2. Current cultural affairs
Switzerland
Last update: July, 2021
On 26 February 2020, the Federal Council adopted the Culture Dispatch 2021-2024 and confirmed the three central axes of action already defined for the 2016-2020 funding period: Cultural Participation, Social Cohesion and Creation and innovation. A particular emphasis is given to digitalisation. These points respond to identified megatrends (see chapter 1.3.3) and emphasise continuity in the support and exploration of digital challenges and new media (see chapter 2.4).
For the corresponding period, the Federal Council has earmarked CHF 934.5 million (around 886.6 million EUR) which represents 0.3% of the Confederation total expenses.
Besides these global trends, there are projects from the Confederation that reply to internal situations such as the support of musical talents and the intensification of school exchanges between linguistic regions, which was already a priority in the 2016-2020 funding period.
The place of the Baukultur, as well as the importance of the promotion of the Design and Interactive media (such as Videogames) in the broader sense of "Creation and Innovation", responds to both a will to address cultural heritage and a forward-thinking perspective of culture linked to the economy.
Other issues of national importance in the last few years are:
- the discussion of new support schemes taking into increased account relations between public support and market structures;
- equality and gender issues within cultural participation and creation; support for new media, especially considering the context of digitalisation and streaming platforms;
- the extension of "art pieces" (oeuvre), as well as addressing intellectual property rights and copyright laws;
- broader debates on cultural funding (law on foundations and lotteries); the elaboration of an integral concept (promotion, training, social security) for the dance sector;
- the support of new literary forms; the promotion of cinematographic culture through international cooperation;
- the challenges of digitalisation around Cultural Heritage;
- the looted art from the Nazi period; and
- reading promotion (reading as a cultural skill: promoting the pleasure of reading and favouring access to books and the written culture, especially for children and young people).
Diversity and equality in the Swiss cultural sector
In the area of diversity and equal opportunities in the cultural sector, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, has defined these targets for 2021-2024:
- Support cultural institutions and provide them with active guidance in the development of diversity-oriented processes.
- Reduce barriers for cultural practitioners from marginalised population groups to the Swiss cultural sector and to opportunities for grants.
- Promote knowledge transfer in the areas of diversity and equality and provide practice-oriented guidelines for cultural institutions.
- Collect and disseminate data and facts on diversity in the Swiss cultural sector.
Gender relations in the Swiss cultural sector
The appropriate representation of gender in all relevant areas of cultural creation is an objective of the Confederation's cultural policy. The Culture Dispatch 2021 - 2024 provides for the collection of in-depth statistical data and the examination of corresponding measures. In 2021, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia presented a preliminary study on gender relations with three key findings, as described on Pro Helvetia's website:
- women are under-represented in leadership positions: At the level of strategic management (sponsoring bodies) of the cultural institutions and enterprises included in the analysis, women only represent 28.8 per cent of presidential positions.
- Female artists and their work have lower visibility and receive awards less often: In the performing arts, for example, the share of women in the fields of directing and choreography was around one third in the 2018/19 season. Among conductors in classical music, the share of women is 6.6 per cent. Among performers (soloists and orchestra/accompanying band) in classical music, the proportion of women is around 34 per cent, in jazz just under 12 per cent and in rock/pop between 8.6 and 12.8 per cent. The inequalities are also evident at the level of awards: Out of 828 awards examined, 37.1 per cent went to women.
- women earn less than men: According to the study, there are hardly any concrete figures on current pay ratios that would allow precise statements. According to the preliminary study, the data examined gave the first indications of a gender pay gap in favour of men.
According to the preliminary study, the central cause for the unequal ratio can be assumed to be the still effective orientation towards male-dominated life plans in the field of art and culture, from which topics such as the question of reconciling work and family, hierarchical power relations, as well as gender norms as an "unconscious bias" in the cultural sector can be derived. The preliminary study formulated the following recommendations (quoted from the website):
- data about incomes and the extent of the gender pay gap must be surveyed in depth.
- insight into career trajectories and information about central moments in artistic careers are necessary to understand the reasons artists choose to continue or abandon an artistic career.
- in a related aspect, the issue of compatibility of family and professional life must be investigated.
- the issue of financial support at various levels (federation, cantons, local government) requires greater research taking into account the complexity of funding mechanisms and opportunities.
- future research must integrate the areas of education and the universities (accessibility, selection criteria, curricula, teaching staff, number of students and graduates).
Income situation and social security of cultural workers
For the third time since 2006, the association Suisseculture Sociale has published survey-based data on the income situation of professional cultural workers in Switzerland in 2021. Whereas in 2016, 50% of cultural workers earned CHF 40 000 or less, in 2021 the proportion has risen to just under 60% (detached from the effects of the current Covid 19 crisis, according to SCS). This corresponds to a net monthly wage of around 3 000 CHF, whereas the gross median wage in Switzerland is around 6 500 CHF per month. According to the study, the social security of cultural workers in Switzerland in old age and in the event of loss of income also remains inadequate.
