German teenagers turning 18 will be offered a €200 (£175/$208) culture pass as a birthday present from the Government, to rekindle an interest in arts and live entertainment following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The €200 ‘Kulturpass’ will aim to encourage young adults to experience live culture, get outside and give a financial boost to the arts sector.
Some 750,000 people are set to turn 18 in 2023 according to a report from the Guardian. Other European countries such as France, Italy and Spain have introduced similar initiatives to help the arts recover post-pandemic.
London’s German Embassy tweeted: “Everyone who turns 18 in Germany next year will receive a €200 voucher to spend on cultural offerings.
“Young adults will be able to buy concert tickets, vinyl and more with the ‘Kulturpass’. Aim is to expose young people to the arts and provide a financial boost to the cultural sector.”
Emphasis has been placed on enticing young people to experience live cultural offerings such as theatres and live music. Online platforms such as Amazon and Spotify have been cut from the scheme to push pass holders towards smaller and local organisations, such as independent cinemas and bookshops.
Purchases will also be limited in value to stop a user from purchasing a single ticket, item or experience at the cost of €200.
A similar scheme in Spain offers young people a €400 culture voucher when they reach 18. According to the Spanish Government, 57.6% of those that turned 18 this year registered for the voucher scheme.