Building Sustainable Futures for Artists

Convened by

Jill Johnson
Senior Fellow 2025–2026

Details

Venue information:
Zurich University of the Arts, Toni-Areal
Dance Department, Studio 7.F01 (7th floor)
Pfingstweidstrasse 96, 8005 Zurich

This event brings together interdisciplinary perspectives to explore how sustainable structures, cultural conditions, and public policies can help ensure the vitality, relevance, and financial resilience of art, artists, and cultural institutions. In a time of ongoing social and technological transformation, declining public funding for the arts, and widening cost-of-living pressures globally, questions of cultural value, organizational practice, and economic viability are increasingly intertwined.

What might new and more equitable economies for artists look like?
How can creative communities and institutions adapt to sustain artistic practice in precarious times?

Program

Six Afternoons
Dance performance

Choreographed by Jill Johnson in collaboration with the cast. Created over six afternoons at ZHdK in May 2025, in response to the following questions:
Who are you thinking of?
What place is most meaningful to you?
Who do you listen to?
Who doesn’t hear you?
What would those who go unheard tell us?

Premiere: June 19, 2025, Kurtheater, Baden, CH

Cast Second-year student dancer, BA Contemporary Dance Program, ZHdK student dancers:
Axelle Amstutz, Carolina Mazzini, Danja van der Linden, Elina Tolstova, Laure De Juli, Flurina Möwes, Marina Chloe Cidra, Naia Cascales, Petra Velepic, Romane Triscornia, and Sofia Oliveri

Music by David Poe
David Poe – vocals, guitar, e-bow, synthesizers, bass
Sim Cain – percussion
Theo Haber – violin
Larry Goldings – piano, harmonium
John "Scrapper” Sneider – trumpet
Doug Yowell – drums and percussion
Mixed by Rick Parker

Fellowship advisors

• Dr. Ahmmad Brown–Professor of The Practice, Tufts University, Johnathan M Tisch College of Civic Life, US
• Dr. Vincent Brown–Charles Warren Professor of American History & Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University, US
• Prof. Chris Flink–Stanford University d.school, US
• Dr. Suraj Yengde–W.E.B. DuBois Fellow Harvard University, US
• Prof. Christoph Weckerle–Director, Zurich Center for Creative Economies, ZHdK, CH

Special thanks to:

Collegium Helveticum: Sebastian Bonhoeffer (director), Mario Wimmer (deputy director), events office and communications staff, Anna Elsner (senior fellow 2024–2025 & University of St. Gallen).
ZHdK: Jason Beechey (head of dance), Marijke Hoogenboom (director, department of performing arts & film), Patricia Rotondaro (program coordinator, BA Contemporary Dance), Samuel Wuersten (co-founder, director BA & MA Dance), ZHdK Dance staff