Building Your Future

Raising awareness among Swiss performing arts professionals regarding social security, legal and financial matters

Objectives

‘Building Your Future’ aims to strengthen the skills of performing arts professionals in Switzerland in the areas of social security, legal matters, administrative management and the organisation of their professional activities, through a practical, workshop-based approach.

In a sector characterised by fragmented career paths and intermittent employment, these skills are vital for building a sustainable career and tackling professional challenges with greater confidence. They empower individuals to protect their employment and navigate life's various transitions, including parenthood, work-life balance, ageing, retirement, and the risks associated with illness, injury, and career interruptions.

‘Building Your Future’ is based on the findings of the ‘Building a Character’ research project. This study, which examined the image and relevance of the profession in the performing arts in Italian-speaking Switzerland, was carried out between 2022 and 2025 by the Accademia Teatro Dimitri in collaboration with the Department of Business, Health and Social Sciences (DEASS) at SUPSI. The study involved 125 performing arts professionals and provided a deeper understanding of working conditions in the sector, highlighting structural vulnerabilities and critical issues relating to social security and the sustainability of artistic careers. ‘Building Your Future’ is the practical continuation of this research initiative.

The project uses the insights gained from the study to develop practical tools through the languages of the performing arts. These tools support artists in overcoming professional challenges and promote greater social security throughout their careers.

Methodology

The project is based on the methodology of the implementing partner, the Social Community Theatre Centre (SCT Centre) in Turin, which has used theatre as a tool for participation, personal growth and community development for over twenty years.

Through participatory artistic practices, symbolic languages and processes of collective creation, the methodology encourages participants to express their individual experiences and transform them into opportunities for discussion, learning and dialogue. This approach enables complex issues to be addressed in an accessible, engaging way that is deeply rooted in the participants’ own experiences.

Workshops and co-creation

Professional artists living in Italian-speaking Switzerland are invited to participate in two theatre workshops. These workshops are designed to be safe spaces for listening, discussion and experimentation.

Led by experts from the SCT Centre and the ATD-SUPSI research team, participants will be encouraged to share their experiences, challenges, and queries related to their professional journeys. Through a process of co-creation, these experiences will be transformed into theatrical scenes that highlight concrete situations and recurring issues within the sector.

The programme will combine the participants' personal narratives with the findings of the 'Building a Character' research project to create a dialogue between lived experience, scientific knowledge, and artistic practice.

Video production, dissemination and dialogue

The scenes developed during the workshops will be adapted for audiovisual production and transformed into eight short, professional video performances.

These videos will be used to raise awareness and disseminate information to the entire Swiss performing arts community. Thanks to a far-reaching dissemination strategy, the videos will reach artists, professional associations, cultural institutions, and organisations active in the fields of social security and social protection.

Through direct, accessible language rooted in the sector's practical experience, the videos will help make complex or distant issues more understandable.

Expected impact

The project's ultimate aim is to transform the systemic issues identified by the research into practical tools to guide, protect and raise awareness for the entire professional performing arts community.

Building Your Future aims to foster greater awareness of existing rights and opportunities, and to help create more sustainable working conditions and greater social security for those working in the cultural sector, by promoting dialogue between artists, researchers, experts and institutions.