The SAA highlights the specific conditions and difficulties that young and aspiring European directors and screenwriters face in the 21st century of moving images and puts forward 5 ways to support next generation audiovisual authors.

On 19 October, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU prepared by MEP Monica SEMEDO for the Culture committee. The SAA welcomes this important resolution that calls for minimum social standards for artists and cultural workers and shows that the EU can do more to guarantee fair and proportionate remuneration for authors.

Voices of Culture call on the EU to adopt a holistic approach to determining the social and economic status of artists and cultural workers. The SAA has been part of developing its recommendations addressing fair pay, flattening income variations, collective bargaining, intellectual property rights and grants.

Little did we know that 2020 would turn out the way it did, although the road is still long to recovery, I am hopeful that we will turn a corner by the end of 2021. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the SAA swiftly shifted its priorities. The health crisis led to more cooperation and coordinated action within the cultural and creative sectors than before.

The SAA have co-signed a letter by more than 110 pan-European networks, coordinated by Culture Action Europe. Today it has been sent to the Member States and the European Commission to secure a future for culture and cultural life in Europe.

On 17 March 2021, European collective management organisations and their members came together to discuss how to secure fair remuneration to performers and audiovisual authors.

"Collective management – A safety net for authors and performers" is the title of the SAA and AEPO-ARTIS upcoming event on 17 March. It also well describes the results of the surveys the SAA conducted among its members, demonstrating the collective management organisations’ continued efforts and mobilisation of resources to support audiovisual authors through the pandemic.

In recent years, there has been an important increase on the use of AI in the audiovisual and media sectors. This raises key questions on authorship and creativity.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on culture has been, and still is, devastating. While many policymakers understand the consequences of the crisis on our health, social life and wellbeing, few are aware of the important role that the cultural sector can play for the recovery of the European economy. 

Europe's creative economy has been decimated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Venues remain closed, productions postponed and advertising revenues have plummeted. We have all, individually, suffered the effects of cultural and social scarcity. But 2019 was a different story.

An essential programme for the recovery and sustainability of the European film and audiovisual sector in COVID-19 times

Of the total employment in EU27, 3,7% (7,3 million) people work in the cultural sectors and one third are self-employed (Eurostat 2019). COVID-19 has worsened their already precarious situation and left many without any regular income and difficulties to prove their eligibility for any possible financial support mainly designed for employees or businesses.