Bulgarian artists are gearing up for a protest on June 17, Wednesday at 15:00 in front of the building of the Ministry of culture, announced one of the organizers in a Facebook post. She wrote:
“Hello, my name is Raja El Madhun and I am a Bulgarian artist. Like with many others, I was denied my right to work – something I can understand given the current situation. What I cannot understand, however, is the delay of the financial aid and governmental grants promised at the beginning of the pandemic to the Bulgarian full-time and freelance artists.”
The young woman said that the claim that all artists have been reimbursed with three minimum salaries is false. She added that some were not even informed whether they have been approved or not.
“It is not about the three minimum salaries but about the way artists and culture in Bulgaria are treated. We need real and timely measures, especially in this moment when we cannot practice our professions. I understand this is the first time we are facing such a challenging situation and I have a deep respect for the efforts of the national fund for cultural development that has helped us before.”
Madhun said artists have waited long enough and it is time for them to walk out on the streets and show the government that they exist and to demand timely and appropriate measures.
“I welcome everybody to join us in front of the building of the Ministry of Culture, to have a cup of cold water and to stand up for our rights in a peaceful manner on Wednesday at 15:00”.
Bulgarian Council of Ministers announced on June 10 that the parliament has agreed on a budget of 5,000,000 leva for the Ministry of Culture for 2020. The funds will be invested in private cultural projects and art programs, as well as in freelance artists in order to support their activities during the pandemic and the period after that.
National fund for cultural development will receive 2,2 million leva of which 1,5 million leva will be used to support private cultural and art organizations, incl. in the field of independent cinema and circus arts. Further 700 000 leva will be diverted to art activities in smaller cities aiming to stimulate the creation of innovative online entertainment alternatives.
For the construction of new theaters and the establishment of new music and dancing projects will be invested further 500 000 levs with the same amount being planned for an entirely new program in the field of visual arts. Another 800 000 levs will be provided for the distribution of already completed music, dance and theater projects.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian artist Valentin Tanev commented a couple of days ago that there is no legal definition of “freelance artist” in Bulgaria which makes supporting them impossible. He gave France as an example where freelance artists are eligible for unemployment benefits after six months of employment, showing that the government has properly addressed the issue. He said that Bulgaria is far from the leading European countries in this regard, adding that the freelance artist profession should be legally defined in the coming months in order to pave the way for further support of the socially vulnerable professionals.
