For online session May 19th - news from CZ to share
I just feel useful to share, how the Czech government reacted to COVID-19, good example:
The Government has passed Minister Zaorálek’s set of measures to save the culture
Based on the current state and the outlook for cultural events related to the coronavirus pandemic, the Czech Ministry of Culture prepared The Proposal of Some Measures to Mitigate the Impact of the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic on the Cultural Sector, which was amended by the government on 9th April, 2020. The main goal of the proposed measures is to maintain the professional non-profit cultural infrastructure as it has no financial reserves. The total amount assigned to this program is 1.07 billion CZK (approx.. 40,000,000 €).
The subjects in the independent arts (primarily those in the all-year subsidy groups of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, and small publisher) that have been providing public cultural services in the Czech Republic for at least 3 years without interruption can apply for the support, provided that they have been successful at least once in the Ministry’s grant procedures in the past three years (2018-2020). The Ministry will also announce the subsidy tender in the program Cultural Activities. The government endorsed the amount of 440 billion CZK (approx.. 16,300,000 €!).
Apart from the set of measures, the Ministry of Culture has reimbursed subsidies of 750 million CZK for 2020 (approx. 27,7000,000 €). The subjects that got the subsidy from the Ministry of Culture, but their events will not fully take place, shall not return the part of the subsidy the beneficiary proves valid regarding the costs for the event preparation. The Ministry of Culture shall see the costs as realized.
The new voucher law, which protects cancelled festivals from the obligation to return paid tickets immediately was accepted by the Chamber of Deputies and offers a protection period until October 2021.
The Ministry of Culture has also prepared an overview of government measures associated with people in culture (employees, freelancers, self-employed, companies, etc.) that can be utilized now or shall be available for cultural subjects and individuals after the Chamber of Deputies passes it in the upcoming days or weeks.
The Ministry of Culture has also released the information from the Department of Art, Literature, and Libraries, concerning the statement of the subsidy and the conditions for the subsidy.