Pro Helvetia supported around 2,000 arts and cultural projects across Switzerland; 4,867 projects in 113 countries.

Pro Helvetia supported around 2,000 arts and cultural projects across Switzerland; 4,867 projects in 113 countries.

Annual report 2025 - Pro Helvetia

Pressure on cultural promotion institutions is increasing throughout Switzerland, making a responsible and forward-looking allocation of the available resources all the more important.

The Swiss arts scene enjoys a reputation of excellence, diversity and originality. These hallmarks of quality can by no means be taken for granted. They are based on continuous hard work and solid institutional structures as well as on targeted and efficient support.

Pro Helvetia’s domestic activities include promoting artistic creation in all its variety in Switzerland as well as contributing to its dissemination and to cultural exchange between the various parts of the country. The Swiss Arts Council supports cultural projects of national interest on an application basis and introduces new initiatives.

Pro Helvetia’s five areas of activity in Switzerland:

In 2025, Pro Helvetia supported around 2,000 arts and cultural projects across Switzerland. They reflect the enormous diversity of contemporary artistic and cultural creation. The cultural sector is in constant flux. New working realities, technological developments, financial constraints, and shifting audience expectations require reliable and flexible cultural promotion. Within the framework of its federal mandate, Pro Helvetia’s core mission is to provide the best possible support for artists and cultural practitioners from Switzerland and their work through appropriate support measures.

Each year, Pro Helvetia publishes information on its website under‘contributions attributed’on projects it supported or realised in the year under review. Discover some project examples:

Supportedby Pro Helvetia, the retrospectiveDiscoby Swiss-Argentinian artist Vivian Suter at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris brought together nearly 500 large-scale, vibrantly coloured works created over the past ten years in the artist’s garden in Panajachel, Guatemala. © Vivian Suter, Courtesy Karma International, Zurich; Gladstone, New York

Seoul; Gaga, Mexico DF; Proyectos Ultravioleta, Guatemala City, Credit: Aurélien Mole

DJ and music producer Noria Lilt played a live set at theFestival de la Citéin Lausanne. Alongside three other artists from the electronic music scene in Switzerland, Argentina, and China, Lilt took part in the networking programmeCircuit Mixers, initiated by Pro Helvetia. © Malik Beytrison

The dual programmeConnect Argentina, initiated by Pro Helvetia and Arts at CERN, invited Swiss artist Céline Manz and Argentinian artist Juan Sorrentino to a joint residency in 2025 at CERN in Geneva, and the Pierre Auger Observatory in Mendoza, Argentina. © Presente Continuo

A site-specific sound installation transformed theSwiss Pavilionat the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia into a multisensory experiential space, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in a resonant architecture. © Samuele Cherubini

Pro Helvetia awards grants on an application basis to arts and cultural projects from Switzerland that are presented worldwide. In doing so, the foundation contributes to the international visibility of Swiss arts and culture. Through its offices abroad, Pro Helvetia promotes the development of professional, international networks in all the artistic disciplines it supports, and strengthens cultural exchange and collaboration on an international level.

Pro Helvetia’s five areas of activity across the world:

In 2025, Pro Helvetia supported 4,867 arts and cultural projects in 113 countries within the framework of its international activities. Through promotional and networking measures, as well as the support of Swiss appearances at international festivals, fairs, and biennials, Pro Helvetia boosts the global visibility of contemporary art production from Switzerland. Key platforms for raising this international profile in 2025 included the House of Switzerland Milano during Milan Design Week, the Swiss Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, and the Swiss focuses at the Montreal Comic Arts Festival and the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz.

Ouinch Ouinch, a Geneva-based collective, presented its pieceHappy Hypeat theSpring Forward Festival, an important international platform for emerging dance professionals, which took place in Gorizia, Italy, and Nova Gorica, Slovenia, in 2025. © Vincent Muteau

Through its game design work grants, Pro Helvetia supported 23 projects inpre-production,production, andpost-productionin 2025 (spring selection|autumn selection). Pictured: the role-playing game Sil and the Fading World by IceCrack Games, a game studio based in Solothurn. © IceCrack Games

‘As a game designer, it is important to engage with as diverse an audience as possible. Feedback from outside your own bubble helps position your work within an international context. Game fairs offer the opportunity to forge valuable contacts. Being present at the SwissGames stand allows you to interact directly with visitors. Having two very different games available to play sparked conversations about our long-term strategy as a studio. The positive reactions gave us added confidence in our decisions.’

