Twelve years after its opening, the Rezekne City Council wants to reorganize the "Gors" concert hall. This idea arose after an audit conducted in the municipal capital society. Although various scenarios for the future of the concert hall are currently being considered, one of them involves the cultural institution potentially being handed over to private entrepreneurs. This option is opposed by some council members as well as the Ministry of Culture, reports TV3 News.
Since its opening in 2013, "Gors" has become one of the hallmarks of Rezekne. Concerts, theatrical performances, and other events here are attended not only by local residents but also by guests from neighboring regions and other parts of Latvia. However, the city council is dissatisfied with the operation of the concert hall.
The local government has many questions regarding the future of "Gors" on its agenda. An audit was conducted at the request of the local government, based on which various reorganization models are being considered, including the possibility of renting out the premises of "Gors" to a private enterprise that would organize events instead of the municipal structure.
"The local government also takes into account the recommendations of the Competition Council and the State Audit Office, which state that there should be less intervention in the capital society sectors where the private sector has already proven its professionalism. This is one of the scenarios. And I really want to emphasize — the local government is currently working on finding solutions. I would not like to lean towards one option or another at this time," said Ivetā Cipruse, Deputy Executive Director of the Rezekne City Council.
There are indeed several scenarios, including a proposal to transform "Gors" from a capital society into a municipal institution. However, the opposition in the council views this critically, pointing out that in the city of Rezekne, managed by Alexander Bartashevich, decisions are often made without real public involvement, and this case is no exception.
"There is no chairperson in the working group, and at the last meeting I attended, he clearly stated that we have one scenario — we will follow it. The group is simply a technical executor that prepares the requirements for the auction, prepares documents, and assesses the building of "Gors". Other scenarios are considered only if a private tenant cannot be found," explained Inara Groce, a member of the Rezekne City Council.
Why did this discussion even begin? The basis was an audit commissioned by the local authority, which revealed ambiguities regarding the council's subsidies for the concert hall's activities — including the fact that many events at "Gors" do not cover their costs, meaning they are effectively funded from the municipal budget. Therefore, the local government believes that something needs to change to reduce expenses.
The head of "Gors", Diana Zirnīņa, was not ready to comment on the audit findings and discussions about the possible transfer of the hall to private hands, stating that she would only be able to speak to the press after the working group established in the council, which is currently considering the future of the concert hall, completes its work.
In addition to reorganization, Rezekne is also discussing how suitable the repertoire of "Gors" is. The local government believes that the hall should focus more on events that will be closer and more understandable to the local audience and can ensure greater ticket revenue.
"Residents of the municipality, residents of neighboring regions are happy to travel to concerts in neighboring areas, and the local government cannot ignore this. We need to listen to what is being said on Facebook, Instagram — these opinions need to be taken into account. This is why the current discussions are taking place. We are really looking for a form of cooperation that would satisfy both the residents and, possibly, the political authority, and would not contradict the original idea of the concert hall," says Cipruse.
News from Rezekne has also reached Riga — to the Ministry of Culture. There, the intention to reduce the number of high-quality cultural events at "Gors" was received with concern, emphasizing that this was precisely the purpose for which the concert hall was built in Rezekne more than ten years ago.
"When the Rezekne municipality wrote a funding application from the European Union funds, it committed itself and set the goal of providing high-quality cultural content for the residents of the Latgale region. This is why "Gors" was built, and 8.4 million euros of public funding was invested in its creation," noted Baiba Murniece, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture for Cultural Policy.
The Music Council under the Ministry of Culture also called for its representatives to be included in the working group considering the future management structure of "Gors", emphasizing that this concert hall is important not only for Rezekne and Latgale but for all of Latvia.
Leave a comment