Theater
operators will close buildings rather than pay high prices for heating and
electricity. High energy costs are making it hard for many businesses and
cultural institutions across Europe to stay open.
The
111-year-old Erkel Theatre in Budapest is one of three performance spaces of
the Hungarian State Opera that will close in November. The operators can no
longer pay to heat the 1,800-seat building.
“We had to
decide how we can save,” said Szilveszter Okovacs, the director of the
Hungarian State Opera. “Even though it hurts to close Erkel for a few months,
it makes sense. People’s pay is “the most important.”
The group’s
energy bills are eight times and sometimes 10 times more costly than usual.
The
temporary closure of the Erkel Theatre is one of many cases involving cultural
institutions in Hungary. Many are struggling to stay open. High inflation, a
weakening currency, and energy costs are hurting many businesses
and groups.
High energy
costs are forcing some factories to shut down, making products more costly and
fueling fears of a recession.
In July,
Hungary’s government declared an “energy emergency.” It was a reaction to
rising prices and supply problems linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The
government also reduced a popular utility payment aid program,
which allowed Hungarians’ costs for energy and water to be among the lowest in
the 27-member European Union.
As a
result, many businesses and households saw natural gas and electric bills
increase by as much as 1,000 percent from one month to the next.
In an
effort to save energy, Hungary’s government ordered a 25 percent reduction in
the use of electricity and natural gas in public buildings. This includes
cultural institutions, such as museums and theaters. Now they must keep
temperatures inside buildings at or below 18 degrees Celsius.
Beata Barda
is director of the Trafo House of Contemporary Arts in Budapest. She said her
theater’s electricity bills have risen 200 percent since June. Barda added that
there is an “uncertainty factor.” That means she does not know how big her gas
and electric bills will be this winter.
To cut
costs, the theater will show about two-thirds of its normal winter
program. Also, parts of the building that do not need to be heated will be shut
off from the rest.
Barda said,
“We’d like to avoid shutting down or having to cancel performances, so obviously we’ve
got to cut down in all sorts of ways. Will our audiences be able or willing to
come to the theater? This is a really important question.”
The Comedy
Theatre of Budapest is one of the oldest in the city. The lights in the
building’s entrance area and long hallways are off -- even on working days --
to save energy.
Local
governments around the country have announced that theaters, museums, and other
cultural centers must close for the winter.
Adapted from VOA News
