Episode · #148

BIZKULTURA SPECIJAL

Hosted by Goran ŠikićMay 3, 2026

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

The cultural sector, by its very nature, thrives on gathering people. So when a global pandemic forced the closure of public spaces, its collapse was immediate and total. This episode brings together diverse voices from Croatia's cultural scene – from the Ministry of Culture to independent artists and ticketing platforms – to examine the sector's fight for survival. They discuss not only the financial devastation and existential uncertainty but also the effectiveness of government responses and the stark realities of an industry built on precarious labor. What emerges is a picture of a sector grappling with a new, unwelcome normal, where the very act of bringing people together has become its greatest vulnerability. Readers will leave pondering the long-term viability of live arts and the fundamental shifts required to sustain creative work in an unpredictable world.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

When public gathering spaces close, the cultural sector experiences an immediate and total cessation of income, affecting thousands overnight. A crisis can expose the fragility of entire professional ecosystems that rely on in-person assembly.

The cultural sector faced a double blow: early cancellations due to the pandemic, followed by a devastating earthquake that damaged much of Zagreb's cultural infrastructure. A crisis rarely arrives alone, and leaders must account for compounding external shocks that amplify existing vulnerabilities.

Many artists and cultural workers, due to the precarious nature of their work and low, unstable incomes, had no financial buffer against sudden income loss. A sector heavily reliant on contract-based labor is inherently vulnerable to immediate and severe hardship during economic downturns.

The Ministry of Culture's initial response allowed cultural entrepreneurs and self-employed artists to apply for job preservation measures and permitted already-paid program funds to be used for freelancers, even if programs were cancelled. The first line of defense in a crisis often involves adapting existing financial mechanisms rather than creating entirely new ones.

One guest observes that the Ministry's measures, while helpful in part, were delayed, poorly implemented, and 'Balkanized' in their criteria, reaching only a fraction of the estimated 20,000 precarious workers. The practical impact of aid measures is often diminished by their late implementation, complex criteria, and narrow scope, leaving a significant portion of the intended beneficiaries unaided.

Official funding allocations revealed a disparity in aid, with sport receiving more overall support than culture, and the Ministry of Culture contributing a significant portion from its own budget while other sectors did not. Crisis funding decisions can highlight implicit governmental priorities and the self-reliance expected of different sectors.

The online ticketing platform Entrio saw its revenue drop to zero overnight as all public gatherings were banned. Businesses that serve as infrastructure for live events, like ticketing platforms, are often the first to lose all revenue and the last to see recovery, making them bellwethers for the entire event ecosystem.

When scientific projections indicate long-term disruptions, such as physical distancing until 2022, entire professions face an existential threat, prompting many to consider leaving their fields entirely. Uncertainty about the future operating model of a sector can force radical career decisions.

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