Supportedby Pro Helvetia, the group exhibitionKnowing Bodiesat the Museo Casa Rusca in Locarno, brought together works by Swiss and international artists from different generations and linguistic regions. Pictured: works by Jeanne Tara and Isaac Chong Wai. © Cosimo Filippini

Pro Helvetia’s global network enables artists and cultural practitioners from Switzerland to attend important cultural events. It also promotes exchange and cooperation with local cultural institutions and artists.

The global network includes five liaison offices and the Centre culturel suisse (CCS) in Paris. This network is complemented by two partner institutions, the Istituto Svizzero in Italy and the Swiss Institute in New York.

To provide artists and cultural practitioners from Switzerland with opportunities and a network of global reach, Pro Helvetia has been operating liaison offices for many years in the Arab region (Cairo, 1988), Southern Africa (Johannesburg, 1998), Southern Asia (New Delhi, 2007), China (Shanghai, 2010), and its first decentralised structure inSouth America(Bogotá, Buenos Aires, La Paz, Santiago, São Paulo, 2021).

Operating in diverse cultural and political landscapes, Pro Helvetia’s liaison offices are staffed exclusively by local personnel, who manage all regional funding activities. They support projects in their respective regions in collaboration with local partner organisations across all areas covered by Pro Helvetia. Furthermore, they facilitate research trips and a residency programme.

Centre culturel suisse (CCS) in Paris

TheCentre culturel suisse (CCS)in Paris, managed by Pro Helvetia, showcases and disseminates contemporary Swiss art in Paris and throughout France, with a primary focus on the performing arts, music, and visual arts. It aims to strengthen connections between the artistic and cultural scenes in Switzerland and France. The CCS premises were closed for renovations during the reporting period. Until its reopening in 2026, the CCS ran an On Tour programme in various regions across France.

Based on performance agreements, Pro Helvetia contributes to the cultural programmes of two Swiss institutions abroad: the Istituto Svizzero, with activities in Rome, Milan, and Palermo, and the Swiss Institute in New York.

At the Palazzo Trevisan degli Ulivi in Venice – which serves as a Swiss Confederation property, an honorary consulate, and a platform for promoting Swiss arts and culture – Pro Helvetia hosted theNew Echo Systemevent and residency programme in 2025. Furthermore, during the Venice Biennale, the Palazzo functions as a platform for the accompanying fringe programme to Switzerland’s contribution in theSwiss Pavilion, as well as for other formats of professional exchange and international collaboration.

In 2025, Pro Helvetia’s global network again fostered professional cultural exchange and networking among artists and cultural practitioners from Switzerland and the regions covered by the liaison offices in a large variety of contexts. Geopolitical conflicts and political uncertainty posed a number of operational challenges for the foundation. Numerous long term partnerships of the liaison offices and close cooperation with the foundation’s divisions enable the foundation to launch and sustain exchange, networking, and support formats, with the aim of providing artists and cultural practitioners with access to new cultural contexts and broadening their professional outlook. For example, in 2025, the Music division launched theCircuit Mixersmultilateral networking programme, which promotes the visibility of female, intersex, non-binary, transgender and agender DJ producers. In close collaboration with the liaison offices in Shanghai and South America, the pilot edition facilitated performances and exchange for four DJ producers from China, Argentina, and Switzerland at festivals in all three countries.

Swiss dancer and choreographer Mélissa Guex presented her performanceDown (full album)at the Théâtre d’Orléans as part of Switzerland’sappearance as a guest countryat the Meet Mit Com Con festival in France, which featured a total of 24 Swiss performances from across the country’s linguistic regions. © Valentin Duciel

‘“[…] a region that once belonged to what is now Italy. In the past, families were large. Children either died or grew up and, seeing no prospects for work, land, or income, decided to emigrate, often to America”, says Patricia Highsmith of my native Ticino. As for me, I feel that in some way I still belong to Italy, but without Pro Helvetia’s financial support for my work as a translator – in this case, for the translation of Highsmith’s splendid short story “A Long Walk from Hell” – I, too, might have had to emigrate to other horizons, leaving behind the work with languages that I find so deeply enriching.’

