On November 19, news from Valencian circles reported that the General Council of the Consortium of Museums of the Valencian Community had scheduled a meeting to address the potential dismissal of José Luis Pérez Pont, the director of the Carmen Center for Contemporary Culture (CCCC). Pérez Pont is a cultural manager and partner of Gesció Culture.
The Valencian Association of Cultural Professionals states its opposition to the conduct of the Ministry of Culture, led by the minister involved in this pause. The association will not enumerate every consequence of Pérez Pont’s leadership, nor will it speculate on who will decide his removal. Pérez Pont has built a capable team around cultural initiatives that respond to a community seeking contemporaneity and a living culture aligned with the expectations of Valencian creatives. Under such leadership, the Centro del Carme has emerged as a major hub for cultural dissemination in the region.
The fact that the Valencian Community remains at the forefront of creativity and innovation is, in part, the result of the efforts of management professionals like José Luis Pérez Pont, who have supported numerous projects and institutions. Pérez Pont is regarded as a cultural management expert who, like many others within the Ministry of Culture, contributes merit and capacity to the CCCC’s direction. This assessment aligns with the Valencian Code of Good Practice in Culture currently in effect [Citation: Valencian Code of Good Practice in Culture].
Similarly, the deputy directors of Performing Arts, Audiovisual and Cinematography and the IVC have publicly questioned how the current Generalitat Valenciana’s government has approached Pérez Pont’s dismissal and replacement, given that the reasons have not been made public. There is concern about the contracts of Music and Valencian Popular Culture and their potential termination. These contracts are in place, and their cancellation could be seen as failing to respect the Code of Good Practice, raising concerns about political expediency behind such actions [Citation: Valencian Cultural Sector Statements].
The Cultural Management sector, which unites many public and private professionals across the Valencian Community, has voiced clear opposition to the Ministry of Culture’s initiative, noting that professional opinions from various associations were not consulted. This situation invites scrutiny from cultural stakeholders about who the government truly trusts to guide the Community’s cultural future.
Such questions lead to a call for clarification from the President of the Generalitat Valenciana. How will the government maintain an ongoing dialogue on cultural matters if the views of longstanding cultural professionals are overlooked? The association argues that the selection process, which previously relied on good-practice methods and broad participation by industry professionals under the regional administration of the prior legislature, should not be questioned. The work of professionals like Pérez Pont should be assessed on its merits rather than dismissed by political convenience [Citation: Valencian Cultural Management Council].
The Valencian Association of Cultural Experts urges the Ministry of Culture to publicly explain the reasons for Pérez Pont’s dismissal beyond a generic reference to political change. It also rejects any notion of severance compensation when a project is terminated capriciously. The association asserts that terminating the director’s employment contract, along with contracts for other deputy directors at the Valencian Institute of Culture, appears capricious and unresponsive to the broader goal of strengthening the region’s culture. This critique reflects a preference for transparent reasoning and accountability in cultural governance [Citation: Valencian Professional Associations for Culture].
Accordingly, Gesció Culture and the Valencian Association of Cultural Professionals request that the General Council of the Consortium of Museums of the Valencian Community remove the item concerning Pérez Pont’s dismissal from the agenda of its upcoming meeting. Pérez Pont’s appointment as director did not seem to have a clearly stated objective, and there is a parallel call for equitable consideration of all cultural management professionals who reach leadership roles through established processes that compare capacities and merits [Citation: Valencian Cultural Leadership Standards].
Finally, the Vice-President of the Generalitat, by extension the President, is urged to publicly disclose the reasons behind the ongoing termination of employment contracts still in effect. If resignation is not forthcoming, the administration is asked to share the rationale behind hiring replacements, including any implications for Valencian public finances and the broader cultural landscape. This request aims to ensure that decisions affecting Valencian culture are transparent and justifiable to the communities they serve [Citation: Public Accountability in Valencian Culture].