Festival organisers warn of funding delays

Several organisers of cultural events, including festivals and performances, have told the Cyprus Mail that delays in the deputy culture ministry’s funding approvals are causing serious concern for their 2026 programmes.

“We just submitted our application for this summer,” said one festival organiser, who asked not to be named over fears the ministry might not approve their funding.

The application relates to the “Kypria” arts festival sponsorship programme, which has been a stable source of financial support for many festivals on the island over the past four years.

This year’s “Kypria” programme was announced in March, with the application deadline closing on April 6.

“At this time last year, we already knew about our funding,” the organiser said.

Most festivals in Cyprus take place during the summer months, with preparations such as coordination with municipalities, booking artists and managing production already under way. This leaves organisations facing significant uncertainty, particularly as most operate as non-profits.

“None of us keeps money – we are non-profits,” the organiser added.

As a result, organisers say they cannot commit funds to production or other costs until funding decisions are confirmed.

“It essentially leaves us with two options: either plan as usual, hoping funding will be approved, or cut production costs and pay everyone less. But that means if funding does come through, you end up with money you can’t fully use,” they said, adding that “for now, we are moving forward slowly.”

According to the organiser, the deputy ministry has attributed the delays to a reassessment of programmes, with responses expected by the end of April.

“But that’s already five months into the year,” the organiser said. “In other countries, festivals are already applying for next year’s funding.”

Another organiser, who also requested anonymity, said the uncertainty had already forced cuts to their summer programme.

“We started planning in autumn last year and couldn’t predict whether we would receive public funding, so we’ve already reduced parts of the programme,” they said.

They added that working with international artists requires early bookings for flights and accommodation, making delays particularly challenging.

The organiser also noted that while there is usually an open call for members of evaluation committees, this year the process for the “Politismos” funding programme did not proceed as expected.

“I have the feeling that the evaluation processes are changing – we really can’t foresee whether we’ll receive funding this year,” they said, adding that they had previously received support from both “Kypria” and “Politismos”.

“Last year we knew about Politismos in February and Kypria in May – which was already quite late,” they added.

They said current operations have been supported by donations collected over the past decade, but stressed this is neither sustainable nor efficient.

“It doesn’t seem realistic that the evaluation process for ‘Kypria’ will be completed by the end of April,” they added.

The evaluation of applications is typically carried out by a five-member committee, composed of three independent experts appointed by the deputy culture minister and two officials from the deputy ministry’s department of contemporary culture, with an additional official serving as secretary.

However, the composition of the committee is announced only after the application deadline to avoid conflicts of interest – a factor organisers say may contribute to delays.

The “Kypria” programme was established four years ago to modernise state policy on festivals and support the organisation of arts events across Cyprus. It provides funding to music, dance and other cultural festivals and was further expanded in 2025.