07-04-2020

Poland Gives 870 m EUR to Support Culture During COVID-19 Crisis

By
    Culture on the Web programme Culture on the Web programme

    WARSAW: The Polish Minister of Culture Piotr Gliński has announced a new support programme for artists, creators and institutions that cannot carry out their artistic activities due to the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic.

    "Culture on the Web" is a programme designed to aid the dissemination of creative activities or the presentation of their effects in electronic communication channels, primarily on the Internet. The programme's budget is 20 m PLN / 4.3 m EUR. The launching of the programme was made possible through the Act from 31 March 2020 regarding solutions to the crisis. The programme is part of the Anti-Crisis Shield for culture with a planned budget of 869.6 million EUR / 4 billion PLN. This is the first of the grant programmes announced by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage professor Piotr Gliński.

    “By definition, artistic contact includes the artist's contact with the recipient and the audience. The recipient is necessary for the artist. In many dimensions - artistic, social, economic. The situation in which found ourselves meant that some artists were deprived of a direct relationship with their audience. However, this gap immediately began to be filled by the media, primarily the Internet and social media, thanks to which artists communicate with their viewers, but also reach new audiences. The Culture on the Web programme is intended to strengthen the offer of our creators on the Internet, change or extend the forms of popularisation of their work to include presence in electronic media. The financing can be a benefit for both the artists themselves, as well as non-governmental organisations and private and self-governing cultural institutions,” said Polish Culture Minister Piotr Gliński.

    The programme consists of two elements: the financial assistance programme of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage and the grant programme managed by the National Center for Culture. The financial assistance programme is addressed to individuals, creators and artists. Non-governmental organisations and cultural institutions can apply for a grant from the NCK programme. This form of funding excludes national institutions, institutions run or co-run by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, schools and art colleges. 

    The deadline for starting and completing the task is set from 1 May to 30 October 2020. The co-financing of the task can be up to 100% of the task budget.