Publication: "Time for Cultural Mediation"

Originally published in French, German and Italian in 2013, the Institute for Art Education of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) has recently published the English version of Time for Cultural Mediation. This extensive and detailed manual aims to become a practical tool to enable cultural mediation practitioners, institutions and funding bodies to place cultural mediation activities in context and assess their quality. Cultural mediation may include activities related to education, audience development and outreach work, among others. Whereas the guide covers cultural mediation activities in a wide range of settings, several examples and recommendations refer explicitly to museums and exhibition spaces, thus making this a particularly useful tool for museum professionals. "Time for Cultural Mediation" was created as part of the Arts and Audiences Programme of Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council. This programme, which ran from 2009 to 2012, sought to strengthen the practice of cultural mediation in Switzerland and encourage the assignment of higher priority to cultural mediation in approaches to the promotion of the arts and culture. The programme was also intended to stimulate the creation and exchange of knowledge in the professional field of mediation and contribute towards improvements in the quality of cultural mediation practices. In this context, Pro Helvetia asked the Institute for Art Education of the ZHdK to conduct research that would support the programme. Research was subsequently coordinated by Carmen Mörsch and Anna Chrusciel. In her foreword, Carmen Mörsch stresses that the title of the publication, "Time for Cultural Mediation", may be understood in multiple ways: the increasing interest in cultural mediation in Switzerland and internationally; the need to devote time to reflecting and developing practices in cultural mediation; and an appeal for further investment in resources and time allocated to cultural mediation. The format of the online publication permits the texts to be read in the order of their presentation or in a sequence or selection of the reader’s choice. It is also possible to download the entire publication as a printable PDF file. The publication is available at http://www.kultur-vermittlung.ch/zeit-fuer-vermittlung/index.html