Nora Krstulović
Episode · #8
BIZKULTURA Nora Krstulović
Guest Nora KrstulovićHosted by Goran ŠikićMay 3, 2026
Nora Krstulović
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
The conversation challenges the common perception of culture as a drain on public funds, presenting it instead as a vital, value-generating sector. Nora Krstulović, a theater director and founder of the unique Teatar.hr portal, has spent her career bridging the worlds of art and technology, often out of sheer necessity. She argues that culture not only delivers a significant return on investment — up to seventeen times the initial capital — but can also thrive commercially if allowed to operate with entrepreneurial rigor. This discussion is for anyone who believes that creative endeavors can and should be financially self-sustaining, and who wants to understand the specific policy hurdles standing in the way.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
When Teatar.hr introduced its paywall ten years ago, a city official called it "suicide," and for the first three years, Nora Krstulović "answered daily questions" about why they would charge for content available for free. The lesson: proving a contrarian business model is viable means accepting years of skepticism and committing to producing content that genuinely cannot be found elsewhere.
02
Even though statistics show "one kuna invested in culture in Croatia returns at least five kunas, and in some cases up to seventeen kunas," the sector is widely perceived as a "consumer" of public money. This disconnect means that when cultural projects like the Museum of Broken Relationships or InMusic succeed commercially, they often lose their perceived cultural legitimacy.
03
Initial capital is the biggest barrier for cultural entrepreneurs because commercial banks in Croatia will not fund such projects, leaving public funds as the only option. This dependence on government grants creates a "stalemate" where politics inevitably expects something in return, compromising the independence of cultural initiatives.
04
Under current Croatian law, if a company donates to culture, they get no visibility; if they sign a sponsorship contract and expect visibility, they pay tax on that amount. Punishing businesses for seeking any return on their cultural investment actively discourages private sector involvement, leaving projects reliant on public funds or pure philanthropy.
05
Nora Krstulović describes her varied career as "direction by other means," often stepping into roles like PR because "nobody in Croatia was doing PR" at the time. This entrepreneurial versatility isn't about following a grand plan; it's about taking on whatever task is necessary to make a project work, mastering it, and only then delegating.
06
Nora Krstulović's path from IT to theater, and then her need to bridge those fields due to a "lack of information" in the market, wasn't a strategic choice. The most effective innovations often emerge not from elaborate plans, but from the necessity of solving immediate problems using the diverse skills you already have.