IMPALA has joined 66 organisations from Europe’s cultural and creative sectors in calling for a significant boost to the EU budget dedicated to culture.
As the European Commission prepares its proposal for the next long-term EU budget next month, the cultural and creative sectors have joined forces with an open letter. It contrasts the small amount of EU money dedicated to culture (0.15% of the overall EU budget) with the contribution made by the sector to Europe’s economic development.
It follows IMPALA’s appeal to European parliamentarians on the issue of the value gap.
Helen Smith, IMPALA’s executive chair, said: “If we are serious about Europe’s leading role in culture, now is the time to seize the opportunity to develop a real strategy and allocate a proportionate amount of the EU budget to this sector.”
She continued: “Europe’s cultural and creative sectors are vibrant and eager to grow, but we could accomplish so much more with the right financial approach to culture.”
The letter calls on the EU to double the budget allocated to culture, and to ensure that cultural and creative sectors also have access to other sources of EU funding.
Smith added: “Europe’s creativity will never run out. We need to focus on the unique strength and diversity of our culture. Making sure that these sectors are a horizontal priority within EU funding schemes and programmes would be a great place to start”.
The full list of Signatories is below:
ACT (Association of Commercial Television in Europe)
AEC (Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Académies de Musique et Musikhochschulen)
AEPO-ARTIS (Association of European Performers' Organisations)
AER (Association of European Radios)
Circostrada (European Network Circus and Street Arts)
Culture Action Europe
CEPIC (Centre of the Picture Industry)
Eurocinema
Europa Distribution
Europavox
EI (Europa International)
EAS (European Association for Music in schools)
EBU (European Broadcasting Union)
European Choral Association - Europa Cantat
ECCD (European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity)
ECSA (European Composer & Songwriter Alliance)
ECHO (European Concert Hall Organisation)
ECCO (European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers' Organisations
CEPI (European Coordination of Independent Producers)
ECF (European Cultural Foundation)
EFA (European Festival Association)
GESAC (European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers)
EIBF (European and International Booksellers Federation)
EJN (Europe Jazz Network)
ELIA (European League of Institutes of the Arts)
EMC (European Music Council)
EMEE (European Music Exporters Exchange)
EMU (European Music School Union)
ENCC (European Network of Cultural Centres)
ETC (European Theatre Convention)
EUYO (European Union Youth Orchestra)
EWC (European Writers' Council)
Eurozine (European network of cultural journals and online magazine)
FIM (Fédération Internationale des Musiciens)
FIA (International Federation of Actors)
FIAD (International Federation of Film Distributors' Associations)
IMMF (International Music Managers Forum)
FERA (Federation of European Film Directors)
FEP (Federation of European Publishers)
FSE (Federation of Screenwriters in Europe)
IN SITU (European Platform for Artistic Creation in Public Space)
IMPALA (Independent Music Companies Association)
IMPF (Independent Music Publishers Forum)
INES (Innovation Network of European Showcases)
ISFE (Interactive Software Federation of Europe)
IAO (International Artist Organisation)
IAMIC (International Association of Music Information Centres)
ICMP (International Confederation of Music Publishers)
FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations)
IFACCA (International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies)
IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts)
IVF (International Video Federation)
JMI (Jeunesses Musicales International)
KEA European Affairs
Live DMA (European network for music venues and festivals)
Liveurope
NEMO (Network of European Museum Organisations)
On the Move (Cultural Mobility Information Network)
Pearle* (Live Performance Europe)
REMA (Early Music in Europe)
Res Artis (Worldwide Network of Artist Residencies)
SAA (Society of Audiovisual Authors)
SHAPE (Sound, Heterogeneous Art and Performance in Europe)
TEH (Trans Europe Halles)
UNI MEI (UNI global union - Media and Entertainment International)
UNIC (International Union of Cinemas)
Yourope