Young people born in 2006 who have turned or turn 18 this year can apply, starting this Monday, for the 2024 Cultural Bonus. The initiative consists of a prepaid card of 400 euros for cultural products in physical format, products digital and performing arts.
According to the BOE this Monday, the Cultural Bonus, promoted by the Ministry of Culture since 2022, can be requested until September 16 through the website www.bonoculturajoven.gob.es. Young people of Spanish nationality, those who have legal residence in Spain, asylum seekers, temporarily displaced persons or ex-tutored foreigners can access the aid.
According to data from the National Statistics Institute, there are around 525,000 potential beneficiaries throughout the country. From the date of granting, the Bonus can be used for an entire year in the more than 3,300 establishments participating in the program throughout Spain.
The 400 euros of the prepaid card are divided into 100 euros for physical products, for example, books, press or records; 100 for digital products, such as subscriptions to platforms, digital press, podcasts or online video games and 200 for performing arts: theater, opera, cinema, dance, museums. Young people interested in applying for the Youth Cultural Bonus can carry out the process in person or through the representation of an adult. With this initiative, Culture aims to build the loyalty of the younger public to culture for the future, in addition to offering additional support to the cultural sector to recover from the coronavirus crisis. It has a budget of 210 million euros, which makes this aid the item to which the Culture portfolio dedicates the most money. A project that was also included in the investiture agreement between the PSOE and Sumar.
A total of 326,579 people benefited in 2023, almost 50,000 more people than in the previous call. The figure represents 65.58% of the estimated population of that age, a total of 501,652 people, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics.
Bull shows, in controversy last year over whether or not they should be included in the bonus, are included in the benefits; In February, a court annulled the exclusion of bullfighting celebrations from the list of activities. The ruling considered that bullfighting has “its cultural, historical and artistic dimensions” recognized by law and that the royal decree that launched the project, on March 22, 2022, does not give valid reasons to eliminate it from the list of activities in where the money from the program can be invested