‘The project grant I received from Pro Helvetia was fundamental in allowing me to expand and fully explore my experimental approach to ceramics. Within this process, I created works that exceeded my expectations. The Autostrada Biennale in Prizren, Kosovo, marked my first participation in an international biennial, and I was able to present my works to a large international audience in an incredibly special location, such as the Hammam Gazi Mehmet Pasha, a building from the 16th century. The art scene in this exciting region is gaining significant importance and is well worth following with keen interest in the future.’

Withsupportfrom Pro Helvetia Shanghai, Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist presented large-scale, immersive video installations in a comprehensive solo exhibition in Beijing. Pictured: exhibition view ofYour Palm is My Universeat the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art. © UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, 2025. Courtesy Pipilotti Rist Studio

Supportedby Pro Helvetia,Klang Moor Schopfe, a festival in Gais, Appenzell, presented Swiss and international sound art and audiovisual works. The programme featured sound art installations in old barns, artist talks, and soundwalks. Pictured: Tim Shaw, soundwalk. © Nicholas Schärer

Of the 44.5 million Swiss francs available to Pro Helvetia in 2025, 86.9 per cent were invested directly to support art and cultural activities. The share of administrative costs amounted to 13.1 per cent. In 2025, Pro Helvetia received a total of 7,235 applications, 2,448 of which were approved. Pro Helvetia contributed to the realisation of 6,842 art and culture projects in 113 countries around the world.

As a public-law foundation, Pro Helvetia receives it financial means from the Confederation and carries out its mandate in collaboration with cantons, cities, municipalities and private stakeholders. In accordance with the Cultural Promotion Act and the strategic objectives defined by the Federal Council, Pro Helvetia is actively engaged in supporting, disseminating and promoting contemporary arts production, fostering emerging talent, supporting art education and folk culture, facilitating cultural exchange in Switzerland and abroad and providing new cultural and thematic impetus.

Pro Helvetia applies various instruments for these purposes in the form ofpublic support offersthat artists and culture practitioners as well as institutions can apply for. The offers include contributions towards creation, research and translation, support for international performances and tours and participation on platforms, at workshops and in residency programmes. Depending on the amount, the geographic location and the art discipline in question,applications are assessedby the relevant head office division or office abroad, by a jury or by the Committee of Experts. Projects in the regions covered by the liaison offices are jointly assessed by the liaison office and the division concerned. A successful application requires the approval of both these parties.

Besides its public funding programmes, Pro Helvetia cultivates long-term partnerships and provides subsidies to institutions such as the Istituto Svizzero in Italy and the Swiss Institute in New York, an important factor in the fulfilment of its mission to make Swiss arts visible internationally. Pro Helvetia also initiates projects of its own, is responsible for Switzerland’s presentations in the Swiss Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale and the Venice Architecture Biennale and is actively engaged in the fields of sustainable development, digital transformation and new forms of collaboration in the cultural sector.

Pro Helvetia’s present financial framework has been defined by parliament in the Cultural Message 2025–2028. For the current four-year period, the Arts Council has been allocated 186.9 million Swiss francs, 45.8 million of which were earmarked for the year 2025 in the Cultural Message. Owing to credit cuts, the actual amount paid out for 2025 is 44.3 million Swiss francs. 86.9 per cent of the funds used in 2025 went directly into cultural activities. The share of administrative costs, calculated according to the ZEWO standard, was 13.1 per cent.

Overview of applications received from third parties

In 2025, Pro Helvetia’s divisions and liaison offices received 7,235 applications from third parties.

In 2025, none of Pro Helvetia’s funding decisions were appealed.

Development of the number of applications from third parties

The number of support applications submitted in 2025 rose by 2.7 per cent compared to the previous year. This increase in applications alongside the reduction of available means naturally resulted in a stricter selection process. The share of approved applications came to 33.8 per cent, 2 percentage points lower than in 2024.

This approval rate applies only for applications by third party, excluding projects initiated by Pro Helvetia itself.

Each year, Pro Helvetia publishes a list of the contributions (applications from third parties und self-initiated projects ) it has attributed. Theonline databaseprovides information on the supported artists or cultural institutions, the type of project or format, and the amounts granted. The database covers funding made in the past five years and complements Pro Helvetia’s annual report.

