Support plan for live entertainment

Quote from Prime Minister Jean Castex, August 27, 2020: By coming today to meet you at the Ministry of Culture, I wanted to express the government’s solidarity and support for the live entertainment sector. I would like to express my gratitude to the Minister of Culture and her administration, who are with you during this crisis. €432 million will be allocated to the sector to support private and public sector companies and institutions, authors and artists. The effort made had to be massive, commensurate with the difficulties you encounter, commensurate with the economic and social importance of the live entertainment sector in France.”

• An extension of the partial activity until 31 December 2020;
• An extension of the Living Performance Tax Credit and the Phonographic Tax Credit until December 31, 2024 and a temporary relaxation of the parameters of the Living Performance Tax Credit;
• The establishment of a new compensation mechanism to encourage the resumption of activity of theatre operators. This system will be introduced after consultation with professionals in the sector, with effect from 1^er September 2020 and until December 31, 2020. A €100 million provision will finance this mechanism from September 2020 for the entire cultural sector; it will be added to the €2 billion recovery plan.
• Of the €2 billion announced for the entire cultural field, €432 million entered in the recovery plan for the live show:

• €220m for private live entertainment
• €200m for subsidized live entertainment
• 12 M€ for employment and artists authors of the live show, to which is added an exceptional program of 30 M€ for artistic commission.

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The Prime Minister and the Minister of Culture met on August 27 at the Ministry of Culture the organizations representing the live show in all its diversity, to listen to them and to witness the mobilization and commitment of the State alongside all cultural actors.

      Emergency measures were put in place from the beginning of the crisis by the State and its operators and partners.

      In the face of massive losses linked to the COVID-19 crisis and the expectations of the sector, the State continues its support and puts in place a response of unprecedented magnitude for companies, authors, artists, schools, the private sector and the public sector. The State will ensure that these measures benefit all stakeholders

      Today, the Government presents its three priorities:

• allow the resumption of activity by adapting the sanitary measures in force;
• Support private companies, artistesauteurs and public or subsidized institutions through a major cultural recovery plan;

• restore trust and foster public return to the theatres.

In order to encourage the resumption of activity in theatres, on stage, the exemption of physical distancing will be allowed for dancers, musicians, actors, singers, or any other profession brought to perform on a stage, subject to strict health protocols.

      A new mechanism for offsetting operating losses related to the persistence of distancing measures will be put in place quickly, to encourage the resumption of activity of theatre operators. This system will be introduced after consultation with professionals in the sector, with effect from 1^er September 2020 and for a duration of 4 months. This mechanism will be aimed at TPE/SME cinema operators in the private sector. The State will pay attention to the fair redistribution of value to the entire chain, including artists and authors. The system will be pointed at companies that resume a minimal activity: the threshold will be defined in consultation with professionals. In addition, certain criteria will have to be specified by the consultation: consistency and seriousness of the economic model of the project in relation to the history; strict application of the sanitary measures; trigger threshold and ceiling of the guarantee granted. €100 million for the entire cultural sector will be added to the €2 billion recovery plan.

      As regards the recovery plan

      Out of a total of €2 billion mobilized for culture in the recovery plan, €432 million will be spent on live entertainment.

      €220 million for the private live show:

      For the music :

- €200 million in credits for the music sector as a whole, entrusted to the Centre National de la Musique: they will benefit various devices for the benefit of producers, authors, broadcasters. 

      - €10 million to complete the ramp-up of the National Music Centre over two years: this establishment, created at the beginning of the year, has been directly mobilized in the management of the crisis and must be able to consolidate its foundations.

      For the theatre :

      €10 million will be used to fund the emergency fund for private theatres and non-contracted companies managed by ASTP.

      200 M€ for the subsidized live show: different actors will be accompanied

      - €120 million will be mobilized for national public operators of live entertainment which have seen their own resources fall massively due to the crisis;

      - €30 million will support performing arts institutions (theatre, dance, street arts and circus) in the region;

      - €30 million to accompany ensembles, orchestras and festivals;

      - A €20 million fund will be deployed to encourage the ecological transition of creative institutions in the regions.

      Direct support for creation and employment:

      A support scheme for artists-authors weakened by the crisis, to be added to the transversal schemes, will be set up for a total amount of €13 million, of which €7 million will be devoted to live performances.

      To help develop sustainable employment in the show, FONPEPS will be provided with €5 million.

An exceptional program of artistic commissions, endowed with €30 million, will also be implemented: it will concern all disciplines including live performance.