La serious health emergency did not allow the reopening of theaters and cinemas, already foreseen in the yellow zones, unfortunately all of Italy being in the red or orange zone. This didn't allow the usual celebrations and for the second consecutive year World Theater Day is remembered around the world with theaters closed. But the time will soon come when they will reopen and until then we will continue publicly to help artists, workers and all show business operators and to support the stage arts with extraordinary measures. The pandemic was an opportunity to intervene as an emergency on the serious shortcomings that this sector has been suffering for some time in the protection of workers. And for this we are working on a bill that it can finally correct these aspects, also by taking up the initiatives already present in Parliament ”. Thus the minister of culture, Dario Franceschini on the occasion of World Theater Day.
The Ministry of Culture - recalls a note - since the beginning of the pandemic has introduced a diversified and massive set of measures to support the stage arts which involved workers, artists and live performing companies. Among these, in particular, the 252 million euros which have been earmarked for special allowances of 600 and 1.000 euros for self-employed and intermittent workers in the entertainment industry and over 200 million euros from the recent DL Supports directed to a special allowance of 2.400 euros. And then: the 35,9 million euros that were directed to support the artists and workers hired for shows that were no longer staged; the 25 million euros for the traveling show; 10 million euros for canceled shows; 5 million euros to support suppliers of entertainment goods and services. And again: the 53,6 million euros to extend support to the entertainment realities, so far excluded from the FUS, while the realities supported by the FUS benefited from the 348 million euros allocated in 2020 as an exception to the programming obligations. Private theaters and small halls received support amounting to 14 million euros, while traditional theaters and dance production centers received 5 million euros. 10 million euros were donated to support private dance schools. In 2021, the FUS was increased by 50 million euros, while 90 million euros went to increase the entertainment and cinema emergency fund. One million euros was donated to support circuses, while 35 million euros went to live music. 40,9 million euros were directed towards the continuation of the rehabilitation of the opera and symphonic foundations, which also received additional support for 20 million euros. Lastly, a further 118 million euro was reserved to support authors, performers, performers and agents for the collection of copyrights.
The commitment to entertainment also involved cinema. In particular: the Cinema and audiovisual fund was increased by 875 million euros in the two-year period 2020/2021, with measures designed also to relaunch the attractiveness of the national film industry such as, for example, raising the cinema tax credit to 40%. Non-repayable contributions totaling 112 million euros were donated to compensate for lost cinema ticket receipts and to support the summer programming of the arenas. 90 million euros were intended to compensate the municipalities for the exemption of the second installment of the 2020 IMU and the full amount of the 2021 and 2022 IMU for cinemas and theatres. The Istituto Luce Cinecittà has received an extraordinary funding of 35 million euros to enhance its role as a driving force in the national film industry. Film distribution companies have received non-refundable grants of 25 million euros.
A further 200 million from DL Sostegni will refinance the current portion of the fund intended to support cinema and entertainment in 2021. Others have been allocated 11 million to traveling shows and circuses. In the coming days, the fund will be used to bring resources and support to workers and companies in the sector.
