ECA wrote the following to Andrus Ansip, Prime Minister and Laine Jänes, Minister of Culture of Estonia, on 16 November:
ECA (European Council of Artists) held its Annual Conference in Floriana, Malta. Experiencing the Arts | artists’ contribution to creative thinking and European innovation ran from the 30th of October to the 1st November. The importance of arts to all aspects of society was discussed by an impressive line-up of speakers.
At its Annual General Assembly, which followed the conference, delegates were informed by Estonian member, the Estonian Artists' Association, of proposed legislation on the introduction of a Percent-for-Art programme in Estonia.
ECA - an umbrella for interdisciplinary artists' councils and professional artists' associations from 26 countries across Europe and representing an estimated 200,000 professional artists, acknowledges your commitment and the contribution and good will of Estonian Ministry of Culture in proposing legislation to introduce a “Percent-for-Art” programme that will humanise and enliven public space through the introduction of varied of art forms.
ECA supports the Estonian Artists' Associations' call upon the Estonian Ministry of Culture to draft procedures for the implementation to the Percent-for-Art programme that will be acceptable to all parties. The final documents should give local government, artists' organisations and Ministry of Culture sufficient voice in the decision-making process.
Percent-for-Art legislation - that provides for a percentage of the budget for public capital projects for used for the arts - exists in several European countries. Each country - following a process of local discussion and consultation - has legislated to suit its own local circumstances. ECA calls on all parties to the current discussion in Estonia to reach a positive conclusion resulting in the implementation of an Estonian Percent-for-Art programme
The implementation of a Percent-for-Art programme will portray Estonian in positive light among other EU member countries, demonstrating its support for its cultural creators. Estonia's people and visual arts and culture in Europe would benefit by the implementation of such a Percent-for-Art programme.
Michael Burke,
president