Cultural Policies in the mirror of Theatre Directors

In this Master Thesis, I assess the most important implications of cultural policy for theatres in the city of Cali through the perspective of directors. I do so analyzing the objectives of government, assessing their formulation, describing relevant issues and evaluating the way such objectives become policy. The analysis involves mapping the current situation and addressing the consequences on the different economic dimension of theatres. Seven directors of the same number of theatres were contacted to see how they are coping with cultural policy, using semi structured interviews and some additional information accessible through the Internet, or provided by directors themselves. Additionally, some information was gathered from government bodies in Colombia, such as the Ministry of Culture, the National Department of Planning and the Municipality of Cali. Despite the willingness expressed by the Colombian government in the formulation and structure of cultural policy through different plans and government bodies in the eyes of directors, such efforts are insufficient for the growth and sustainability of theatres. It also shows, how the limitations and lack of support have actually served as a driving force for theatres, which encouraged them to find additional sources of income and new strategies to stay afloat. Plenty of studies focus on the effects of policy and the way a proper context for the development and growth of cultural organizations must be ensured by government. However, they tend to oversee how the lack of proper policies, structure and resources have a role in the development of the entrepreneurial skills and business strategies of theatres, which finally enable them to achieve the sustainability that government efforts alone cannot grant.