FAQs – CCC Switzerland 2026

Fees are defined according to the type of participant:

• Freelancers and artists: no participation fees
• Cultural workers from institutions and organisations within the arts and culture sector: CHF 955 (Basic Contribution)
• Staff members of public administrations (cities, cantons, etc.) and foundations: CHF 1,200 (Privilege-Aware Contribution)

Accommodation and meals will be provided to successful applicants between the evening of March 29 to lunch on April 3.

Participants will be responsible for covering their own travel costs to and from the venue.

There is a limited number of financial support grants available for freelancers or those working for small grassroots organisations. These grants will be awarded to successful applicants who are most in need of support, based on the rationale provided in the application.

We may also be able to support with childcare costs for participants unable to participate otherwise. Please include details in your application.

Mattli Antoniushaus is fully wheelchair accessible. A parking space for disabled guests is in front of the entrance. Two rooms with shower/toilet are set up for guests who are dependent on a wheelchair.

We are committed to ensure to remove all possible barriers to participation. If you have any access requirements please let us know in advance so we can make the necessary adjustments. Please contact us.

Given that we want to make the most out of our limited time together, the days will be long. Final timings will be confirmed, but we can expect to start around 09:00 in the morning and end at 18:30, with evening activities planned on some days. We build in breaks every 1.5-2 hours, and 1.5 hours will be given for lunch every day to give everyone an opportunity to rest.

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact us.

We ask all participants to take a lateral flow test (LFT) within 24 hours before the programme starts and recommend wearing masks when travelling to the event on public transport.

Spaces will be ventilated with regular opening of windows where possible, and some sessions will be held outside.

All participants who, prior to the event, have symptoms of a respiratory infection, have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to carry out normal activities will be asked to stay at home. Any participants and facilitators who present symptoms during the programme will be asked to self-isolate until they have had a negative rapid lateral flow test, and will be asked to wear masks and maintain a distance to other participants if rejoining the group.

The residential programme and CCC Network activities will be delivered in English. While different members of the facilitation team speak other languages including German, Italian, and French, we will not be offering live translation. If you are thinking of applying to the programme, we ask that you keep this in mind and assess for yourself whether you feel you will be able to participate.

We want to bring together people who are committed to making a difference. What shape a ‘CCC Action’ takes can be decided by each participant based on their resources, interests and ability: they can be for colleagues within organisations, colleagues in the wider sector, collaborators from other sectors, or the general public. Actions could take place in person, or digitally – the format is up to the participant to determine based on their skills, preference, community, and creativity. From blog posts to major public art commissions, workshops to policy papers: what counts is that there is a commitment to share learning.

In order to support CCC Actions with additional resources, participants will be able to apply for one of up to three CHF 10.000 collaborative CCC Seed Grants.

Applicants must be Swiss citizens, or verifiably permanent residents of Switzerland and regularly involved in artistic/cultural activities and productions in Switzerland.

Students are generally not eligible to apply unless you are doing a PhD or MA and already have some form of established existing artistic practice or involvement in cultural creation. Please email us for any clarifications.

You do not need to be a specific age or have a particular level of experience to attend the CCC programme, but we are looking for a commitment to making change. Before applying you need to consider how the programme will enable you to make a greater impact through your work, specifically in relation to climate change and the challenges it poses to culture, leadership and society.

Yes, if your current role involves significant work with the cultural/creative sector, for example working with networks, funding bodies, commissioning, communications, education and other sectors related to the cultural field. You will need to show how your particular experience fits with our criteria when applying, and to evidence your commitment to the cultural sector in the longer term.

Yes. This programme focuses specifically on leadership in the context of climate change, through the lens of culture and creativity. It is specific, but will be explored in relation to broader leadership challenges relevant to the cultural sector.

Yes, although places are limited and depending on the number of applications received, we may prioritise a wider spread of participants. This should be taken into consideration when making an application.

No. Places are limited, and applications will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Yes, we encourage self-employed applicants.

Yes, but we would expect to see a track record of work in the arts or creative sector.

The CCC programme will provide you with new knowledge, skills and insights on cultural action on climate change and connect you with a network of international change-makers. The experience will enable you to design and implement solutions relevant to your organisation, which will support organisational resilience as well as provoke new ways of thinking about what creative engagement with climate change looks like.

As part of the Creative Climate Changemakers Switzerland programme, we are pleased to be able to offer up to three collaborative CCC Seed Grants of CHF 10,000 each to support programme participants to develop their projects and work.  

A short application will be shared after the CCC residential with further information. Proposed activities may take any shape – it could be an event, artwork, exhibition, publication, research, or any other format you can think of – as long as you can explain why this approach is the best way to achieve your aims. We want to support alumni to undertake projects that fit into their personal Creative Climate Changemakers journey and will enable them to unlock future projects, resources, and work in this field. 

The CCC Seed Grants are intended for collaborative projects. These collaborations should include at least one participant from CCC Switzerland 2026 and may also involve participants from CCL Switzerland 2024 or other actors in the Swiss arts/climate scene.

The proposed activity may develop a new project, or significantly develop an existing project in a way that would be impossible without a grant. Activities will need to be delivered between June 2026 to January 2027. Grant recipients will need to provide a short project evaluation report and a financial report detailing how the funds were spent, at the latest 30 days after the completion of the activity.

Please note: we will not be able to offer CCC Seed Grants if:

• the same part of the submitted project is already receiving funding from other federal bodies (e.g. Federal Office of Culture, Presence Switzerland, Swiss National Science Foundation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation);
• funding is intended to cover infrastructure and equipment costs, as well as the costs of operating cultural facilities, archives and collections.

