Authors

Daniel Beck¹;  ¹ Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary

Discussion

After 2010 in Hungary, there were several cultural-political decisions made by the government that affected the Hungarian theatrical sphere. It seems, the government has been constructing a new cultural elite, in parallel, it has reallocated goods and public funds to new loyal elites who are much more closely controlled because of their dependence on the subsidy from the state. I would like to explore the internal operation of the Hungarian theatrical sphere and its connection with the government as well as the government’s motivation behind the elite change.
Therefore, I examine the transformation of the University of Theatre and Film Arts (Hungarian abridgment: SzFE) with particular attention. This university is one of the most prestigious training venues in the country. I will also try to explore the motivations behind the case. The so-called SzFE-case is probably one of the most visible and most notable point regarded the government’s cultural-political decisions.
After 2019, the government started to reform the university. Not only the model of maintenance changed: instead of the state, a foundation took over the maintainer rights over the institutes of the university – but the leaders too. The model change caused remarkable resistance from the students of the university, moreover, some professors resigned. I examine this topic as an insightful example of how the government reshaped the theatrical sphere.