Applications will be accepted for a period of seven days starting from May 17 through a unified digital platform.
The UAE’s Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development (MCKD) has launched the National Creative Relief Programme to support freelancers and SMEs in the creative industry who have financially been affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
In a statement, the Ministry said that the programme will provide financial grants to individuals, small businesses and entrepreneurs. The value of the grant varies according to the evaluation and the documents provided, but it ranges between $4,083 to $13,613 maximum.
Applications will be accepted for a period of seven days starting from May 17 through a unified digital platform, which also gives visitors an opportunity to learn about all the initiatives that are being considered to overcome the challenges of the current global health pandemic.
The cultural and creative industries fields eligible to obtain financial grants include natural and cultural heritage, performing arts, visual arts and crafts, press and literature, audiovisual and interactive media as well as design and creative services.
All requests will be evaluated by a specialised committee according to predetermined criteria: the size of lost work or projects, a financial setback due to COVID-19, production of creative content in the UAE in 2019, in order to ensure that support reaches those that are most affected by this situation.
The programme is a result of a national survey that was launched after a meeting with members of the Arts and Cultural and Creative Industries Councils in early April.
According to the results of the questionnaire, 90% respondents indicated that the biggest challenge at this stage is fixed costs such as renting offices and workshops, salaries to employees, continued services to clients, loan payments, and paying dues to contractors and suppliers.
This programme also invites individuals, organisations and patrons who wish to contribute as part of their social responsibility to local institutions in the spirit of giving back to the community. Donations can be made through the MCKD website.
Commenting on the programme, Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, confirmed that the UAE is the first country in the region to launch a programme that supports creatives impacted by COVID-19, cementing the UAE’s position as an incubator of knowledge, culture and creativity.
She said: ”Our creative economy is a strong one. We have several creative districts across the country that house thousands of local and international firms. By maintaining the competitiveness of the creative sector and creating a set of policies and initiatives that encourage creative entrepreneurship, durability and sustainability of the creative sector, we contribute to the UAE’s acquisition of a large share of the creative economy market globally.”
