Margus Allikmaa will continue as head of the Cultural Endowment. He has previously worked in this position. The Cultural Endowment Council selected him for the next four years. No public competition was held for the leadership position.
Allikmaa says the Cultural Endowment has worked stably for 32 years. No major changes are planned. More changes have been made in the last four years than before. However, he does not plan to implement changes as quickly over the next four years.
Allikmaa wants to develop the Cultural Endowment's services. He recently completed the renewal of e-kulk. Now he wants to make the application process simpler and more convenient. This is one of his main goals.
Another important topic is the Cultural Endowment Act. Allikmaa believes this law is outdated. It needs updating and more precise wording. The law was written in 1995 and is not precise enough.
Allikmaa also talks about application evaluation. Recently, expert decisions have been criticized. He wants expert decisions to be clear and firm. Culture cannot be measured like agriculture or industry. In evaluating culture, experts must be trusted.
One major challenge is related to the gambling tax. If more money comes in, new tasks will arise. The Cultural Endowment must be ready.
Margus Allikmaa has a lot of experience. He has worked at the Ministry of Culture and as Deputy Mayor of Tallinn. He has also led Estonian Radio and the Estonian Public Broadcasting. From 2018 to 2022, he was the director of the Russian Theatre. Since 2022, he has been the head of the Cultural Endowment.