The first round of grants from the National Creative Relief Programme, which is targeted towards freelancers and SMEs affected by the coronavirus crisis, will be given to 50 individuals and 37 companies.
Led by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development (MCKD) and launched in May, the fund offers Dh15,000 to Dh50,000 grants to individuals and small businesses in the creative fields who are undergoing financial difficulties because of the pandemic.
The recipients of the grants primarily include those in the performing arts, multimedia arts and visual arts. The funds will be able cover the entirety of freelancers’ financial obligations for a month, and 70 per cent of SME’s financial obligations for a month.
In determining the grantees, MCKD evaluated factors such as the loss of income for individuals and SMEs, and considered the sustainability of their businesses in the coming months.
Since its announcement, the National Creative Relief Programme received applications from 58 nationalities currently residing in the UAE.
Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, said in a statement that the government is “studying to develop policies that will enable the growth” of the creative sector.
She also pointed out the obstacles faced by creative professionals and entities, including issues such as freelance licenses and Intellectual Property protection. “Among the challenges that were presented in the process, the most prominent one was the legislative and regulatory environment in the cultural sector. This includes encouraging individuals to obtain freelance licenses to continue to practice in the cultural sector and organise their work and projects for such incentives,” she said.
“The Ministry is also working on the advancement of Intellectual Property protection and its governance to encourage authentic and original creative production within the country,” she added.
She hinted that the ministry is working with external partners, such sponsors and companies, to provide additional support to cultural and creative sectors. Currently, the National Creative Relief Programme is accepting financial support from patrons to add to the fund, a process that is done in partnership with the CSR UAE Fund, a federal authority for Corporate Social Responsibility in the UAE.
Al Kaabi also highlighted the “urgent need for government intervention” to keep the creative ecosystem going, adding that the second phrase of the programme will be announced “soon”.
MCKD has stated that those who were not successful in the first phase of the programme can apply for the second phase.
The programme is open to freelancers, citizens and non-citizens, as well as small businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
More information can be found on mckd.gov.ae
Scroll through below to see a gallery of street art in Abu Dhabi:
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Brazilian street artist Kobra with his work in Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen area. Victor Besa / The National -
Kobra, with Mohamed Al Khadar, executive director of the strategic affairs sector at the DMT. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Kobra's near-2,000-square-metre work stands out in Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Kobra, with Mohamed Al Khadar, executive director of the strategic affairs sector at the DMT. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Kobra's bright artworks are certainly eye-catching. -
The team from For Abu Dhabi during the unveiling of the mural. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Kobra's mural can be found in Al Bateen. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Brazilian street artist Kobra with his work in Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen area. Victor Besa / The National -
Kobra's mural celebrates diversity and tolerance, and he feels it is a continuation of the themes that he has previously explored in his projects. Victor Besa / The National -
Kobra's mural is based on an earlier campaign by the Department of Community Development, which showed the many faces of Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Kobra's mural is based on an earlier campaign by the Department of Community Development, which showed the many faces of Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Brazilian artist who currently lives in Dubai, Tarsila Schubert, painted a mural titled 'Umm Al Nar Mother of Fire'. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Schubert blends the many different layers of her every day sensory world, in apparently chaotic, yet balanced artworks. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Schubert's mural decorates the underside of an overbridge. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Schubert says she is 'motivated by the intrinsic value of culture' in creating her at. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Schubert working on her mural. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim's artworks can be found around the UAE. -
Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim’s mural 'Grocery' takes its inspiration from the fruit and vegetables sold inside the Madinat Zayed market in Abu Dhabi. Credit @tostfilms -
Ibrahim has covered the exterior of the market with a mural, in bright yellows, reds and greens. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Ibrahim has utilised his famous totemic forms in which lines and circles come together to create insect-like beings, or representations of lichens, growing across the building. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Ibrahim has utilised his famous totemic forms in which lines and circles come together to create insect-like beings, or representations of lichens, growing across the building. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Ibrahim transforming Madinat Zayed. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Ibrahim uses a cherry picker to create ‘Grocery’, a mural covers the market at Madinat Zayed. Credit @tostfilms -
Ibrahim transforming Madinat Zayed. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport. -
MadC, otherwise known as Claudia Walde, is a famous graffiti writer and muralist from Germany. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Elian Chali is an Argentinian artist, born and raised in Cordoba. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Chali's work is known for its minimalism and abstraction. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Elian Chali at work. -
Chali uses overlapping layers and opacity to create geometric compositions. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Chali works on his mural. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Elian Chali colour on the city's skyline. -
Ernest Zacharevic was born in Lithuania but now lives in Malaysia. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Ernest Zacharevic animates public spaces with interactive murals depicting children at play. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Zacharevic's murals are intended to fuse the physical world with his imagination. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Zacharevic's murals are intended to fuse the physical world with his imagination. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Zacharevic pictured with his mural. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport -
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's monolithic sculpture, 'Forever Bicycles', has made Abu Dhabi its temporary home. Courtesy Department of Municipalities and Transport
