Act No. 55 / 1957 Coll.
Law on theatrical activities (theatrical law)
Valid
Effective from 16.11.1957
55
Law
of 31 October 1957
about theatre activities (theatre law).
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic decided on the following Act:
Preliminary provisions
Mission of theatre
The mission of Czechoslovak theatre is to contribute to increasing the cultural level and to developing the artistic creativity of the people and to the socialist education of citizens.
State care of theatre
(1) The State takes care of theatrical activities and their development. It relies on voluntary social organisation of the working people.
(2) The State runs all theatres, whether they are theatres on which professional artists are active or amateur performances, including puppet theatres.
(3) The State establishes and operates its own theatres (hereinafter referred to as "state theatres") and permits the establishment of other theatres (hereinafter referred to as "non-state theatres").
(4) The State helps the development of original theatre work, provides education and education of theatre artists and staff, and helps to develop theatre.
Management of theatrical activities
(1) The activities of state theatres are managed by the executive bodies of regional, urban or local national committees.
(2) The Ministry of Education and Culture directly manages the activities of state theatres whose field of activity exceeds the territory of the region or which are of national importance.
(3) The activities of non-state theatres shall be supervised by the Executive Authority of the District National Committee.
Theatres
A. State Theatres
Establishment and cancellation
State theatres are set up and repealed by the Ministry of Education and Culture in agreement with the State Office of Planning and Finance, on a proposal from the Regional National Committee, following comments from the Central Committee of the Trade Union and the Central Committee of the Association of Czechoslovak Theatre Artists.
Director
(1) The head of the state theatre is the director, usually appointed from theatre artists, after the case from other theatre experts.
(2) The Director is responsible for the operation of the theatre in terms of artistic and economic aspects.
(3) Specific rules apply to the appointment of directors of state theatres.
Artists and employees
Theater artists and other staff shall be recruited by the Director after consultation of the Trade Union Racing Committee and shall be released with the agreement of the Competition Committee.
Organisational Regulations
(1) Organisations, operation and principles of the management of state theatres are governed by the rules of organisation.
(2) The Organisational Regulations of each State Theatre shall be issued by the authorities which direct the theatre activities, in accordance with the Model Organisational Order issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture in agreement with the State Office of Planning, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Committee of the Trade Union.
National Theatre
(1) The national theatre for its extraordinary importance cultural, national and political, which it had first from its origin among the Czech theatres and which it is to retain permanently for the future, is still a special task in order for all our theaters to be a role model, and to remember that it was built out of the enthusiasm of the widest layers of the nation, always serving the working people from all over the country.
(2) The Organisation, Operation and Principles of the Management of the National Theatre shall be adapted by the Ministry of Education and Culture in agreement with the State Office of Planning, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Committee of the Trade Union by a Statute in which it may deviate from the principles set out in Sections 5, 6, 12 to 15, if this appears necessary or effective in order to achieve the objective set out in paragraph 1.
Slovak National Theatre
The position of the National Theatre is similar to that of the Slovak National Theatre due to its national and cultural mission in Slovakia and its national importance. The Slovak National Theatre also has a special task, so that not only is it the first among Slovak theatres to be a role model for other theatres, but it also always serves the working people from all over the country.
B. Non-State Theatres
Operating authorisation
(1) Only socialist legal entities may establish and operate non-state theatre.
(2) Socialistic legal persons are permitted to operate the theatre by the management body of the Regional National Committee; determine the conditions and manner of running the theatre at the same time.
C. Common provisions
Dramaturgical plans
(1) Theatres draw up dramaturgical plans for each year.
(2) The Directive for the preparation, discussion and approval of dramaturgical plans is to be issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Eligibility of theatre artists
(1) Theatres are only required to employ competent artists.
(2) The Ministry of Education and Culture shall, in agreement with the Central Committee of the Trade Union and the Central Committee of the Association of Czechoslovak Theatre Artists, lay down the conditions for the professional competence of theatrical artists and the manner of their certification.
Presentation outside the seat or area of activity
The theatre, which organizes public performances in the designated area of activity but outside its headquarters, is obliged to notify the executive body of the district national committee in advance.
