The overwhelming majority of non-governmental organizations that received financial support in the public competition of the Ministry of Culture - "Let's develop cultural habits" do not have culture among their core activities, as can be seen from the register of NGOs. The results of that competition, according to the president of the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro, Igor Rakčević, are a true indicator of the treatment of independent culture and the non-governmental sector in the field of culture in general.
On November 9, the Ministry of Culture announced the Decision on the distribution of funds to non-governmental organizations based on this competition. EUR 221.772,10 was allocated for the realization of NGO projects in the field of art and culture, ranging from EUR 5.000 (lowest amount) to EUR 18.000 (highest amount). The application of the project to that competition could be submitted by an NGO that, among other things, defined art/culture as an area of its activity through goals or activities in the statute. The commission that decided on the financing of the projects consists of president Marija Mrvaljević and members Milica Martić, Azra Hrapović, Dobrila Vlahović.
Culture in the basic activities of a few
From the register of NGOs maintained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it can be seen that the majority of those who received money in the competition - do not have culture among their core activities. Science is, for example, the core activity of "CEKON", the rule of law of "Sansa", the fight against addictions of the organization "Green Crescent", "Sports Journalists' Association" - sports, social and health care "Center for Innovations and Projects", institutional and non-institutional education of "Civic Youth Initiatives"... Only some of them mention culture as part of a wider activity, but in the sense, for example, of improving "physical culture". Culture is dealt with by: "Identitet", "Homer" Cultural Center, "Đakomo Adriatic", among whose founders is Azra Hrapović, a member of the commission, "Centar sjevara", "Simbol", several cultural and artistic societies...
Two NGOs at the same address
A non-governmental organization could apply for the competition with a maximum of two projects, but it could only be awarded funds for one. However, the same NGO can be a partner in another project within the competition.
So, for example, the first-ranked "Center for Rural Development" for the "Dialogue for an Independent Cultural Scene" project (11.760 euros) was also a partner in the "Montenegro Art Circle" (6.100 euros) run by the NGO "Zinak". "Identity", the partner of "Centre" on the first-ranked project, leads "Independent creators at the zenith of the possible" with the partner "Sports Journalists Association", which is worth 12.960 euros. The Center for Rural Development and the NGO "Identity", according to the Register of Non-Governmental Organizations of the MUP, are registered at the same address, and among the founders/owners of the Center are Danilo and Nevenka Vuković, while Nevenka Vuković is also among the founders of Identity.
"Spektra" and "Queer Montenegro" got two projects - they just changed the positions of the leader and partner in the project. "Contribution to the development of queer culture and art" received support worth about 13.800 euros at the competition, and 14.344 euros for "Transformation of cultural habits". KUD "Ramadan Šarkić" from Tuzi was ranked 16th and 17th. First, he is a partner in the EUR 14.280 project "Let's Color Artistic Creativity with the Values of Multiculturalism" led by Roža's "Green Crescent", and in the second, he leads the EUR 14.400 program "Preservation and Promotion of the Cultural Heritage of Minorities in Tuzi and the Capital".
Rape of justice and common sense
In the document that accompanies the Decision on the distribution of funds, it is stated that "The Commission made the distribution in such a way that it distributed amounts up to 221.772,10 euros to non-governmental organizations from the established ranking list, which meet the competition conditions, which allocated funds for a total of 20 projects... Other NGOs that were considered for financing according to the list and prescribed conditions were not invited because there were no remaining funds for financing their projects".
The project "In the zone of meaning - Women's cultural history of Montenegro 1920-2020/research and monograph" of the NGO Nova Center for Feminist Culture, is in 39th place out of a total of 91 scored projects, and therefore did not receive money in the competition.
Nataša Nelević from that organization, commenting on the moves of the Ministry of Culture, told "Vijesti" that it was "inconceivable arrogance, insolence, embezzlement of state money, rape of the concept of justice and common sense".
"However, there are independent actors in Montenegro who are seriously dedicated to culture and only culture, who have competencies, knowledge, and a mission within the independent scene, and for whom contests like this are one of the ways to provide funds for their work and the existence of employees. There is a responsibility and alleged determination of the Ministry of Culture to develop that scene. What happened with the Decision on the distribution of funds is a slap in the face of those people and unimaginable arrogance, recklessness, theft of state money, rape of the concept of fairness and common sense," she states.
Traditional ULUCG exhibition without support
Igor Rakčević from ULUCG points out that "it is clear that the allocated funds are insufficient for quality support for the programs of the sector which shows the most visible results and which is diverse and extremely flexible".
"It seems that this year there was not much room for projects by organizations that have long established themselves and assumed the function of bearers of certain segments of cultural policy, among others the ULUCG, which has a recognizable role in our cultural life and whose survival depends precisely on such competitions", claimed Igor Rakčević from the ULUCG.
