The Ministry of Culture is to accept applications for a subsidy program to promote Taiwanese popular music on the global stage and foster talent in the field starting tomorrow.
The ministry yesterday unveiled the program to encourage the production of popular music programs seeking to enter international markets as a part of the “one plus four T-content plan,” which has been allotted a budget of NT$10 billion (US$322.57 million) until 2027 by the Executive Yuan.
Following the success of the plan’s first program, which was launched in September last year to subsidize internationally oriented Taiwanese drama creations, the ministry also launched subsidy programs for visual arts, comic novels and translations, the ministry said.
Photo: Liu Tzu-hsuan, Taipei Times
The program for dramas received many applications and led the nation’s three major telecommunication companies — Chunghwa Telecom Co, Taiwan Mobile Co and Far EasTone Telecommunications Co — to set up separate funds to support Taiwan’s cultural content, Minister of Culture Shih Che (史哲) said.
Shih said it is hoped that the newly announced program for popular music could help cultivate a new generation of superstars who would eventually enter the international stage.
Taiwan’s free and open society has given birth to countless creators and has made the nation a stronghold for Chinese-language pop music, the ministry said.
However, as the global entertainment industry environment continues to change and competition intensifies, it is necessary to step up efforts to discover and cultivate young artists and stars who have the potential to enter international markets, it said.
Taiwanese companies that produce audio recordings or television programs, or those who organize performing arts activities or music performances, are eligible to apply for the program, it said.
The application should aim to promote Taiwanese popular music to the international market and include plans to cultivate artists with the potential to compete globally, it said.
A proposed popular music program should have a planned production cost of at least NT$6 million per episode and at least 10 episodes, it said.
The application should include plans for the music program to be broadcast and involve the use of new media in program production and marketing, it said.
To maximize funding, the ministry is partnering with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency, which is to conduct independent investment reviews on the applications, it said.
Applications that pass both the subsidy and investment reviews could receive a subsidy of up to 40 percent of the estimated production cost approved by the ministry, it said.
The investment is to come from the National Development Fund or the private sector, it said.
Applications can be submitted until March 11.
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