Bern wants to promote innovative institutions
The Agglomeration Commission (AKO) of the Bern City Council (the legislative body) is proposing the creation of a subsidy fund for new, innovative and less established cultural institutions. The Swiss Jazz Orchestra Bern has now also been awarded a contract.
At its last meeting, the AKO adopted a statement on the 2020-2023 cultural contracts of the Bern-Mittelland Regional Conference (RKBM). In principle, the commission welcomes the proposed support contributions for 15 cultural institutions. It considers it positive that the two new institutions added to the list in May 2018, the Swiss Jazz Orchestra Bern and the Jegenstorf Castle Museum, will now also receive 4-year contracts.
The Commission agrees with the cost allocation presented and the adherence to the previous rule of a 12% cost share for the regional municipalities. It also agrees with the greater additional burden of CHF 47,281 each for the City of Bern for 2020 and 2021 due to the proposed cushioning mechanism for hardship cases.
The Commission also points out that in future, when allocating support contributions, greater attention should be paid to the distinction between investment and operating costs of the supported institutions. It would therefore make sense to find a mechanism by which the renovation or general investment costs of the institutions could also be jointly financed - for example via a fund. To date, such co-financing of the municipalities has been on a voluntary basis, as was recently the case with the renovation of the Stadttheater Bern. However, the Commission does not consider this to be appropriate.
