Program Journal: 25 Years of Cultural Education

On August 27, 1987, the program newspaper appeared in Basel for the first time. Since then, it has provided monthly information about cultural events in the city of Basel and the tri-national region between Freiburg, Mulhouse and Aarau. Eleven times a year, between 80 and 96 pages document and convey the diversity of cultural activity in the region, according to a press release.

In the front editorial section, cultural people, venues, events, initiatives and projects are presented, backgrounds and contexts are illuminated, cultural-political topics and contemporary issues are dealt with - with a special focus on cultural creativity that is not (yet) established. In the middle section, event organizers can announce their programs with texts and pictures at favorable conditions; the Program Newspaper takes care of the editing and design. In the back of the magazine, a clearly structured monthly agenda lists around 1,500 selected events from all sectors and provides information on exhibitions, bar and food culture. Editorial contributions and agenda entries are free of charge for the organizers and are not dependent on advertisements.

Thanks to tireless networking and many loyal supporters, the Program Newspaper has been continuously expanded and has developed from a modest self-help project into a small business with eight attractive jobs that is self-financing. The Program Newspaper receives no subsidies; funds from patrons or sponsors flow on a project-by-project basis. 64 shareholders and 3,200 paying subscribers, together with advertisers, form the backbone of the newspaper, which is used by around 10,000 people. They value the program newspaper as a strong independent cultural voice, as a platform for diverse cultural work and as a reliable companion through the jungle of data on going out.

The program newspaper is celebrating its anniversary year 2012 with extensive editorial work, among other things. For example, a 20-page anniversary special has just been published as a supplement to the October issue, which pays tribute to the achievements and employees of the past, takes a look at today's operations and focuses on the freelance writers who have contributed significantly to the quality of the newspaper, most of them for years. With a hearty "celebration of staying power" (Oct. 26, Ackermannshof, Basel), the newspaper team also wants to celebrate the overall gratifying development of the Basel cultural region over the past quarter century, the release continues.