Major European artists, from Björk to Marina AbramoviÄ?, call for investment in culture

by Redazione , published on 22/07/2020
Categories: Policy / Disclaimer

After the recovery fund’s approval, the call that, last July 14, CEPI - European Audiovisual Production, the organization that has been coordinating independent producers throughout Europe since 1990, launched in an open letter signed by many of Europe’s greatest great European artists in all fields, from music to the visual arts, from film to theater (names such as Björk, Marina Abramović, Daniel Buren, István Szabó, Phil Manzanera and others read). CEPI intends to address European leaders directly to ask them for real support for the culture and creativity sectors, which for the signatories of the document should be at the center of policymakers’ priorities. Below is the full text of the missive.

"European culture is in the midst of a crisis. How decision makers choose to respond now will set the stage for the next decade of cultural and creative life in our union.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, theaters, cinemas, concert halls, museums and other cultural venues have remained closed. Many simply will not reopen.

The result has been to drive the life out of the culture and creativity sectors, exacerbating the hopelessly dangerous situation in which culture, the arts and creativity largely find themselves.

The culture and creativity sectors rank third in Europe in terms of the number of workers. It means that the economic consequences of stagnation propagate far beyond the cultural sphere.

But although the landscape of culture has shrunk drastically, it is to culture that we have turned in these times of great personal and social hardship.

It is the music that has brought us all together on balconies, it is the movies and TV series that have passed the time, it is the documentaries, books, performances and works of art that have really comforted us in our loneliness and helped us find an intellectual and creative way out.

Europe’s most valuable asset is our culture. It is a culture united in its diversity, a culture that attracts millions of people from all over the world every month.

Cultural expression, in all its diversity, is at the heart of what it means to be European.

Despite strong messages from European Union leaders announcing robust support for our sectors, the current proposals for a recovery plan and budget for the European Union strangely fail to take into account the needs of the culture and creativity sectors.

As creatives and professionals in the sectors, we appeal to European leaders to be resolute in investing in culture and the arts, in investing for all our creative futures.

We need a plan that can revitalize our cultural ecosystem and can inspire the next generation of Europeans.

This means providing adequate financial resources so that businesses and workers in the arts, culture and creativity can continue to work, survive and thrive in the future.

The European Union has an opportunity to show that it can honor its values. It is time for Europe to be ambitious and invest in its creative future.

Culture is the fertile soil from which the next generation of Europe will flourish and unite. Let’s show the next generations of Europe what kind of future we have to offer them!"

Signatories:

1. Aga Zaryan, jazz singer (Poland)

2. Agnieszka Holland, filmmaker (Poland)

3. Agustín Almodóvar, producer (Spain)

4. Alberto Guijarro, director of Primavera Sound and Sala Apolo (Spain)

5. Alberto Iglesias, soundtrack composer (Spain)

6. Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, contemporary dance choreographer (Belgium)

7. Benny Andersson, musician and composer (Sweden)

8. Bernie Sherlock, conductor (Ireland)

9. Björk, singer-songwriter (Iceland)

10. Charles Sturridge, film director (United Kingdom)

11. Dame Evelyn Glennie, percussionist and composer (UK)

12. Daniel Buren, conceptual artist (France)

13. Isabel Coixet, filmmaker (Spain)

14. István Szabó, film director (Hungary)

15. Ivo van Hove, theater director (Netherlands/Belgium)

16. Jaco Van Dormael, director (Belgium)

17. Jean-Michel Jarre, electronic music pioneer, musician (France)

18. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, filmmakers (Belgium)

19. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, filmmaker (France)

20. Joan Fontcuberta, conceptual artist and photographer (Spain)

21. Lisa Kaindé Diaz Zayas and Naomi Diaz Zayas, songwriters and composers (France)

22. Marian Urban, screenwriter and producer (Slovakia)

23. Marina Abramović, performance artist (Serbia)

24. Martin Šulík, director and producer (Slovakia)

25. Maryla Rodowicz, singer (Poland)

26. Michał Urbaniak, musician and composer (Poland)

27. Milo Rau, theater director (Belgium/Switzerland)

28. Mirga Grazinyte, presenter (Lithuania/UK)

29. MØ, singer-songwriter and music producer (Denmark)

30. Moritz Eggert, composer (Germany)

31. Nele Neuhaus, writer (Germany)

32. Nicola Campogrande, composer (Italy)

33. Nina Bouraoui, writer (France)

34. Nina George, writer (Germany)

35. Olga Neuwirth, composer (Austria)

36. Olivier Guez, writer (France)

37. Paul Dujardin, CEO & artistic director of BOZAR (Belgium)

38. Phil Manzanera, composer, guitarist (UK)

39. Salvador Sobral, musician (Portugal)

40. Sebastian Fitzek, writer (Germany)

41. Stijn Coninx, filmmaker (Belgium)

42. Thomas Anargyros, producer (France)

43. Tiago Rodrigues, writer, artistic director of Teatro Nacional D. Maria II (Portugal)

44. Tim Etchells, artistic director, artist, writer (United Kingdom)

45. Yuval Weinberg, conductor (Germany)

Major European artists, from Björk to Marina Abramović, call for investment in culture

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.