Italy's €20M Emergency Fund for Performing Arts Excludes Visual Artists

On April 22, 2020, Italian Minister of Cultural Heritage Dario Franceschini signed a decree allocating €20 million from the 'Cura Italia' package to performing arts organizations that did not receive FUS (Fondo Unico per lo Spettacolo) funding in 2019. This sum is part of a larger €130 million fund for entertainment and cinema. The fund targets small theaters, music, dance, and circus entities, with equal distribution among eligible applicants. Requirements include a legal seat in Italy, no 2019 FUS contributions, at least 15 performances between January 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020, and 45 days of social security contributions. Applications will follow a forthcoming notice from the General Directorate for Entertainment, with funds disbursed by June 30, 2020. However, visual artists are not explicitly mentioned in the decree, despite the 'Cura Italia' covering tourism, culture, entertainment, cinema, and audiovisual workers. While other European countries have implemented economic support for all creative categories, Italy's emergency measures currently exclude visual artists, who face gallery and museum closures and lost sales opportunities.