Contributions (applications from third parties und self-initiated projects) attributed by Pro Helvetia take into account Switzerland’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

Principal languages by region.Source: Federal Statistical Office (as of 2023)

Contributions attributed (based on monetary value)

A single contribution (applications from third parties und self-initiated projects) can support multiple arts and cultural projects, such as events, publications, research trips or studio residencies. In 2025, Pro Helvetia supported 1,975 arts and cultural projects in Switzerland. Projects were spread nationwide across 197 localities – from rural municipalities, such as Mels (SG), Mesocco (GR) or Lavigny (VD), through towns, such as Bellinzona, Schaffhausen or Montreux, to densely populated conurbations, such as Bern, Geneva, Basel and Zurich.

Promoting Swiss culture around the world

Besides its domestic activities, in 2025, Pro Helvetia supported 4’867 Swiss art and cultural projects in 113 countries.

Geographical distribution of contributions attributed (based on monetary value).

For the third time, Pro Helvetia provided an international platform for Swiss literature withOFF Stage Switzerlandat the Frankfurt Book Fair. The programme ranged from panel discussions and short readings to workshops and ‘Yoga with book’ sessions. © Holger Menzel

The process-oriented long-term projectBRICKS – Chorale for bricks and bodieswas on view in Fribourg in autumn 2025. The collaboration between Swiss choreographer Nicole Morel and Colombian sound artist Violeta Cruz was supported through theCo-creationformat. © Carlos Mario Lema

‘One of the most powerful aspects of this collaboration was the openness and mutual curiosity shared by all participants – curators, dancers, organisers, and audiences. Despite practical challenges such as limited time, technical delays, and accessibility constraints, the experience demonstrated that inclusive creation is possible in a wide range of contexts. It also highlighted the value of relational work, listening, adapting, and trusting, in building long-term artistic connections.’

Withsupportfrom Pro Helvetia Cairo, musician Sami Galbi took part in theAmman Jazz Festivalin Jordan. This allowed the Swiss-Moroccan musician to present his work to an international audience. © Taher Otaibi

Pro Helvetia regularly conducts evaluations of key initiatives and measures. In 2025, the foundation evaluated the residency format Connect and carried out a comprehensive reflection process regarding the Innovation & Society sector.

As part of its 2021–2024 Art, Science and Technology programme, Pro Helvetia teamed up withCernand, together with Arts atCern, developed theConnectresidency format. The cooperation project comprised two residency formats per year: Connect Switzerland, a three-month residency atCernfor Swiss artists, and Connect International, a six-week research residency in collaboration with varying international partner organisations.

The evaluation conducted in 2025 showed that Connect serves as a catalyst for artistic research, fosters new relations between art and science and contributes to the development of innovative methods at the interface of the two. Well-structured guidance by experienced mentors enables artists find their bearings in the scientific environment. Early communication regarding potential follow-up funding is crucial for project development and the long-term promotion of the associated results. The evaluation also revealed that Connect International has a positive impact on the career of the artists involved. Based on these findings, a contract withCernwas concluded for the 2025–2028 period with the focus on expanding the Connect International format.

With the aim of enhancing the Innovation & Society sector (I&S), a comprehensive reflection process was conducted in 2025 to clarify its role, modes of collaboration and strategic direction. The process included surveys among employees, interviews, workshops and a retreat with the Executive Committee. The results indicate that while I&S is highly regarded as a cross-functional lab and a source of innovation, there is also potential for greater clarity regarding the sector’s role, processes and integration. As of 2026, the scope of activities has been more sharply defined and consolidated, with the focus centred on new forms of collaboration, digitality and sustainable development. The objective remains to put forward ideas and initiatives with a transformative impact on the cultural sector. To this end, specific funding measures and partnerships have been developed that address structural challenges and strengthen innovation in the arts. An impact-oriented support approach based on the input–output–outcome impact (IOOI) model is applied, enabling a systematic mapping of the contribution made by art and culture.

