Gert Raudsep: Public Support is the Only Leverage in Culture Funding Dispute

Gert Raudsep, head of the Estonian Theatre Union and actor, believes that cultural workers lack the traditional tools to pressure the state over funding disputes. According to him, the only real leverage for creative professionals is whether Estonians stand by them.

Gert Raudsep, head of the Estonian Theatre Union and actor, noted that cultural sector workers have extremely limited options for applying pressure to the state in funding disputes. In his view, the only genuine leverage for creative professionals is public support – whether Estonian people stand behind cultural workers or not.

Raudsep drew attention to a concerning situation in several cultural fields, where paid positions are so scarce that organizing a strike is essentially impossible. "If we have no one to send on strike, then we lack that traditional pressure tool that workers elsewhere have," he explained.

According to the Theatre Union head, the direction of cultural policy therefore largely depends on how much society values people and institutions connected to culture. Politicians respond primarily to voters' expectations, which is why it is in the interest of creative professionals to foster public understanding of culture's importance and keep public attention focused on funding issues.