Demand for the Immediate Fulfillment of the Founding Obligations Towards the Public Institute for the Development of Contemporary Dance (ZRSPU)

The undersigned express their deep concern regarding the conduct of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture towards the Public Institute for the Development of Contemporary Dance (ZRSPU).

For more than three decades, the establishment of a national public institution dedicated to contemporary dance has been the subject of professional debate, research, policy analysis, and sustained cultural advocacy in Slovenia. Following the establishment of the Centre for Contemporary Dance Arts in 2011 and its politically motivated abolition one year later, the creation of ZRSPU was the outcome of a long-term professional and political process aimed at finally providing a stable institutional framework for the field.

That process has now been completed. The public institute has been legally established. The Republic of Slovenia and the Municipalities of Celje and Nova Gorica have signed the co-founding agreement. The institute has been entered into the Slovenian Business Register, thereby acquiring full legal, financial, and operational capacity. An Acting Director has been appointed, a bank account has been opened, and the Institute Council has been constituted. The Council has adopted its Rules of Procedure and the Rules on Internal Organisation and Job Classification, the latter of which have also been approved by both municipal co-founders.

The co-founding agreement clearly defines the obligations of the Republic of Slovenia, including the provision of this year's funding in the amount of €560,000. Despite this, the Ministry of Culture has still failed to transfer these funds, preventing the institute from commencing its work. Such conduct constitutes a failure to fulfil the legally binding obligations of the founding authority. Furthermore, ZRSPU is still awaiting registration in the official Register of Public Cultural Institutions, a legal obligation of the majority founder. To date, the Ministry of Culture has failed to complete this registration.

As the Ministry has not provided the agreed founding funds, the institute lacks the resources to purchase even the most basic equipment or to cover the costs of external professional services. It is unable to secure accounting services, which are essential for financial operations. Consequently, it is also unable to use the €40,000 already transferred by the Municipality of Celje, as these funds are strictly earmarked for employing a regional coordinator and covering general operating costs. Without the core funding from the Republic of Slovenia, these municipal funds cannot be used. Likewise, the institute cannot pay the salary and mandatory social contributions of the Acting Director, publish recruitment calls for professional staff, establish the basic conditions necessary for its operation, or carry out the responsibilities for which it was created.

Even more concerning are the broader consequences. Because the founding obligations have not been fulfilled, the institute is prevented from applying for already allocated European Union Cohesion Funds for the period 2026–2029, amounting to approximately €4 million. These funds are intended to support arts education, mentoring programmes, employment opportunities for dancers, mentors, and other cultural professionals, and to strengthen access to contemporary dance throughout Slovenia. If the Republic of Slovenia fails to provide the institute with the agreed core funding, there is a serious risk that these important development funds will be lost. The resulting damage would therefore extend far beyond the institute itself, affecting the entire contemporary dance sector, artists, local communities, and the public interest in culture.

We are also deeply concerned by public statements suggesting that these delays are connected to efforts to reduce bureaucracy. Such an explanation does not withstand serious scrutiny. ZRSPU was designed to be one of the most efficiently organised public institutions in Slovenia. The planned number of employees represents only the minimum required to carry out its public service mandate. This is not about expanding administrative structures, but about establishing the essential professional conditions necessary for the development of the field, programme implementation, artistic production, international cooperation, arts education, and support for artists.

Obstructing the institute's operation therefore directly reduces opportunities for artistic creation, professional development, and public access to contemporary dance across the country. It perpetuates the long-standing systemic neglect of the sector and undermines Slovenia's ability to participate effectively in European development programmes.

For these reasons, the undersigned call on the Minister of Culture to immediately fulfil all obligations of the Republic of Slovenia arising from the co-founding agreement, enable the institute to begin normal operations without further delay, and prevent additional damage, including the potential loss of European development funding intended for the contemporary dance sector.

This is not a debate about whether Slovenia needs this public institute. That question has already been decided by the State and the two municipalities. The real question is whether the Republic of Slovenia will honour its own founding acts, signed agreements, and the fundamental principles of the rule of law.

When the State fails to respect obligations that it has itself undertaken, it undermines confidence in the legal order and the credibility of its own cultural policies. This issue extends far beyond a single public institution. It concerns all public institutions. When a founding authority fails to honour its own founding acts and contractual commitments, public trust in the entire institutional system is put at risk. For this reason, this matter concerns all of us who work in the public interest in the field of culture.

IMPORTANT: This petition is initiated by the Slovenian Contemporary Dance Association (Društvo za sodobni ples Slovenije). Signing this petition is free of charge. After signing, the Change.org platform may invite you to make a voluntary contribution to support its operations. This contribution does not support our campaign and is entirely optional.