In the 1990s independent theater was socially and politically more clear-cut than it is at present, and since it performed strongly against the then political practices and cultural policy it was financed mainly through international grants. Important supporters of independent theater have long been the Swiss Pro Helvetia and the Soros Open Society Foundation. After the establishment of democratic governments at the turn of the century independent culture has also drawn on financial subsidies from the European Union under pre-accession assistance and grants from the International Visegrad Fund. Currently independent culture mostly derives financing from grants by the Slovak Ministry of Culture, the Slovak Ministry of Education, European Culture funds to support arts and resources from the foundations of large telecommunications or banking entities, many of which have specific programs to support artistic creation.

In 2015, the Ministry of Culture created a new subsidy system – the Art Fund, which should be a better tool for promoting independent culture as opposed to the previous system of granting subsidies.