General national economic measures 

 

*small business relief or other financial support 

*income support for employees 

*income support for freelance workers 

*tax returns and or VAT returns suspended/delayed 

*lower interest rates (general) 

*employer social security payment holiday 

*tax returns and or VAT returns suspended/delayed 

 

More info: 

 

An “anti-crisis shield” package worth €47bn has been put in place in 2020: 

 

-Companies were allowed to defer social security payments. 

-State covered 40% salaries of employees up to the amount of the average salary in the national economy at companies that have seen their turnover drop as a result of the pandemic. 

-Income support for self-employed: one-time payment of up to 80% of the minimum wage. 

-Poland’s central bank cut interest rates by half a point to a record low of 1% and launched a series of measures to boost banks’ liquidity and ease their capital requirements. Poland’s banks also pledged to allow retail and business customers hit by the crisis to suspend loan repayments for three months. 

 

More information here.  

 

National measures specific to the music sector or to culture in general 

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As part of the anti-crisis shield, people working in the cultural sector and cultural institutions are covered:  

 

- artists and self-entrepreneurs are able to benefit from the above-mentioned state support for up to 40% of workers’ salaries at companies that have seen their turnover drop as a result of the pandemic. 

-Self-employed benefit from income support.  

- increase in funds for social assistance for artists - to be submitted to the National Center for Culture.  

-”Creativity on the internet” support programme for artists, creators and institutions who – due to the epidemic – cannot carry out their artistic creativity in its current form. The programme helps them present their creation online instead. Budget is around €4,5m.  

- Additional programme to compensate for losses in the cultural sector linked to the epidemic after its conclusion, once activity has started again.  

 

More information here.  

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- Some Polish cities started their own aid campaigns, for example the city of Szczecin has created an aid package based on 3 pillars: 

• Creative Scholarships of the City of Szczecin – artists were able to submit individual applications for scholarships for the realization of their own works. As a result of this project several projects will be created this year for a total of 200 000 PLN (44 150, 11 €). 

• The Small Grants Program: 50 000 PLN (11 037, 52 €) allocated to support projects that can be made online.   

• Szczecin city events - city declared that during these events mainly Szczecin artists would perform. 

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Health measures

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Covid-19 measures and restrictions in the country can be found on the government's website.

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Measures taken by local collecting society organisations 

 

-Polish music collecting societies issued an appeal to the Prime Minister calling for: 

• One-off or instalment financial support for authors and performers who have lost their livelihood as a result of canceled events. 

• An additional fund to compensate artists for artistic events cancelled as a result of preventive measures due to the epidemic outbreak. 

• Broadcasters and public radio stations to increase the number of programmes playing Polish music, literature, dramaturgy and films.  

• Minimise the effects of considering withdrawing from the execution of personal income tax from the so-called royalties paid to authors and performers by collecting societies and related rights for an agreed period. 
   

Social media campaign to promote music during the crisis 

 

-The Polish Song Museum in Opole has appealed to public and private radio, television and internet broadcasters to take part in the #grajmypopolsku campaign. It's about broadcasting polish songs which can help creators. Radio dla Ciebie and Polish Radio were the first to join the campaign. Radio Opole and Radio Gdańsk have also joined this campaign. Radio Gdańsk dedicated three hours of the afternoon every day only to the music of native performers. Polish collective societies organisations supported this initiative too. The latest radio station who has joined this campaign is Radio ZET which every day between 6pm - 7pm broadcasts only Polish music.  
 
-Initiative from the Polish Musicians' Trade Union "Play and Listen to Polish Artists". This idea is directed to radio stations and their listeners. 
 
-Polish Radio has launched the "We support Polish Artists" campaign. The Polish Radio Music Agency has decided to lower - by April 15 2020 - the retail price of CDs released by Polish Radio and performed by Polish artists.  
 

-The Polish Music Foundation initiated the "Stay with music" campaign on the website www.zostanzmuzyka.pl where they publish information about music on-line events. Events participating in the action can collect donations for a specific purpose within the virtual Polish Music Foundation box. ZPAV became a patron of this event. 
 
#domowyfestiwal Campaign – the idea of this initiative is to keep musicians in touch with their fans, giving mainly free performances from home, which are livestreamed on social media. 
 
#zostańwdomu Campaign – many of the largest cultural institutions in Poland shared resources, broadcast concerts or theater performances - all to reach the largest possible number of viewers who stayed at home. 

 

Business and other expected losses 

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-One of the most affected is the event industry, primarily due to the ban on the organisation of concerts. This generated a lack of income for people involved in the organisation process of events, for example: tour managers, booking managers, DJs, lighting specialists, acousticians, etc.  
 
-Young artists who do not have a well-known catalogue, in the form of revenues from royalties, and live mainly from performances are also affected.  
 
-Physical music sales also decrease because shops had to closed.