This Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved the new Royal Decree of the Youth Cultural Bonus, a reform promoted by the Ministry of Culture that expands both the permitted uses of the aid and the profile of beneficiaries. From now on, young people will be able to use the 400 euros of the voucher to buy musical instruments, artistic materials or take cultural courses, while asylum seekers, people under temporary protection and foreigners formerly under guardianship permits in process They will also be able to access help.
This was explained by the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, at the press conference after the Council of Ministers and was also confirmed by the Minister Spokesperson, Elma Saiz, as reported by Europa Press.
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The Ministry of Culture highlights that the objective of this reform is to transform the voucher into a tool more linked to cultural creation and not just consumption. “We want the Young Cultural Bonus not only to serve to access culture, but also to create culture,” said Urtasun during his appearance.
The voucher can be used for instruments, workshops and artistic material
The main novelty of the reform approved by the Government is that young people will be able to use the aid to acquire musical instruments, cameras, programs aimed at artistic creation or material for cultural activities.
In addition, the bond will also finance in-person and online courses related to culture and the arts. According to the Ministry of Culture, beneficiaries will be able to choose between allocating the 400 euros to this creative modality or distributing the expense among several categories, as was the case in previous editions.
The new regulation also maintains access to physical cultural products, such as books, records or video games, and digital consumption through audiovisual, musical or reading platforms.
Urtasun has defended that the intention is for aid to stop being only “an element of consumption” and become “a fundamental right in which creation can also be present.”
The Government wants to expand the social reach of the program
Another notable novelty affects access to the program. As explained by the minister spokesperson, Elma Saiz, “asylum seekers or people receiving temporary protection, as well as ex-tutored foreigners in the process of obtaining their residence permit,” may also apply for the Young Cultural Bonus.
The Ministry of Culture is also working to increase the percentage of young people who request aid. Urtasun explained that currently around 70% of the potential public accesses the bonus, although the goal is to reach “80 or 90%.”
To this end, the Department of Culture plans to collaborate with social and third sector entities to facilitate access to young people from more vulnerable backgrounds. “We are going to make agreements with third sector entities so that all young people, regardless of their origin, their environment, can access the cultural bonus,” stated the minister.