Filenews 4 February 2021
Following yesterday's Decision, the Council of Ministers adopted a package of measures aimed at supporting Culture.
The measures decided are as follows:
1. Increase the allowance for artists from €900 provided for in the Decision of the Council of Ministers on 18 December 2020, to €1,500. Around 1,500 – 1,700 artists are expected to benefit from the allowance at an expected cost of around €2,550,000.
2. Support for non-profit cultural operators for operating costs
As the pandemic has had a particular impact on non-profit cultural operators, the Council of Ministers has approved the granting of an exceptional allowance to cover operating costs to non-profit cultural operators, who received sponsorship to cover their operating costs in 2020. This allowance will be paid immediately, as an exceptional allowance, and will amount to 100% of the eligible costs of applications submitted in 2020 up to a maximum of €20,000, without the need to submit any additional certificates. Documents are required to be submitted only for loans relating to the building since the coverage of instalments due was not an eligible expenditure last year. It is noted that in addition to the coverage of due instalments, the maximum amount of the allowance has been increased, from €10,000 or €12,000 depending on the category to €20,000 for everyone.
The total cost for the implementation of this Decision amounts to €225,000.
Support for other cultural actors including profit-making for operating expenses
The Council of Ministers approved the granting of a similar exceptional allowance to cover operating costs to non-profit cultural organisations, which did not receive approval for sponsorship in 2020, as well as to for-profit cultural organisations.
The grant of this exceptional allowance shall be paid to bodies meeting the following criteria:
(i) have as their main statutory objective the activity in the field of modern culture;
(ii) have had a presence in the cultural events of the country in 2020 and are active in the field of strengthening and promoting contemporary Cypriot cultural creation (works and creators) in Cyprus, as well as the promotion, promotion and mobility of artists abroad.
Eligible costs for the determination of the exceptional allowance will be the projected rent of the institution's house/space (or instalments due for 2021 relating to a privately owned house) and services of general interest (electricity and water supply) for 2021.
The exceptional allowance will correspond to 100% of the eligible costs to be submitted, up to a maximum of €20,000. It is expected that the beneficiaries will not exceed 30, with an expected cost of implementing the proposal of €600,000 and provided that they do not receive support from the Ministry of Finance's Plans.
3. Additional sponsorship for Culture Programmes
The Council of Ministers approved for further support for cultural activity the concession to the actors, who will be selected for funding under the Culture Programme for 2021, an additional 10% of the amount to be decided to be given as a grant. In particular, the total funding will increase by 10% and thus the amount will rise from €1,700,000 to around €1,870,000.
The expected additional cost will be around €170,000.
4. Support for theatre producers
In addition, with regard to the theatre sector, for further support to theatre actors and artists, but also in order to provide an incentive to re-act and put on performances as soon as conditions permit, on the recommendation of the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOK), the following exceptional support measures are introduced as follows:
(a) Additional financial assistance for those bodies approved for sponsorship under TYMELI 2021:
Maximum grant of up to €5,000 for sponsored productions, which is broken down to 500€ per performance for up to ten performances.
(b) Financial assistance in the same way for operators, including for-profit companies, which have not been subsidised under TYMELI 2021 but will implement theatrical productions:
Maximum grant of up to €5,000 for sponsored productions, broken down to €500 per performance for up to ten performances.
The grant of €500 per performance is equivalent to the purchase of 50 tickets at the price of €10 for each performance.
The expected cost for the above two measures will be €500,000.
5. In addition to the above measures for which the Government will allocate a total amount of approximately €4,045,000,it is noted that the cultural sector is financed and supported both through the THOK THYMEL Programme with a total amount of approximately €1,140,000 and by the various financial programmes of the Cultural Services, described below.
6. It is noted that through the Culture Programme of the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth, an average of approximately 150 bodies are financed annually for some 200 different activities and some 85 groups and individuals for some 100 cultural activities with a total expenditure of €1,700,000.
7. In addition, €1,500,000 is available for the production of films. Roofs of Letters and Arts are subsidised in various cities with a total amount of €200,000. €50,000 is also available for the TRANSIT hosting program, €65,000 for cultural services translation programs, €180,000 for the Cultural Decentralization Programme involving about 15 institutions per year with about 60 performances in about 50 communities, €60,000 is allocated for grants to private museums and museums of Local Authorities, €40,000 for the networking and promotion project of cultural institutions and €60,000 for a grant of activities of the Religious Groups.
8.Very important in terms of support for the cultural sector are considered the institutional events of the Cultural Services, such as the International Festival of CYPRIA (€600,000), the Cyprus Contemporary Dance Platform (€120,000), the Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival (€140,000), the Cyprus Choreography Showcase (€7 5,000), the Terpsihori programme (€130,000), the Cyprus International Film Days Film Festival (€170,000), the International Short Film Festival (€115,000) and the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama (€230,000) and more.
9. Also, support is considered very important to the Costas Argyros Foundation (€180,000),to the Foundation for Cultural Creation for Children and Young People of Larnaca Province (€36,000), to the Rialto Theatre (€120,000), to the Paphos Organization of Aphrodite Festival (€150,000), to the Municipal and Community Libraries (€190,000), to the UNESCO SEE (€100,000) and other cultural organizations that are important cultural institutions.
Source: eyenews
