A VOUCHER worth €400 to spend on arts and entertainment for anyone who turned – or has still to turn – 18 in 2022 will be offered again next year, reveals minister for culture Miquel Iceta.
Cinema and theatre tickets, festivals, museums and concerts are among the cultural activities brand-new adults can spend their voucher on
Teens entering adulthood this year got a surprise bonus present when it was announced in July that anyone born in the year 2004 – residents of any nationality, including asylum seekers, whether or not they had yet been granted refugee status – could download a 'culture voucher', or Bono Cultural, before October 15, whether or not their 18th birthday had already passed.
Strict rules apply as to how much of the €400 can be spent on what areas, but practically all of them are covered – up to €100 on physical books, magazines, press, music scores for those who sing or play instruments, music supports such as CDs, cassettes and vinyl, films on DVD or VHS video tape, all bought from shop premises rather than online; €100 on digital items, such as online magazines and press, e-books, video game or film streaming, music downloads, and subscriptions to music, film, gaming or reading platforms; and the remaining €200 to be spent on visits, such as to festivals, concerts, plays, shows, museums, art galleries, or library services which attract a fee.
Computer or mobile phone hardware or software, school or college textbooks, physical e-readers, musical instruments, drawing and painting material, clothing or accessories, restaurant meals, or sporting events are not covered.
The reason for the split between types of activity or product is to ensure that all areas of the arts, entertainment and culture industries which suffered financially through the pandemic would be given a boost, not just those most popular with the young, such as online services, streaming or music downloads.
Anyone whose 17th birthday was in 2022 may have been disappointed to have been born too late, especially if they were one of a 'New Year' twin whose elder sibling came into the world on the right side of the chimes.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com