On August 11, the technical support companies of the Latvian event industry took a picket from the Ministry of Culture to the government building to express concerns about the future of the industry and to call on the responsible institutions to decide on support. The picket was attended by about 200 participants, the event organizers informed.
IN SHORT:
- The event industry’s technical support companies picketed to draw attention to the critical situation in the industry.
- Around 200 participants took part in the picket.
- Participants emphasize that the Covid-19 event industry suffered heavy losses and remains one of the most constrained.
- Picket participants: Without timely support, companies will be closed and people will leave their jobs.
- The Ministry of Culture invited representatives of technical support companies to sit down at the negotiating table to address the industry’s problems in a joint dialogue.
- The Director of the State Chancellery Jānis Muudkovskis pointed out that the Cabinet of Ministers had heard the problems of the sector and promised to look for solutions.
“Culture needs light!”, “The song will be quiet!”, “I can screw in a light bulb, but will you learn to light events?” – With such slogans, Latvian companies providing technical support for cultural and entertainment events tried to attract public attention by placing boxes of technical equipment at the Latvian National Museum of Art and the Ministry of Culture, which have been idle for the fifth month.
In order to inform the public about the situation of technical suppliers in the event industry and to call on the government to take action to rescue the industry, on August 11 at 13:00 Latvian event industry support companies picked up art museum. At 15:00, the participants of the picket with 100 transport boxes marched to the alley on Brīvības Boulevard opposite the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia.
Picket participants on the situation in the industryKristaps Feldmanis
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Picketers point out that culture is not only for singers, dancers, musicians and actors, but also for those who take care of the construction of stages and scenography, lights, sounds and other technical equipment. However, the assembly restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic prevent the event industry from working fully and the ongoing events from making a profit. The aim of the picket is to inform the public about the situation of technical suppliers in the
During Covid-19, the event industry suffered heavy losses and is still one of the most constrained, which is also being felt by the various companies supporting the event.
Tuners, lighting fixtures, stage builders and tent rental companies, pyrotechnicians and other industry specialists took part in the picket. As the participants of the picket told Latvijas Radio, the main problems are related to the lack of money and support. The aim of the picket is to draw the attention of the government and the public to the current situation of the technical support industry. The speakers pointed out that if the support is not received in time, the companies will be closed, employees will leave, which are already active. If this industry is lost, it will be almost impossible to regain it, picketers pointed out.
“We can compare with farmers – farmers make sowings and plantings every year. Our companies also make investments at the beginning of the year to bear fruit in the summer.
If we compare ourselves now with farmers, we are forbidden to harvest.
We must do nothing, we can only watch our boxes, our grains, rot in the field. And this brings us huge, devastating losses, “explained the situation in the industry to the head of SIA” FRL “Valērijs Makrekovs.
The picketers, sitting on the black boxes of equipment, held in their hands posters with slogans that mark the potential consequences, for example: “The last Song Festival has already taken place”, “Staro Rīga will continue to shine in our memories”.
“The bigger problem is the government as a whole, which is probably not oriented towards our industry and does not understand that there are also technical support companies. That its industry is much bigger than just musicians, actors, producers and event organizers. Definitely, people who attend events on a daily basis do not have an understanding of how events are created and how many people are involved in them, ”emphasized Normunds Eilands, the manager of SIA SGS Sistēmas. “We start our picket at the Ministry of Culture here, because we symbolize our belonging to the cultural sector, that we cannot and will not do without them, and therefore after the picket we will go to the Cabinet to bring this message to them.”
Ministry of Culture stressedthat “a range of support mechanisms” are available to event organizers, including in the cultural sector.
The views of the Minister of Culture and the picket participants differ as to whether the industry has been heardKristaps Feldmanis
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Shortly after the start of the picket, the Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis (National Union) came to the meeting. Addressing those present, he stated that he understood the dissatisfaction of the population with the situation. There was a clash of views between the ministers and those gathered on how actively the interests of the representatives of this sector have been heard so far. Puntulis expressed understanding with the dissatisfaction of the employees of the industry, but pointed out that there is already a special council where these issues are addressed. The picketers pointed out that there are currently no technical staff on this board.
A meeting with cultural workers is scheduled for 12 August to discuss solutions to the crisis. For the first time, technical support staff have also been invited to this meeting.
As Normunds Eilands, the head of the association of companies in the sector, told Latvijas Radio, one of the types of support would be the possibility for technical companies in the cultural sector to apply for the State Cultural Capital Fund regardless of the formal company classification or NACE code.
Nomunds Eilands, head of the Latvian Association of Technical Support CompaniesMara Rosenberg
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“We would like this support to be considered in substance, because we are people and companies, not NACE codes. We also believe that, whatever the support – bigger, smaller, better or not so good – this support mechanism should remain in place until all restrictions on the activities and culture sector are completely lifted. Because until they are abolished, all these activities are not economically justified and there is no question of any profit or retention of employees in the industry at all, ”said Eiland.
Nauris Puntulis emphasized: “Provision of these events or technical companies – it is not just a cultural sector [..] this sector is both productive and marketable, and this range is very wide, and this range of NACE codes is also wide. That is the only thing that needs to be clarified at the moment, and they are not insurmountable obstacles.
I would not say that this sector has been particularly hard hit by either [būtu] unnoticed more than tourism or catering than any other sector affected by the crisis. “
The Ministry of Culture invited representatives of technical support companies to sit down at the negotiating table to address the industry’s problems in a joint dialogue. The Minister of Culture expressed confidence that the Ministry’s policy is correct and that support for the cultural sector and related areas is sufficient financially.
After the picket at the Ministry of Culture, the participants went to picket at the Cabinet of Ministers. There, after about an hour and a half, when a large part of those gathered had gone, the director of the State Chancellery Jānis Muudkovskis came to the picketers.
Hearing the remaining ones, he pointed out that the Cabinet of Ministers had heard the problems of the industry and promised to look for solutions.
CONTEXT:
The technical side professionals in the field have come together to work together express their concerns on the future of the sector and call on the responsible authorities to take decisions to save companies and jobs.
Ministry of Culture stressedthat “a range of support mechanisms” are available to event organizers, including in the cultural sector.
To overcome the crisis caused by Covid-19 and economic recovery, investment in culture was decided to allocate 32 million euros: € 10.6 million to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 public cultural institutions and support for creative people; EUR 10.4 million for modernization measures in the cultural sector – public procurement of new cultural assets, as well as EUR 11 million for cultural infrastructure.
In Latvia on June 10 ended Emergency to declare the new coronavir announced on 12 March. The virus is still circulating and there is no medicine or vaccine for it. Certain restrictions still apply to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
No augusta 3,000 people can gather outside. Restrictions indoors depend on the size of the room.
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