Ecoplan call for extension of support to the live music scene in Switzerland

Ecoplan recently undertook a report on the live music and cultural scene in Switzerland has raised the alarm for support measures to be extended beyond the end of this year, with fears that long term damage could be done.

Published last Friday, the study was put together on behalf of the country’s culture taskforce. This has been made up of representatives from the Swiss Music Promoters Association, the Swiss Music Council and the Music Managers Forum to name a few.

Ecoplan, the research office who carried out the survey, have concluded that almost two-thirds of Swiss businesses are still reliant on government support to get through at least the next twelve months. This is prompting calls for the Swiss government to extend its support until the end of 2022. Some quotes from the taskforce read:

“Stopping support at the end of the year would be enormously damaging for those still affected and would (waste) the help provided over the past few months…although the various support systems only cover the bare minimum, they have proven to be effective.”

“Almost three quarters stated that sales in the past year were below 80%, and almost half were even below 40% of the usual figures before Covid – circumstances among which companies can hardly survive without support.”

“The figures collected in the survey underpin the need for an extension. The results show a slight recovery in the current year, but a cultural establishment like the one it was before the pandemic is not in sight in 2022 either.”

The idea of financial support as a repayable loan was put forward for discussion, however the taskforce members rejected it:

“Only 4% of the companies surveyed and 9% of the cultural associations stated that such a system would help them instead of the previous (measures),”

Whilst there is hope for the future and things will inevitably get better, the Covid-19 pandemic is still posing long-term effects on the music industry. More pressure will be put on governments around the world to provide support and keep live music alive and set it up to thrive again:

“The culture taskforce, together with the population and the authorities, hopes that this pandemic and its far-reaching consequences will soon be overcome. Now, we ask parliament to keep the safety nets for our industry, which have been functioning well so far… in the hope that they will be less needed from month-to-month.”

For more information, you can read the full report here.

Image Credit: Markus Moning