Citing specific examples, what are some positives and negatives of state-subsidized theatres? ...

Today's state-subsidized theatres in Europe are often sites of artistic exploration and experimentation. State theatres can often provide convenient schedules and child-care services to facilitate theatre going. They offer stable working lives to actors, designers, and directors. State funding allows companies to develop ensembles, to have long rehearsal periods that facilitate complex projects, and to enjoy the freedom of creating without concern for ticket sales and profit margins. Across Africa and Asia, countries, such as Nigeria, Namibia, and Thailand all provide government subsidies for national theatres to preserve local traditions. On the other hand, historically, state licensing was used as a means of censorship, with central authorities funding only those theatres with approved messages. In Africa and Asia, colonial powers used the subsidized theatre to stamp their cultural imprint on local populations. In 1990, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) of US withdrew its support for four artists whose work was deemed to be sexually explicit. In addition, some people argue that the governments provide too much support to the large national theatres and not enough support to the smaller groups while some others feel that the state-subsidized artists may become complacent.