More corona-aid for free cultural sector

4 September 2020

Another EUR 680,000 from Ministry of Culture and Media

The Ministry of Culture and Media has earmarked another EUR 680,000 in funds for Hamburg’s independent cultural sector, which has been badly hit by the corona-induced restrictions. The funds are part of aid package to allow groups of artists, individual artists, off-theatre groups and guest performances to improve their planning.

Innovative free scene

"The independent scene makes an indispensable contribution to multi-faceted cultural, artistic coexistence in this city," said Dr. Carsten Brosda, Senator for Culture and Media. "The past few months have shown how much we need the impetus and innovative power of this unmistakably diverse scene. This also includes strengthening stages across the independent scene, which have formed the Off-Theatre Association." The Dachverband freie darstellende Künste e. V. has welcomed the "appreciative and necessary signal" from politics for the sector. More information on how to apply for basic and research funding is available online and in the funding guidelines for independent performing arts.

Productions

Under the slogan "Producing in the Corona Era”, the Dachverband freie darstellende Künste is providing EUR 200,000 in additional funding for independent performing artists on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Media from October. This covers both pandemic-related additional costs for existing projects and performances.

sm/sb/pb

Sources and further information

The following sectors will receive more funds temporarily:

The diffusion funding for guest performances and resuming performances by members of the Dachverband freie darstellende Künste e. V. rises by EUR 200,000 to EUR 300,000.
Basic funding and for research in the independent performing arts increases by EUR 200,000 to EUR 300,000 for freelance performing artists and new projects.
Elbkulturfonds/Elbe Culture Fund for 2021 (deadline for applications in June 2020) rises by EUR 250,000 to EUR 750,000. This means more support for more projects in the independent scene and across all sectors.
The funding for guest performances in the 2020/2021 season increases by EUR 30,000 to EUR 60,000 as a means of funding the Off-Theatre Association in Hamburg.