Vaba Lava seeks 250,000 euros to keep Narva theatre operating

Vaba Lava, a theatre organisation, is seeking an additional 250,000 euros from the state to continue operating in Narva, ERR reported. The organisation is considering ending its work in the city because it says current funding is not sufficient for sustainable operations.

Vaba Lava receives more than 300,000 euros a year from the state for theatre activities, but says that amount is no longer enough to produce Estonian-language theatre in Narva. Performances there require translation, repertory must be selected carefully and ticket prices are about half those in the capital. Narva has also become the city with Estonia’s highest district heating costs, factors that the current theatre funding model does not take into account.

“We are told that we are extremely necessary and that we are doing extremely important work, but essentially nothing follows from that. As a theatre director for five years, I can no longer take on this responsibility. With this level of funding, it is no longer possible for us to continue the contract,” Vaba Lava director Märt Meos said.

The Ministry of Culture acknowledges that Vaba Lava’s work in Narva is important because the country’s third-largest city has no state theatre. An earlier effort to establish a joint foundation with the state failed, leaving Vaba Lava to compete only for operating support.

“Unfortunately, there is not really another way. It is necessary to achieve a higher result in the application round, and if there are fewer recipients, the amount of support may also increase. But neither we nor Vaba Lava can regulate that,” said Marie Anett Heinsalu, a theatre adviser at the Ministry of Culture.

The lease for the Narva theatre centre’s premises expires next year. Extending it depends on the state increasing the theatre’s funding by at least 250,000 euros. A decision is expected this autumn.

“We have to make these plans one or two years in advance, and today we do not know whether we will be here on August 1, 2027, or not,” Meos said.

The ministry said the final decision must come from politicians. “If there is political will, it may be possible to find additional funding through another measure, but we cannot do that before we know the outcome of the state budget negotiations,” Heinsalu said.

The Ministry of Culture hopes Vaba Lava will not terminate its lease in Narva. The owner of the theatre building is also the chair of Vaba Lava’s supervisory board.