Sponsorship Law Will Favorably Impact Cultural Development in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo October 7, 2019 – The Dominican Republic has taken an important step in approving its first Sponsorship Law. The law was approved by Dominican President Danilo Medina last September. Through Law 340-19, the country will now have a legal framework to encourage cultural sponsorship.

The law will favor artists, cultural agents and organizations – both public and private – that design and present specific projects to the Sponsorship Council (CONME), according to the guidelines and procedures established by the law.
Law 340-19 also includes the creation of the General Directorate of Sponsorships and the National Council of Sponsorships. The Ministry of Culture is getting ready to prepare to launch the execution of this important legal instrument for the development of the national cultural sectors.
The Law also creates the Solidary Fund to Support Culture, with resources that will be donated by financial and voluntary donations by individuals, as well as public and private donors who contribute with national and international funds.
Minister of Culture Eduardo Selman stated that this law “…will facilitate a public and private alliance that will strengthen the cultural development of the Dominican Republic, as has been the case with the Dominican Law on the Film Industry. This Law will certainly provoke a cultural revolution in the country,” explained Minister Selman.

He also highlighted that through the Ministry of Culture the Dominican government has executed important cultural projects, free schools, and encouragement of creative projects, among other initiatives that benefit youth. These initiative will now be strengthened by Law 340-19.

The Impact of the Law

Some of the goals included in Law 340-19 include the encouragement and protection of the formation of artists in various areas, such as Project management and administration. All efforts are included to help support, develop, innovate and modernize the cultural sector.

Also, encourage public and private investment to help build private art collections through the purchase of paintings and artistic objects from artists or intermediary institutions within that specific area of specialty (art galleries included), that are legally created for these specific projects.

At the same time, encourage financial donations for not-for-profit projects, generated by public public or private institutions and stimulate the sponsorship of projects and programs involving academic, scientific and culture programs. Also, support art exhibits, art and literary contests, audiovisual productions, radio programs, arts & crafts fairs, forums, conferences and national and international congresses related to the country’s artistic and cultural activities.

The promotion of the arts and national artisans is also one of the main goals of the Law because it is a fundamental aspect of the country’s visual memory and national identity, as well as the preservation and refurbishing of historic buildings that are part of the Dominican Republic’s national patrimony.

More importantly, encourage vocational training in the artistic and cultural world, and develop activities that contribute to strengthen and articulate the country’s economy and industries through art and culture.

Beneficiaries

The Law also benefits natural or legal persons that carry out extraordinary or special donations, contributing to the development and consolidation of creative cultural projects that have an impact on community, municipal, provincial or national projects.

Areas or Categories

In order to be evaluated and later on declared as a Project of national cultural interests, the projects must correspond to the following categories or areas: construction of physical infrastructure projects for non-profit cultural institutions; conservation and the refurbishing of physical buildings that are important to the country’s cultural history.

Also, public art, visual arts exhibits; theater; socio-cultural research involving artistic currents, anthropology, archaeology, ethnography, sociology, museography and the study of cultural economics.

At the same time, the planning, organization and presentation of classical and popular music, projects and proposals on the creation and development of cultural and creative industries, encourage the development and improve the quality in the quality of Dominican arts & crafts.

RECUADRO…

National Council on Sponsorship and Sponsorship Directorate

Law 340-19 creates the National Council on Sponsorship, as the leading office of the General Directorate of Sponsorship, with the obligations established with public political obligations for the incentive of cultural sponsorship. The Ministry of Culture will be in charge of executing the offices.

At the same time, it creates the General Directorate of Sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture, as an autonomous and decentralized unit of the State.
The General Director of Sponsorship will be named by the country’s President.