€1.3 million in funding allocated to culture - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Educação, Cultura e Desporto

The Regional Secretary for Education, Culture and Sport, Sofia Ribeiro, announced today the breakdown of cultural funding to be allocated to each artistic area under the Legal Support Scheme for Cultural Activities (RJAAC), totalling about €1.3 million.

The Order published today specifies the amounts to be allocated across sectors such as the audiovisual sector, the performing and visual arts, heritage, publishing, and interdisciplinary events.

According to the government official, the criteria stipulated for allocating these funds “were based on the amounts awarded to applications in the corresponding artistic sectors last year.”

The document earmarks €1.164 million for cultural projects, based on annual or biennial programmes or initiatives, with a significant interest in the preservation, enhancement, promotion and dissemination of culture in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. It also stipulates €77,000 for the acquisition, refurbishment, improvement, extension or construction of infrastructures intended for cultural activities.

It also allocates €16,000 for the acquisition and conservation of musical instruments, the purchase of uniforms, costumes and repertoire by cultural groups, and a further €15,000 for the costs of publishing cultural works.

“This funding was allocated in amounts ranging from €500 to €50,000 per project, depending on the area of activity. This is the main amendment introduced by the new legislation,” stated Sofia Ribeiro.

It should be noted that the new regulation was revised by the Regional Government in 2024, and this is the first time that funding has been allocated under the new regulation.

According to the government official, cultural agents “now have 15 working days to change the tier they have applied for, if they so wish.”

“As they are already aware of their assessment, and consequently of their position on the ranked list, they have a clear idea of the funding that will be allocated, a process which is automatic,” she emphasised.

RJAAC remains the main source of support for cultural organisations. The Regional Secretariat for Education, Culture and Sport also provides funding under the Support Programme for Recreational and Philharmonic Societies (SOREFIL), exclusively for philharmonic societies, as well as for the restoration, conservation and promotion of the whaling heritage of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.