COVID-19 won't stop us!

Many initiatives have been launched recently in order to support the artistic and cultural sector during and after the coronavirus crisis. We have highlighted the most useful ones for the festivals community and we will continue to update this page regularly.

Culture Restart - Post COVID-19 protocols

Festivals and cultural activities have re-opened their doors. Are you wondering what are the protocols/measures to follow when it comes to organising an event? Here are some tools to help you out.

Re-opening of festivals in Europe and beyond: Policies, examples and practices 

This report presents a brief overview per country sent by our EFFE Hubs (our national festival contact network structures) and EFA Collective Members on how their country handled or is handling the re-opening of festivals: good practices developed and proposed by the sector to governments, as well as various governmental positions and proposals. 

Re-opening of Live Performances

Pearle* Live Performance Europe has created an interactive map to show in which countries live performances have re-opened and under which conditions. The map is updated regularly.

Culture Restart Toolkit

The Insights Alliance has developed a free toolkit designed for cultural organisations at all stages of reopening, tracking audience sentiment over the next six months and building up a national picture for the benefit of the whole sector.

'Inclusive Event Planning after COVID-19' Guide

Function Central has published this helpful guide covering important topics such as: impact on the events industry, how events might look like during (and after) the pandemic, how to make events inclusive and accessible, and useful disability awareness and event planning resources. 

COVID-19 implications & current measures regarding cultural policies per country

The Compendium of Cultural Policies & Trends has mobilised its experts to gather country specific information on the implications for the sector and the current measures being taken. The Compendium’s COVID-19 section features 28 country reports (last updated country on 22 September).

The voice of festivals

The EFA team has created several pages and documents to collect and share information with festivals, artists and audiences on the evolution of the situation in the festivals sector. 

Report COVID-19 survey: Festivals' needs and commitments

We have conducted a survey (April - May 2020) to gather as much information as possible to be together, inspire each other and guide our response to provide an accurate picture to governments and other funders about the needs of festivals. You can read the analysis of the survey in our report

Postponed/cancelled/altered festival programmes of EFA members

We always say, In Europe, the arts are just a festival away, and encourage audiences to discover and enrich themselves by attending. Now we had to press ‘pause’; before we will have to press ‘re-set’. 

Here is an initial overview of our members who had to cancel or postpone their festivals and their alternative programmes. We’ll keep this list up to date.

FestivalFinder.eu's ongoing/postponed/cancelled festivals

We have highlighted all festivals registered on FestivalFinder.eu taking place in August 2020.

We have also listed the festivals supposed to happen in March-April and in May 2020. Some festivals are developing alternative programmes. Some of these initiatives are presented in this article.

National reviews of EFFE HUBS and EFA collective members (March-April 2020)

This report is a brief collection of statements from our different EFFE Hubs (our national festival contact network structures) on what is currently happening in their countries and what governments are doing. 

2 other interesting initiatives are providing an overview of the situation country by country: 

  • The Art Newspaper has gathered information about grants and loans around the world to help you get through the Covid-19 crisis in 10 different countries: US, UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Ireland and Chile.
    Click here to read the full article.
  • KEA European Affairs has created a collaborative map to track the coronavirus policy measures around the world. 
    Click here to access the map.

Our working document: tools to help spread arts and culture

We have started to collect a selection of digital tools for spreading your events digitally, help you organise video conferences, meetings and webinars and provide links to inspirational articles.
Your contribution to this document is welcome. Please contact info [@] efa-aef.eu.

The Festival Academy's collection "Festivals for Solidarity"

EFA's The Festival Academy is collecting interesting initiatives in the festivals field: proposals for solidarity, new actions, online festivals, etc.
Discover the selection of initiatives on their website.

Connecting the festivals community online - EFA Zoom meeting O1/04/2020

Festivals in the broader cultural context

On the Move

On the Move and the Circostrada network have created the page "Coronavirus: Resources: Arts, Culture and Cultural Mobility" as a way to compile news, resources, new schemes, initiatives and articles related to the impacts of coronavirus on the artistic and cultural sector. 

You are invited to contribute to this page by adding resources or updating existing ones. 

