FIT FOR THE FUTURE: 2025 Annual Report

This Annual Report provides an overview of the first year of FIT FOR THE FUTURE, a three-year project created as part of the FIT Festival. The report covers a process of observation, learning and transformation related to transitions in artistic leadership, outlining often undocumented dynamics, such as relationships, fragilities, responsibility and tacit knowledge. The report also includes a provisional set of principles for transitions in artistic leadership based on experience gained during the first year, providing a tool kit for reflection and guidance. The report does not set out conclusive results, but a work-in-progress pathway towards creating a sustainable and replicable transition model in the performing arts sector.

It reports on the first of three years. Another report will be produced for the year 2026. A third report, scheduled for the end of 2027, will present the entire process as a model project and will be available in all languages.

What does this tool consist of?

It reports on a process documenting the first year of a transition in artistic leadership, outlining reflections, practices and operational principles.

What can this tool do?

It provides guidance, language and key tools to support more gradual and sustainable transitions based on greater awareness.

Who is this tool for?

Artistic directors, cultural teams and institutions facing or considering a change of leadership.

Why is this tool necessary?

To highlight and share what is usually informal and undocumented knowledge, the lack of which often results in traumatic transitions.

 

 

Impressum

Paola Tripoli and Simon Waldvogel

produzione@fitfestival.ch

www.fitfestival.ch

Sustainable Impact Tool

The Sustainable Impact Tool is a free working tool for cultural institutions and projects in Switzerland. It supports general and creative artists in systematically analysing their activities with regard to ecological and social sustainability. The effectiveness of sustainable action can thus be tested both at the institutional level and for individual productions, tours or events. The tool is refined on an ongoing basis.

What does this tool consist of?

The Sustainable Impact Tool enables the simplification of sustainability reporting through a variety of digital modules. Sub-elements enable the clear calculation of the CO2 footprint and further reporting modules for various areas of social sustainability are continually added.

 

Tags

#responsibility
#action
#sustainability
#reporting

What can this tool do?

The Sustainable Impact Tool supports an easily accessible and systematic analysis of the activities of general and creative artists with regard to environmental and social sustainability.

Who is this tool for?

The Sustainable Impact Tool is available free of charge for use by all cultural institutions, events, productions and tours in Switzerland. 

Why is this tool needed?

Simple reporting enables the prioritisation of measures based on their effectiveness for sustainable development. This makes it possible to monitor impact and deploy resources where they can have the greatest effect.

 

Impressum

The tool was launched by Pro Helvetia and the Migros Culture Percentage.

Biography.art: Questions About the Ethical Handling of Personal Stories

Biografie.art questions, examines and illuminates artistic collaborations that incorporate documentary and biographical material; it thematises hierarchies and explores ethical obligations in artistic projects. What are the reasons for working biographically and how? What guidelines apply when dealing with third-party stories? How do I create an appreciative and ethically responsible approach to the stories I share? And how do I deal with eyewitnesses, victims or actors? Relationship work in documentary and biographical work is the main focus.

What does this tool include?

The website offers reports on findings and experiences, questions approaches and encourages ethical reflection and action. Artistic projects are organised by phase. This provides an opportunity to reflect on one’s own artistic perspective through the experiences of other artists, story sharers and assessments from trauma therapy, investigative journalism and social anthropology. A working document is also freely available, which can be used to agree on a common work approach and ethical guidelines with all project participants. If you would like to delve even deeper, you can contact the Biografie.art team for workshops, coaching or discussion formats or similar.

The working document will initially be available for download in German starting in June 2025.

Tags

#ethical questions
#ethics
#fair-practice
#guidelines
#self-questioning #biography #biography-art
#documentary-theatre #documentary-film #trust #exchange-of-experiences #relationship work

For whom is this tool?

For all those who work (auto)biographically and who share their own or others’ stories as part of an artistic project. The project survey tool offers illustrative examples and space for self-exploration and strategic questioning for both project managers and project participants. It also lends itself to relationship work in documentary projects in the performing arts, such as documentary film.

