Faced with the serious situation experienced by the workers of the Basque culture by the measures against COVID-19, next week they announced a digital strike in demand for urgent measures and policies with a strategic vision. Until then, they have found that most public institutions do not have the will to adopt specific protection measures, even though they have come to them in demand for such decisions. However, on the same day that this news is publicly announced, the script has made a surprise twist: The Basque Government, through the Minister for Culture and Linguistic Policy, Bingen Zupiria, and the Minister for Employment and Social Policies, Beatriz Artolazabal, has reported aid worth 2.5 million.

Within the package of measures presented as a programme for professionals, cultural workers will be able to apply for 70% of the monthly average recognised in the Personal Income Tax (IRPF) provided that they meet the requirements set by the Basque Government. The Basque Government has explained that anyone applying for this aid will receive an amount equivalent to the inter-professional minimum wage which extends from the beginning of the confinement (13 March) until the last day of the month in which the state of alarm is terminated and proceedings with the public are authorised. They have made it clear that the aid will not exceed six months.

On the basis of the Spanish classification of economic activities, it is specified who will be able to request this economic support, although it is anticipated that the activities that will benefit from this funding will be the professional activities linked to the creation, trade in cultural products, reproduction of graphic arts and recorded media, audiovisual activities, photographic activities, editing, library activities, archives, museums and heritage, audio recording and music recording auxiliaries, sound recording and music recording activities.

Lanbide will manage this programme for CAPV cultural staff and the necessary procedural and printed rules for applying for aid have not yet been made available to the public. As Zupiria and Artolazabal have explained, it should be ready by the end of April.

Measures of the Basque Community for culture

Faced with the coronavirus, the Basque Culture College announced several measures on Wednesday. This assistance will be linked to the launching of a dialogue with cultural professionals to assess emerging needs and to gather information, and to concrete economic measures, taking into account the events that will be suspended in these months.

The public entity in Lapurdi, Nafarroa Beherea and Zuberoa wants to ensure that the shows that are not held in these months are reprogrammed for next year and anticipates the creators that will delay the shows 60% of what they should charge this year. In cases where reprogramming is not possible, the College will settle all applications – EUR 94,000 for representations cancelled until the end of April.

In addition, the Basque Football College has ensured that the approved grants will be maintained regardless of the level of activity of the associations and projects they carry out. In addition, it will advance EUR 511,000 in aid to support the cultural agents of the territory. The 2019 subsidy balances shall be paid “as soon as possible”. For 2020 grants, 80% of the amount set in 2019 will be paid as a deposit to regular partners. The institution has pointed out that this aid is in addition to the aid already announced by the French State and the New Aquitaine Region, which amounts to a much higher sum.

Navarra, without specific measures

Since the implementation of the confinement measures, the institution that has least given signs about culture has been the Government of Navarra: just a couple of press releases recalling the cultural services it has made available on the network, among them the web Culturiza-T, which offers access to the loan service of the public library network of Navarra, explaining how to reach museums with films, books, music, shows and virtual visits.

As far as aid from cultural professionals is concerned, the Government of Chivite has not announced anything specific. In the third round of extraordinary measures to deal with the crisis, Rajoy made a reference this Wednesday to the announcement of direct aid for self-employed persons: “In our Foral Community, the self-employed group consists of over 47,000 people, many of whom are engaged in unauthorised activities in a state of alarm such as culture, artistic activities, sport, hospitality, commerce, hairdressers and education, among others.” An extra direct aid of EUR 2,200 has been announced for these self-employed persons whose scope falls within the scope of the interruptions of activity laid down in Royal Decree 8/2020 of 17 March.

In order to be able to apply for this aid, the Government of Navarre explains in this press release the specific conditions and the conditions for obtaining sums less than those which may be received if these conditions are not met.