Morocco promotes artists and creators

Morocco is determined to support art and creativity. Thus, the Moroccan state has planned a new institution to support artists and creators.  

The cultural sector has long been calling for a renewal and a solid structure in Africa and the Arab world, and the Moroccan kingdom has decided to take the step to continue along the path of modernisation and development embarked upon by King Mohammed VI since his accession to the throne in 1999. 

Over the years, the Alawi monarch has wanted Morocco to evolve in all areas, from the political to the economic, social, infrastructural and even sporting. In this way, the country has taken firm steps in this almost quarter of a century to achieve a more privileged position today. 

The world of culture has not escaped this trend, and now the Moroccan state also wants to promote it through this new institution for sponsoring artists.  

The Moroccan government has decided to establish a new entity to assist national artists and creators, with legal personality and financial independence, as reported by Al-Arab.

Among the functions of this institution are to improve the social and material conditions of this group, to publicly recognise their activity through various activities and events, and to provide them with social services, especially for those in greatest need.  

The Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, revealed that the Ministry is developing a decree for the creation of an "institution for the care of Moroccan artists and creators", with a view to presenting it to the sectors involved in order to define it fully and for it to enter into force after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Morocco. 

The Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication also stressed the Ministry's commitment to continue funding the National Cooperation of Artists with an amount of 4 million dirhams per year (around 365,000 euros), in addition to supporting artists and creators in all their cultural and artistic activities. 

The Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication responded to questions from the National Grouping of Independents in the Chamber of Councillors and explained that the new institution will be responsible for improving the social and material conditions of Moroccan artists and creators, recognising their work. It will also contribute to creating a balance between the legal and social status of the creative and the intellectual, and carry out awareness-raising and communication campaigns to improve the image of the intellectual and the artist in society, as reported by Al-Arab. 

The government has therefore recognised the need to work to improve the social, economic and infrastructural situation of members of the cultural sector. 

Many of the workers in the culture and art sector had no recognition or social coverage, and now the aim is to provide them with the infrastructure to live and develop their work, pensions and social benefits, and even coverage by the national health system.  

Minister Mohammed Bensaid indicated that the Ministry of Culture had already announced measures to improve the employment, economic and social situation of artists and creators, through tools such as the new professional artist's card, which grants them a set of rights related mainly to employment priorities, social protection, control of the employment relationship, and the allocation of annual financial support for the benefit of artists in general. 

Meanwhile, the annual subscription fee of the National Artists' Mutual Insurance Company does not exceed 700 dirhams (around 65 euros), which is the cheapest contribution among mutual insurance companies in Morocco, in addition to being "the only mutual insurance company that enjoys state support". In this regard, King Mohammed VI usually covers the treatment costs of artists whose health is deteriorating, as reported by Al-Arab. 

According to official figures, around 9,000 artists have obtained professional artist identification, and the task now is to identify those who are in a more disadvantaged situation in order to help them. 

Direct social aid programme