As part of the 2021 study, SCS presented concrete directions and recommendations for action in order to achieve necessary reforms in the field of social security at the federal level. The report bundles measures along three main lines: (1) information and counselling, (2) conditions for funding and (3) new solutions in social insurances - "the cultural sector as a pilot sector". The issue remains high on the cultural policy agenda. "Adequate compensation of cultural workers" is among the priorities in the work programme of the National Cultural Dialogue 2021-2024.
Switzerland acceded to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) on the 18th of June 1992. This one guarantees economic, social and cultural human rights. One of them is the right to education and the right to take part in cultural life.
Therefore, promoting the arts and culture is part of the fundamental right of expressing oneself. It is part of what contributes to the formation of society and State, as well as encouraging innovation and forward-thinking on new technologies, new media, and the place of new generations. Art. 16 of the federal constitution guarantees freedom of expression. Art. 21 guarantees freedom of art.
Directly under the main topic of Cultural Participation are the notions of cultural rights and equal access to culture. In 2019, the National Dialogue published a handbook, in which this issue is closely examined through different lenses and challenges. This is already a priority in the Swiss landscape and will be one of the main issues for the coming period; both in the area of social cohesion and in modernising what access to culture means.
Last update: July, 2021
The support of the Confederation to the contemporary artistic creation, as well as artists and culture, aims to contribute to a qualitative and diverse scene. Switzerland demonstrates the importance given to culture and the arts through the ratification of international conventions that affirm the importance of arts and culture (UNESCO, European Council, amongst others), as well as through cultural policies set nationally (cohesion, inclusion, diversity) and internationally (see chapter 1.1). Artists and cultural professionals have, therefore, an essential role both inside and outside the country.
Many of the statements made on the 2021-2024 Culture Dispatch attest to this role, as many challenges to come revolve around creating better conditions for artists and cultural economies; whether this includes encouraging young talents, addressing gender inequalities, revision on retributions, broadening the notion of artwork (oeuvre), or fostering better visibility of artistic works on international platforms.
The National Cultural Dialogue will also address the topic of "Adequate Compensation for Cultural Workers" in its 2021-2024 work programme.
Last update: July, 2021
One of the important megatrends driving cultural change is digitalisation. According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), around 97% of the population uses the internet, 66% for five hours or more per week (2019). More than half of Swiss companies in the service sector are active on social media (2017).[1]
Digitalisation permeates society in almost all areas. Digital policy is, therefore, a central topic, bringing broad challenges and opportunities that digitalisation has uncovered.
On 11 September 2020, the Federal Council adopted an updated "Digital Switzerland" strategy. It sets several goals to take advantage of digitalisation as a resource; from equal access, digital empowerment, education, research and innovation, infrastructure and security to projects such as Smart Cities e-Government and political Participation, resources strategy and artificial intelligence. Priorities for the years 2020-2022 include the protection of the environment (enabled by new technologies and data), data spaces and the digital economy.
Copyright is a very important topic. Since the 1st of April 2020, new measures adopted by the Federal Council came into force. These measures regard the modification of the copyright law (and related laws). The changes introduced concerned better protection for artists and creators (e.g. protection of photographs), more effective measures against piracy (especially in relation to hosting sites), better access to online material (e.g. resources for research) and, finally, the application of the Marrakesh Treaty in relation to better access to texts for the blind and visually impaired.
Digitisation and the Cultural sector: Now
The Culture Dispatch 2021-2024 places special emphasis on the ongoing process of digitisation shaping all areas of society. Planned measures related to public cultural institutions include:
- As in the past, Pro Helvetia will regularly review the impact of digitisation on funding instruments in all disciplines and adapt them where necessary, for example opening up funding instruments for artistic works that are not tied to physical carrier media. The "Culture and Business" programme, which has been established since 2016 with a funding focus on design and interactive media, will be integrated into the regular funding activities in order to, among other things, help realise the potential of young developers.
- The SNM, the museums of the FOC and the NL will increasingly address original digital cultural assets ("digitally born") and further develop their 4D object and image database. The SNM will also complete the digital transformation in the areas of marketing and communication.
- In addition to the ongoing digitisation of significant works from its museums and collections, the FOC will examine whether it will award project grants for digitisation projects of museums and collections in the future.
