Praising Switzerland's diversity, but regretting the lack of exchange between the language regions, the Swiss Cultural Capital Association wants to encourage artistic creation and promote interaction by establishing a travelling cultural event. The project proposes to highlight Swiss cities by making them eligible for the title of Swiss Cultural Capital at regular intervals.
The concept imagined by the Association is embodied in two main objectives:
- To promote culture in Switzerland and enhance its diversity
- To contribute through culture to the long-term development of the territories, according to their respective needs
Culture, in both senses of the term - that is, the set of attitudes, beliefs or values shared by a group, but also the intellectual, moral and artistic activities of individuals - thus forms the core of the project. The main objective is thus to promote artistic activities (in their great variety) and to enhance national cultural diversity threatened by
by the standardisation of content inherent in globalisation.
The establishment of such a programme should also provide an opportunity to contribute through culture to the development of
of territories. The examples of the European Capitals of Culture and the UK City of Culture show this: obtaining a label of this type allows cities to renovate or create infrastructures (most often cultural, but not only), to improve their reputation, to stimulate the development of the local economy, and to promote the development of the city.
of Culture, boost the local economy and strength.en the attachment of the inhabitants.
For the Association behind the project, the creation of a major cultural event should encourage encounters between the country's inhabitants and become a tool for strengthening national cohesion. Indeed, the designation of a Swiss Cultural Capital - at more regular intervals than the rare and demanding National Exhibitions - would encourage internal movements and fill a gap often pointed out in the national debate
> www.capitaleculturelle.ch (in German, French and Italien only)