Pro Helvetia strengthens sustainable development within the Swiss cultural sector

In cooperation with Migros-Kulturprozent, Pro Helvetia co-financed a practice-oriented instrument calledSustainable Impact Toolin 2025. It enables Swiss cultural organisations to analyse their activities in terms of ecological and social sustainability, to implement associated measures effectively and to track the achievement of sustainability goals. Insights from the completed research projectGender and Diversity Monitoring in Cultural Institutionsare to be incorporated in the further development of the tool. Together with the University of Bern’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Gender Studies and the Swiss Center for Social Research, practical approaches were developed to support cultural organisations in evaluating their structures regarding social sustainability. In conjunction with Mercator Schweiz foundation, Pro Helvetia also supports the advanced training and networking programmeCreative Climate Changemakers. The Swiss Arts Council is moreover a member ofCulture for the Planet, a global alliance that connects cultural organisations and institutions worldwide and promotes the exchange of information on sustainable practices.

A delegation of children’s book illustrators visited theInternational Children’s Book Fairin Shanghai in 2025. The Illustration Masterclass programme, initiated by Pro Helvetia, promotes professional exchange and deepens understanding of international markets. © Pro Helvetia Shanghai

‘Participating in jazzahead! provided an important platform for my work. I had the opportunity to open and curate the Grand Opening evening, performing with my band and inviting musicians who are very close to my heart. We also played a showcase the following day. Throughout the event, I was fortunate to be accompanied by my agent and to meet numerous industry professionals. The opportunity to represent Switzerland in front of an audience from all over the world has opened doors for us internationally, and will help us further expand our presence in the European network.’

ThroughSynergies, Pro Helvetia supported transdisciplinary knowledge exchange and artistic cooperation between organisations from Switzerland and around the world. Pictured: the research projectMangrove Ecologies, a collaboration between institutions in Kenya and Switzerland. © Freddie Odede

The group exhibitionCollaboration, co-organised with Presence Switzerland at theHouse of Switzerland Milanoduring Milan Design Week, showcased the innovative work of the Swiss design scene and highlighted the importance of collaborations in the design process. © Agnese Bedini

The Board of Trustees, chaired by Michael Brändle, is responsible for the Swiss Arts Council’s strategy and governance. The head office, under Director Michael Kinzer (as of July 2025), and its 116 staff in Switzerland and abroad ensure that the foundation’s activities and objectives are pursued and implemented efficiently and effectively. Pro Helvetia is able to rely on the advice of its Committee of Experts, as well as numerous juries and external experts.

The nine members of the Board of Trustees represent the diverse perspectives of cultural life and the four linguistic regions of Switzerland. The Board is responsible for the foundation’s strategic direction and governance.

At its meeting on 19 November 2025, the Board of Trustees discussed the topic of conflicts of interest and external mandates held by its members and reviewed the relevant regulations. Under these regulations, members of the Board of Trustees must obtain approval from the chair of the board before accepting new mandates. Additionally, the nine-member body is expected to manage personal and business matters in a way that avoids conflicts of interest. Permanent conflicts of interest preclude membership on the Board of Trustees. By the end of 2025, all members updated their declarations of interest. This information ispublicly accessible. The Chair of the Board of Trustees is responsible for monitoring compliance with these regulations.

The director manages the head office and chairs the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is responsible for implementing Pro Helvetia’s strategies and funding activities.

The sectors, as well as the divisions and offices abroad, process funding applications, develop support concepts and measures and are responsible for dissemination and promotion. They advise event organisers, artists and cultural practitioners and implement their own initiatives.

In the year under review, the Committee of Experts comprised ten members with specialised knowledge in their respective fields. The committee assesses multi-year performance agreements, the foundation’s own initiatives, and third-party funding requests over 50,000 Swiss francs that are not assessed by a jury.

Pro Helvetia may appoint juries to assess funding requests and projects.

External experts advise the head office on its decisions upon request.

The two design studios Carolien Niebling and Gini Moynier spent three weeks inTajimi, Japan, as part ofDesign with Japan, engaging in a productive exchange with local manufacturers and designers. Pictured: workshop with Tajimi Custom Tiles. © Jonas Marguet

Supportedby Pro Helvetia,Alpentöne, a festival in Altdorf, Uri, combines traditional folk music and experimental sound art. In 2025, it brought together 40 ensembles from various parts of Switzerland and across the globe under the theme ‘Languages & Voices’. Pictured: performance by the Toggenburger Meitle. © alpentöne internationales musikfestival 2025. Matteo Gisler

Annual financial statements 2025 (PDF)