Why is this tool needed?

To give all project participants trust, security, agreement and a feeling of appreciation. Personal stories, in particular, want to be in good hands. People want to feel accurately represented, and anyone working with such material is happy to have binding guidelines and ethical credentials that give all involved employees ethically responsible room for manoeuvre.

Impressum

Ownership:

Dennis Schwabenland, director and actor, and Katja Zellweger, cultural journalist and Germanist, are behind Biografie.art. Dramaturgical advice from director and playwright Anna Papst, production management by Ramun Bernetta.

Contact:

Info@biografie.art

Website

 

PERMA-CULTURE, for more sustainable performing arts

Since 2022, the far° Nyon team has been conducting collective research to make its operations and, more generally, the performing arts more sustainable. To do this, it relies on the principles of permaculture (a conceptual toolbox based on an ethic of care, derived from the contraction of “agriculture” and “permanent”). 

In 2023, at the end of the first stage of this research, we published PERMA-CULTURE (work in progress). This short essay has been designed as a forum for discussion. It can be used both as an archive of our experiments and as a series of suggestions (exercises, references, reflections) that could perhaps inspire you.

The publication is available in French and English as a Fanzine (order from far° Nyon). A bilingual version (English/French), to be read on screen or printed out in A4 format is online available.

What does the tool consist of?

The tool takes the form of a small publication. It includes:

  • feedback,
  • theoretical resources,
  • practical examples.

The publication is intended to be a source of inspiration. In 2024-2025, the far° team and its partners will offer a series of workshops linked to the project and the publication.

 

Tags

#sustainability
#toolbox
#inspiring change
#simple, concrete examples
#quality of life at work
#accessibility

What can this tool do?

In PERMA-CULTURE, the far° Nyon team is not trying to pass on a miracle recipe. But it does offer a number of practical and theoretical tools that have enabled it to drive real change, on both a small and large scale.

 

 

 

 

 

Who is this tool aimed at?

This publication can provide food for thought and practice for anyone seeking to change the way they work, with the aim of becoming more sustainable – ecologically, humanly, socially and artistically.

 

Why is this tool needed?

In the face of climate disruption, we urgently need to rethink the way we operate to make the performing arts, and cultural environments in general, more sustainable. To meet such a challenge, permaculture offers a simple, accessible model that can be applied to any situation.

Impressum

Ownership:

far° Nyon, mit Leila Chakroun, Clément Demaurex und Gregory Stauffer

Contact:

participation@far-nyon.ch
Website

Photo: Workshop at the far° festival of performing arts

©Arya Dil, far° Nyon 2024

m2act × Burning Issues: towards a just, diverse & inclusive culture – Position paper

Artistic management teams are under fire, demands for social sustainability are getting louder and louder, and balancing family life and cultural work remains a major challenge. The Swiss theatre scene is on the move. From 15 to 17 September 2023, the «M2ACT × BURNING ISSUES – Performing Arts & Action» network meeting brought more than 400 cultural professionals from all over Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy together for three days. They jointly developed a position paper containing urgent demands for change in order to make working conditions in the performing arts more sustainable, fairer and more appealing.

What does the tool consist of?

The position paper formulates goals for a fairer, more equitable and more diverse world of work in the performing arts and details the framework in which these goals were formulated. It also lists the authors and first signatories. The position paper constitutes a list of jointly voiced demands, which must be positioned in the day-to-day work of the performing arts.

Tags

#responsibility
#action
#sustainability
#reporting
#collaboration
#fair practice
#contracts

What can this Tool do?

The position paper was published as a petition on the ACT CAMPAX platform within the scope of m2act x Burning Issues. Supporters can sign it here (509 signatures as at 30 April 2024). The phrasing of the demands can be copied, improved and used as a tool to drive change in your own organisations and institutions or in politics.

Who is this tool for?

The position paper is meant for all cultural professionals and people from other sectors who are campaigning for fairer, more diverse and inclusive conditions in their workplace.

