Fifteen months ago, Covid-19 completely paralyzed the cultural and event industry, which employs 120,000 people, denying people their rights to work and livelihood. During the anxiety, the sector has gained sympathy, but societal support has remained low and has not been offered to many people working in this diverse field. The plight of the creative industries is exacerbated by cuts in cultural funding.
Culture is an area of growth that is also defined in the government program. It generated 3.3% of GDP in 2019, and the number of jobs in the sector grew by a fifth in a decade. Covid-19 turned things around and forced the industry into a life-and-death battle. The audience-dependent sector has not been treated equally with other sectors compared to the imposition and removal of Covid-19 restrictions.
A common concern for the future has united the cultural and event industry on an exceptional scale – companies, associations, groups and other actors from the smallest to the largest into one front. In a unique and corona-proof protest, enough is enough! an opinion summarizing the requirements of the creative industries will be forwarded to Parliament. The declaration has been signed by 171 creative communities and actors.
The statement is presented by the actor Seela Sella, choreographed Sonya Lindfors, musician Karri Paleface Miettinen, author Laura Lindstedt, film director Selma Vilhunen, musician Mikko Kosonen, visual artist Emma Helle and the CEO Laura Serkosalo. The actor and singer read the statement in English Reeta Vestman and in Swedish, the director of the theater Erik Söderblom. The event lasts an hour and ends with the words of Seela Sella.
The notification requirements can be summarized as follows:
- Organizing events directly according to safety instructions.
- Corona’s grants to freelancers will be paid immediately, the event industry needs additional efforts to restart business after a long period of restriction.
- From cuts to investment: at least 1% of cultural investment in the state budget.
- The definition of work needs to be updated and the freelancer safety net needs to be improved.
Representatives of the party’s parliamentary groups will receive the declaration.
Following the presentation, a streaming panel discussion on the topics of the statement will be held at Cinema Orion from 2 to 4 p.m. Among others, MPs Outi Alanko-Kahiluoto(Green) and Paula Risikko (Coalition) as well as a musician-actor Olavi Uusivirta and Paula TuovinenThe director of the Finnish Center for the Promotion of the Arts will discuss the development of the creative sector and cultural funding in relation to its benefits. The panel discussion will be led by a film director Heikki Kujanpää and can be monitored Enough is enough! Youtube channel.
Source: Cultural and event industry
Source: The Nordic Page