Streaming and mostly global online platforms have recently been a topic of attention, as the Federal Council proposes a measure to contribute financially – in the same way that national television does - to Swiss filmmaking and offer at least 30% of European films. The measures regarding these initiatives are not yet defined. As part of the Culture Dispatch 2021-2024, a revision of the Film Promotion Act and requirements for streaming services in the form of mandatory investments of 4 per cent of domestic revenues in Swiss filmmaking will be discussed in 2021.
Digitisation and the Cultural sector: History
In 1998, Switzerland's federal government presented its national information society strategy. One important driver in this respect was "sitemapping.ch", a public project of the Federal Office of Culture including the production, dissemination, archiving, and conservation of digital media art.
In the Culture Dispatch for the years 2012-2015, the federal government pursued the transversal theme "Digital Culture", a theme that continues at the forefront of the new Dispatch on Culture and especially under the wing of Pro Helvetia.
The measures envisaged in this respect include the utilisation of new information technologies by the Federal Office of Culture for the recording and representation of Switzerland's cultural heritage and the promotion of reading, the fostering of digital cultural work, including computer games of artistic value (by Pro Helvetia and the Film Section of the Federal Office of Culture), measures on copyright law, and the digitisation of image archives (by the Swiss National Museum).
Example: Haus der elektronischen Künste Basel (HeK)
One important national body in the field of digital culture is the Haus der elektronischen Künste Basel (HeK) (previouslyPlug.in, Forum for New Media and Shift Festival of Electronic Arts). HeK is dedicated to digital culture and the new art forms of the information age and is supported by private foundations, by the FOC (currently with an operating subsidy for the years 2018 to 2022) and the canton of Basel City. It is an important pioneering place that reflects through interdisciplinary forms on the aesthetic, socio-political and economic impact of media technologies.
[1]further data: Federal Statistical Office: Informationsgesellschaft
Last update: July, 2021
Switzerland has four official languages and consists of four distinct cultural regions. At over 25%, the proportion of the country's foreign population is high by European standards. The principle of cultural diversity is of great importance in Switzerland, given the coexistence of diverse languages and cultures in what is a relatively confined geographical area. Fostering cultural diversity is integral to the self-image and core remit of all the country's cultural institutions.
Article 1 of the Culture Promotion Act, which came into force on the 1st of January 2012, stresses the need to foster cultural diversity: it emphasises both exchanges between cultural and linguistic communities in Switzerland as well as cultural exchange abroad. The definition of aims in Article 3 of the same Act highlights the strengthening of cohesion and cultural diversity in Switzerland, as well as providing its population with access to culture, and facilitating such access. Accordingly, Article 8 prioritises especially those projects which enable or facilitate access to culture, and that contribute to the safeguarding or development of cultural or linguistic diversity.
In 2008, Switzerland ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of the 20th of October 2005 and the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the 17th of October 2003. Both conventions are reactions to the tendency toward the standardisation and impoverishment of cultures as a result of the influence of globalisation. They commit the signatory states to foster cultural diversity and safeguard the intangible cultural heritage even more strongly than before and call upon them to engage in enhanced international cooperation, specifically by supporting the UNESCO funds.
The Federal Office of Culture plays an important part in integrating cultural minorities into Swiss society. For this reason, it has played an instrumental role in developing a Languages Act (2010), which has been enacted to give precedence to the fact that Switzerland is a multilingual and multi-ethnic society (see chapter 2.5.4). The Section for Culture and Society of the Federal Office of Culture is among other activities dedicated to promoting and safeguarding cultural diversity by supporting cultural organisations of national importance.
Pro Helvetia's mandate is to support those activities which promote mutual understanding among the different cultural communities. The Swiss Arts Council supports not only artistic works and creation but also cultural projects with social and political contexts and projects that further understanding between different regional, linguistic, and ethnic communities in Switzerland. In the areas of cultural outreach, every day and folk culture, and interculturality, Pro Helvetia provides financial support to pilot projects by application but also initiates projects in close cooperation with other cultural institutions. In the area of diversity and equal opportunities in the cultural sector, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia has defined these targets for 2021-2024:
- support cultural institutions and provide them with active guidance in the development of diversity-oriented processes;
- eeduce barriers for cultural practitioners from marginalised population groups to the Swiss cultural sector and to opportunities for grants;
- promote knowledge transfer in the areas of diversity and equality and provide practice-oriented guidelines for cultural institutions; and
- collect and disseminate data and facts on diversity in the Swiss cultural sector.
While the Swiss Federal Office of Culture mainly supports cultural (umbrella) organisations, an enormous number of amateur arts associations and cultural houses are financed on a private basis or supported by the cities and communes, often by monies generated by state lottery funds. In Switzerland, the significance of the country's intangible cultural heritage for social cohesion, for the country's cultural self-image, and its image and appearance abroad, as well as that of its various regions, is firmly acknowledged. By ratifying the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the 16th of July 2008, Switzerland has formally accepted and become part of the international legal framework for the promotion of cultural diversity (see chapter 4.2.1). For the period 2012-2015, the principal focus was on amateur arts and popular culture.
