Prague, Aug 18 (CTK) – The need to continuously create a suitable legal and economic environment in reaction to technological innovations in the operation of museums is behind a new concept that the Czech Culture Ministry will submit to the government on Thursday, Simona Cigankova has told CTK.
“The first Czech modern law on museums and the protection of museum collections has been valid for 15 years. Starting in 2001, it set more effective rules of public support for museums and galleries, but also a better way of control of spending public finance on the purpose,” Cigankova, spokeswoman for the Culture Ministry, said.
The Czech Republic with a population of 10.5 million registers some 510 museums, galleries and memorials with 340 branches. More than three quarters are administered by regions, municipalities and the state. Around 22 percent are museums established by the private sector, public benefit organisations, civic associations and churches.
Last year, they welcomed 11.5 million people.
The draft concept sets the presentation of the ability of public museums and galleries to administer and extend the collections in a qualified way as a priority goal of the years to come.
It is to be enabled by clearer, simpler and more favourable legal and economic rules, Cigankova said.
“This is also connected with the consistent support for the digitation of the museum and gallery collections and opening the results to the public through web pages,” she said.
Cigankova said the priorities also include the establishment of a register of museums and galleries and a more effective support for the public presentation of the cultural heritage.
The concept formulates a qualitatively new attitude to the acquisitions and presentations of modern art, including architecture and applied arts, and reflects the needs of open-air museums.
Cigankova said the concept places emphasis on a broad inter-branch cooperation, the reinforcing of the role of universities in the activities of museums and galleries, and cooperation of state museums and galleries with those established by regions, towns and villages.
This is to allow a more effective spending of public financial means in the sphere of movable cultural heritage and its presentation to the public, and the implementation of big and educational projects.
