Dailes Theatre, citing a reduction in state funding, is undergoing structural changes that include staff reductions in several structural units, including the artistic department.
The theatre reports that in September 2024, it received instructions from the Ministry of Culture to reduce the state grant by 276,205 euros, with a requirement for the theatre to find solutions to cut expenses and increase revenues. Dailes Theatre explains that the state grant has not yet covered the theatre's payroll fund, but the remaining expenses are covered by the theatre's own income.
Upon receiving information about the grant reduction, the theatre developed a plan of measures, including a reduction in the number of new productions and an assessment of staff workload and efficiency. On October 29, 2025, the theatre's board made a decision regarding structural changes, which involve a reduction in the number of staff in the artistic department.
As a result of these changes, three vacant actor positions and four acting positions will be eliminated. The theatre indicates that the elimination of acting positions was carried out based on an assessment of actor employment and demand for their professional activities according to established criteria.
The theatre noted that actresses Olga Drege and Lydia Pupure have been offered to continue working as freelancers, while actress Mirdza Martinson is currently considering the possibility of transitioning to freelance work. All three actresses will continue to perform in existing productions and participate in auditions.
Additionally, 16 cleaning positions will be cut. When assessing cleaning procurement, the theatre concluded that it is more cost-effective to hire an external cleaning company than to employ 16 cleaners. By contracting with the tender winner, savings will exceed 100,000 euros per year.
The theatre notes that the saved funds are planned to be used to equalize the salaries of technical specialists, which are currently lower than the salaries of employees with similar qualifications in the general labor market. They emphasize that the theatre is constantly at risk of losing qualified technical specialists, which could negatively impact the quality of performances, something that cannot be allowed.
At the same time, the theatre rejects claims that the layoffs are related to the financial performance of the productions, pointing out that the overall balance of productions in the Dailes Theatre's repertoire is positive, and last year, record ticket sales were achieved — around 4.3 million euros.
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