Both active and passive access to art and culture is an important element of social integration and a prerequisite for social Participation. Switzerland has a highly developed cultural infrastructure.
Cultural diversity, access to culture, cultural exchange, and the promotion of culture, in general, are increasingly understood as joint, partnership-based tasks of the federal government, cantons, communes, and private bodies. The federal government focuses on close partnership given that the cantons and communes meet the lion's share of public funding for culture and given that the federal government only has partial and subsidiary constitutional powers. This explains why the federal government has initiated the National Dialogue on Culture (see chapter 1.1).
In most of the larger cities, special departments and public-private initiatives attend to cultural minorities in a variety of ways. They consider the most diverse forms of integration instrumental to sustainable, urban social policy. Socio-cultural services in various city districts play a key role in this respect.
For Traditions, see chapter 3.1.
Switzerland is a multilingual and multicultural country, providing grounds for a strong link between intercultural dialogue and social cohesion between linguistic regions and different cultural encounters; it both reinforces mutual comprehension but also provides great potential for artistic development. A national cultural dialogue is thus central.
Discussing national cohesion, including the coexistence and mutual understanding of the different cultural communities – both Swiss and foreign -, is a matter of permanent cultural priority in Switzerland. Accordingly, cultural projects are particularly useful in opening dialogue, organising productive meetings, and strengthening mutual respect. Along this line, culture is called upon to reinforce national cohesion - expressed in the form of well-defined exchange projects. Pro Helvetia and other organisations support the translation of literary and non-literary works from one national language into another.
Here, reference can be made to the language policy of the federal government, which is partly implemented by the Federal Office of Culture and Pro Helvetia (see chapter 2.5.4). In this frame, many festivals outside urban areas were supported, specifically theatre, dance and music, a measure that will follow in the period to come.
The funding criteria set out by Pro Helvetia can be seen as a practical example of many other institutions. Pro Helvetia promotes pilot projects in Switzerland and abroad, especially projects deepening the debate on art and society in the force field between global, national, and local cultures. Efforts also include the funding of related events, networks, publications, and exhibitions.
Cultural Participation as a pivot of the upcoming cultural policies is per se a strategy to continue actions already taken during the last period. Addressing interculturality, contributing to cultural policies debates on diversity, promoting cultural participation from migrant communities, and consider their cultural potential (mainly via Pro Helvetia).
Folk culture and amateur practices also contribute to this cultural weaving. Along with policies of cultural exchange inside linguistic regions in Switzerland, these dialogues are cherished as they contribute to a better social cohesion. The Confederation, for example, encourages amateur events and associations (art. 14 and art.16 of the Culture Promotion Act).
Courses and programmes developing intercultural skills are enjoying ever-increasing popularity. Regio Basiliensis, for instance, is a transnational organisation, which offers intercultural educational training to teachers. Schools abroad are also increasing their provision in this area, often in combination with language courses. This striking development has reached as far as Asia and, more specifically, China. This has to do with the fact that Switzerland is increasingly interested in these regions of the world, not least for economic reasons.
For other international programmes, see chapter 1.4.
Last update: July, 2021
The cantons are the main bodies responsible for compulsory education, and they share responsibility with the Confederation over continuing education (vocational training, upper-secondary schooling, universities and professional education and training). The responsibilities of the federal government in the field of education include the activities of the Federal Institutes of Technology in Zürich und Lausanne, the distribution of grants to cantonal universities, scientific research programmes, and Swiss schools abroad. Only recently has the revised Federal Constitution begun to allow the State to promote art and music, especially in the education sector. The measures taken since have progressively allowed for the encouragement of music in schools.
(Source State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI); CW)
After compulsory education (elementary school) the Swiss education system provides two major paths to continue education at the upper secondary level: the vocational education and training (VET) path (more popular during the past years) or the general/academic education path. Each path offers multiple options to attain a degree, which qualifies for tertiary level education.
Swiss education is mainly under the authority of cantons, which make it quite diverse and represent different investment numbers given their autonomy on decision-making. In 2014, Switzerland spent 5.6% of its GDP on education, but expenditure on canton levels ranged from 16.2% (Graubunden) to 31.7% (Freiburg) (Swiss Education Report 2018).
According to the Constitution, the Confederation "shall take account of the special need of children and young people to receive encouragement and protection" (Art. 68), these measures are complementary to the ones taken on the first instance by cantons. The Confederation also supports the arts and music in the education field (Art. 69).