Their project, the 76th Traditional Exhibition of ULUCG, was rejected with the explanation that "in the application (point 27) as a project in the field of culture/art in 2019, the 76th exhibition of ULUCG was mentioned; the submitted proof refers to the 75th exhibition, whose implementation period is February-October 2020". Rakčević says that he will deal with this omission within the legal framework provided for it.
"Omissions are possible in every activity, including in the work of the competent Commission. In the stated reason for rejecting the application of the Association of Fine Artists, it is stated that the report on the completed project for the previous year refers to the 75th Traditional Exhibition. So, exactly what was requested in the tender was delivered! This fact leads us to the conclusion that this obvious mistake in the work of the aforementioned commission stems from its negligent and incompetent work and systemic problems when it comes to the selection of its members, as well as the conception of the competition itself...", Rakčević points out and adds that the ULUCG will certainly strive to carry out its activities regularly.
The annual exhibition of ULUCG members has the longest tradition in Montenegro, Rakčević reminds and notes that the Traditional Exhibition has been held for the past 75 years, during which it "has faced numerous trials and circumstances".
"Every year, the recent works of more than 100 Montenegrin artists are presented there. 75. The traditional exhibition was held again this year, despite the pandemic, and it also had its 3D display as one of the innovative practices conditioned by the covid-19 virus and which can be viewed on the Internet presentation of the Association of Art Prisoners of Montenegro, at the address: ulucg.me. ULUCG is a non-governmental organization and has no support from the budget of Montenegro. Activities and material costs of functioning are mostly covered by participating in competitions", said Rakčević to "Vijesta".
Equality is (not) on stage
The project "Equality is on the stage" of the NGO "Association of Disabled Youth of Montenegro" (UMHCG) was rejected with the explanation that "the projects listed in the application (item 27) related to culture/art are not from 2019 but 2020-2023, and the other projects are not from the field of culture/art". Marina Vujačić on behalf of UMHCG points out that it is unclear on what basis the Commission concluded that the said UMHCG project realized in 2019 does not refer to the field of culture and art "when three films were also submitted among the evidence".
"How did the Commission conclude that films do not belong to the field of culture, what criteria are required for a film as a work to fall into the field of culture? At the same time, in order to promote the films, screenings were organized on which the Commission also received a report with evidence of the realization, and what is even more significant - one of the films is about a person who is engaged in cultural creativity (poetry). Does the Commission of the Ministry of Culture want to tell us that the poetry of people with disabilities does not belong to culture, but rather to work and social care, education, human rights...?", asks Vujačićeva.
She adds that the UMHCG is confused by the way in which the Commission found that they cannot "remove the irregularity by supplementing the documentation", while "organizations that do not submit any evidence are obliged to ask for the supplementation of the documentation".
"So, we might have done better if we hadn't even tried to provide evidence. Otherwise, the Commission stated in the public hearing that 'evidence of conducted research, prepared documents, organized events or implemented projects/programs in 2019 should be submitted (agreement/decision on the realization of the project/donation, narrative and financial report on the realization of the project with the submission of: press clippings and other publicly published data with a reference and verifiable source and other valid evidence)'. In the end, why didn't the Commission leave the project to independent evaluators, who, among other things, score previous experience with a maximum of five points, but decided to eliminate it, so that its content, that is, its quality was not even evaluated?", adds Vujačićeva and says that "all of the above leaves a suspicion of irregularity".
She said that UMHCG requested additional information and minutes from the meeting from the Commission.
"...In order to familiarize ourselves with the criteria and the method of decision-making, but since the Commission has passed the Decision, the only protection mechanism remains the Administrative Court, which we will definitely use," said Vujačićeva.
How artists manage
Zoran Rakočević from the NGO "Korifej" said that he wonders how organizations that gather artists manage to survive.
Especially, he said, since they are equal to other organizations that state in the statute that they are cultural, and their project activity is essentially general.
"I am not talking about all the NGOs that received funds, I have successfully collaborated with many of them and have good impressions. I'm talking about the practice that organizations that gather professional artists are treated in the relevant Ministry of Markets, where independent evaluators, equally versed in culture as in other areas, agriculture, road infrastructure or, for example, food production, evaluate projects and rank artists and cultural workers behind the general civil sector", says Rakočević.
Nataša Nelević concludes at the end:
"We are used to funds going to organizations led by people employed in cultural institutions, who establish interest groups, who have political privileges, but we have never had an organization that has nothing to do with culture and a project that has nothing to do with the topic of the competition at the top of the points list. We always think it can't go lower, and then we see it can."
Bonus video:
