(Credit: Jiyang Chen)

A number of German artists have spoken out in a letter directed to the German Ministry of Culture.

Per Die Welt, baritone Matthias Goerne, bass René Pape, conductor Christian Thielemann, violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, violinst Lisa Batiashvili, and director Thomas Hengelbrock call for the organization to take freelance artists into account moving forward. The artists referenced an interview by Monika Grütters with FAZ on March 30 in which she stated that creative artists, including musicians, actors, filmmakers, acrobats et cetera, are “not used to ‘screaming for help.’”

They note that there seems to be no clarity on how the Ministry of Culture will help artists in Germany and go on to emphasize that many major artists “employ several people, from artist agencies, PR agencies to web designers and secretaries. Many more employees depend on their income and work.”

“Are we only popular when times are rosy? Does nobody feel committed to our cultural achievement? Is it inconceivable for the German state to offer tailored help to freelance cultural workers just as quickly as Adidas, or the logo and occupational therapists who receive 40 percent from the fourth quarter of the previous year as a one-time grant, or the dentists, who initially had 90 Percent of last year’s income received,” the letter contests at one point. “We, known and unknown artists, remember how often we have been asked over the years, for example after the financial crisis, to accept lower fees, to make a contribution to the diversity of the cultural landscape, and in most cases have done so. “In return, we now expect you to at least work for adequate cancellation fees through the state-subsidized institutions, theaters, opera houses, orchestras, concert halls, and the public service broadcasters and achieve an acceptable result. For all those organizers who work outside of the subsidized cultural activities, it is imperative to set them up in such a way that they are able to continue to make their valuable contribution to culture.”

Germany has over 145,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 4,600 deaths since the outbreak started to spread.