Estonian government to fund writer and artist salaries

The Estonian government is due to launch a funding project that would see five writers and five artists receive a salary from the state over a three-year period.

The initiative is set to be launched by the Estonian Ministry of Culture at a press conference today, where they will also announce a call for applications.

“The state’s interest is straightforward: a poet or painter needs an opportunity to concentrate on his or her creative work,” head of communications for the Ministry of Culture, Meelis Kompus, stated. “Such creative professionals lack opportunities to be permanently employed by institutions, like a writer’s union, where authors gather in the morning to write books and receive monthly salaries. They also need social guarantees.”

The first cohort of selected writers and artists will receive the state-funded salary from 2016 onwards.

Source: ERR