Culture ministry sets up working groups to examine Opera problems

As Aysor.am reported earlier, Culture Minister Hasmik Poghosian met with the Spendiarian Opera and Ballet Theatre’s staff who had joined protests against the compulsory accumulative pension system.

The correspondent of Aysor.am learned from the press service of Culture Ministry that at the meeting Ms. Poghosian spoke about the development stages and directions of the Opera Theatre’s activities in recent years as well as the salary increase tendencies up to 2014.

“During the meeting, the creative staff of the Spendiarian Opera and Ballet Theatre asked various questions whose solutions are mostly within the framework of the theatre’s internal regulations. The minister gave detailed explanations and heard proposals related to a rise in salaries and other issues that were the pivotal subject of the meeting.

Taking into account the development priorities of the theatre, the necessity of alternative financing of the theatre’s creative programs was discussed.

By an order of the culture minister, on February 13 seven working groups were set up to examine and analyze the theatre’s structure and personnel, remuneration, tariffing, management, repertoire policy, subsidies, and economic issues.

A package of proposals to deal with the current problems and a concept of the theatre’s development will be worked out based on the work to be done,” the culture ministry said.

‘Anush’ opera was canceled on February 10: the cast refused to appear on the stage. The following day the opera staff staged a protest against compulsory accumulative pension deductions from their salaries. They also demand a salary rise.