An observatory to bring together the cultural practitioners of French-speaking Switzerland
Launched in September 2022, the Observatoire romand de la culture (ORC) will conduct studies to explore the practices and challenges of the cultural scene.
Subsidies, cultural workers threatened by poverty, visitor numbers: The cultural scene in French-speaking Switzerland is struggling with many challenges. The structural difficulties - painfully exacerbated by the pandemic - have highlighted the need, indeed the urgency, to break down the situation of the players in a changing ecosystem. In order to meet this need, the Cultural Observatory of Western Switzerland (ORC) will shed light on the social, political and financial challenges in studies conducted by experts.
Launched in September 2022, the ORC will carry out detailed analyses of various subject areas (music, performing arts, cinema, museums and libraries). Its main task will be to collect reliable and verifiable data in the relevant areas and then summarize it in well-founded and independent studies.
The aim is to provide a range of tools to support practices and adapt cultural policies. "The ORC will be responsible for the published data, but not for its interpretation by cultural practitioners or policymakers," explains Olivier Glassey, head of the ORC and professor at the Institute of Public Administration (IDHEAP).
Two studies are already underway: the first deals with the state funding of culture, the second provides an overview of the careers of artists. The topics were validated by the support group, consisting of members of umbrella organizations, and approved by the strategy committee.
At the same time, the ORC will collect existing studies and facilities on a digital platform in order to centralize and assess the available information - without any claim to completeness. The Observatory will also carry out specific mandates, which will be commissioned and funded by its partners.
This organization, unique in Switzerland to date, is the result of a partnership between the University of Lausanne (UNIL), the HES-SO University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland, the Conference of Cantonal Culture Officers (KBK) and the seven cantons and fourteen cities of Western Switzerland. The ORC is based on the model of the observatories in Grenoble and Wallonia-Brussels and will initially run for a three-year pilot phase.
The ORC will also hold meetings to fulfill one of its core tasks: to bring together the cultural professionals of French-speaking Switzerland.