European Cultural Foundation - Culture of Solidarity Fund

We invite you to apply for the Culture of Solidarity Fund. The Fund supports imaginative cultural initiatives that, in the midst of the global pandemic crisis reinforce European solidarity and the idea of Europe as a shared public space. The Fund has grants available ranging between €5.000-50.000. The submission deadline for this second call is 14 July 2020. 

Europe needs to invest in culture in order to invest in the “Next Generation EU”.

94 European organisations representing the whole cultural and creative sectors have signed this joint letter to alert EU leaders about this necessity. EFA is one of them! 

REMA's open letter

REMA and its members - among which EFA - have addressed an open letter to the European institutions and EU cultural ministers for a real European solidarity and greater unity in the emergency measures taken by the EU members states and other European countries regarding culture, live performance and artists. 

Pearle* - Live Performance Europe

Pearle* calls upon a joint and proportionate approach of European ministers of Culture when reopening cultural activities with a live audience in context of Covid19 exit strategies. Read now Pearle's open letter.

Pearle* has also posted a list of actions and measures to address the EU and governments about the impact of Covid-19 on live events.

IETM - International network for contemporary performing arts

Together with Circostrada, IN SITU, EDN, ETC and EFA, IETM has prepared a Plea to National Governments to disseminate around you and especially to governments. You can download the Plea in several languages on IETM's website.

IETM has drafted a letter for organisations to address to the national or regional Managing Authority in your country to request that they support culture and the arts through the Corona Response Investment Initiative (CRII) instrument. Download the letter and feel free to modify it or translate it in your language. 

IETM has also published a full report called "Performing arts in times of the pandemic". 
Click here to download it.

Culture Action Europe

Culture Action Europe (CAE) has published their position on the post-coronavirus 2021-2027 and the need to create a Multiannual financial framework that can reinvigorate the cultural sector following the crisis.

Together with many European networks among which EFA, CAE has addressed a joint letter to EU Commissioner Gabriel and Members of Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) concerning the effect of COVID-19 on Creative Europe and the European Cultural and Creative Sectors. 

Culture Action Europe (CAE) has published a statement: "Remaining together in time of crisis". 

Europe’s cultural and creative sectors call for ambitious EU budgetary measures to get through the COVID-19 crisis 

Time to put words into action! Read now the full call.

The #CULTURE2030GOAL campaign 

The partners of the #culture2030goal campaign released a statement on 'Ensuring culture fulfills its potential in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic'.

IETM Picture

What you can do

Sign petitions 

  • Endorse the Manifesto "More Culture!, More Europe!" in favour of culture and for the relaunch of the European project. This Manifesto calls European institutions to encourage Member States to work on a process of development and improvement of support and funding mechanisms by more profoundly incorporating the strategic nature of culture into the European construction project. Add your organisation (at the end of the google form) and share it around you.
  • Endorse Culture Action Europe's statement calling for a central place for culture in the EU long-term recovery budget. 
  • The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament have written an Open Letter to the European Commission and the Member States, demanding support for the Cultural and Creative Sectors, particularly cultural creators, affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Support this initiative by signing the petition and spreading the link on your social media channels. Every voice counts, every action matters!

Join Creative Unite!

The European Union launched Creatives Unite, an online platform for cultural & creative industries affected by COVID-19. This space created by and for the sector will allow its professionals to discuss, share resources & co-create innovative solutions.

Complete surveys to gather feedback

Many surveys exist on national levels and you can always contact the EFFE Hubs to know what is happening in your country. 

#CreativeEuropeAtHome - showcase your artworks online

The European Commission has launched #CreativeEuropeAtHome – a social media campaign that is running on the Creative Europe accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The beneficiaries of the Creative Europe Programme are asked to showcase their art work using #CreativeEuropeAtHome. With this, the European Commission is crowd sourcing the effort to highlight great online cultural activities throughout the Creative Europe community – available to culture lovers currently stuck at home.
For more information you can visit this page

United Nations Global Call Out To Creatives - help stop the spread of COVID-19

The United Nations needs the help of creatives and artists in translating critical public health messages, into work that will engage and inform people across different cultures, languages, communities and platforms. You want to participate?
Check the call and its details. The submission deadline is 30 April at 18:00 PM (London Local Time).