Zurich to Fund New Media, Including Games, in Three-Year Pilot Project

In the Swiss canton of Zurich, "new audiovisual" formats such as games are to be funded. In the medium term, the Zurich Film Foundation will fund digital culture (including games) in a second, independent business area. A three-year pilot project with a total budget of CHF 4.5 million will be implemented from 2025.

Although Zurich has a dynamic local scene in the fields of new media, games and media art, there are hardly any appropriate funding instruments for this sector. This was the conclusion of a study commissioned by the Zurich Government from the Zurich University of the Arts. The study, which also explicitly mentions VR and games as storytelling formats in digital culture, shows that these areas of new media have received little support to date. Only Pro Helvetia has a small amount of funding available for games. Audiovisual formats are currently only supported by the Fast Track funding model of the Zurich Film Foundation.

This is now set to change. The cantonal government has already outlined the future funding landscape. In the medium term, the Zurich Film Foundation will fund digital culture (including games) in a second, independent business area. The Department of Culture will be responsible for the promotion of media art.

The cantonal government has submitted a credit application for a pilot project to the cantonal parliament. This is to start in the summer of 2025 and run for three years. The pilot project will provide a framework for establishing support and clarifying issues relating to the interface between culture and the economy. The cantonal government is asking the cantonal council to approve expenditure of CHF 1.5 million per year, making a total of CHF 4.5 million (roughly 4,7 million Euros) from the Culture Fund.

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