A new model for encouraging young talent

The Foundation will pay an annual subsidy of 100,000 francs into a fund managed by the Community. Considered a pilot project, this fund will initially be limited to three years.

Yodelers, musicians, traditional costume groups, choirs, flag-wavers: over 300,000 active people are affiliated to the ten national associations grouped under the umbrella of the Community of Interests for Folk Culture in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. On the occasion of their general meeting in Olten, the Community and the Swiss Arts Council signed a service agreement: through this three-year pilot project, Pro Helvetia delegates to the Community of Interests for Folk Culture (www.volkskultur.ch) encouraging national projects by various popular culture associations.

Fans are the lifeblood of popular culture
Last year, the new law on the promotion of culture gave Pro Helvetia a new mandate: to encourage the next generation of artists. As popular culture is generally not produced by professionals, the Arts Council cannot apply the same criteria to it as it does to other artistic fields. Pro Helvetia defines this as young artists during the first five years following the completion of their studies. The partnership with the Communauté d'intérêts pour la culture populaire will nevertheless enable us to carry out this task in an appropriate and effective manner. A "Pro Helvetia Fund for Folk Culture" will be set up, to which Pro Helvetia will contribute CHF 100,000 per year from 2013 to 2015. To evaluate the applications, the Community of Interests for Folk Culture has set up a jury of independent specialists. They include Isabelle Raboud-Schüle (Bulle), André Ducret (Pont-la-Ville) and Josef Schuler (Altdorf), under the chairmanship of Hansruedi Spichiger (Bern). Pro Helvetia will also have a non-voting seat on the board. The secretariat of the fund will be provided by the Altdorf House of Folk Music.

More info: www.volkskultur.ch