Local theatres between national and local governance

TY - CONF

T1 - Local theatres between national and local governance

AU - Hansen, Louise Ejgod

AU - Særkjær, Christiane

N1 - Conference code: 6

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - The 27 local theatres in Denmark are professional producing theatres located outside the four largest cities in Denmark. They are subsidised by the Ministry of Culture and play an important role in the national strategy for the geographical distribution of theatres. The prerequisite for national subsidy is local funding from one or more municipalities that needs to fulfil the requirements described in the Danish Theatre Act to be included in the national scheme. Consequently, the local theatres in Denmark have a dual cultural policy framework: They have to live up to national purposes and criteria as well as fulfilling a role in the local cultural policy. The paper examines this double obligation towards national and local authorities as a framework for the local theatres. In the paper, we present an analysis of the relation between the theatres and respectively the state and the municipalities identifying three different roles for the state and for the municipalities. This analysis is based in a data set consisting of survey data from the local theatres (N=27) and municipalities subsidising local theatres (N=35) and interview data from 15 representatives from the theatres, municipalities and the national authorities gathered in 2022 (Louise Ejgod et al., 2022). For a historic comparison, the analysis of the local theatres by Hansen (Ejgod Hansen, 2009) is included. The analysis shows a tendency towards a standardisation of the local theatres driving by several processes of isomorphism (Powell and DiMaggio, 2009). Based on the concept of multilevel governance (Redaelli, 2020, Redaelli, 2016, Palonen, 2010), we investigate the consequences of this dual cultural policy framework.

AB - The 27 local theatres in Denmark are professional producing theatres located outside the four largest cities in Denmark. They are subsidised by the Ministry of Culture and play an important role in the national strategy for the geographical distribution of theatres. The prerequisite for national subsidy is local funding from one or more municipalities that needs to fulfil the requirements described in the Danish Theatre Act to be included in the national scheme. Consequently, the local theatres in Denmark have a dual cultural policy framework: They have to live up to national purposes and criteria as well as fulfilling a role in the local cultural policy. The paper examines this double obligation towards national and local authorities as a framework for the local theatres. In the paper, we present an analysis of the relation between the theatres and respectively the state and the municipalities identifying three different roles for the state and for the municipalities. This analysis is based in a data set consisting of survey data from the local theatres (N=27) and municipalities subsidising local theatres (N=35) and interview data from 15 representatives from the theatres, municipalities and the national authorities gathered in 2022 (Louise Ejgod et al., 2022). For a historic comparison, the analysis of the local theatres by Hansen (Ejgod Hansen, 2009) is included. The analysis shows a tendency towards a standardisation of the local theatres driving by several processes of isomorphism (Powell and DiMaggio, 2009). Based on the concept of multilevel governance (Redaelli, 2020, Redaelli, 2016, Palonen, 2010), we investigate the consequences of this dual cultural policy framework.

M3 - Paper

T2 - EASTAP - Dimensions of dramaturgy

Y2 - 14 June 2023 through 18 June 2023

ER -