 

Why is this tool needed?

Viele Menschen, die in den Darstellenden Künsten arbeiten, sind unzufrieden mit den Arbeits- und Produktionsbedingungen und mit der momentanen Verteilung von Geld, Zeit und Einfluss. Sie wollen sich vernetzen, gemeinsam Gehör verschaffen und gegenseitig unterstützen.

Impressum

From 15 to 17 September 2023, the M2ACT × BURNING ISSUES – Performing Arts & Action network meeting brought more than 400 cultural professionals from all over Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy together for three days. They jointly developed a position paper containing urgent demands for change in order to make working conditions in the performing arts more sustainable, fairer and more appealing.

 

 

 

«Alle inklusive – ein Kleintheater will mehr»

This documentary takes you on the journey of Kleintheater Luzern towards a more inclusive cultural offering. Not only did Kleintheater Luzern record the inclusive programme that took place at their venue and how they implemented it, but they also took the 23/24 season as an opportunity to ask other cultural institutions, cultural funding bodies and politicians about inclusion in the cultural sector and the performing arts.

What does the tool consist of?

This tool consists of a 60-minute documentary film. The film is available with subtitles in DE/FR, as well as with subtitles for the hearing impaired in DE/FR and an audio description audio track.

 

Tags

#inclusion
#performingarts
#theatre
#cabaret#disability
#kleintheaterluzern
#barriers

 

What can this tool do?

This film provides a brief factual insight into the development, opportunities and future challenges of inclusion in the field of culture.

The film gives a voice to a wide variety of stakeholders, listens and puts into context where the topic of inclusion currently stands in the Swiss cultural scene.

The complete film can be requested from Kleintheater Luzern for a small licence fee.

 

 

 

 

 

Who is this tool aimed at?

For all those who (would like to) deal with the topic of inclusion in the cultural sector and the performing arts.

 

Why is this tool needed?

The topic of inclusion in the cultural sector is broken down in a vivid and entertaining way and made accessible through the chosen medium of film.

Impressum

Ownership: Fabienne Mathis on behalf of Kleintheater Luzern

The tool may be published under the following CC licence:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non-Commercial – Share alike 4.0 International Licence.

Contact: fabiennemathis@
kleintheater.ch
Website

 

Les bonnes pratiques

A self-assessment tool and concrete ways of promoting sustainability in the performing arts

Les Bonnes Pratiques is a joint pilot project of the Association des Compagnies Vaudoises and the Syndicat Suisse Romand du Spectacle. This initiative is primarily aimed at project managers in the performing arts. Through a non-binding self-assessment process, Les Bonnes Pratiques raises awareness of the issues surrounding working conditions and sustainability within professional practice in the cultural sector.

What does the tool consist of?

The tool is provided in the form of an internet platform. It consists of:

  • a guide
  • resources
  • a self-assessment tool

It can be used partially or fully, depending on the user’s wishes.

Tags

#lesbonnespratiquesch
#selfevaluation
#health in the workplace #sustainable art

What can this tool do?

By taking the time to scrutinise your project with the help of Les Bonnes Pratiques, you can identify possible weaknesses and act accordingly in a well-founded and persuasive manner. This is the first step towards significant improvements in the process of setting up and implementing projects.

Why is this tool needed?

In addition to the ecological aspects that all cultural professionals urgently need to consider when designing their projects, it also addresses issues surrounding the working environment. These are especially important, as the situation for employees in the independent cultural sector gradually deteriorates.

Who is this tool aimed at?

Les Bonnes Pratiques is primarily aimed at project managers in the performing arts. However, the concrete opportunities highlighted by the tool can inspire anyone who wishes to incorporate sustainability into their working practices.

Website

www.lesbonnespratiques.ch 

Contact:

contact@lesbonnespratiques.ch 

Impressum 

Authorship:

Syndicat Suisse Romand du Spectacle 

Association des Compagnies vaudoises