Skopje, 3 February 2025 (MIA) — Out of 2,888 entries submitted to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's annual competition for funding of projects of national interest, 1,365 will be supported, Minister of Culture and Tourism Zoran Ljutkov told a press conference Monday.

The 2025 budget of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for supporting these projects is Mden 814 million (EUR 13.23 million), Ljutkov noted.

This year, he said, support of theater productions would increase by 40 percent, of library science and audiovisual archiving projects by 30 percent, and of visual arts, architecture, design projects and book publishing by 25 percent.

Ljutkov said 57 theater premieres would be supported as well as the anniversary celebrations of several national institutions, including the 80th anniversary of the Macedonian National Theater and the 75th anniversaries of the Albanian and Turkish Theaters in Skopje and the Prilep Theater.

Also supported would be projects promoting Macedonian culture abroad, Ljutkov said, adding that the Cultural and Information Center in Belgrade, Serbia, would open in March.

The state will also support renovations of parts of the Macedonian National Theater in Skopje, the Jordan Hadzhi Konstantinov Dzhinot Theater in Veles, the roof of St. Clement of Ohrid National and University Library in Skopje, and of the space intended for the National Jazz Orchestra in Skopje.

Also, Ljutkov added, the state would continue financing the reconstruction project of the Universal Hall in Skopje, which he said was under way. He also said reconstruction works on the Skopje Kale Fortress and the Kurbinovo Monastery were planned to be completed in 2025.

The minister of culture and tourism stressed that a significant event of national interest would be Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo's first concert in Skopje.

"As expected, this year will be marked by the exclusive Placido Domingo performance, in Skopje for the first time, accompanied by the National Opera and Ballet Orchestra," Ljutkov said.

He said most entries to the competition had been submitted by publishers and book authors.

"In the most substantial area regarding the number of submissions, literature and publishing, our committee had an exceptionally difficult and complex job," Ljutkov said. 

"Of the over 1,000 entries they reviewed, almost half have been supported. The list of proposed projects included newer genres, such as slam poetry, comics, graphic novels, inclusive books for children with disabilities, hybrid editions in Braille, etc.," he said. 

He said the supported works included monographs, scholarly publications, literary translations, e-books, children's literature as well as works by both established and first-time authors.

The competition results have been published on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism website. mr/