She said that now the concert hall team is carefully familiar with the restrictions that remain in force, because every nuance is important when organizing events.
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“We are specifying the number of chairs for sale, which is possible in accordance with these conditions. The number will increase, however, we will not be able to restore the previous capacity for the time being and it is a big challenge,” said Zirniņa.
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The head of SIA “Austrumlatvijas koncertzāle” welcomes the new amendments, because every opportunity must be taken not to close the doors of any cultural institution and not to give up cultural events.
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The large and small hall of the Latgale Embassy “Gors” are multifunctional with the possibility to change the number of seats, as well as to adjust the premises for standing concerts. The number of seats in the small hall reaches 220 seats, but by transforming the room, 1,500 parking spaces can be obtained. The capacity of the Great Hall is at least 1000 seats, but by transforming the room, the number of chairs can be increased. According to Zirniņa, taking into account the new amendments, the Great Hall will be able to accommodate about 500 people.
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Asked how cooperation with event producers is formed during this time, the head of SIA “Austrumlatvijas koncertzāle” pointed out that mechanisms have been developed to provide their support by offering to rent a hall for almost the cost of organizing two instead of one concert.
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“It must be said that we are all still in the boat. Regional concert halls operate as capital companies. This means that we cannot provide premises for events free of charge. In the case of Gora, the share of economic income from events and renting premises is very significant,” Zirniņa explained.
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The head of SIA “Austrumlatvijas koncertzāle” emphasized that the organizers of the events are in an unenviable situation, especially those who plan to fill the hall with a much larger number of visitors. The concert hall has taken a step in the opposite direction and is trying to encourage the planned events to take place on the scheduled dates and this year.
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“We cannot allow the concert hall to have several empty months a year. The concert hall has to work because it has to maintain both the building and the staff. We try to agree with each event producer separately. It is gratifying that several new events have been announced,” said Zirniņa.
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The head of the Latgale embassy “Gors” explained that the efforts to achieve the planned events this year are closely related to concerns about possible changes in tax policy – if you return to the application of the value added tax (VAT) rate for cultural events, or change royalties, then the next a year full of challenges.
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“In this case, we will not be able to offer premises for the relocated events at the current prices. We urge the event organizers to be understanding and try to implement the events planned this year so that there are no unpleasant surprises next year due to the change in tax policy,” said Zirniņa.
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