HangArt – Kinostudio is the newest cultural space that unites the independent scene, cultural institutions, and their partners.

Prime Minister Edi Rama, together with the Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation Blendi Gonxhja, attended the event this evening to inaugurate the Center, where the fourth edition of the International Cultural Weeks CulturAlb was also launched. This initiative is part of a network of centers dedicated to promoting Albanian culture worldwide, as well as the National Grant Program for Culture and Creativity, which provides support for the independent artistic scene.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama:

Good evening, everyone! I won’t take long, as I believe Blendi has already provided a comprehensive overview, but in a few words, I want to emphasize that it is absolutely true that our ambition is to significantly increase the resources for culture year after year. Part of this goal is the restructuring of the ministry itself, merging the economy and culture into one unified structure, alongside innovation, of course.

And as Blendi mentioned, we have substantially increased the budget. We are also working on a number of new schemes that we believe will benefit those in the cultural sector, the performing arts, and direct activities across all the fields covered by this broad institutional framework. On the other hand, I want to assure you that we will make a special effort to promote the education of cultural managers.

At this point, we recognize a gap between the seasoned actors and protagonists, who have a wealth of interesting things to offer, to say, and to share—not only with the audience within our borders but also beyond them—and the managers and the management of cultural institutions, which, unfortunately, is still lacking in our country. It is crucial that we invest significantly in this area, because while we are creating new spaces, and even more ambitious ones in the future, the key question remains: how do we turn these spaces into fertile, thriving environments for the products they will generate? And here, of course, it’s not just about the talents who will utilize these spaces, nor is it only about the funds that need to be invested in these spaces, but it’s also about how these spaces are administered and managed.

Today, we witnessed a very impressive development, and I am confident that everyone will have the same feeling when they see the new National Children’s Center for the first time, which will practically house a significant part of culture and artistic activity focused on younger age groups. But the question that arises is: do we have the capacity to transform that major investment being made there and turn those vast spaces being created, regardless of the available budgets, into fertile and prosperous territories for all those who will utilize the center, and for all those who will be, whether protagonists or consumers of what will be produced in that center?

The same question arises for the National Gallery, the same question arises for the National Theater, which is now under construction and will no longer simply be a destination with a worn-out stage, like the one that fortunately made way for the new National Theater. Now, it will essentially be a new factory in every sense, including the management of all the logistics that need to be set up to support production. This is something we saw at the Opera Theater, where the large “factory” behind the scenes, which serves the stage, is not fully utilized as it should be, given the options available. It requires well-trained people who are up-to-date with technology.

The same question also applies to the National Museum, which will undergo a radical transformation and practically become an entirely new space—indeed, the largest in terms of the volume of its areas. It will not just house objects or pieces of history; it must be an active space that goes beyond mere observation. It should be a place for research, exhibitions, debates, and more.

We know that our country has limited human resources to advance high-level training for cultural managers. However, we can’t solely depend on foreign managers or external resources. We must find a way to combine both and create a training institution here.

The final point I want to emphasize is this idea of the school, of building capacity to educate more and give more talented girls and boys the opportunity to develop in all fields. An inspiring initiative has already begun, which I would like to mention here—the new film school. This is, in a way, a voluntary collaboration between those who opened the doors of the school, and us, who have provided the space. It’s also part of the desire and spirit to stimulate as many such spaces as possible, creating more opportunities for young professionals, girls, and boys who graduate from school and aspire to become protagonists in the world of art and culture. These individuals should have the opportunity to teach others and, in doing so, be rewarded accordingly. This also relates to educators in various disciplines, whom we will need at the National Children’s Center (QKF), at the National Gallery, the National Museum, and the National Theater. We aim to create spaces where, while a show or any other activity is being produced and consumed, younger generations are also nurtured.

Thank you once again for the opportunity!

Congratulations on this space!