Various endeavours of cantonal offices of culture exist to better anchor art in society, as well as a range of new training courses and programmes. Offerings include certificate courses designed to train culture officers, or programmes dedicated to the subject of the teaching artist and designed to enable practising artists to independently undertake, evaluate, and critically reflect on cultural education projects at schools based on stringent criteria.
Swiss Schools abroad are under the Federal Law on Dissemination of Swiss Education Abroad (2015). The Confederation promotes 18 schools, with around 8000 students, 1700 of whom are Swiss nationals: in Bangkok, Barcelona, Bergamo, Bogota, Catania, Curitiba, Lima, Madrid, Milan (with a branch school in Como), Mexico (with branch schools in Cuernavaca and Querétaro), Beijing, Rome, Santiago, Sao Paulo and Singapore.
On the long-term agenda of the Federal Office of Culture are the promotion of professional arts education, the formal recognition of artistic professions, and the re-training of artists who are no longer able to practice their art or trade. The first concrete measures are being taken in the dance sector.
On the 26th of February 2020, the Federal Council approved the Dispatch regarding Education, Research and Innovation for the 2021-2024 period (a Dispatch is prepared every four years and given to the Parliament). The Dispatch addresses every layer of the educational system as well as the Research and Innovation branches. Today, one of the main challenges and topics regarding education is without doubt, digitalisation. It entails both a better inclusion of digital literacy at different age populations, as well as seizing the chances it offers in terms of innovation and development. Lastly, according to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, measures will be taken to ensure equal access to technology and its resources.
Last update: July, 2021
The media play a central role in direct democracy. The topic of media pluralism and content diversity is also closely related to Language policies (see chapter 2.5.4). The mandate of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) is to produce and broadcast in Switzerland as a multilingual and multicultural country radio and television programmes in the country's four languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.
Media pluralism and content diversity are central in catering for this plurality, as well as ensuring freedom of opinion. Institutional media diversity is, therefore, vital. According to the Federal Constitution (Radio and Television Act, 2007), radio and television must contribute to the education, to cultural development, to entertainment, to freedom of opinion, and should take in consideration the particularities and needs of both cantons and populations.
For this reason, radio and television studios are located in the different language regions, and extra funds are made available to enable the French, Italian and Romansh-language regions to produce as many programmes in their respective languages as in the German-speaking region of Switzerland. The dual-channel sound system also enables the bulk of broadcast programming to be viewed in English. In the larger areas, especially in the German-speaking urban agglomerations, English is regarded as an important foreign language.
On the 4th of March 2018, the "No Billag" Popular Initiative ("Say yes to abolishing radio and television fees (Abolition of Billag fees)"), looking to suppress the public fee towards television and radio, was rejected by the population (71.6% No votes). This fee allows financing of the SRG SSR nation and region-wide, as well as 21 local radios and 13 regional television channels for their public utility offer (local/regional events, politics, culture to mention a few). This reaction confirms the important place given to this public structure and to media independence. Public-funded media (SRG SSR) is first in rankings, followed by the private group Tamedia.
Since 2019, this fee is mandatory and concerns anyone that can access a television or radio service (via analogue or digital interfaces). Other funding for the SRG SSR and radios or televisions of public utility, comes from publicity and/or sponsorship.
The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) is responsible for the media, telecommunications, postal services and information society sectors in the country. It coordinates the implementation of the "Digital Switzerland" Strategy (see chapter 2.4) amongst others. Its place is central in the media landscape as digitalisation takes place, for example by pushing previously printed press to online versions.
Media pluralism in the digital era
Since 2010, the number of paid printed newspapers is decreasing, even though the number of readers is stable. According to the Federal Statistics Office, in 2019 the number of readers accessing information or news sites through online platforms jumped to 77%.[1] The consequences of the digital transformation on the Swiss media landscape are a considerable slump in advertising and audience revenues, combined with job cuts, the merging of editorial offices and a decline in media diversity, which is particularly evident in the regions.
In 2020, in order to improve the framework conditions for the media and to promote a diverse offering in the regions, the Federal Council decided to support the media with a package of measures. It was adopted by Parliament in 2021 (a total of 120 million CHF) and includes, among other things, more money for cheaper delivery of daily and weekly newspapers; for the first time, money for online media; and finally, more support for the media system as a whole - for news agencies or for the training of media professionals.
[1] Federal Statistical Office: Erhebung zur Internetnutzung - Kommunikation und Information 2004-2019 (2020)
Last update: July, 2021
Language policy is a central issue in the Swiss political debate surrounding social and national cohesion. The nation has four official languages (German (62% in 2019[1]), French (22.8%), Italian (8%) and Romansh (0.5%)), which correspond to different linguistic regions (three Cantons are bilingual; Graubünden is trilingual). At school, all children in Switzerland must learn at least one of the other national languages.
