Cultural diversity under threat

Everything that artlink works for is currently being jeopardized. By the end of 2028, the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) will have reduced the budget for strategic partnerships with cultural institutions in Switzerland that support cultural practitioners in partner countries from around 3.7 million per year to 2 million per year. The number of strategic SDC partners will be reduced from 12 to 5. These partners include Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Film Festival Locarno, Salon du Livre in Geneva or artlink.

The aim of these strategic partnerships is to facilitate access to the Swiss cultural market and to professional networks for artists from the Global South and East. Although these artists and their cultural scenes benefit first and foremost, the Swiss public also benefits from engaging with politically and socially diverse artistic perspectives: Win-win.

Positive impact on societies

Culture is not detached from society at large.  A lively artistic scene is essential for societies to thrive. Evidentially, arts and culture promote peaceful and inclusive societies. A dynamic art scene has the power to create safe spaces for freedom of expression and can encourage political participation. Experience shows that with the income and prestige that artists gain through international touring and coproducing they support the development of cultural centers in their respective regions or they engage with upcoming local art scenes.

What does the SDC have to do with artlink?

Since 1991 the SDC supports the association artlink with an annual contribution that accounts for 35% of our core budget. From 2025 to 2028, SDC is gradually phasing out of this contribution. From 2029 the subsidy will stop completely. This poses an existential threat to artlink and our main beneficiaries in Switzerland: artists and cultural workers that have recently fled or migrated to Switzerland.

In addition, artlink has been mandated by the SDC to manage the South Culture Fund. As you know, the fund promotes cooperation between artists from the Global South and East and cultural organisers in Switzerland. The South Culture Fund has not yet been affected by the cuts and the fund amount remains the same. However, SDC partners that were previously supported directly by the SDC with annual contributions will now also apply for contributions under the South Culture Fund. De facto, more institutions will apply for the same amount of money. The funding conditions for the South Culture Fund must therefore be restructured. We will inform you again as soon as the changes have been finalised.

In conclusion, what’s at stake?

• The support of artists and cultural practitioners that live and work in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe
• The empowerment of artists and cultural practitioners with refugee and migration experience staying and working temporarily in Switzerland
• The empowerment of local cultural scenes in the Global South that strengthen peaceful and inclusive societies
• The existence of renowned Swiss partners and their strong international networks that build bridges between the Global South and East and the cultural landscape of Switzerland  
• Easy access for Swiss public to a wide range of international cultural programmes such as concerts, exhibitions, theatre or movies in Switzerland.  
• Cultural diversity: The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Participation can only be fulfilled with strong limitations