The Mayor of the City of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, handed out contracts for the use of funds for the implementation of the Public Cultural Needs Program of the City of Dubrovnik for the year 2024.

The program includes 70 individuals, societies, and other cultural organizations who, with the financial support of the City of Dubrovnik, will carry out 101 cultural programs outside the activities of cultural institutions. The total value of financial support is 350,000 euros, representing an increase of 55 percent compared to the year 2023.

The Mayor thanked all present individuals and their institutions for their engagement and creative contributions, emphasizing that Dubrovnik is a city of culture, and it is natural for the city to increase funds allocated for cultural programs in line with the growth of budget revenues, justifiably expecting an increase in cultural expenditures.

The Public Cultural Needs Program of the City of Dubrovnik for the year 2024 covers cultural activities that contribute to satisfying the cultural needs of Dubrovnik citizens, enriching cultural life, improving the cultural offer of the city, and enhancing material conditions for the development of culture. Also, the program is implemented in collaboration with the public and private sectors, in partnership between the City of Dubrovnik and city cultural institutions, artistic organizations, associations, independent artists, artistic crafts, and other cultural institutions.

Priority in funding the Public Cultural Needs Program is given to the regular activities of cultural institutions founded by the City of Dubrovnik. In addition to this, projects marking the 45th anniversary of the inscription of the Old City of Dubrovnik on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the 15th anniversary of the inscription of the Festivity of St. Blaise on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and the inscription of archival funds from the period of the Dubrovnik Republic on the UNESCO Memory of the World list in November of this year, are particularly valued and supported. As every year, other cultural programs positively assessed by cultural councils are co-financed according to their proposed funding.