Antra Skutele to Lead Rezekne's Gors Concert Hall, but Questions Remain
Shareholders of Austrumlatvijas koncertzale chose Antra Skutele as the new management board member of the Latgale Embassy Gors. The reason for the urgent meeting remains unclear, and the Ministry of Culture says the municipality ignored the principle of good governance.
An extraordinary shareholders' meeting of Austrumlatvijas koncertzale Ltd was held on Wednesday, 7 October. The Rezekne city municipality convened it as an urgent matter to appoint a new management board member of the Latgale Embassy Gors. The meeting decided the post would go to Antra Skutele, who will start work on 15 October.
Bill in the Saeima
On 6 October, the Saeima's Education, Culture and Science Committee made no significant changes to the bill on the Latgale Embassy Gors and sent it forward for a third reading. The bill is meant to protect the concert hall's real estate and sets out the Ministry of Culture's involvement in its governance. It does not, however, guarantee state funding for the hall's operations.
Ilona Rupaine, Gors' artistic director, who is currently also fulfilling the board member's duties, has previously said the bill contains no firm provision that the state will provide no support. The Ministry of Culture may delegate specific tasks in culture and cultural education, including preserving the Latgalian language and identity. Rupaine firmly believes the state could delegate certain tasks to Gors and provide appropriate financial support. After the extraordinary meeting, she said she could not offer further comment because the concert hall's team had not been involved in selecting the board member. She also declined to comment specifically on the new appointee, as she had not yet been introduced to her or had a chance to talk.
The new board member
Antra Skutele was born in Preili and graduated from the choir department of the Riga Music Secondary School. She holds a bachelor's degree in cultural entrepreneurship, a cultural manager qualification and a professional master's degree in cultural management from the University of Economics and Culture. She previously worked as director of the Jekabpils cultural administration and the Livani municipality cultural centre, and as a municipal cultural coordinator and project manager at a municipal agency. The wider public knows her as a member of the Preili Purpura choir.
Skutele said she feels honoured by the trust shown and wants to help safeguard Latgalian identity. She learned only on the day of the meeting that the company's budget must be submitted by 23 October. This made her anxious, but she intends to discuss the key issues before officially starting work.
Unclear rationale and the ministry's view
The reason for the municipality's urgent meeting remains unclear, since any municipal company must submit its budget by 23 October. Preparing a budget for such a large company within a week will be very difficult.
Gaidis Berzins, adviser on legal matters to the Ministry of Culture's state secretary, said the third reading should take place at the next Saeima sitting on 15 October. Parliament is one sitting behind, so consideration could be postponed. According to him, the Rezekne municipality was informed about the bill's progress and that the board member would be appointed before the law took effect, and that the ministry would have the right to assess the candidate's suitability. He said there were no legal obstacles to appointing a new board member, but the municipality had not observed the principle of good governance.
