In a phase of uncertainty, it seems important to me to put the current situation in relation to the past year and then take a look ahead.
Granted: In times like these, a 2019 annual report may seem like a relic of days gone by. But promoting creative work is a fluid process that can at best be marked but not stopped by an accounting endpoint.
The pandemic has not only turned our personal everyday lives upside down. It has had and continues to have a massive impact on the work of the FONDATION SUISA. More than 25 projects (as of the end of May), which we had approved for 2019, have already been affected by the extraordinary situation and had to be reassessed. Our own projects (music fair presentations), in which we invested a lot of planning resources, were also destroyed by the corona virus.
But as we all know, after the rain the sun shines. And that’s why a crisis also holds opportunities. As you can see from the annual report, we started to rethink certain things even before Corona. In working groups we discussed our future portfolio strategically and subsequently initiated the start of process-oriented funding. A wonderful example of this are the annual Get Going! grants we have been awarding since 2018.
This strategy has not only helped us to react better and more flexibly to the unexpected in our day-to-day work. This reorientation also opens up perspectives for the future, in which we will be able to respond more quickly to the needs of Swiss musicians. A flexible funding policy is also an assurance that the next crisis will not blow up in our faces.
The current crisis confirms that we are on the right track.. We must now continue to follow this path and constantly take up, reflect and, if necessary, incorporate possible scenarios.
I would like to thank all those involved from the bottom of my heart who have joined us in initiating this strategy. Together we will continue to challenge ourselves so that we can continue to promote our great national music-making in all its diversity.