Open Letter to the EU Commission and the Member States, demanding support for the Cultural and Creative Sectors, particularly cultural creators, affected by the COVID-19 crisis
The Open Letter (PDF) is available in the following languages: EN.culturalcreators.eu (English) DE.culturalcreators.eu (Deutsch) FR.culturalcreators.eu (Français) IT.culturalcreators.eu (Italiano) ES.culturalcreators.eu (Español) LV.culturalcreators.eu (Latviešu)
The Cultural and Creative Sectors (CCS) all over Europe are hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Live events and performances had to be cancelled, while most cultural venues were forced to close their doors. Cultural creators are severely affected by the discontinuation of their exhibition and performance opportunities. In sectors characterised by self-employment, freelancing and job flexibility, combined with little or no access to social benefits, the loss of income poses a direct and immediate threat to the existence of authors, performers and all cultural operators, many of which had already been struggling well before the current emergency.
In times of crisis, culture is more important than ever. With millions of citizens confined in their homes, it is music, films, books and online performances that represent a source of solace and hope. They are an essential factor of psychological well-being and play a key role in strengthening the sense of community and inclusivity of our society. Without immediate action, the negative consequences of this crisis will affect much more than our economy. We might not be able to recover from this “culture shock” for many years, losing much of the richness and diversity of the European cultural scene.
It is our responsibility to protect and support the cultural ecosystem and creators all over Europe in order to ensure that they can continue to create culture, during these difficult times and in the future.