The Cultural Fund Foundation supports cultural projects in the fields of text and image.
This includes in particular projects in literature, visual arts and photography, as well as projects related to copyright and to the framework conditions for cultural production.
Support is given to upcoming activities, not to projects that have already been completed.
Organizations and institutions can submit an application, such as associations, foundations or other sponsoring bodies. The foundation does not consider applications from individuals.
The funding is aimed at projects that are carried out within an organizational framework and have a connection to text, image or copyright-related issues.
The application must concern an upcoming activity that includes the work categories text and/or image.
The name or activity of ProLitteris must be expressed or mentioned in the activity.
The application must be submitted as a short document and should include the activity, the parties involved, the audience, the budget, the funding, and the requested contribution.
Individual persons, certain individual works and the general operation of an organization are not supported.
The project must concern text and/or images, but it may not be aimed at the funding of a single specific work. Nor does it concern general financing of the ongoing activities of an institution.
There are two deadlines per year: applications before 01.02 and before 01.10.
Applications submitted by 01.02 are reviewed in March; the projects should take place no earlier than in the autumn of the same year.
Applications submitted by 01.10 are reviewed in November; the projects should be carried out in the following year.
The foundation generally corresponds by email.
The electronic channel also applies for submitting an application; a single PDF document with the essential information on the project is required.
The foundation board decides on applications in meetings or by circular resolution.
Applicants are informed directly after the decision. The foundation board and Team Culture do not correspond about the reasons for approving or rejecting an application.
The Cultural Fund Foundation is financed from 1% of ProLitteris's Swiss revenue for cultural purposes.
This means that part of the funds generated by ProLitteris is used to support cultural projects and to finance the ProLitteris Prize. The basis for this lies in the articles of association of ProLitteris and in the regulations of the Cultural Fund Foundation.
In recent years, the Cultural Fund has supported numerous cultural projects and organizations. The projects are regularly mentioned in the ProLitteris newsletter and can be viewed in the newsletter archive.
The focus is on initiatives in literature, art, photography and cultural mediation, as well as on projects related to copyright and the position of cultural creation. The foundation can publish information about supported projects and mention examples on the website.
The ProLitteris Prize is the annual award of the Cultural Fund Foundation of ProLitteris.
It honors outstanding and lasting achievements in literature, visual arts and photography, journalism, or publishing. In addition to the main prize, the foundation also awards an advancement prize. The main prize amounts to CHF 40'000, the advancement prize to CHF 10'000.
The ProLitteris Prize and the promotion prize are awarded annually.
The main prize goes to an author or a publishing house.
An independent jury with three members selects the main prize winner. The main prize winner decides who will receive the promotion prize.
The Cultural Fund Foundation supports cultural projects in the fields of text and image.
This includes in particular projects in literature, visual arts and photography, as well as projects related to copyright and to the framework conditions for cultural production.
Support is given to upcoming activities, not to projects that have already been completed.
Organizations and institutions can submit an application, such as associations, foundations or other sponsoring bodies. The foundation does not consider applications from individuals.
The funding is aimed at projects that are carried out within an organizational framework and have a connection to text, image or copyright-related issues.
The application must concern an upcoming activity that includes the work categories text and/or image.
The name or activity of ProLitteris must be expressed or mentioned in the activity.
The application must be submitted as a short document and should include the activity, the parties involved, the audience, the budget, the funding, and the requested contribution.
Individual persons, certain individual works and the general operation of an organization are not supported.
The project must concern text and/or images, but it may not be aimed at the funding of a single specific work. Nor does it concern general financing of the ongoing activities of an institution.
There are two deadlines per year: applications before 01.02 and before 01.10.
Applications submitted by 01.02 are reviewed in March; the projects should take place no earlier than in the autumn of the same year.
Applications submitted by 01.10 are reviewed in November; the projects should be carried out in the following year.
The foundation generally corresponds by email.
The electronic channel also applies for submitting an application; a single PDF document with the essential information on the project is required.
The foundation board decides on applications in meetings or by circular resolution.
Applicants are informed directly after the decision. The foundation board and Team Culture do not correspond about the reasons for approving or rejecting an application.
The Cultural Fund Foundation is financed from 1% of ProLitteris's Swiss revenue for cultural purposes.
This means that part of the funds generated by ProLitteris is used to support cultural projects and to finance the ProLitteris Prize. The basis for this lies in the articles of association of ProLitteris and in the regulations of the Cultural Fund Foundation.
In recent years, the Cultural Fund has supported numerous cultural projects and organizations. The projects are regularly mentioned in the ProLitteris newsletter and can be viewed in the newsletter archive.
The focus is on initiatives in literature, art, photography and cultural mediation, as well as on projects related to copyright and the position of cultural creation. The foundation can publish information about supported projects and mention examples on the website.
The ProLitteris Prize is the annual award of the Cultural Fund Foundation of ProLitteris.
It honors outstanding and lasting achievements in literature, visual arts and photography, journalism, or publishing. In addition to the main prize, the foundation also awards an advancement prize. The main prize amounts to CHF 40'000, the advancement prize to CHF 10'000.
The ProLitteris Prize and the promotion prize are awarded annually.
The main prize goes to an author or a publishing house.
An independent jury with three members selects the main prize winner. The main prize winner decides who will receive the promotion prize.
Since 2012, the Cultural Fund has awarded the ProLitteris Prize for outstanding achievements in literature and art.
The prize alternately concerns literature, visual arts and photography, journalism, and the publishing industry.
The previous award winners are:
2025: Klaudia Schifferle, Sveta Mordovskaya (visual arts)
2024: Sasha Filipenko, Maud Mabillard (literature)
2023: Limmat Verlag, Der gesunde Menschenversand (publishing industry)
2022: Ekaterina Glikman, Federico Franchini (journalism)
2021: Hinrich Sachs, Axelle Stiefel (visual arts)
2020: Melitta Breznik, Janosch Steuwer (literature)
2019: La Joie de lire, Marameo (publishing industry)
2018: Alain Campiotti, Anja Conzett (journalism)
2017: Marie José Burki, Livia di Giovanna (visual arts)
2016: Markus Werner, Christoph Simon (literature)
2015: Unionsverlag, Dörlemann Verlag (publishing industry)
2014: Al Imfeld, Viktor Parma, Oliver Classen (journalism)
2013: Alain Huck, Gilles Furtwängler (visual arts)
2012: Mariella Mehr, Ingeborg Kaiser (literature)
The ProLitteris Prize is awarded once a year.
The award ceremony takes place after the annual General Meeting of ProLitteris, usually on the last Saturday in June.
With this annual award, ProLitteris combines the General Meeting with a public tribute to outstanding achievements in the fields of text and image.
The jury is independent and consists of three members who belong to the respective area concerned. Each year, the jury is newly composed of individuals from the category of works that is honored in that year.
The jury is elected by the foundation board. Members of the jury may not belong to the supervisory board of ProLitteris, nor to the foundation board of the social welfare foundation or the Cultural Fund Foundation.
Applying for the ProLitteris Prize is excluded. The prize is not advertised publicly.
The Cultural Fund Foundation awards an annual main prize of CHF 40'000 and a promotional prize of CHF 10'000.
The main prize goes to an author from the fields of literature, visual arts and photography, journalism or publishing. The prize honors people who have achieved outstanding and lasting work.
The jury decides on the main prize. The recipient of the main prize decides on the promotional prize.
ProLitteris Newsletter
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