The mayor of Craiova, Lia Olguca Vasilescu, proposed to dissolve the “Maria Tenase” Folklore Ensemble, the only professional ensemble in the Dolj County, and the “Trajan Demetrescu” House of Culture in order to reduce budget costs, writes Agerpres.

The final decision must be taken by the local deputies at the meeting of the Craiova local council on Monday, on the agenda of which there is also a draft decision, according to which two representative cultural institutions in Craiova will be liquidated and merged by absorption with the Children’s Theater and the Youth Hummingbird.

According to the draft decision, employees of the reorganized communal institutions will be involved in the composition of the Theater for Children and Youth “Hummingbird” by transfer within the limits of the positions approved in accordance with the organizational chart and job description, which provides for the abolition of 33 positions, most of which are dancers from the ensemble “Maria Tenase”, the dance group is disbanding.

“After the reorganization, the Theater for Children and Youth “Kolibri” Craiova will work with the number of 68 positions compared to 103 positions that were approved for individual activities (33 positions approved for the Theater for Children and Youth “Kolibri”). “Craiova, 61 positions have been approved for the Folklore Ensemble “Maria Tenase” Craiova and 9 positions have been approved for the House of Culture “Trajan Demetrescu” Craiova),” the draft decision says.

Thus, in addition to the cancellation of two management positions in two institutions, 24 dancers from the “Maria Tenase” ensemble, as well as a conductor, a soloist, and the head of the administrative and sound office will remain without work. .two chief accountants, an administrator and an economist, writes Agerpres.

According to Law 296/2023, starting from July 1, 2024, public institutions with the right of a legal entity, which are under the coordination/subordination/authorization of central/local bodies of public administration, may carry out their activities if they have more than 50 positions approved under by law and are actually employed in organizational structures, and the Ensemble “Maria Tenase” has 61 positions that correspond to this condition of functioning, reports Agerpres.

Artists of the ensemble “Maria Tenase” initiated an online petition, which collected thousands of signatures within 24 hours, asking the Dolj County Council to save the institution, “founded in 1992, with the role of evaluating and popularizing the traditional culture of the Oltenia region, being the only professional ensemble in the Dolj County.” .

“We want to cancel the Maria Tenase Folklore Ensemble from Craiova as an independent institution and transfer the musical part to the Kolibri Puppet Theater.” And the dance group will be disbanded. Folk ensemble “Maria Tenase” has its own cultural message, which has nothing to do with the cultural message conveyed by the Puppet Theater. Why is this important? Founded in 1992 with the aim of evaluating and popularizing the traditional culture of the Oltenia region, being the only professional ensemble in Dolj county, over time it has earned and maintained its status as a reference cultural institution in the preservation and accumulation of traditional heritage. at the national and international level. Folklore, traditions, folk dances are constitutive elements that give us a national identity and create a unique image in the world,” the petition reads.