slovakia's Fund for the Support of Arts (FPU) has cancelled multi-year grants affecting nearly 40 festivals, magazines, and cultural centers across the country. The decision by ministry nominees on the fund's board will strip funding from ongoing projects and institutions with long-standing traditions, including major events like the White Night festival, Kremnica Comedy Festival, and the Dotyky a spojenia festival in Martin, as well as children's magazines Včielka and Šikovníček, and cultural venues such as the Stanica-Záriečie center in Žilina and the Tabačka cultural center in Košice. The Fund for the Support of Arts operates under Slovakia's Culture Ministry and distributes state funding to cultural projects and institutions. The cancellation of these multi-year grants represents a significant shift in cultural funding policy, as these arrangements typically provide financial stability for recurring events and long-term cultural programming. Cultural figures have condemned the decision as inappropriate and have suggested the matter should be subject to criminal complaints, reflecting broader tensions over cultural policy under the current government.