According to the Federal Statistics Office (FSO), 68% regularly use more than one language (2019) and English is the most widely used non-national language. The survey also shows the myriad of cultural backgrounds of Swiss residents: Among the youngest generation (under 15), in addition to the national languages and English, Albanian (6.7%), Portuguese (4.9%), Spanish (4.9%), Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (3.8%) and Turkish (2.8%) are spoken at home, as well as over 70 other languages.
An interesting source of information on Swiss language policy are the reports of the Federal Council for the attention of the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe on the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (SR 0.441.2).
Ensuring this diversity and the exchange between linguistic communities is a main goal for social cohesion. The main tasks of the corresponding Languages Act (2010) are to develop guidelines on the use of the official languages in the federal administration, to support student exchanges, to establish a scientific institution for the study of multilingualism, to support multilingual cantons, and to promote the Romansh and Italian languages in Switzerland, including the media (for further information, see chapter 4.1.8).
The Languages Act (2010) calls for the implementation of the following key tasks:
- to form guidelines on the use of the official languages in the federal administration;
- to support student exchanges;
- to establish a scientific institution for the study of multilingualism;
- to support multilingual cantons; and
- to promote the Romansh and Italian languages in Switzerland.
The Federal Office of Culture is responsible for adopting measures designed to promote multilingualism in society, specifically those areas concerning the promotion of mutual understanding and exchange between the various language communities, lending support to multilingual cantons, and safeguarding and fostering the Italian and Romansh languages and cultures.
The promotion of minority languages includes, among other things, the preservation and promotion of the Romansh and Italian languages and culture. In 2021, the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) signed a performance agreement with the Canton of Graubünden for the period 2021-2024 (a total of around 22 million CHF from the Confederation). With prioritisation based on, among other things, the evaluation results of the 2016-2020 funding period, federal support will be provided for projects to promote multilingualism, organisations, institutions, publishers, media or translation services. New for 2021-2024 is, among other things, a funding programme to support projects in the Romansh "diaspora" with 400 000 CHF annually. This funding format aims to support Rhaeto-Romanic children and young people outside their traditional language area, both in the canton of Graubünden and outside the canton, to "learn and live" the language and culture, as the FOC writes.
Pro Helvetia and other organisations (e.g. the Swiss Series of the Swiss Foundation for Federal Cooperation) support the translation of literary and other works (for example visual arts and theatre) from one national language into another. At the international level, for instance, Pro Helvetia offers literary translation residency grants jointly with the Europäisches ÜbersetzerKollegium (EÜK) in Straelen and the Collège International des Traducteurs Littéraires (CITL) in Arles. In order to take account of Switzerland's multilingualism beyond the four national languages, Pro Helvetia 2021 broke new ground in its literary funding: It expanded its support for literary creation to texts in all languages: Swiss authors who write in languages other than the national languages can now also apply for a literary creation grant (formerly literary work grant).
Furthermore, there are also various private initiatives, like "TransHelvetia", which organises cooperation and exchanges between theatre companies in the German and French-speaking parts of Switzerland. A private foundation finances TransHelvetia.
School exchanges between linguistic regions are also of great importance, and in the policies to come, there is a focus on ensuring they continue. The programme Movetia, developed in 2017, supports the exchange programmes set by the Confederation. In 2017 as well, the Confederation along with the cantons, adopted a strategy of "Exchange and Mobility". Both initiatives have found great success and require further funding, to which measures and further propositions are addressed continuously.
[1] Federal Statistical Office: Language, religion and culture survey (2019); main language(s) (up to three per person) indicated by respondents; more on the methodological basis here.
Last update: July, 2021
Gender inequality is a topic of high importance that has gained attention over recent years, especially with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in sight. In 2021, the Federal Council adopted the Swiss government's first national strategy specifically aimed at promoting gender equality (the 2030 gender equality strategy/“Gleichstellungsstrategie 2030"). It focuses on four central themes: promoting equality in the workplace, improving work-life balance, preventing violence, and fighting discrimination. The key measures are expected to be adopted or implemented by 2023.
An important driver of gender equality is the Federal Office for Gender Equality (EBG), which is affiliated to the Federal Department of Home Affairs. Current key issues have no cultural policy focus. They include equal pay, how to balance family and professional life, domestic violence, and implementing the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
In addition to gender equality, the City of Bern's equality mandate since 2018 also includes the legal and actual equality of LGBTIQ people in all areas of life. As members of the Rainbow Cities Network, the cities of Geneva and Zurich commit to having an active LGBT policy and to include LGBT issues in its general municipal policies.
