The German Artists’ initiative Aufstehen für die Kunst ("Standing up for Arts") proposal states:
“Our main concern is that artistic freedom, in accordance with its constitutional status, has to be taken into account and that it is similarly treated with other equally protected areas, especially religious services. Of course, the Artists support a hard lockdown for everyone. A hard lockdown only for the Arts, while church services, demonstrations, and even the retail trade can continue largely undisturbed, as was the case during the Lockdown "light" in November, we firmly reject.”
The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) stands in support of European Union artists seeking to return to opera, dance, and choral performances provided that appropriate safety measures are in place to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 spread. Such safety measures should be based on sound science and take into account local infection rates and statistics. This is consistent with the AGMA’s position for artists performing under agreements in the U.S. for which we have drafted our Return to Stage and Performing Arts Playbook as a guide. Over the last several months, AGMA has shown, through the application of this Playbook, that it is possible to safely return to performances through rigorous, science-based actions. We congratulate our colleagues in Europe on having adopted a similar approach to getting artists back into the theater where they belong and are keenly needed.