Klanghaus to become a cantonal cultural venue
A new law stipulates that the canton of St.Gallen must now present a cultural promotion strategy every eight years. A preliminary advisory committee is now proposing that this be approved. Among other things, the Klanghaus Toggenburg is to become a cantonal cultural venue.
For the years 2020 to 2027, the canton has set itself the strategic goals of promoting cultural diversity, preserving and passing on cultural heritage of cantonal importance, safeguarding the state heritage and strengthening the library system. Among other things, the government's cultural promotion strategy aims to establish cantonal cultural locations, further develop funding systems and strengthen digital cultural mediation.
Under the chairmanship of Martin Sailer, Wildhaus-Alt St.Johann, the preliminary advisory committee discussed the regional economic importance of cultural institutions and emphasized the importance of promoting culture, according to the canton's press release. The equalization of cultural burdens between the cantons of Eastern Switzerland relating to contributions to the St.Gallen concert and theater, mandatory inflation adjustments to contributions to cultural institutions and minimum fee rates for cultural professionals in institutions with performance agreements, as well as support for schools in cultural education, were particularly discussed.
A motion proposing a "cultural percentage" based on the model of the canton of Aargau did not find a majority in the committee. The proposed "cultural percentage" should allocate at least one percent of the ordinary state budget to the promotion of culture. The committee also rejected the proposal to transfer the subsidies for monument preservation measures from the lottery fund to the ordinary state budget.
The committee proposes motions that are linked to the approval of the 2020 to 2027 cultural promotion strategy. A majority of the committee was in favor of designating the Klanghaus Toggenburg as a cantonal cultural location as part of the next cultural promotion strategy for the years 2028 to 2035. It also requested that the expenses of cantonal archaeology be transferred to the ordinary state budget from the 2021 budget and the 2022-2024 task and finance plan and no longer be financed by the lottery fund. However, the cantonal archaeology's personnel expenses are to be financed via the government's existing personnel resources.
The Cantonal Council will discuss the bill in a single reading in the upcoming February session. The government's report and draft as well as the proposals of the preliminary committee can be found in the Council information system www.ratsinfo.sg.ch under the business number 23.19.03.
