On May 16, 2023 the Public Council at State Arts Council held regular meeting. Tetiana Ilchuk, co-founder of UML, lawyer, manager, media and cultural expert was delegated to the Public Council at State Arts Agency as a representative of Ukrainian Media League (UML).

State Arts Council representatives also were invited to the annual meeting: O. Rossoshanska, acting Head of State Arts Council, E. Krutogolov, director of the Art Department of State Arts Council, V. Kozina, acting head of the Art Education Department of State Arts Education, as well as representatives of the Culture Departments of regional public authorities A. Adamchuk, head of Culture, Nationalities, Religions and Tourism Department of Luhansk Regional State Administration, Pevna A., Deputy Head of Culture and Tourism Department of Donetsk Regional State Administration, Tsarkova V. Director of Humanitarian Policy Implementation Department of Kherson Regional State Administration, Pershina N., Head of Culture, Tourism, Nationalities and Religions Department of Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, Boychenko V., Deputy Head of Culture, Nationalities and Religions Department of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, Nagornyi O., Head of Cultural Development Department of Culture, Nationalities and Religions Department of Chernihiv Regional State Administration, Moroka V., Director of Culture and Information Policy Department of Zaporizhia Regional State Administration, Tryma D., Director of Cultural and Social Development Department of Mariupol City Council.

The key points within the framework of the Public Council meeting were information from heads of cultural departments from the de-occupied territories regarding issues art education areas, the consequences suffered by art education institutions and the organization of the educational process.

Adamchuk A, a representative of Luhansk regional state administration, reported on the state art education in the region, the damage and destruction of institutions, the art schools relocation to the territory controlled by Ukraine, the establishment of distance education and loss of professional staff (some teachers were moved abroad, others stayed in the occupied territory).

Separately, the representatives of State Arts Council emphasized that it is currently impossible to provide accurate number of students and employees who are currently attached to the Luhansk region and other occupied territories, as well as the number of damaged objects that need to be restored, since region that is now under occupation. However, after the release, it will be imperative to resume the activities of the Severodonetsk Professional College of Culture and Arts named after Sergei Prokofiev, which was one of the main institutions of advanced professional education in the region.

Pevna A., Deputy Head of Culture and Tourism Department of Donetsk Regional State Administration, told about the challenges faced by art education in their region and shared her fears about return to work teachers who have been working in the occupied territories since 2014. Pevna A. was supported by the representative of Mariupol City Council and told about the impossibility of education art institutions from Mariupol and a real assessment of cultural and art institutions damage, the loss of professional staff (about the transfer of teachers to the enemy’s side) and about the hope of restoring the cultural infrastructure after the deoccupation of the city and renewing the teaching staff.

Representatives of Mykolayiv Regional State Administration and Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration reported on the state of art education in their regions, the situation with institutions in de-occupied territories, the impossibility of functioning of art education institutions in territories that are constantly under fire, and the functioning of institutions in remote mode or work in bomb shelters.

Most state administrations representatives indicated a general trend – due to limited funding, art education institutions were forced to be transferred under the auspices of the education sector, as this sector is more systematically and efficiently financed during the war. For example, V. Moroko, director of the Culture and Information Policy Department of Zaporizhia Regional State Administration, told about the destroyed institutions of culture and art education in the region, about the lack of adequate funding for programs to support regional cultural centers, and emphasized the need to make changes to the “Procedure for the exercise of powers by the State and Treasury service in a special regime under martial law”, approved by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 590 of June 9, 2021 in terms of financing culture and art. The representative of the Chernihiv regional state administration O. Nagornyi supported V. Moroko and emphasized that currently all state allocations in the region are directed specifically to the reconstruction of institutions, but not to their support and development.

The public council members recommended alternative possibilities for the development and restoration of regional art education institutions, and not exclusively within the framework of budget revenues or targeted programs. So, B. Hovzun highlighted the option of developing own plans to restore institutions after de-occupation and try to involve international funds or donors. S. Syomkin indicated the possibility of suspending labor relations with specialists who work on the occupied territory on the side of the enemy and the possibility of their dismissal for collaborationism, however, acting Head of State Arts Council O. Rossoshanska pointed out the complexity of the procedures for identifying a person as a collaborator and the problems regarding the dismissal of employees precisely for collaborationism, since the current legislation does not have relevant legal norms.

Based on the results of the analysis and discussions the Public Council members at State Arts Council decided to turn to the state authorities in culture and art areas to develop and approve relevant state programs for the implementation of measures to restore destroyed and damaged art education institutions as a result of Russia’s armed aggression; point out the problem of the shortage of professional personnel in connection with the mass outflow of qualified specialists due to evacuation from the occupied territories and the high probability of their non-return after deoccupation, as well as the possibility of allocating targeted subsidies from the state budget to local budgets for the implementation of measures for the participation of pupils and students in prestigious all-Ukrainian and international festivals, competitions, etc., with the aim of supporting and creating favorable conditions for ensuring the creative, intellectual and spiritual development of the younger generation and raising the prestige of art education.

Within the framework of the meeting, Public council members during  meetings issued the admission to Committees for determining art awards, which are under State Arts Coucil, was also separately raised for consideration by the Public Council members at State Arts Council. According to the head of the Public Council, such participation will contribute to ensuring greater transparency and openness of the procedure, as well as realizing the public’s right of access to the activities of state authorities. Acting Acting head of the State Arts Council O. Rossoshanska indicated that procedure is not provided in art awards regulations, which are under State Arts Council, however, if desired, the Public Council members can prepared relevant proposals, for making changes to the awards provisions. Based on the results of the discussion, was decided to formulate proposals for the involvement of Public council members at State Arts Council to participate in the meetings of art awards on a public basis as observers.

Full text of State Art Council‘s Public Council Minutes of meeting dated May 16, 2023 available on State Arts Council official website.

The State Agency of Ukraine on Arts and Art Education (State Arts Agency) is the central authority that implements state policy in arts and specialized art education areas. The activities of State Arts Agency are directed and coordinated by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and Minister of Culture and Information Policy.

The Public Council at State Arts Agency is a consultative and advisory body established to promote realization the constitutional right to participate in the state affairs management; implementation of public control over Agency activities; facilitating the consideration of public opinion during the formation and implementation of state policy.

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