German culture pass extended – but funding halved
Germany’s youth culture pass is to be extended for a second year, but funding for the scheme is being halved.
Since June 2023, teenagers living in the country have been able to access the federal government scheme, which has provided them with €200 to spend on event tickets, books and audio media when they turn 18 in an effort to strengthen cultural participation.
The scheme generated more than €3.2 million in revenue in its first two months, with the majority of funds used to buy books (49%), followed by cinema tickets (36%) and concert and theatre tickets (14%). Of the first 136,000 teenagers who had activated their vouchers, 27,417 used them on live music and the theatre.
However, due to funding cuts prompted by Germany’s “budget crisis“, the value of the vouchers for citizens born in 2006 will be worth only €100 this year.
“It’s good news that the KulturPass will continue to exist in 2024 despite the tight budget situation,” Peter Kraus vom Cleff, GM & CEO of Germany’s publishers and booksellers association, tells Publishing Perspectives. “At the same time, we’re disappointed that financial resources have been significantly reduced.”
“The culture pass is a valuable instrument for strengthening the cultural participation of young people, especially if they have not previously been given access to culture”
Germany’s Music Industry Forum, which comprises the BDKV, venue body LiveKomm, music publishers’ organisation DMV, Association of Independent Music Companies (VUT), Society of Music Merchants (SOMM) and recording industry body BVMI, called for an extension to the culture pass last October after more than half a million young people downloaded the app in its first four months.
“The culture pass is a valuable instrument for strengthening the cultural participation of young people, especially if they have not previously been given access to culture,” said a statement from the group. “The culture pass not only provides a low-threshold entry and a wide range of offerings, but also supports social interaction and thus social cohesion. Cultural participation plays an important role in actively committing to our pluralistic society and its democratic values.
“Bookstores, cinemas, concert organisers, theatres, orchestras, museums, record stores and music retailers have been extremely committed to supporting the project right from the start.”
Similar initiatives have also been rolled out in Spain, France and Italy with the aim of generating new consumption habits, post-pandemic.
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Spain offers discounted tickets to under-30s
The Spanish government is offering discounted tickets for concerts and festivals to citizens between 18 and 30 years old.
Discounts range from €5–€20 and can also be applied to theatre, circus and dance shows.
Sónar, Vida, Cruïlla, Embassa’t and Canet Rock are among the festivals that have signed up for the scheme and the Department for Culture hopes more will follow suit.
The new scheme, called Cultura Jove (Youth Culture), replaces a former initiative for 18–25 year olds. In addition to expanding the age range, the government has also scrapped limitations on when discounted tickets can be purchased.
Now, the reduced tickets can be purchased at any time, on any day, all year round. It’s estimated that around 1,100,000 people will be eligible for the scheme.
Now, the reduced tickets can be purchased at any time, on any day, all year round
The government will allocate an initial budget of €700,000 this season to cover the discounts, with promoters compensated for tickets sold on a monthly basis.
“For the first time, the Department of Culture makes a co-payment to facilitate the reduction in the price of admission,” says Natàlia Garriga, minister of culture of the Generalitat.
“We are aiming for 2% in the culture budget. Every year we have more resources and it will not be due to lack of them that this line can be expanded if young people demand it.”
If the demand from people between 18 and 30 years old exceeds expectations, the subsidy will be increased, said Garriga, whose objective is to expand Cultura Jove to include cinema and museums.
Similar schemes have been announced across Europe, in countries such as France, Italy and Germany, which recently called for the nationwide culture pass to be expanded after unprecedented demand.
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German music bodies request culture pass extension
Germany’s Music Industry Forum is calling for the nationwide culture pass to be expanded after more than half a million young people downloaded the app in its first few months.
Since June, 18-year-olds living in the country have been able to access the federal government scheme, which provides them with €200 to spend on 2.2 million products, including concert and theatre tickets, in an effort to strengthen cultural participation.
However, politicians are yet to confirm whether the pilot project will continue next year, leading to the joint appeal by members of the forum – which comprises the BDKV, venue body LiveKomm, music publishers’ organisation DMV, Association of Independent Music Companies (VUT), Society of Music Merchants (SOMM) and recording industry body BVMI.
“The culture pass is a valuable instrument for strengthening the cultural participation of young people, especially if they have not previously been given access to culture,” says a statement from the group. “The culture pass not only provides a low-threshold entry and a wide range of offerings, but also supports social interaction and thus social cohesion. Cultural participation plays an important role in actively committing to our pluralistic society and its democratic values.
“Bookstores, cinemas, concert organisers, theatres, orchestras, museums, record stores and music retailers have been extremely committed to supporting the project right from the start and have already put together an impressive offering for culture pass users in a short space of time.”
“We are firmly convinced of the potential of the culture pass and would find it a devastating signal… to not give the pilot project any opportunity for further development”
It continues: “We are firmly convinced of the potential of the culture pass and would find it a devastating signal – both for young people as well as for the cultural workers and cultural places in our country – to not give the pilot project any opportunity for further development after its promising start.”
Similar initiatives have been rolled out in Spain, France and Italy with the aim of generating new consumption habits, post-pandemic.
“There is always a lot of work behind innovative projects like this – in society, business, sport and culture alike – to make them noticeable in the long term,” adds the German coalition. “This is all the more true if they are intended to be effective across society and across the board. This is exactly what the culture pass is pursuing, which is already part of the political agenda in other European countries.
“In order for this impressive pilot project to become a long-term success, it is now time to give it a real perspective on a political basis and to continue the culture pass in the 2024 federal budget at an undiminished level. This is the only way to ensure that the resources that have been raised so far are used sustainably, that the infrastructure that has been built is continuously developed and that the offer will have its full effect over the long term.”
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Germany’s BDKV welcomes culture pass for teenagers
Germany’s live music trade body the BDKV has backed the introduction of a nationwide culture pass for young people.
The scheme, which will see those who turn 18 next year receive €200 to spend on concert or theatre tickets – as well as books and audio media – was unveiled last week by government ministers Claudia Roth and Christian Lindner.
Similar initiatives were rolled out in Spain, France and Italy earlier this year with the aim of generating new habits of cultural consumption for teenagers, post-pandemic. Jens Michow, outgoing president of the BDKV, applauds the move, which is designed to give young people easier access to cultural offerings..
“The project is now of particular importance for our industry, as the increased costs in all areas naturally also have an impact on ticket prices,” he says. “If this access threshold is lowered with the pass, at least for younger people, this is also a contribution to stabilising the still problematic economic situation of the cultural events industry.”
Michow also took the opportunity to stress the importance of additional targeted assistance for cultural events.
“If we are forced to cancel well-financed concerts or even tours due to the illness of an artist, unfortunately even a culture pass will no longer help us”
“If, from January 2023, we lack any rescue package in the event of event cancellations due to the pandemic – for example, tour cancellations that become necessary due to an artist being infected with corona – that will have an existential impact on the event companies concerned,” he says.
“Of course, the industry currently welcomes any measure that leads to an increase in the currently sluggish demand for concerts and other cultural events. However, if we are forced to cancel well-financed concerts or even tours due to the illness of an artist, unfortunately even a culture pass will no longer help us.”
Michow adds that the continued struggles of event companies mean that a new cultural start-up programme developed for live event organisers should be extended at least until the end of 2023.
“Unfortunately, the goal originally set with this program of mitigating the effects of the corona pandemic in the cultural sector and maintaining live music events as an essential part of Germany’s cultural infrastructure has not yet been achieved,” he adds.
The BDKV now represents the interests of more than 420 companies in the German event industry.
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