Culture ministry issues guidelines for online events

In a statement, the ministry said there has been a substantial impact on the performing arts and cultural sector with in-person exhibitions, events, and performances either cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

New Delhi: The Culture Ministry Friday issued guidelines for holding events in online mode, allowing artistes to take benefits of government schemes even if they are unable to hold such programmes in physical settings owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ministry said the guidelines will ensure continued financial assistance to artistes and help them tide over the present crisis.

In a statement, the ministry said there has been a substantial impact on the performing arts and cultural sector with in-person exhibitions, events, and performances either cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

However, there were intensive efforts by the artistes and the institutions of the Ministry of Culture to provide alternative or additional services through digital platforms with proper documentation of the events, it said.

The Ministry of Culture (Performing Arts Bureau) implements many schemes under its Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana (KSVY), where grants are sanctioned/approved for holding programmes/activities which involved large audience.

This (the guidelines) will enable them to avail benefits under these schemes even if they are not able to stage programs in the physical format as before and will ensure continued financial assistance to tide over the present crisis, the ministry said.

The guidelines will be applicable on artists/organisations who have already been sanctioned grants under KSVY schemes.

The ministry has urged them to conduct various components of the schemes such as virtual workshops on art and craft, lecture-cum-demonstrations, webinars, online programmes/festivals etc. through virtual mode on social media handles like Facebook, YouTube etc.

The ministry has said that instead of the usual hard copies of documents relating to activities covered under the scheme/scheme, artistes or organisers can submit soft copies of the same for the release of the grant.

The components will be dispensed with for the time-being and soft copies of the same will be admissible for release of grant.

The organisations who are conducting events on virtual mode may be given exemption from submission of proof of event such as Newspaper cutting but must submit link/recordings of the virtual events/activities with details of the event. The outreach of the program in terms of a measure of the digital audience should also be indicated.

The expenditure incurred on activities as reflected in Utilization Certificate (UC) should be justified with reference to the program conducted via a virtual platform, it said.

The Ministry of Culture is implementing Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana (KSVY) through which cultural organisations are given financial assistance for the promotion of art and culture.

PTI