Maintaining musical culture

The Swiss Music Council (SMR) writes in its press release of October 30:
"On October 28, the Federal Council decided that public events throughout Switzerland will only be permitted with a maximum of 50 people until further notice. Discotheques and dance halls will have to close. Rehearsals by cultural associations in the amateur sector are only possible with a maximum of 15 people. Amateur choirs are no longer allowed to rehearse. There are also considerable restrictions in the education sector. In the short term, the promised support measures need to be implemented quickly; in the medium to longer term, the music sector needs prospects along the entire value chain. The umbrella organizations must be better integrated by the government decision-makers, and above all at an early stage. Only together can we succeed in preserving cultural diversity.

Stakeholders in the music sector understand that tough measures are needed to curb the rising number of infections and prevent the healthcare system from being overburdened. Everyone must play their part. This is why professional musicians, companies in the music sector (especially event organizers), associations in the field of amateur culture, educational institutions and music teachers have supported the federal and cantonal measures from the outset, invested heavily in protection concepts and implemented them consistently and responsibly. Nevertheless, the measures to contain the epidemic have had a drastic impact on the entire music sector.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to plan events at all because it is uncertain when, whether and under what conditions they will be able to take place. This has a particular impact on financing options and the search for sponsors, which are made even more difficult as a result. Even for events with only 50 people or less, it is also uncertain whether the public will come at all, as the authorities are understandably urging people to reduce social contacts. Many events can no longer be held profitably due to the limited number of visitors.

The organizational effort triggered by the official measures is enormous every time for all players in the music sector. Some tours have had to be postponed for the third time.

The cultural associations - in particular the umbrella organizations - must be better involved by government decision-makers, especially at an early stage, so that they can contribute their practical experience, clarify issues at an early stage, prepare well for upcoming measures and also understand and comprehend them (e.g. the ban on rehearsals for amateur choirs). Only together can we succeed in preserving cultural diversity and enabling creative artists and cultural enterprises to return to their work and thus earn their own living.
 

The promised support measures must be implemented quickly and the associated issues must be clarified with the involvement of cultural associations. The employment models in the cultural sector are complex and the expertise of the umbrella organizations is needed to ensure that the measures are effective. This applies in particular to culture-specific measures such as compensation for loss of earnings or contributions to transformation projects, but also to macroeconomic measures such as short-time working, compensation for the self-employed and persons similar to employers. The same applies to the hardship scheme for companies in the event industry value chain.

Another problem is already emerging. If hardly any events are organized due to the prevailing planning uncertainty, the cancellation compensation for cultural enterprises will no longer apply because nothing can be cancelled. Associations in amateur culture are also confronted with the same problem. They too will only receive financial aid for canceling, postponing or restricting events. As they are only allowed to rehearse to a very limited extent or not at all until further notice, hardly any more concerts are being announced.
 

At the moment, it is extremely uncertain how things will continue. But one thing is clear: cultural diversity must be preserved at all costs.

Switzerland's diverse music culture includes amateur culture, professional musicians of all genres, as well as the music industry (such as clubs, festivals, labels and agencies). The prerequisite for this diversity is music education at elementary school, music schools, music colleges, teacher training colleges or also provided by freelance music teachers and amateur associations.

It is essential to prevent the public stigmatization of singing and playing wind instruments. It would be disastrous if amateur culture, and with it the locally rooted associations that contribute so much to social and cultural life in Switzerland (largely through voluntary work), were to disappear due to long-term restrictions or even bans on association activities.

We now need clear information and a perspective with an exit strategy. Certain effects will only be felt after a considerable delay. For example, royalties from copyrights and performers' rights are an important part of the income of many music creators. The collapse of the live sector in the current year will lead to a significant drop in income for rights holders (composers, producers, publishers, performers) in 2021."