Council of States Committee discusses cultural message
The Science, Education and Culture Committee of the Council of States has begun discussing the cultural dispatch for 2016-2020 with a series of hearings. The new strategic direction of the dispatch has received much praise from the Culture Committee for its balance and coherence, writes the Federal Media Service.
The Culture Committee of the Council of States held hearings on the dispatch. Hearings were attended by members of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK), the Swiss Association of Towns and Municipalities, representatives of the umbrella organization Suisseculture, the film industry, the "jugend + musik" committee, the Swiss Heritage Society, the Association of Museums and the Cultura association.
The Dispatch was praised by the Commission not only as a funding proposal, but also in particular for its strategic orientation in cultural policy. The committee members positively emphasized the formulation of the three axes of action "cultural participation", "social cohesion" and "creation and innovation". They also welcomed the federal government's coordination function, which should lead to a balanced "national cultural policy".
The Commission notes that the promotion of culture contributes to social cohesion in the country and is also of great value to the economy.
For all these reasons, the Commission unanimously decided to approve the two amendments to the law and the eight federal resolutions. The Commission also began to discuss the Federal Act on the Promotion of Culture. In doing so, it approved the proposal to include the Swiss Schools Act in the promotion of culture. The final discussion on the Federal Act on the Promotion of Culture and the federal resolutions will continue at the next meeting.