Gender relations in the Swiss cultural sector
The appropriate representation of gender in all relevant areas of cultural creation is an objective of the Confederation's cultural policy. The Culture Dispatch 2021 - 2024 provides for the collection of in-depth statistical data and the examination of corresponding measures. In 2021, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia presented a preliminary study on gender relations with three key findings, as described on Pro Helvetia's website:
- women are under-represented in leadership positions: At the level of the strategic management (sponsoring bodies) of the cultural institutions and enterprises included in the analysis, only 28.8 percent of women are at presidential level.
- Female artists and their work have lower visibility and receive awards less often: In the performing arts, for example, the share of women in the fields of directing and choreography was around one third in the 2018/19 season. Among conductors in classical music, the share of women is 6.6 per cent. Among performers (soloists and orchestra/accompanying band) in classical music, the proportion of women is around 34 per cent, in jazz just under 12 per cent and in rock/pop between 8.6 and 12.8 per cent. The inequalities are also evident at the level of awards: Out of 828 awards examined, 37.1 per cent went to women.
- women earn less than men: According to the study, there are hardly any concrete figures on current pay ratios that would allow precise statements. According to the preliminary study, the data examined gave the first indications of a gender pay gap in favour of men.
According to the preliminary study, the central cause for the unequal ratio can be assumed to be the still effective orientation towards male-dominated life plans in the field of art and culture, from which topics such as the question of reconciling work and family, hierarchical power relations, as well as gender norms as an "unconscious bias" in the cultural sector can be derived. The preliminary study formulated the following recommendations (quoted from the website):
- data about incomes and the extent of the gender pay gap must be surveyed in depth.
- insight into career trajectories and information about central moments in artistic careers are necessary to understand the reasons artists choose to continue or abandon an artistic career.
- in a related aspect, the issue of compatibility of family and professional life must be investigated.
- the issue of financial support at various levels (Federal, cantons, local government) requires greater research, taking into account the complexity of funding mechanisms and opportunities.
- future research must integrate the areas of education and the universities (accessibility, selection criteria, curricula, teaching staff, number of students and graduates).
Gender equality and Film
The Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC) is committed to gender equality in film promotion. The statistics by the Cinema Section of the FOC show that in 2020, the share of feature films funded by women directors was over 50% for the first time in 5 years (54%), and the sum of production contributions for projects by women and men directors through the FOC's selective film funding programme was practically the same. Women were underrepresented in screenplay funding (34%), as well as in project development funding (39%) and production funding (41%) of documentaries.
Since 2016, the FOC has put several measures in place to support gender equality in the Swiss film industry. Firstly, within the FOC’s selective film funding programme, projects by female directors or screenwriters must be favoured over projects by their male counterparts of equal artistic quality. Secondly, the FOC coordinates nationwide standardised data collections in collaboration with regional and private film funding institutions and regularly publishes statistics on gender equality on-screen and off-screen. Those statistics show that women were underrepresented in Swiss films on Swiss cinema screens from 2017-2019: only one in three protagonists in documentaries were women, and female protagonists in fiction films tended to be younger than 40 years old while male protagonists were equally represented in all age groups. Thirdly, the FOC supports the reconciliation of work and family life in the film industry by taking into account the cost of caring for children and dependants in their production funding.
Other
Associations such as the Swiss Women's Audiovisual Network (for the film sector) and HELVETIAROCKT (for the music sector), are further examples of engaging initiatives that promote actions and programmes towards equality and representation.
Last update: July, 2021
The Convention on the Rights of persons with Disabilities (CRPD) ensures that persons with disabilities enjoy all human rights and participate in public, economic and social life. It does not contain any special rights but defines universal human rights from the perspective of persons with disabilities. The aim is to promote equal opportunities for persons with disabilities and to prevent discrimination against them in society. Switzerland agreed on this Convention in 2014.
Under Swiss legislation, the Confederation "shall take account of the special need of children and young people to receive encouragement and protection" (Art. 68).
The Federal Office for Disability Equality (FODE) is responsible for Switzerland's country reports on the implementation of its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Switzerland remains one of the countries with the highest education and employment rates for people with disabilities, even if the equality ensured by the Constitution is still far from reality.
Future measures in line of the recently adopted Marrakesh Treaty are the most recent step taken by Switzerland. This treaty aims to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled.
Pro Infirmis' Kultur inklusiv has an important role as a centre of competence for inclusive culture in Switzerland. Its "Kultur Inklusiv" label is awarded to cultural institutions that are committed to promoting the holistic inclusion of people with disabilities as creators of culture, as audiences and as employees. Started as a pilot project in the canton of Bern in mid-2014, more than 90 cultural institutions throughout Switzerland are now registered as label partners (from 2021).
