The government must announce immediate measures to support cultural artists and creators
Statement by Costas Costa, Head of AKEL Cultural Affairs Bureau on AKEL’s teleconference with the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 5th May 2020, Nicosia
AKEL organised a teleconference today with the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Prodromos Prodromou to discuss the severe problems culture is facing. AKEL was represented by Giorgos Loucaides, Parliamentary Representative of the Party, Andros Kafkalias AKEL Member of Parliament and Member of the Parliamentary Education Committee and Costas Costa, Head of the AKEL Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Central Committee.
As AKEL, we pointed out the delay noted in decisions being taken by the government to provide support to cultural creation. At the same time, AKEL reiterated the proposals we have repeatedly submitted recently. We focused our attention particularly on specific issues that need to be addressed urgently. More specifically, we stressed the following:
- The provision of an emergency special allowance to all those employed in cultural creation and production. This allowance should cover the entire period between the onset of the Covid-19 crisis and the return to cultural activity.
- The bringing back to Parliament of the Bill for the professional registration of artists-creators, taking into account his/her particular working conditions.
- The return of the honorary allowance to retired culture creators, some of whom are facing a very serious problem of survival.
- The decisive support towards Cypriot cultural creation, with the addition of new programs or the adaptation of existing programs, in which artists-creators who live permanently in Cyprus, should have priority. At the same time, the government should encourage other public bodies, the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOK), Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK), the Symphony Orchestra, Local Government, but also other big public and private organizations, to in turn support Cypriot cultural creation too.
- In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, safety and health regulations that govern work in the areas where working people are active in cultural creation should be elaborated and announced.
- Given that right now, all the mass media are using the intellectual work of cultural creators to finally proceed with the rendering of copyright and related rights. In addition, new programs should be funded that will be presented on the internet.
- Effective support for writing and visual arts.
As regards the day after, the elaboration of a comprehensive program was requested that should take into account the new realities. Taking the necessary safety and health measures into account, it is imperative that the return to cultural activity should start gradually, especially in open air spaces. Until the situation is fully normalized, the government should consider implementing several measures, including subsidising tickets, exemption from the obligation to pay rent, entertainment tax and VAT.
We expect the Minister, as he has besides stated during the consultation, to take AKEL’s positions seriously into account and, among other things, to proceed in the next few days with the announcement of the plan to provide an emergency support allowance for working people in the field of Culture. .
AKEL, fully realising the difficult position in which artists-cultural creators face, will continue its efforts to solve their acute problems.
Finally, it should be noted that the Parliamentary Group of AKEL has again tabled for discussion the issue in the relevant Parliamentary Committee. AKEL also raised the issue of support for artists-creators in the European Parliament through an intervention yesterday, Monday, 4th May by the Party’s MEP Nyiazi Kizilyurek, who is also the Coordinator of the Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left for Cultural Affairs.
