NO - to the division of the cultural city of Basel through the music diversity initiative
Promoting diversity, fair fees, free music creation - yes, but not like this.
Gare du Nord supports the basic concerns of the initiative for more musical diversity - but not the approach.
The music diversity initiative divides classical music, contemporary music and other musical styles as well as institutional and independent music creation and plays them off against each other. This causes us great concern. We find the approach of not demanding a fundamental increase in the budget, but rather a redistribution, extremely worrying.
The demand that ‘at least one third of public funding should go to independent music’ cannot be implemented with the current budget without jeopardising the existence of existing music institutions such as Gare du Nord.
Accepting the initiative risks the continued existence of existing institutions and would deprive other musicians of their livelihood.
In the ‘Netzwerk Kulturpolitik Basel’ association, Gare du Nord has campaigned for the development of a counter-proposal. This should include a mandatory increase in the budget and additional programme, venue and structural funding for institutions that are home to and promote the independent scene. At its meeting on 5 June 2024, the Grand Council decided not to submit a counter-proposal to the ‘Initiative for more musical diversity’. The Basel Cultural Policy Network and Gare du Nord regret this decision.
Gare du Nord is a platform and a hub for the independent scene, for contemporary and experimental music, for independent music theatre productions and performance. The proportion of freelance musicians and artists who realise their projects here is around 90%.
Together with other subsidised music institutions in Basel, Gare du Nord has been doing development work for years, offering performance opportunities, professional structures, networking and marketing. Gare du Nord acts as a springboard to professionalism and promotes national and international networking for many freelance musicians. It is therefore crucial that the initiative is not implemented at the expense of this important work and ultimately at the expense of the musicians themselves.
The music city of Basel thrives better when the diversity of genres is promoted. This includes a broad, innovative and radiant independent scene in various musical genres, but also the structural safeguarding of institutions that co-operate with this scene or work together with the musicians to make the music city of Basel known beyond its borders.
The initiative only superficially offers better conditions for the independent scene and underestimates the great danger posed to music creators themselves by the threat to existing institutions.
We at Gare du Nord are in favour of existing institutions and the independent music scene working together and not against each other. That is why we cannot support and recommend the initiative:
Music diversity initiative - NO