Lanbide and the Department of Culture and Language Policy have launched a 'Support Program for Cultural Professionals'. 2.5 million will be allocated to support workers in the cultural sectors.

Beatriz Artolazabal, Minister for Employment and Social Policy, and Bingen Zupiria, Minister for Culture and Language Policy, presented the 'Support Program for Cultural Professionals', which aims to provide financial support to cultural workers affected by the effects of Covid 19. Promoted by the profession and the Department of Culture and Language Policy, eligible workers will be able to claim 70% of the average monthly net income recognized in the previous year’s Personal Income Tax. The limit per employee will be 1,200 euros per month and the total budget for this program will be 2.5 million euros.

According to Beatriz Artolazabal, Minister of Employment and Social Policy, “A great deal of professional work is being done to identify the sectors most affected by the pandemic.” “This is one of the areas of culture, which is why we created this new line of funding. with the aim of mitigating the damage, ”he noted.

Minister of Culture and Language Policy Bingen Zupiria, on the other hand, emphasized the need for this new initiative in the field of culture: and thousands of people are suffering from these consequences. We believe that this new program is necessary to help hundreds of cultural workers overcome this situation and also to keep our cultural fabric alive, which is essential for our people. "

New program

This program is aimed at people who have their personal and tax domicile in the Basque Autonomous Community, are of legal age and have the professional activity of artists in the Personal Income Tax return. In addition, this new proposal is aimed at those who have had to cancel their activities and programs as a result of Covid-19.

People who join this program will be able to receive 70% of the average monthly net income recognized in the previous year's Income Tax return for cultural activities. If the person has started working in the last few months, they will have to submit an application form to start the activity, and if the applicants start working in 2020, the support they will receive will be equivalent to the minimum monthly inter-professional salary. The program will run from March 13 (on the eve of the declaration of Health Emergency and Alarm Status) until the end of the month in which the alarm status will end and cultural performances will be allowed to the public. In any case, the grants will be offered for a maximum of 6 months.

The program will be managed through Lanbide, in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Language Policy. The rules of procedure, forms, deadlines and other elements necessary for the implementation of this program will be provided in the coming days, by resolution of the Director General of the Profession. The aim of this new initiative is to be up and running before the end of April.

The program itself will determine the activities that will be eligible for aid, based on the National Classification of Economic Activities. In any case, it can be anticipated that the following activities will be taken into account: professional activities related to creation; trade in cultural products; reproduction of graphic arts and engraved media; audiovisual activities; photo activities; editing activity; library, archive, museum and heritage activities; sound recording and music editing assistants; sound recording and music editing activities; manufacture of image and sound media and apparatus and musical instruments; language translation and training activities; or cultural education.