Aargau amateur culture under the microscope
A structural analysis describes the situation of amateur culture in Aargau for the first time in order to gain insights for the new cultural concept 2023-2028.
In autumn 2020, the Culture Division of the Department of Education, Culture and Sport (BKS) commissioned a structural analysis of amateur cultural associations and clubs in the canton of Aargau. The aim of the study was to describe the situation of amateur culture in Aargau, to analyse the amateur cultural sectors organized in associations and clubs, to identify overarching connections and to identify both challenges and good development approaches.
To this end, the six most important associations in the amateur cultural sectors of wind music (Aargau Music Association), choir (Aargau Cantonal Singing Association), theater (Aargau Theater Association), traditional costume (Aargau Traditional Costume Association), yodeling (Northwestern Switzerland Yodeling Association, Aargau branch) and museums/collections (Aargau Museums and Collections Association) and their member associations were surveyed.
Most associations consider themselves to be well to very well anchored in the population. The majority of clubs rate their financial situation as satisfactory to stable, but fear a future deterioration due to the coronavirus pandemic and the continuing decline in membership. The latter is mostly due to difficulties in promoting young talent. Many clubs are finding it difficult to find younger members and suitable people for management positions. In most clubs, operational business plays a central role, while strategic issues tend to receive little attention. Many associations and clubs would very much welcome more intensive interdisciplinary cooperation.
