The Swiss cultural scene was hit hard by the Corona VIRUS 19 crisis. What are your experiences as Director of Pro Helvetia? Which sectors have been particularly affected?
“We have suffered a real systemic shock. There is almost no area of cultural life for which the lockdown did not mean a suspension of the opportunities to perform. Not only areas where live experience plays a crucial role, such as music, dance or theater, but also fields such as literature, design or the visual arts have suffered severely: even if artists have he was able to continue working in his ateliers and studios, the galleries and bookstores remained closed; public readings, fairs and exhibitions could not take place. Some events took place online, but of course this is only partial compensation, all the more so if we consider the difficulties associated with the remuneration of digital productions. In general, the pandemic has led to major planning problems and economic concerns for the cultural sector that still persist and raise existential unknowns that go beyond the lockdown: how will the situation in Switzerland and other countries evolve in the medium term? If international tours and public readings are again possible, under what conditions? How will we relate to other people in the future? And then, of course: if there is a global recession, will the public still be able to afford to spend money on culture? Similar questions will accompany the world of culture for a long time to come. In all likelihood we are preparing to enter a phase of transformation of which we do not know the results and which, in addition to offering many opportunities, also arouses well-founded fears ».
Losses for cultural event organizers and cultural operators have had different consequences. Where do you see the most significant differences?
«I actually believe that the boundaries between these two areas are blurred. Many cultural operators also organize cultural events and many organizers are also active in the artistic field. On a purely economic level, the crisis in the sector has further accentuated already precarious conditions: fixed-term engagements and cachet payments are in fact the rule. The pandemic has clearly shown how limited the reserves of businesses and cultural operators are and how much both groups depend on success and uninterrupted production. As soon as the pace slows down, the situation becomes precarious. Precisely for this reason, the Covid culture ordinance was so urgently necessary: taking into account the needs of both cultural operators and entrepreneurs, it made it possible to provide immediate aid and compensation for loss of earnings and reduced work for employment relationships. Temporary. Thanks to these measures, the cultural scene has been able to cope at least in part with the crisis ».
What activities has Pro Helvetia implemented in the past months? What activities are you planning for the near future?
"Together with the Federal Office of Culture, Pro Helvetia elaborated the additional measures of the Confederation in support of the cultural sector and supported Social Suisseculture in their implementation. In particular, we have carried out an intense consultancy and coordination work at different levels of cultural promotion. During the confinement we decided not to ask for the refund of the subsidies already paid for canceled events and to make our support criteria more flexible, so as to allow in the short term an adjustment and, of course, also a postponement of the projects promoted. We also launched the "Close Distance" competition, with which we went in search of new artistic formats able to compete in an innovative way with mobility restrictions. This initiative has been a great success, as evidenced by the more than 500 applications received, including very promising approaches and formats. I hope that several selected proposals will last over time, for example to ensure that in the future, within the framework of national and international artistic collaborations, the use of travel and transport takes place in a more conscious way. During the current phase of gradual easing, which can be considered a transition period, we try to respond as quickly and targeted as possible to the needs of the various sectors: the Music division, for example, has launched a call for tenders for alternative programs during the months. summer, and also the Literature and Dance & Theater divisions have developed specific support measures ».
How long do you think the effects of the Lock-down will last on the Swiss cultural scene?
“Like any major social and economic crisis, this too will have repercussions destined to leave their mark for several years. After the initial shock, in which the cultural system as they had known it so far was shaken to its foundations, we have now reached a second phase, that of transition. The cultural sector is now starting to take the measures of the new cultural topographies born in the last three months: the decisive question will be whether the energies and fantasies will be enough to transform the crisis of the system into an opportunity for positive change in the system itself. From the new formats that re-tie the threads with the previous cultural life, new devices and divisions of roles can arise and, perhaps, even greater participation. We live in a very particular social situation, in which culture arouses a mixture of prudence, desperation and a spirit of inventiveness, given that the distancing still applies and the public continues to behave in a completely different way than usual. For now, cultural tourism is lacking, and even tours are almost impossible. Hence, enormous creative energies are needed to act in the theater, sing in a choir or dance. We must be aware that this transition phase will be followed by another, that of consolidation or transformation, in many cases probably also of reconstruction, in which some structures will disappear and others will be restored or reinvented ».
What is your vision for supporting the struggling culture. What does the state need, what can private individuals do?
«Collaborate and contribute to transformation, overcome disciplinary and regional barriers! In Switzerland, subsidiary cultural promotion by the Confederation, the cantons and the communes is complemented by the services of private foundations, patrons and sponsors and by partnerships with these actors. This is more important than ever, provided we are able to abandon a fragmented vision, focused on individual initiatives, and adopt a more global perspective focused on the quality and impact of projects. A wide-ranging, far-sighted and courageous approach is needed to support the cultural sector on its way to a profitable and fruitful future. This is why I hope for a strengthening of the "ménage à trois" between public and private actors in cultural promotion and cultural operators and the definition of common objectives. Adequate in themselves, public-private partnerships risk remaining far from reality and without effects if, at the same time, there is no close collaboration with the cultural sector and if there is no question of the synergies between society and culture. In general, but especially during the crisis, public and private cultural promotion must therefore try to listen to and observe society, act according to needs and take a straightforward look at a future that will be different from the present, straddling the digital reality. and analogue, regional and international dimension and artistic and social issues ".
Photo by Anita Affentranger
