The Ministry of Culture on Monday unveiled subsidies for performance arts groups that have to cancel events due to the local COVID-19 outbreak.
Performing art groups and event organizers can apply for up to NT$2.5 million (US$83,873) for costs related to the production, promotion, venue rental, rehearsal or marketing of performances from April 1 to June 30, the ministry said in a news release.
Eligible groups include those that canceled a performance as performers or employees were quarantined, or the closing of the performance venue due to COVID-19, it said.
Subsidies would also be granted for ticket cancelations, it said.
The policy was drafted in response to flagging ticket sales and cancelations following COVID-19’s resurgence in Taiwan, it said, adding that last month, 46 performances were canceled outright, resulting in an estimated NT$16.44 million in lost revenue.
Citing data from the National Theater and Concert Hall’s OPENTIX system, the ministry reported a cancelation rate of 5 percent by customers for shows that went on as planned, and 11 percent for shows that were rescheduled.
Overall performance revenue fell 33 percent compared with the same month before a COVID-19 outbreak in 2019, and 27 percent compared with the same month during last year’s outbreak, it said.
Applications for subsidies will be open from Monday until July 15 via an online platform, it said, adding that additional information can be found at www.moc.gov.tw/information_250_145264.html.
The ministry added that it would announce details about other measures to boost businesses in the cultural sector at a later time.
These policies include subsidies for organizers of book fairs and festivals; subsidies for the visual arts, museums and galleries; promotions for virtual and brick-and-mortar bookstores; joint marketing programs for local films; and debt relief for art groups, it said.
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