A very relevant detail: Not only 18-year-olds, but also everyone who will be 18 years old in 2023 can apply for the so-called culture pass from today, Wednesday. For that they have to register in an app and receive 200 euros to use local cultural offers. Among other things, cinema, concert, museum or theater tickets can be bought, as well as books, sound carriers or musical instruments.
The federal government is investing 100 million euros in the program, which is intended to do both: bring young adults closer to the cultural scene and support creative artists after the Corona crisis. So far around 4,900 cultural providers have registered nationwide with around 1.6 million different offers. About 750,000 people can benefit from the offer. They are not given any content or other specifications for their purchases.
CDs can be bought, but not DVDs. You can go to the botanical garden, but not to the zoo
However, the expanded concept of culture that Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth applies to passports has a few limits: CDs are within these limits, but DVDs are not. Botanical Gardens: yes. Zoos: no. Musical instruments can be bought, but not brushes, easels or photographic equipment. Products from online mail order companies or streaming services are also excluded from the offer.
Incidentally, the idea of cultural credits for young people is not new: the “Bonus cultura” was introduced in Italy in 2016, followed by France in 2019 and Spain last year. Some German cities have already launched such programs.