Coming in line with the Tunisian government's action plan to support the sectors affected by the preventative measures to contain the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Chiraz Latiri, Tunisian Minister of Cultural Affairs, has announced the launch of the Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to support local cultural operators and spaces, private and public, greatly destabilized by this global crisis.
In the Ministry's official statement, Latiri revealed that the CRF will centralize the financial contributions of organizations and individuals keen on actively participating in the recovery of the creative sector as well as in the development of a rich Tunisian cultural life, during this period of crisis and beyond.

It's worth mentioning that the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) selected Chiraz Latiri to receive the Arab Cinema Personality of The Year award, presented by The Hollywood Reporter, last February just a few days before she was appointed as Tunisia's Minister of Culture.

As part of the safety precautions taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 globally, more than 700 cultural activities and festivals have been canceled, or postponed, in addition to the suspension of many cultural activities and the shutdown of film theatres. This has hugely impacted the international Film and Entertainment industries and plunges part of the creative professionals into economic instability.

The immediate goal of this fund is to ensure the social and economic stability of the cultural operators, exceptionally, during this crisis. The Culture Recovery Fund will help them maintain their cultural and economic vitality, while enabling them to cope with the difficulties caused by the cancellation of various cultural events, while anticipating possible financial and social damages.

The Culture Recovery Fund's long-term goal is to provide solid grounds for the development of the cultural sector by gathering part of the necessary financial resources to provide support to cultural and creative projects and companies in Tunisia.

In this context, a specific focus will be dedicated to digital transformation, as it has become a viable alternative in supporting cultural vitality and continuity in such conditions, while actively participating in Tunisian cultural product distribution locally and abroad. This fund also aims to finance and support the development of online cultural and artistic services, as well as the digitalization of production and distribution processes.

On its Facebook page, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs announced the mechanism, eligibility and attribution criteria of the Culture Recovery Fund. To view the eligibility and attribution criteria, please click on the following link:
www.facebook.com/M.AFFAIRES.CULTURELLES/posts/2595872204027953