From the Fondazione CR Firenze 1.5 million euros in three calls for small and medium-sized cultural entities

The Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze is providing 1.5 million euros to help Florentine culture recover from the damage caused by Covid-19. These resources are being disbursed through three calls, Emergenza Cultura Firenze, Cultural Participation and Cultural Laboratories. The aim is to support the costs of management and adaptation of facilities, production of activities and digital innovation of the many entities in the area that risk closure. The decision, presented today, was made unanimously by the Board of Directors of Fondazione CR Firenze, which wants to go to the aid especially of small and medium-sized cultural realities that have always been considered a great wealth of our territory and that today find themselves unable to benefit from institutional funds.

Let’s look at the calls in detail. Emergenza Cultura Firenze provides 500,000 euros and expires on July 2: this is an intervention to support entities operating in the area of cultural and artistic activities in the territory as a result of the negative economic impact caused by the containment measures resulting from the COVID-19 emergency, and will benefit associations, entities, foundations or nonprofit and formally established entities operating in thelive performance field, in the management of cultural centers and in the organization of events, which are based in the municipal territory of Florence (although initiatives carried out in the City of Florence by entities with registered offices in municipalities of the metropolitan city contiguous to the City of Florence will be exceptionally considered).

The call for Cultural Laboratories (250,000 euros, opening June 23 and expiring August 27), on the other hand, is dedicated to smaller museums in Florence and its province: the aim is to strengthen the digital identity and innovative services of Florentine museums, aimed at accessibility and engagement of new audiences, and to support the reopenings to the public of museums post Covid-19 emergency (museums open for at least one year, with minimum guaranteed accessibility and number of annual visitors between 3.000 to 300,000). Projects supporting education and school reopening through the provision of museum space will also be supported.

Finally, the Cultural Participation call (400,000 euros, opening June 30 and expiring Sept. 10) aims to support community involvement and cultural participation projects in the suburbs that are characterized by the implementation of active participation and social inclusion actions of the local community through the animation of peripheral urban spaces. Associations, entities, foundations or nonprofit and formally established entities whose corporate purpose covers the areas of activity envisaged by the objectives of the Call may participate. The territory involved is the peripheral areas of the City of Florence and neighboring metropolitan area municipalities (Scandicci, Fiesole, Calenzano, Lastra a Signa, Signa, Bagno a Ripoli, Sesto Fiorentino, Campi Bisenzio, Pontassieve). Then there is an additional allocation of 309,000 euros, which has been earmarked for 42 entities that had applied in the Arts and Cultural Activities 2020 Call for Proposals, or the sector’s ordinary contribution tool, and that had not had any contributions until now because all such funding had been suspended during the pandemic.

“Cultural activities,” explained Luigi Salvadori, president of the Fondazione CR Firenze, “were among the first to be blocked during the health emergency and unfortunately are destined to be among the last to reopen. We have helplessly witnessed in recent months the total closure of a supply basin that has always offered great vitality to our territory. Now, however, we can act, and we have chosen to do so now in order to offer concrete help to the many players in the cultural world so that they can rise from the rubble of a painful season. We are confident that the strength and enthusiasm that has always distinguished our entities will be able to generate a new beginning. And this is what the Foundation wishes them.”

“Florence,” said Mayor Dario Nardella, “will not fail in its support for the culture sector, which was heavily affected during the pandemic and is among the most suffering in the restart. We are grateful to the CRFirenze Foundation for its continued support of the administration at a particularly complex time, and we are confident that the calls will go a long way toward alleviating the difficulties of the many cultural realities in which our territory is rich. I also want to confirm, in my capacity as metropolitan mayor, further help to the cultural operators in our territory, maintaining on the budget an important part of resources to support the cultural sector in going through this difficult crisis.”

“Little by little,” said Councillor for Culture Tommaso Sacchi, “the worlds of culture, art and entertainment are reactivating their activities. Florence has a widespread and valuable fabric of associations, organizations and institutions that produce and disseminate culture and that have found themselves defenseless more than other sectors against the Covid-19 emergency. We will not cease to stand by their side to make our support felt, including material support, thanks to the indispensable support of the Fondazione CR Firenze and that of the historical sponsors of the City’s cultural initiatives, from which we have collected the willingness to lend a hand to the associations through the construction of an emergency fund. We wish them and all of us that we will soon be able to return to enjoy the shows and events also live and with the extraordinary participation to which we were accustomed.”

From the Fondazione CR Firenze 1.5 million euros in three calls for small and medium-sized cultural entities

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