EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT GREENLIGHTS CREATIVE EUROPE PROGRAMME

Assomusica, Italian association of organisers and producers of live shows, and ELMA, European Live Music Association, express satisfaction for approval with a vast majority by the European Parliament of the Creative Europe Programme, which will double the funds to support the cultural sector, including live music shows. The adoption by the plenary of the European Parliament represents a major milestone in the path towards valorization of live music.

President of Assomusica Vincenzo Spera declared: “Finally live music has been recognised as an asset for the European cultural and creative sectors.”

Thanks to the engagement of Assomusica new funding instruments will be made available for live music shows. According to the Parliament’s report “Music, in all its forms and expressions, and in particular contemporary and live music, is an important component of the cultural, artistic and economic heritage of the Union. It is an element of social cohesion, multicultural integration and youth socialisation and it serves as a key instrument to enhance culture, including cultural tourism. The music sector should therefore be a particular focus of the specific actions (…) in terms of financial distribution and targeted actions. Tailor-made calls and instruments should help boost the competitiveness of the music sector and address some of the specific challenges it faces.”

Among the objectives of the programme the Parliament specified the “support to the music sector: promoting diversity, creativity and innovation in the field of music, in particular live music sector, also through networking, the distribution and promotion of a diverse European musical works (…), training, participation in and access to, music, audience development, the visibility and recognition of creators, promoters and artists, in particular young and emerging ones”. Therefore, the European Commission cannot fail to issue calls for projects related to this objective.

President Vincenzo Spera concluded: “It is our hope that Member States Government will not miss the opportunities granted by the new Programme”