Professionalization
Sparx supports young creative artists who are at the beginning of their artistic and cultural careers and wish to further professionalise themselves. Sparx understands professionalisation as a process that encompasses artistic and organisational skills, networking and establishing a place in the cultural scene. The support builds on the existing strengths of the participants and provides them with targeted assistance in their further development.
From creativity to profession
On behalf of Migros Culture Percentage Sparx, the Cultural Management program of the University of Basel (SKM) conducted interviews with various actors in the cultural sector and a cross-disciplinary survey with around 1,000 Swiss artists and cultural professionals in spring 2025. The survey, titled «From creativity to profession» focused on different perceptions and the conditions of professionalization in the cultural field.
The results show that there is no uniform definition of professionalism in the cultural sector and that the paths to professionalization are as diverse as the various artistic disciplines.
The key findings from the report at a glance:
- Multiple employment is a reality: Three-quarters of survey participants hold multiple jobs to make a living. Only a minority can live solely from the income generated through their cultural work.
- Broad skill development is essential: Artistic skills alone are not sufficient for long-term professional work in the cultural field. Expertise in areas such as fundraising, management, and organization is equally crucial for sustainable cultural professionalism.
- Connected solution approaches are needed: To ensure that the profession of cultural professionals is sustainable and future-proof, collaborative approaches involving all actors are required rather than isolated solutions.
You can download the report here! Be aware, the report is written in german or french,
Migros Culture Percentage Sparx is part of the social commitment of the Migros Group: engagement.migros.ch