Public performances outside the designated area of activity are authorised by the executive body of the regional national committee and by the executive body of the district national committee.
Show off theatre operation
(1) Individual public theatre performances involving professional artists can only be organised by cultural and educational organisations and voluntary organisations.
(2) The performance of this kind is authorised by the management authority of the District National Committee.
(3) The conditions under which professional artists may act in such performances are laid down by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Incentive theatre
Mission of amateur theatre
The theatre ensembles perform their mission by contributing to the upbringing of citizens by performing valuable theatrical works, cultivating noble entertainment, spreading interest in theatre and understanding for them to the most remote places, and by doing so they appropriately complement the activities of theatres on which professional artists are active, and after that they also contribute to the discovery of the artistic youth.
Authentic performances
(1) Only cultural and educational organisations, schools and extracurricular education facilities, voluntary organisation, health and single agricultural cooperatives can organise public theatre performances.
(2) Public amateur theatre performances are permitted by the executive body of the District National Committee.
Theatrical performances and supervision
Operation of theatre works
(1) The approval of the dramaturgical plan of the theatre includes the permission to operate the theatre works contained therein.
(2) If public theatre performances are held outside the operation of the theatre, the management authority of the district national committee is allowed to operate the individual theatre works.
Place of operation
(1) Public theatre performances can only be held in buildings specially designed for this purpose or in places specially authorised. If public theatre performances are to be held in other places, this requires the authorisation of the executive body of the District National Committee.
(2) The President of the Central Administration for Housing and Civil Construction, Ministers of Education and Culture, Interior and Health shall, in agreement with the Central Council of Trade Unions, issue regulations on the construction and installation of theatrical buildings, as well as on the measures to be taken in buildings, rooms and premises where public theatrical performances take place, with a view to public safety, in particular construction, fire and health.
Supervision of performance
(1) Supervision of public theatre performances is carried out by the executive bodies of the district national committees.
(2) The Executive Authority of the District National Committee may delegate that competence to the Executive Authority of the Local National Committee.
Theatre schools
Public theatre performances organised by theatrical schools are equally valid, if they are regular public theatre performances, provisions on state theatres; However, if only individual public theatrical performances are involved, the provisions on theatrical performances apply mutatis mutandis to theatrical performances outside the operation of the theatre in which professional artists act.
Military theatre activity
(1) Theater activities in the Czechoslovak People's Army, including amateur activities, are governed by the Ministry of National Defence according to the principles of this Act.
(2) The Ministry of National Defence is in agreement with the Ministry of Education and Culture on fundamental issues of art and organisation.
Final provisions
(1) All provisions on matters governed by this law and any provisions contrary to that law shall be repealed.
(2) In particular:
Act No. 83 / 1929 Coll., on National Theatre in Prague,
Act No. 32 / 1948 Coll., issuing basic provisions on the establishment of theatres and theatrical activities (theatrical Act),
Act No. 192 / 1948 Coll., on State Theatre in Brno,
Act No. 193 / 1948 Coll., on State Theatre in Ostrava,
Government Decree No. 15 / 1950 Coll., implementing the provisions of the Theater Act on the Establishment of Puppet Theaters and Theater Activities.
This Law shall take effect from the date of its publication; It shall be implemented by the Minister for Education and Culture, the Minister-President of the State Committee for Construction, the Home and Health Ministers in agreement with the participating members of the Government.
Broad v. r.
also on the place of the President of the Republic pursuant to § 72 (2) of the Constitution
Fierlinger v. r.
Dr Kahuda v. r.
Nobility v. r.
Bark v. r.
Plojhar v. r.
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Regulation Information
| Citation | Act No. 55 / 1957 Coll., on Theatre Activities (Theater Act) |
|---|---|
| Regulation Type | - |
| Author | - |
| Collection | Code of Laws |
| Date of Promulgation | 16.11.1957 |
|---|---|
| Effective from | 16.11.1957 |
| Effective until | - |
| Status | Valid |
The regulation text is for informational purposes only.
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