Federal Councillor Berset praises "Youth and Music"

According to the press release from the Federal Office of Culture (FOC), the strategic axes of action of this cultural policy - cultural participation, social cohesion, creation and innovation - will be continued in the next cultural message for the years 2021-2024.

Berset explained that the political discussions surrounding the teaching of the national languages in elementary school and the numerous cantonal referendums on this topic had made it clear how important this aspect of Switzerland's diversity is. In the new cultural dispatch for 2021-2024, this topic of linguistic-cultural exchange will be a priority.

Strengthening cultural participation will also play a central role in the next cultural message. President Berset cited the Youth and Music program as an example. In 2017, this enabled over 8,500 children and young people to take part in music camps or courses. Over 11,000 participants are already planned for 2018. The development of this broad-based musical promotion forms the first phase of the program's implementation and will continue in the next funding period. Additional measures to promote talented musicians are to be introduced in the next Culture Dispatch.

President Berset also pointed out that the creative industries in Switzerland currently employ 275,000 people and generate added value of CHF 22 billion per year. In the future, new forms of cooperation between culture and the economy should be sought, particularly with regard to digitalization, which has also become significantly more important in the cultural sector in recent years. Cultural promotion must adapt and develop its instruments accordingly in all areas.

The Federal Council will open the consultation process for the new cultural dispatch in spring 2019. It should submit the dispatch to Parliament for discussion in February 2020. The final adoption of the cultural dispatch for the years 2021-24 should take place in the 2020 winter session.