Cultural message - the cultural policy thrust is right, but more funding is needed
The Federal Cultural Message sets out the strategic direction of the Confederation's cultural policy for a period of four years. It contains the objectives, the most important measures and the funding framework for all federal funding areas.
Interested parties had until September 22, 2023 to submit a statement on the Cultural Dispatch 2025-2028. SONART made use of this opportunity and coordinated its statement with the umbrella organizations Suisseculture, Suisseculture Sociale, the Swiss Music Council and the Culture Taskforce.
Some selected points from SONART's statement are explained below.
Social security
It is pleasing that the federal government wants to improve the social security of cultural professionals with various measures. After all, as in any other professional field, working conditions in the cultural sector should allow cultural professionals to pursue their profession under good conditions. This includes appropriate compensation for the work performed as well as adequate social security through the social insurance system.
The consideration of appropriate remuneration in the assessment of funding applications - as provided for in the cultural message - is therefore to be welcomed. The fact that the recommendations of professional associations for salaries and fees are to be used in the assessment of appropriateness is very promising. This consideration of appropriate remuneration must be acknowledged with corresponding additional funding for cultural promotion.
However, the systemic problems cannot be solved through cultural promotion alone; the social security system needs to be adapted for atypical forms of employment in general and for the self-employed. For this reason, it is positive that increased cooperation between the Federal Office of Culture FOC and the Federal Social Insurance Office FSIO is envisaged in certain areas and that selective adjustments to the social insurance system are also being considered. However, in our opinion, the social insurance system should be fundamentally adapted to so-called "atypical employment relationships" - an increasing phenomenon in all sectors.
Consideration of the entire value creation process in cultural promotion
It is very much to be welcomed that the upstream and downstream phases of production are also to be supported as part of the updating of cultural funding. We are convinced that funding the upstream phases (research and development) and improving the funding of the downstream phases (promotion, diffusion and communication) will improve the financial situation of creative artists on the one hand, and that this type of funding is also much more in line with the artistic creative process on the other.
Increased cooperation in cultural policy
Another positive aspect is that the federal government wants to strengthen cooperation in cultural policy with the cantons, cities, municipalities, cultural associations and private cultural promotion institutions. In our opinion, experience during the pandemic, but also in the run-up to the drafting of the cultural message, shows that the exchange between state entities responsible for cultural promotion on the one hand and cultural associations on the other is particularly beneficial.
Music promotion
Some important changes are also planned in the area of music promotion. SONART welcomes, for example, the equalization of the differences in the funding measures for different music genres. It is also right that projects in the fields of pop, rap and electro should receive more support in future, as well as selected festivals and venues.
For Pro Helvetia to successfully implement the measures, however, it needs significantly more funding than has been available for music promotion to date.
It is pleasing that "the further development of appropriate framework conditions in the digital environment" is also mentioned as a cultural policy objective. In SONART's opinion, this includes measures that encourage the globally oriented large streaming platforms such as Spotify to act more locally. It is crucial that the international streaming platforms have local teams in Switzerland who are familiar with the diverse Swiss music scene and place Swiss music on playlists in Switzerland and abroad to improve its visibility.
Financial framework for federal cultural funding
The funding provided by the federal government for the four-year period is not sufficient. In view of inflation and the general reduction in the culture budget announced by the federal government in 2024 alone, the budget needs to grow faster than planned. The growth of the culture budget in the years 2025-2028 should be at least 2.5 % (instead of the planned average nominal growth of 1.2 %).
