Culture Toolbox

 

Culture Toolbox

I want to set up a cultural programme/project

Policy and guidelines

Support

I want to set up a cultural programme/project

Based on the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Culture and Development Team has formulated 16 fields of activity that may be considered at different levels when implementing a cultural project. These may be used, e.g. when formulating goals in a fact sheet or credit proposal or outcomes and indicators in the logframe.

What?
Promotion of culture

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How?

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What for?

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Why?

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OUTCOME (CONTENT)

For example…

  • Creative expression
  • Access to art and culture
  • Creative industries
  • Cultural heritage
  • Minorities and/or indigenous groups

OUTPUT (FORM)

For example…

  • Capacity building
  • Supporting government structures
  • Strengthening of infrastructure

IMPACT (REASONS)

For example…

  • Social inclusion
  • A free and dynamic cultural sector
  • Reflection on relevant issues

Contribution (by context)

For example…

  • Social cohesion
  • Conflict prevention and/or peace promotion
  • Freedom of expression and critical thinking

FEDERAL DISPATCH GOALS:

  1. 4 columns and 10 sub-targets
  2. Legal mandate
  3. Cooperation with NGO actors
  4. Strengthening human rights

OUTCOME - WHAT? – Promotion of culture

  • Promotion of creative expression: the promotion of creative expression as such, without commercial constraint, with the aim of strengthening or achieving innovation in art and culture. This concerns independent art and culture, but also traditional forms of expression, and differs from the creative industries (a separate category), where job creation and revenue is more important. The promotion of creative expression potentially covers all cultural genres.
  • Promotion of access to art and culture: access to and participation in cultural life may be denied or made impossible for a variety of reasons, such as lack of financial resources, long distances, or lack of time.
  • Support of creative industries: this involves supporting the production and marketing of cultural goods and services with the aim of accessing a market and generating income.
  • Protection of cultural heritage: the destruction of cultural assets in war zones causes symbols that may shape a culture and identity to be lost. However, it is not just tangible cultural heritage that needs to be protected, but also intangible heritage: traditions and the existence of people's own distinct cultures are particularly at risk in and around conflicts.
  • Protection of minorities or indigenous groups: individual rights and personal development can only flourish within a protective collective environment. Cultural rights therefore have a twofold task: ensuring the continued existence of a cultural life in which an individual has the right to participate and ensuring the cultural rights of a group to provide the individual with an environment in which free and full personal development is possible.

OUTPUT – HOW? – Form

  • Capacity building of artists or cultural institutions: a frequent obstacle to success in creative expression and also in the creative industries is insufficient capacity, both in terms of basic training for artists and cultural management.
  • Supporting government structures to improve cultural policies: in many countries government structures (at central, regional or local level) support art and culture with a concrete policy and funding. Changes in the policy and criteria for funding can bring about systemic change which can potentially be more sustainable than project work. In every country and context, the question arises as to the role the state can, should and wants to play in supporting art and culture.
  • Strengthening of infrastructure related to arts and culture: the working conditions of artists are often hampered by a lack of or inadequate infrastructure, such as stages and cinemas, recording studios, amplifiers, lighting, technology or power supply. There is also often a need for investment in buildings, schools or cultural centres.
  • Facilitation of artist exchanges and co-productions: projects in this category may finance joint artistic creation involving cooperation between artists from different regions, countries or within a particular country.
  • Support for the mobility of artists and artistic products: the mobility of artists refers to physical travel, either for an individual learning experience, artist’s residency, or performances or encounters with professionals or an audience from another country. Sometimes audiences abroad can also be reached with the mobility of the artistic products only. With mobility the artist gains visibility and new opportunities.
  • Use of new or digital technologies in culture and/or the arts: globalisation and technological progress/internet can have an ambivalent effect on cultural diversity. On the one hand, culture can be standardised, which reduces diversity. On the other hand, the internet is opening up alternative distribution channels and markets to be exploited. Digitalisation can also open up new creative genres.
  • Promotion of financial flows for culture and development: art and culture usually rely on funding that cannot be generated through ticketing or sales. However, governments often have insufficient funds at their disposal to promote culture on a larger scale. In some cases, but not all, the private sector may be involved in comprehensive sponsoring. Innovative ideas for funding art and culture may be welcome.
  • Research on culture and development: a recurring difficulty for programmes in culture and development is evidence of their impact and outcomes. It may be helpful to invest in studies that highlight thematic or systemic aspects and provide meaningful indicators for measuring impact in culture and development.
  • Promotion of production, diffusion and distribution: …
  • Promoting and supporting space and platforms for artistic creation and performance: …

IMPACT – WHAT FOR? – Reasons

  • Supporting social inclusion, especially of marginalised people and people living in rural areas: …
  • Strengthening a free and dynamic cultural sector as a key part of civil society and a driver of change: …
  • Strengthening societies to reflect on relevant issues: …
  • Promoting cultural rights including access and participation in cultural life: …
  • Supporting intercultural dialogue and exchange as a foundation for peace: …
  • Building bridges to foster social cohesion and/or cross-border dialogue and cooperation between artists and art institutions: …
  • Enabling community level discourse: …
  • Enhancing rural community access to art events: …
  • Influencing the future prospects of individuals, in particular young people: …
  • Creating job opportunities, especially in the creative industries: …
  • Promoting cultural diversity as a part of the heritage of humanity: …
  • Creating online platforms for better outreach and response to new challenges, etc.: …

IMPACT – WHY?

  • Strengthening social cohesion through culture and/or the arts: art and culture can be used as a means to other ends, for example the promotion of social cohesion. It is assumed that art and culture promote the common life of different population groups and mutual understanding and tolerance, or strengthen the identity of a group.
  • Fostering culture and arts as a means of conflict prevention or peace promotion: art and culture are seen as potentially promoting peacebuilding or the prevention of conflicts.
  • Strengthening of freedom of expression: numerous international cooperation programmes help to strengthen civil society, human rights, freedom of expression and the role of the media. It is probable that artists will also profit indirectly from this.
  • Promotion of human rights/cultural rights: …
  • Strengthening democratic processes: …
  • Dealing with the past: …
  • Fostering creative thinking as part of education: …
  • Strengthening the local economy: …
  • Supporting tourism and attractive/inclusive urbanisation: …

Policy and guidelines

What guides our engagement in culture and development as part of international cooperation?

Policy

Legal bases

Guidelines and principles

Support

The Culture and Development team provides SDC-internal support to colleagues in partner countries and at head office on how to set up, implement and monitor cultural programmes with a strategic focus. The team also serves as a competence centre for culture and development in international cooperation and answers all related questions from the Swiss public, Parliament and the Federal Administration.

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