State contributions to Theater Basel
Theater Basel is to receive a total of CHF 162 million (around CHF 40.5 million per year) in annual subsidies from the state for 2015 to 2019. The existing level is to be maintained, writes the canton of Basel-Stadt.
In its proposal to the Grand Council, the Government Council proposes a continuation of the state contribution to Theater Basel in the amount of CHF 40,638,645 per year for the 2015/2016 season, of CHF 40,463,645 for the 2016/2017 season and CHF 40,338,645 for each of the 2017/2018 to 2018/2019 seasons (in each case a good CHF 30 million basic state contribution, CHF 1,000,000 structural contribution, CHF 2,600,000 assumption of employer costs for staff pensions, CHF 6,574,789 contribution for orchestra services). This results in a total state contribution of CHF 161,779,580. The state contribution thus remains at the current financial level.
The current renewal of the contract coincides with the appointment of the new theater director Andreas Beck, who was elected in October 2013 and will officially take over the management of the theater at the start of the 2015/2016 season. His ideas regarding content and operations are outlined in the council proposal and are in line with the content of the current Basel-Stadt cultural mission statement, the canton writes further.
Following the lost vote in the canton of Basel-Landschaft in February 2011, the Grand Council approved an additional structural contribution of CHF 1 million to Theater Basel for the 2011/12 season. It was decided to continue the additional structural contribution for the remainder of the current subsidy period. The Government Council is of the opinion that this situation has not changed in view of the unchanged contributions to Theater Basel and therefore requests that the structural contribution be continued.
