Education, Culture, and Communication Committee Reviews Prospects of Resuming Cultural and Art Activities with Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports
The Education, Culture, and Communication Committee at the House of Representatives held a meeting on Wednesday, October 21st, 2020, chaired by the Committee’s Chairperson Mohammed Mellal, with Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports Othman El Ferdaous. The meeting was devoted to the presentation of Government Bill 74.19 on restructuring the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and discussing various topics relative to resuming the cultural and art activities in our country, the Government plan to overcome the impacts of COVID-19 on the culture sector, and examining the criteria adopted by the Ministry in allocating grants to several Moroccan artists.
The Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports presented the procedure of allocating the grants for art projects, stating that the operation is conferred to independent committees appointed by a decree and formed of experienced professionals. The committees are the Music Committee, the Viual Arts Committee, and the Theater Committee.
In his response to the questions of the Education, Culture, and Communication Committee members on the program of support to artists and the criteria adopted in allocating it, Mr. El Ferdaous noted that “his department intends to create a digital platform that will legally enable the support of associations who produce plays or performances to broadcast them on the platform.”
In the same respect, the Minister highlighted that “the relative legislation forbids the Ministry from acquiring any art production unless it will be broadcast on national television or radio, which is a legal issue that the Ministry is working to solve.”
Mr. El Ferdaous added that “the platform comes as an alternative to the festivals and art events ceased by COVID-19, which were a work opportunity for artists, particularly on the regional level,” noting that his department “currently studies the possibility of providing financial aid to help organize e-festivals.”
In the open debate with the Committee members, they presented several propositions, like launching creative initiatives during this crisis to enable citizens to explore local art productions via digital platforms.
The deputies also requested further information and details on the support programs. They called the Ministry to accord special attention to the arts sector workers, especially in rural areas, to achieve regional justice in supporting the arts sector.
Additionally, the Committee discussed the following topics:
* The prospects of resuming cultural and art activities in Morocco following the long cessation caused by COVID-19 (Socialist Group),
* The program of supporting artists, and particularly the criteria used to allocate the grants (Group of Justice and Development),
* Examination of the criteria used in allocating the exceptional grants to several artists and the reasons for excluding several artists and groups from the support (Haraki Group),
* Discussing the Government’s plan to overcome the impacts of COVID-19 on the culture sector (Parliamentary Caucus of Progress and Socialism),
* Examination of the criteria adopted to support art projects (Group of Authenticity and Modernity).
The meeting, which lasted three hours and a half, was marked by numerous detailed interventions of the parliamentary groups and caucus and the response of the responsible Minister to them.