Morocco’s Ministry of Culture is set to finance 459 artistic projects in 2020, out of 1,096 projects that applied for financing.
The ministry unveiled the results of its support program for artists on Monday.
The program, launched on June 15, aims to promote cultural and artistic projects in Morocco. It also seeks to support the various actors in the fields of theater, music, song, choreography, and visual arts, especially amid the COVID-19 crisis.
The support program has an overall budget of MAD 39 million ($4.21 million).
The beneficiary projects include 173 theatre tours, with a budget of MAD 19.63 million ($2.12 million), 140 acquisitions of visual artworks with MAD 3.15 million ($340,500), and 146 projects relating to music, songs, and choreography with MAD 14 million ($1.51 million).
The committee responsible for studying the applications selected the projects to be financed based on several pre-established criteria.
Selected candidates are required to send their physical application documents to the Ministry of Culture by post as soon as they receive their contracts in order to avoid any complications during the payment process.
The initiative to support Moroccan artists is part of a broader program aiming to provide aid to Morocco’s cultural sector amid the COVID-19 crisis.
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Morocco’s Minister of Culture, Othman El Ferdaous, unveiled the project on his social networks. He highlighted the important contribution of artists and cultural actors in the promotion of social cohesion and unity.
In addition to the financing of artistic projects, the program includes two other initiatives to uplift Morocco’s cultural sector.
The first initiative is the Moroccan Copyright Office’s (BMDA) pre-distribution of the remaining remunerations of authors for the 2020 fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the second project concerns a partnership with the National Museum Foundation (FNM) to acquire and exhibit artwork made by Moroccan artists. The initiative would provide creators with financial revenue, as well as more exposure for their work.
