In 2014, the Swiss Cultural Foundation Pro Helvetia launched the "Cultural Diversity in the Regions" initiative. One of the concerns of the initiative is, the strengthening of measures to improve the conditions for regional cultural production in the peripheral regions.

Within the scope of this initiative, the Conference of Cantonal Cultural Commissioners of Central Switzerland (KBKZ) has developed a project that specifically strengthens regional cultural organizations as centers of excellence for the promotion of cultural diversity as defined by the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, ratified by Switzerland in 2007.

The Center for Arts Management (ZHAW) evaluates four selected regional cultural organizations with regard to their basic requirements for the promotion of cultural diversity and evaluates the implementation of the activities developed to promote centers of competence.

The findings of the evaluation are intended to develop a guide with recommendations for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions by cultural organizations.

Publications:

Betzler, Diana (2017). Regional Arts Governance and the Implementation of the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity in Swiss Regions: An Evaluative Case Study. Proceedings, 14th AIMAC International Conference on Arts and Cultural Management, 24 -28 June, BEIJING, CHINA

Betzler, Diana (2016). Regional Arts Governance and Cultural Diversity : A Framework for Evaluation. Präsentation, IECER Interdisciplinary European Conference on Entrepreneurship Research am 7.-9. September 2016, Chur