Culture Promotion Act - Principle

1. The canton and municipalities promote contemporary cultural diversity and preserve cultural heritage.

2. They ensure conditions that facilitate cultural activities and a diverse cultural exchange in the public sector.

3. In fulfilling their duties, they respect the freedom of cultural creators and intermediaries.

1. The canton and municipalities promote cultural creation and the dissemination of culture. They maintain the cultural heritage, particularly cultural goods.

2. They are committed to the vibrant engagement with the transmitted cultural heritage, as well as its preservation, research, and communication.

1. The canton operates the following institutions for cultural promotion and preservation

a) Office for Monument Preservation;

b) Cantonal Library;

c) State Archive;

d) Office for Cultural Promotion.

2. The government council regulates the duties of the cantonal library and the office for cultural promotion.

1. The canton and municipalities may ideologically and materially support cultural institutions that undertake tasks in cultural promotion, cultural mediation, and continuing education, particularly

a) Museums of at least regional significance;

b) Libraries of regional significance;

c) Cultural institutions of cantonal significance;

d) Extracantonal cultural institutions with significant importance for the canton.

2. The canton and municipalities may financially support private cultural creators and mediators, as well as their own performances and cultural projects, especially in the areas of music, literature, theater, dance, visual arts, film, and video.

3. In the construction of new cantonal buildings and the renovation of existing ones, the canton may commission artistic designs.

1. The canton-owned institutions (Art. 3 para. 1) shall be operated with funds from the current account.

2. For support as defined in Art. 4 para. 1 and 2, a Cultural Fund shall be established by the canton. This fund shall be financed from the current account and the lottery fund (cultural part). Other resources available for cultural promotion may also be allocated to the Cultural Fund.

3. The Cultural Fund shall be managed as a special financing in the state account.

1. The government council decides, upon the request of the competent department, on the use of funds from the cultural fund.

2. There is no legal entitlement to financial benefits.

1. Support according to Art. 4 para. 2 requires a connection of the recipient or the work with the canton. In the case of projects of supraregional significance, this requirement may be waived.

2. The support may be subject to conditions such as reasonable personal contributions, participation of municipalities or third parties, the occurrence of a deficit, the delivery of complimentary copies, or the submission of an account statement.

3. The competent department concludes performance agreements with cultural institutions that receive recurring contributions. This requirement may be waived for contributions to extraterritorial cultural institutions.

1. Contributions and supports are determined based on the significance of the work and the financial capacity of the recipient, as well as the total cost amount.

1. The Office for Cultural Promotion is the point of contact for cultural matters. It processes grant applications, undertakes coordination tasks, and represents the canton in regional and Swiss cultural committees. The government council may assign it additional tasks.

2. It promotes information about cultural endeavors.

1. The Governing Council shall regulate the details in an ordinance, particularly concerning the necessary relationship of the beneficiaries to the canton as well as the application and billing procedures.

1. This law is subject to the optional referendum.

2. The government council determines the commencement.