Last update: July, 2021
Culture and social inclusion, as we have seen, are a central part of Swiss cultural policy (see chapter 4 for details on legal foundations). Within the frame of "Cultural Participation", as well as "Language", "Cultural Diversity", "Culture and Society"; this thematic is transversal. Through amateur practices, folk culture and volunteering in the cultural sector, there are many ways in which the population participates in the making of culture.
The vitality of a multilingual, four-language country and the great cultural diversity it gives rise to make social cohesion a key issue in Switzerland. At the federal level, the Languages Act has been enacted to make a considerable contribution to attaining social cohesion. Intermediary organisations, such as the working consortium "Parlez-vous Suisse?", also create awareness by promoting cultural policy in schools, the media, among political authorities, and within business and industry. Social cohesion is considered to be an irreplaceable instigator as well as the backbone of cultural diversity. It is, therefore, also an essential element of any economic and societal coexistence. This basic stance is reflected in both the federal Constitution and the relevant laws, such as the new Culture Promotion Act and the Languages Act. Repeatedly referred to in this context is the key role of the media. In the larger centres, public bodies maintain their departments of socio-culture.
On the level of the cantons and cities, numerous public and private initiatives address integration issues within cultural and socio-cultural approaches (see chapters 1.1 and 2.5.1).
In the 2021-2024 Culture Dispatch, culture and society are one of the main priorities. There are measures announced concerning the will to reinforce cultural participation, with cultural mediation, for instance, to promote reading, reinforce music education for all children and young people, support young musical talents, create a legal base for living traditions, amongst others. Another area of support concerns minorities: The Yenish, Sinti and Roma communities are recognised as national minorities within the meaning of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) of the Council of Europe. Switzerland has committed itself to promoting framework conditions that enable minorities to cultivate and develop their culture. This applies in particular to the nomadic way of life of the Yenish, Sinti and Roma communities and the Yenish language.
In the period 2021-2024, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia intends to break down barriers to the Swiss cultural sector for cultural practitioners from marginalised population groups (Dossier diversity and equal opportunities in the cultural sector).
Last update: July, 2021
Arts and culture, from folk traditions, amateur arts, to professional creatives and artists, contribute to the cohesion of the country in many different levels. Both through cultural policies at a macro-level, to local and individual initiatives, culture is essential in promoting welfare, education, plurality, and innovation. Through the "Cultural Participation" and "Social Cohesion" streams from the Culture Dispatch, the intrinsic value of arts and culture in social making is attested. Through structures such as the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, cultural projects are supported that promote, stimulate and address contemporary, socially relevant issues.
Last update: July, 2021
Since 1987, following the definition provided by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), Switzerland has recognised sustainable development as part of its social, economic and ecological strategies. The definition of sustainable development as a "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" has been a thread in Swiss policy-making since then.
Sustainable development is a national objective that concerns both federal and cantonal levels. The Articles 2.2, 54 and 73 of the Federal Constitution provide the legal frame of their obligations. Since 1997, the Federal Council has implemented these obligations through specific sustainable development strategies (1997, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2016).
In line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and sustainable goals, Switzerland commits to developing frameworks and actions to ensure its realisation.
"The Strategy aims to ensure the coherent, sustainable development of Switzerland. This includes coordinating Confederation activities and ensuring that they are in line with action by the cantons, communes, business and civil society."
On the Sustainable Development Strategy for 2016-2019, several goals for the 2030 Agenda were declared:
"it is important to promote aspects such as national cohesion, mutual understanding, and interregional solidarity. Taking linguistic and cultural diversity into account, efforts to foster shared values should be continued. Continuous dialogue plays a key role here. (…) The social and cultural development of the individual is one of the primary goals of human development. Cultural aspects must, therefore, be considered in any form of political action. In addition to this wholesale inclusion, sustainable social and societal development also demands targeted promotion and measures for the creation and preservation of culture and heritage."
Through the strategies of social cohesion and cultural Participation, the Confederation intends to address equality and cultural diversity. Fostering a culture in a broad social understanding contributes to the economy, to inclusion, and peaceful societies. Culture, therefore, contributes to sustainable development through the recognition of fundamental human rights.
Last update: July, 2021
Article 106 of the Federal Constitution distinguishes between two sectors in the gambling market, i.e. the casino sector, and lotteries, betting, and skill games. The lotteries and betting sector in Switzerland are subject to the Swiss Federal Lotteries and Commercial Betting Act; it is primarily enforced by Swiss cantonal authorities, Comlot in particular. Casinos located in Switzerland, on the other hand, are subject to the Swiss Federal Games of Chance and Casinos Act (the "Casino Act"), which is enforced by the Federal Casino Board ESBK. On the 10th of June 2018, a new Act (the "Gambling Act") extended the constitutional article that sets the regulations to online games and gambling. The State extended the regulations on the levies paid by providers (Art. 106) to internet providers.