A day at Pro Helvetia

For many of the 70 or so employees at the Pro Helvetia office in Zurich, the working day begins on the train. Quite a few commute from Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Lausanne or Geneva. This guarantees an exciting exchange with people from all regions of the country, which is a great advantage for a national foundation. On the train journey, we check emails, look at final reports or application documents, work on concept papers and plan meetings. An office on wheels. When we arrive in Zurich, the printer is often the first thing to go: the decision letters, final reports and other documents have to be printed out and processed. 

The first meeting of the day is dedicated to a discussion with a Swiss music festival: the new program is presented and funding criteria are explained. As with all other funding opportunities, we pay attention to the supra-regional appeal of the festival: is the festival already established? Has it made a name for itself in the scene? Are acts from another language region programmed? Is it supported by the city and canton and thus fulfills the principle of subsidiarity? Is the festival an important platform for the Swiss scene? The interview notes will be used later to assess the application. 

Sustainable touring

A new submission will then be considered: it concerns the tour of an established Swiss band in China. Before we allow ourselves to make a final decision, we consult our colleagues in the field office. They are close to the Chinese scene and can assess whether the venues are sufficiently established and whether the fee level and contribution to production costs are appropriate for the local context. We also pay attention to sustainable tour planning - this is particularly important when traveling such long distances. In addition to concerts, activities such as workshops, network meetings or research can also take place. Pro Helvetia has six offices in different regions of the world. The exchange with these colleagues is always particularly exciting. 

The next application is for a small local concert series by a young string quartet that is not yet sufficiently established. Although the composers involved have so far performed in their own city, this is unfortunately not yet enough to qualify for support from Pro Helvetia.

International network work

In the afternoon, there will be an internal meeting to plan a networking event at a Swiss festival: Which international curators do we want to invite? On which festival day can we experience as much Swiss program as possible? Which musicians from Switzerland should we also invite to the networking aperitif? The step abroad is enormously important for musicians from small Switzerland. We have a special mission here. Since foreign organizers such as festivals and clubs can also apply to us for funding, we maintain many contacts and thus play a decisive role in shaping the export of music from Switzerland. 

After the meeting, we continue with an email from our "Global Contacts and Initiatives" department. A Bolivian curator wants to spend four weeks getting to know the local electronic music scene. She has a broad network in South America and organizes an annual festival for club music, including workshops and masterclasses. This is very much in the spirit of cultural exchange and a great platform. This research trip seems absolutely worth supporting and with the help of a coach she will be able to make the most of her time. We will make sure that she can make new contacts with DJs, producers, labels and event organizers.

Before closing time, the invitation to the next retreat is confirmed: our aim is to address previously underrepresented music scenes more strongly. New funding measures also mean a lot of discussion! In 2024, we will be implementing two new support programs: Push-it is aimed at up-and-coming musicians and their labels and Feat. is aimed at the hip-hop and electro scene.

It's high time to get back on the train, because there's a concert on the program this evening: the new production of a music theater company, which will soon be shown at a festival abroad. We supported the creation and the tour and are therefore particularly excited to see the piece now.

Facts & Figures

Who is supported: Musicians with a Swiss passport or permanent residence in Switzerland who are established nationwide and create their own repertoire, as well as event organizers in Switzerland and abroad

What is supported: including new productions, international presence (tours, festival appearances), album productions with release tour, festivals of national renown

What are the most important criteria? Supra-regionality, subsidiarity, appropriate fees, innovative program

Tips for submitting applications

-Check the eligibility criteria on the website and submit your application online.

-Fill the online mask with short texts, avoid repetition of the dossier texts.

-A detailed budget and a realistic financing plan are essential.

-Check whether a funding offer from the music department has been selected.