3 questions to André Bauler
At the end of April, there was a major orientation debate in Parliament on the Cultural Development Plan 1.0. A plan that has occupied the work of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture for several years, and which today – in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic – has a very different meaning than in 2018.
André, as the DP Spokesman for Culture, you have long been involved in this debate. Can you briefly explain what the so-called K.E.P.1.0 is all about?
The KEP is a plan with recommendations to further develop and advance the cultural scene in Luxembourg. It is important to emphasize that this is not a political document. Culture is a living thing and politics should promote, support, accompany cultural life without interfering with the creativity of the cultural creators. It is therefore just a matter of giving culture a good political framework in order to be able to develop. This means giving cultural creators the means to become more known and visible and to be able to survive financially. At the same time, young people should be made aware of the culture.
Now the cultural sector has been hit particularly hard during the pandemic. Has the Commission addressed this issue as well?
Particularly in the context of the pandemic, we must continue to focus on the status of the artist and the professionalisation of the cultural scene. The reform of the artist statute is now progressing even faster than originally planned. The Covid-19 pandemic brought to our attention the vulnerable man behind the artist. Whether it’s the professional artist or the intermittent du spectacle, it does not change anything: politics must help the cultural creator financially so that they can make a living from their art.
So we are talking here about an investment in the noble sense of the word?
Whoever invests in culture invests in people and in social cohesion. One invests in the cultural education and the strengthening of the location of Luxembourg and all its cultural diversity. Culture is not a nice thing to have, but a necessity for a society to develop in openness and in a creative, innovative dynamic, without forgetting our unique cultural heritage.
