فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
The Ministry of Culture has surprised theater and visual artists with a joint decision to impose high fees for the use of its cultural halls and facilities, a move that has sparked widespread condemnation within artistic circles.
While artists and theater troupes had hoped for facilitation and support from the ministry to bring their creations closer to the public, the decision was published in the Official Gazette No. 7411 dated June 9. The joint decree, signed by Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Culture, and Fouzi Lekjaa, Delegate Minister in charge of the Budget, sets fees for certain services provided by the ministry in exchange for financial payment.
The decision stipulates high rental fees for the use of several cultural venues. Article One sets the usage fees for the Kasbah Oudaya Gallery, Bahannini Hall in Rabat, Taza Theater, and the Beni Makada Cultural Center in Tangier.
Article Two states that those wishing to use the spaces at the Palace of Culture and Arts in Tangier must pay 30,000 MAD for the large halls for performances, or 7,000 MAD for the smaller halls. The conference hall rental is set at 5,000 MAD, while the multipurpose hall costs 30,000 MAD with full equipment or 20,000 MAD without equipment.
Visual artists were also surprised by the fees for exhibiting their artworks in these spaces, ranging from 3,000 MAD per day to 17,400 MAD for a full week—amounts that exceed the financial capacity of many, potentially leading to further cultural decline on the national scene.
Professionals fear that this step will deepen the crisis facing the cultural sector, especially since many theater and art groups do not benefit from the annual support provided by the ministry to stimulate cultural activity.
The decision has sparked mixed reactions within the artistic community, with some viewing it as an obstacle to artistic progress and limiting access to cultural creations, while others call for a reconsideration of the fees to better accommodate the circumstances of artists and national art groups.
