Ahead of the meeting of the Culture Ministers of the EU Member States on 4 April 2022 in Luxembourg, the initiators of the Cultural Deal for Europe campaign – Culture Action Europe, the European Cultural Foundation and Europa Nostra, also in its capacity as coordinator of the European Heritage Alliance, send a letter to the EU institutions and national governments, a with an urgent plea to demonstrate a Culture of Solidarity with cultural actors in Ukraine.
The letter was sent to Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Sabine Verheyen Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the CULT Committee, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine and to each of the 27 Ministers of Culture of the EU Member States: members of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council of the Council of the European Union, with its copy sent to the Minister of Culture of Ukraine.
This unprecedented war calls for unity and solidarity. Artists, cultural workers and heritage professionals not only in Ukraine, but elsewhere in Europe and even in Russia itself, were among the most forceful voices to warn against the Russian aggression, condemn it, call for defiance and resistance, often at the risk of their own lives. In recent weeks, we have also witnessed outstanding mobilisation of civil society, NGOs, grass-root initiatives as well as individuals putting in place concrete actions to help Ukraine.
The initiators of the Cultural Deal for Europe, a campaign for the recognition of the crucial role of culture in shaping the future of the EU, have therefore advocated for and provided, together with our members and partners, immediate help, making some initial resources available for emergency support of artists, cultural workers and heritage professionals in Ukraine.
