In our research and consulting mandates, we collaborate with organizations and players in the arts, creative industries, public administration, and the non-profit sector. We take an interdisciplinary approach to developing innovative, scientifically based solutions to current challenges at the intersection of culture, business, and society. Through workshops, conferences as well as studies and academic publications, we share our findings and engage with our stakeholders. 

Focus areas

Cultural policy and cultural promotion (public and private)

Cultural policy and cultural promotion provide a framework for cultural production. On behalf of public cultural administrations and private players such as cultural foundations, patrons, and sponsors, we develop cultural mission statements and concepts (also in participatory processes), as well as strategies and evaluations.

Management, financing, and innovation in arts and cultural organizations

Our focus lies on the management, financing, and innovation of arts and cultural organizations encompassing, amongst other topics, leadership and strategic management. An important aspect of our consulting and research activities is the issue of funding for the arts and culture. Our core competencies in the field of cultural financing include fundraising and sponsoring as well as donor surveys. Further, we are convinced that culture must be continuously developed in both existing and new structures. This is why we also deal with innovation and transformation in the cultural sector and work on topics such as cultural entrepreneurship, artistic and creative value chains, and global trends such as digitalization, inclusion and sustainability.

Cultural participation and audience development

The sustainable acquisition and retention of existing and new audiences is relevant for arts and cultural organizations, both from a managerial as well as policy-related point of view. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we look at (non-)visitor relations in arts and cultural institutions and conduct, amongst other things, audience surveys and non-visitor studies. Our research and consulting projects cover aspects such as cultural marketing, communication, mediation, and the role of culture in social cohesion.

Our portfolio

Research projects and academic publications

As part of our externally funded research, we are active in basic and applied research.

A selection of projects (in German):

• Cultural Mapping 4.0 - Stärkung der kulturellen Identität der Bodenseeregion
• Digitale Kommunikationsstrategien für den Kultursektor
• Audience Development Monitor für die Schweizer Kulturwirtschaft
• Integrationspotenziale von partizipativen Kulturprojekten
• Leadership im Kulturbereich

A selection of publications:

• Resource development in refugee arts organizations: The case of the Malaika Theater.
• Essentials Fundraising Management (2. Auflage).
• Digitised value chains in the creative industries: Is there a convergence of Swiss film and game production?. 
• Managing and evaluating the performing arts: Value creation through resource transformation.

Research and consulting mandates

As part of our consulting activities, we develop and conduct studies, surveys, evaluations, expert reports, and concepts tailored to the needs of our partners.

A selection of projects (in German):

• Studie Digitale Transformation in Kunst und Kultur
• Publikumsbefragung Solothurner Filmtage
• Festival tanz:now: Eine evaluative Standortbestimmung
• Studie Sponsor Visions Schweiz

Student assignments

Our partners can also propose student thesis topics. Based on issues found in cultural organizations and the NPO sector, we arrange ZHAW-supervised Master's and Bachelor's theses and practical student projects, for instance, in the following study programs:

• Master theses, MAS in Arts Management (in German)
• Diploma theses, DAS in Fundraising Management (in German)
• Living Case Studies, DAS in Fundraising Management (in German)