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Greek Austerity Cuts Threaten Arts

Greek austerity cuts threaten artsThe Mideast news agency Al-Jazeera writes that Greece’s crushing financial crisis is having a devastating effect on the country’s cultural heritage with the government looking almost everywhere to cut spending for its protected sacred cows.

According to Al Jazeera, Greece is one of the European Union’s poorest countries, but culturally it is one of the richest but that heritage is in jeopardy with the Ministry of Culture slashing funds for major institutions.

Writer John Psaropoulos met with the Greek award-winning poet Katerina Anghelaki-Rooke whose works have been awarded internationally. She won the Greek National Poetry Prize that carries an award of $7,000 but the government said she won’t be paid because they can’t afford to give the money at the same time it’s paying Parliament workers big salaries for handing out glasses of water and paying for 5-star hotels for traveling politicians.

The story with accompanying video continues saying that National Arts’ funding has been decreased the last three years. The National Television Orchestra has been abolished, the Athens Concert Hall is in trouble and the National Book Center, which promotes Greek authors abroad, is to close.

Psaropoulos explains in the video that Greece’s greatest export is culture, with benefits far beyond books and CD sales. The new Greek Culture Minister, Panos Panayotopoulos said even the new Acropolis Museum, rated among the world’s best, could be cut back despite drawing huge crowds. The ministry keeps all museum revenues and some officials said it doesn’t return them.

“Money isn’t everything. Of course money is necessary but there is also the imagination. People also do things for the honor of the joy of doing it. The love of history and culture lie deep within the soul of all Greeks,” Panayotopoulos said, although he didn’t say if people could be paid with imagination.

The video ends with the poet Anghelaki-Rooke, saying that with the prize’s money she would fix her house. But like many Greeks she has decided not to dwell on what she doesn’t have at the same time the country’s politicians and privileged remain unscathed.

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