Suisseculture warns against compartmentalization
Suisseculture is seriously concerned about the future of cultural creation in Switzerland. If the ever stricter laws on foreigners are implemented to the letter, Switzerland will be left with a shrinking culture based on the motto quota instead of quality.
Around 50 musicians from so-called third countries are expected to have to leave Switzerland by the end of the year (see Message). According to the law, musicians living in the city of Basel and the canton of Baselland must have a permanent position of at least 75 percent, writes Suisseculture.
However, this does not correspond to the real labor market in artistic professions. Permanent positions are also the exception in other artistic fields. Most theater professionals, dancers, authors and visual artists work on a freelance basis. However, they are important sources of inspiration for society.
According to Suisseculture, the quota system for foreign workers in the cultural sector shows "unworldly and absurd features": music schools, for example, are sometimes not allowed to employ top-class musicians because they cannot prove that there is "no comparable artist" in Switzerland.
