Rush of grant applications
The Canton of Zurich's Department of Culture is currently experiencing a veritable rush of applications for financial aid from creative artists. In the last 20 days, the Culture Office has received 544 applications for compensation or emergency aid.
For around three weeks now, creative artists have been able to submit applications for support to the cantonal cultural offices. The amount of damages applied for already amounts to over 42 million francs. 366 applications have been submitted by creative artists, 105 by profit-oriented and 73 by non-profit-oriented cultural enterprises. The applications come from the entire cultural sector, from all over the canton, from all cultural fields. They were submitted by individuals, groups and companies.
The amount of the individual applications varies greatly and ranges from small three-digit to seven-digit amounts. The total amount of damages requested for the 544 applications currently amounts to CHF 42.2 million. According to the federal ordinance, the submission deadline is May 20.
The aid package of a maximum of CHF 20 million in compensation from the lottery fund, which the cantonal government of Zurich put together for the cultural sector on March 18, is aimed exclusively at non-profit cultural enterprises. The cantonal government has now decided this week to apply to the cantonal parliament for a supplementary credit of CHF 13.25 million for default compensation for profit-oriented cultural enterprises.
Photo: Nikolai Voelcker / unsplash
