The city of Linz is investing five million euros in culture. One million of them go to the independent scene in order to create a “spirit of optimism” in culture.
LINZ. There is good news for the Linz art and culture scene. Of the 65 million euros earmarked for the “Pact for Linz” investment program, five million euros will go into the cultural sector. Both the municipal institutions and the independent cultural initiatives should benefit from this. The latter can expect around one million euros. The majority goes to the municipal cultural institutions such as Brucknerhaus, Posthof, Music School, AEC, Nordico or Lentos including the Forum Metall and is invested in maintenance and repair. “Culture has to be part of the upswing. Linz will only be successful in the long term if we have a lively art and culture scene,” says City Councilor Doris Lang-Mayerhofer (ÖVP).
Need is evaluated
Where there is a need in the independent scene, the City Cultural Advisory Board and Culture Platform Upper Austria (KUPF) determined. Investments in building renovations, the renewal of outdated stage technology or in new quarters, such as those required by the two dance projects SILK Fluegge and Red Sapata when they move out of the tobacco factory, are conceivable. KUPF Managing Director Thomas Diesreiter speaks of the “biggest investment surge in decades”, especially since the state of Upper Austria has also promised investment funds. In the past few months, KUPF has worked to ensure that the independent scene also benefits from the economic stimulus package.
Mood of optimism in the cultural sector
According to Lang-Mayerhofer, further measures are also planned, such as art purchases, studio rent subsidies, the expansion of special cultural support programs and priority programs in the field of digitization or Mural City. The aim of all measures is to support a spirit of optimism in the cultural sector and at the same time to sustainably strengthen the infrastructure for cultural and artistic creation in the city.
Understanding of culture lockdown
Hardly any other area is as badly affected by the corona measures as the culture and events industry. Nevertheless, the KUPF understands the measures. “The extension of the cultural lockdown is understandable in terms of health policy, but it is of course tough for the cultural scene,” according to this reiter. The biggest problem is that the non-profit operations are left fidgeting like in the spring, there are no concrete aid measures. The NPO fund must be reformed quickly.
You can read more current news from Linz here.
–
–
–
—-
