State of Culture in Albania 2025 · Municipal profiles · Artivista Center (Qendra Artivista)
This profile is based on information provided by the Municipality of Korçë in reply to Artivista's request for information on culture (2026) and INSTAT's 2023 Population and Housing Census. Amounts are in Albanian lek.
At a glance
| Region (qark) | Korçë |
| Administrative units | 8: Korçë, Drenovë, Lekas, Mollaj, Qendër Bulgarec, Vithkuq, Voskop, Voskopojë |
| Area | 806 km² |
| Population, 2023 Census | 60,754 (about 75 residents per km²); 20.1% fewer than in 2011 |
| Residents aged 65 and over | 25.3% (national average 19.7%) |
| Culture budget (programme AF122) | 80.9 million lek planned and 56.9 million spent in 2020; 142.9 million planned and 130.6 million spent in 2025 |
| Cultural institution | Centre for Art and Culture (QAK), with 8 venues |
| Staff | 57 approved positions; between 45 and 50 employed during the period 2020 - 2025 |
| Projects | From 27 in 2020 to 51 in 2025 |
Summary
Korçë, the main city of southeastern Albania, runs almost all of its cultural life through one institution, the Centre for Art and Culture (QAK). The Centre manages eight venues, among them the Andon Zako Çajupi Theatre, the Bratko and Gjon Mili museums, the Guri Madhi gallery, a digital art gallery and two libraries.
Its budget grew strongly. Planned spending rose from 80.9 million lek in 2020 to 142.9 million lek in 2025, and the share actually spent rose from 70.3% to 91.4%, with a dip to 84.5% in 2024. The number of projects carried out almost doubled, from 27 in the pandemic year 2020 to 51 in 2025.
The reply did not answer the question on heritage restoration, which it referred to the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage, and said that more time was needed to collect some of the Centre's data. The population fell by a fifth between the two censuses, and one in four residents is aged 65 or over.
1. Governance and institutions
The Centre for Art and Culture depends on the municipality and is responsible for organising and developing the city's cultural life. It implements the municipality's cultural strategy and, in some cases, the annual plan of the Ministry of Culture. It covers the Vangjush Mio Cultural Centre, the Bratko Museum, the Gjon Mili Museum, the Guri Madhi Art Gallery, the Digital Art Gallery, the Andon Zako Çajupi Theatre, the Thimi Mitko Library and the Thoma Turtulli Children's Library. There is no separate culture structure in the municipal administration.
2. Staff and funding
The culture programme AF122 had a plan of 80,933,943 lek and spending of 56,909,618 lek in 2020, 80,964,151 and 65,336,174 lek in 2021, 87,256,318 and 74,513,095 lek in 2022, 89,195,935 and 79,588,544 lek in 2023, 126,781,927 and 107,185,324 lek in 2024, and 142,858,803 and 130,566,945 lek in 2025. The reply also gives the value of funds distributed to the Centre's projects, which rose from 9.7 million lek spent in 2020 to 51.0 million lek in 2025. The planned funds distributed were between about one fifth and two fifths of the planned programme each year.
The Centre has 57 approved positions: a general director, 19 at the Vangjush Mio Cultural Centre, 25 at the theatre and 12 at the Thimi Mitko Library. The number actually employed was 47 in 2020 - 2022, 45 in 2023, 49 in 2024 and 50 in 2025.
3. Cultural programme
The Centre carried out 27 projects in 2020 out of 55 planned, a drop the reply links to the pandemic. From 2021 the number carried out stayed close to the plan: 35 in 2021, 45 in 2022, 41 in 2023, 46 in 2024 and all 51 planned in 2025. Most projects are organised by the Cultural Centre, with the rest by the theatre and the libraries.
4. Heritage
The reply refers the question on restoration of heritage sites to the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Korçë and gives no figures.
5. Planning and public participation
The reply says that the Centre implements the municipality's cultural strategy, without giving its title or period. It does not answer the questions on public consultations, income and plans for the coming years, and invites readers to visit the Centre or its website for this information.
6. Culture across the municipality
No permits for cultural activities in public spaces were issued in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic. For the period 2022 - 2026, permits were given for a total of 44 days, covering 141 m². The reply gives no breakdown by administrative unit.
Conclusions
- Korçë has one of the largest cultural institutions in this series, with 8 venues and 57 approved positions.
- Planned culture spending rose from 80.9 to 142.9 million lek during the period 2020 - 2025.
- The share actually spent rose from 70.3% to 91.4%, with a dip in 2024.
- Projects carried out almost doubled, from 27 to 51, and since 2021 have stayed close to the plan.
- The reply did not answer the questions on heritage, consultations and income.
Recommendations
Complete the missing answers
Figures on heritage works, public consultations and income from the Centre's eight venues, collected from the Centre and the Regional Directorate, would complete Korçë's picture.
Explain the staff figures
The Centre has 57 approved positions, while the yearly staff plan was 50 to 54 and the number employed 45 to 50. Explaining the difference, for example by venue, would help plan staffing.
Explain the two budget series
Showing how the funds distributed to projects relate to the full AF122 programme would make the budget easier to follow.
Bring culture to the villages
With most activity in the city, a programme that travels to Voskopojë, Vithkuq and the other units would serve residents across the municipality and support cultural tourism.
About the data
Population figures come from the INSTAT 2023 Census. Budget, projects, funds distributed, staff and public space permits are as reported by the municipality in its reply of 22 May 2026, based on data from the Centre for Art and Culture and municipal directorates.
Every effort has been made to base this analysis on the data provided by the municipality, complemented with data from its Medium Term Budget Programmes (PBA) published online. For comments or questions, please contact artivista@arti-vista.org.
This article was prepared within the CulturAL project, with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the National Centre for Community Services and Artivista Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
