City of Basel develops new cultural mission statement
The Basel-Stadt cantonal government has commissioned the Department of Presidential Affairs to draw up a new cultural mission statement for the period from 2026 to 2031.
For the first time, this will be based on a population survey on cultural offerings and an impact report on the previous period. According to the canton's press release, the new cultural mission statement is expected to go out for public consultation in the first half of 2025.
The cultural sector is facing major challenges: The canton writes that cultural institutions need to become more sustainable, inflation is clearly noticeable and technological change is causing uncertainty. In addition, global crises and conflicts are making international cooperation more difficult. These current issues mean that new strategic guidelines need to be set for cultural policy.
The government council of Basel-Stadt has now commissioned the Culture Division in the Presidential Department to draw up a new cultural mission statement for the years 2026 to 2031. This should define a cultural policy strategy, i.e. formulate verifiable medium to long-term impact targets and provide information on how the funds are used. The new cultural mission statement should integrate the review and continuation of the museum strategy as well as the implementation of the "tipping initiative", i.e. the increased promotion of youth and alternative culture. The current cultural mission statement expires at the end of 2025.
