+++UPDATE: Corona rescue package for Hamburg music clubs
The Hamburg cultural authority, (The Ministry of Culture and Media) and the Hamburger Clubstiftung or Club Foundation will provide 1.5 million euros of emergency aid for the Hamburg music clubs.
The operators can now apply to bridge the six-week closure period until the end of April. According to information from NDR 90.3, the cultural authority and the Hamburg club foundation have developed a process for this to ensure rapid support.
With the help of the emergency fund, the music clubs such as Knust, Molotow or the Dock, should be able to pay rent, electricity and wages as long as the lights are out.
The 1.5 million euros are the result of an assessment, regarding the needs of the foundation in order to strengthen the private music stages in Hamburg.
The emergency aid for the music clubs is part of the 25 million rescue package for the cultural scene in Hamburg.
“We know the club scene very well. That makes us quick,” says club foundation board member Terry Krug.
They have been in close contact with many clubs for years.
“We know exactly what is needed there. These clubs meet the criteria. This simplifies processing. We assume that we only have to put 20 percent of the applications through our paces.” A condition for funding is that the clubs offer at least 24 live concerts or DJ events per year.
Predicting dramatic effects on cultural life, Krug expects 140 music clubs and venues in Hamburg to be affected by the Corona crisis.
“These are all companies that would actually now earn their money to get over the summer break.”
It is about preserving these rooms, says Krug. This crisis will have a long and drastic impact on the city’s cultural life.
“The clubs in particular are extremely fragile structures. Once this biotope is dead, it is gone,” says Krug.