Poland’s president last week signed into effect a massive relief and stimulus plan aiming to shore up the economy and shield the nation from the impact of an intensifying coronavirus outbreak.
The “Anti-Crisis Shield” package carries PLN 20 million (EUR 4.4 million, USD 4.7 million) in funds to prop up cultural institutions and help individual artists weather the coronavirus storm, Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Gliński told public broadcaster Polish Radio on Sunday.
He added that the government’s “Culture on the Web” initiative aimed to subsidize projects such as online book readings, virtual art shows and film and theatre performances that can be watched by viewers from the comfort of their homes.
Gliński, who also serves as Poland’s culture minister, last month asked the country’s showbiz community to lead by example and encourage responsible attitudes among the public at a time of coronavirus epidemic.
At the time, in a letter to the nation's artists and entertainment industry professionals, he said that the government’s decision to suspend the work of cultural institutions, initially for two weeks, though painful for the country’s creative arts community, was necessary “for the benefit of individual citizens and society as a whole.”
(gs/pk)
Source: IAR