We don’t currently have a specific commitment to run another CCC Switzerland, however we are always looking to expand our network of CCC courses with partners in different regions. 

If you are unable to participate in this residential programme but want to be kept up to date with future CCC opportunities, please sign up to the Julie’s Bicycle newsletter – and sign up to the Vert le Futur newsletter for other training opportunities and events specific to climate action in the Swiss cultural sector.

If you are a funder or interested in partnering with Julie’s Bicycle to develop a CCC for your region or community, please contact us.

Yes. You can see the application questions directly on the application form. Please note we will not accept applications in Word/PDF format unless previously agreed. Please email us to discuss.

Yes, if you would prefer to submit a video application, please record a video of max 5 minutes addressing the questions in the application form, and send this as an MP4 file via WeTransfer to us with the subject line ‘CCC Switzerland Video Application’ along with your Personal Details. 

If you would like to discuss submitting an application in another format, please email us.

We are committed to making the course as accessible as possible. If you need alternative versions of the application form, or any help completing it, please contact the Julie’s Bicycle team.

Participants do not need to do any work prior to attending the course, other than preparing a short session to share their skills, knowledge, or experience with the other participants. However, an important part of CCC is active participation.

Julie’s Bicycle delivers Creative Climate Changemaker with different funders and partners. More than 200 creative climate changemakers working in 30 countries have participated in programmes in the UK, Benelux, Canada, USA, Slovenia, Sweden and Scandinavia.

CCC Switzerland will be delivered by Julie’s Bicycle in partnership with Vert Le Futur, initiated and funded by Pro Helvetia and Stiftung Mercator Schweiz.

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Julie’s Bicycle (JB) is a not-for-profit that unites culture, creativity, and climate action to drive change. Founded nearly 20 years ago, JB was one of the first organisations to recognise the cultural sector’s potential to lead climate action, and through continuous innovation, advocacy, and collaboration has remained at the forefront of the creative climate movement. JB has partnered with thousands of organisations, networks and artists. 

Vert le Futur (VlF) is dedicated to making the Swiss cultural sector more environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and diverse – and thus more sustainable. Founded in 2020 by professionals from both the cultural and environmental fields, the association quickly gave rise to an interdisciplinary network of artists, cultural workers, sustainability experts, and activists, driven by the initiative of its founding members. Vert le Futur’s mission is to offer guidance, foster connections among stakeholders, facilitate knowledge exchange, and strengthen sustainable working practices. The association also works to emphasise the vital role of the cultural sector in building a resilient and just society – both within the sector and through dialogue with policymakers and the civil society.

The Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia supports artists and cultural practitioners from Switzerland and disseminates their projects in Switzerland and abroad. Pro Helvetia is committed to international cultural exchange and initiates cultural and thematic programmes. Within its sector Innovation & Society, Pro Helvetia promotes networking, knowledge transfer and provides tools to foster sustainable development in the arts and culture scene.

Stiftung Mercator Schweiz focuses on the topics of democracy, diversity and climate, addressing current issues of digitalisation, promote learning for the future and strengthen civil society. Stiftung Mercator Switzerland wants to enable social innovation and trigger developments for an open, equal and ecologically sustainable society by initiating and funding groundbreaking projects and by supporting broad alliances. Through cultural and creative approaches, we want to promote an engagement with and further development of social issues and enable new, courageous, surprising approaches. 

The CCC Switzerland programme will be led by the Julie’s Bicycle team in partnership with Vert le Futur. 

About the facilitators:

Alison Tickell (she/her), Founder and CEO of Julie’s Bicycle. Alison established Julie’s Bicycle in 2007 as a non-profit company helping the music industry reduce its environmental impacts and develop new thinking in tune with global environmental challenges. JB has since extended its remit to the full performing and visual arts communities, heritage and wider creative and cultural policy communities. JB is acknowledged as a leading organisation bridging sustainability with the arts and culture. Originally trained as a cellist, Alison worked with seminal jazz improviser and teacher John Stevens. She worked for many years at Community Music and at Creative and Cultural Skills where she established the National Skills Academy. She has been on many advisory and awarding bodies including Observer Ethical Awards, RCA Sustainable Design Awards, D&AD White Pencil Awards. She has been on the boards of the Music Business Forum, Live Music and Sound Connections.

Taghrid Choucair-Vizoso (she/her), Head of Programmes, Julie’s Bicycle

Taghrid is the Head of Programmes at Julie’s Bicycle. She works as part of the senior leadership team across business and strategic planning, co-designing and maintaining overview of programmes, developing partnerships, shared learning, and training and advocacy. She has fifteen years of curatorial, producing, artistic and educational experience across multi-art form projects and cultural organisations. Prior to JB she was Joint CEO of Shubbak Festival.

She is passionate about the transformative power of cultural practice to mobilise for climate action, social & climate justice; particularly in relation to restoring nature, circular economy practices, just transition, and decolonisation. Her work is rooted in action-centred community practices that also advocate for freedom of expression and movement, and the liberation of indigenous peoples. She is a regular public speaker and facilitator, on the board of Book Works, Another Sky Festival, a member of Equity’s International Solidarity Committee, White Kite Collective, and  organises with grassroots collectives. 

Zamzam Ibrahim (she/her), Creative Climate Leadership Facilitator at Julie’s Bicycle. Zamzam is a Climate Justice Activist that joined JB in 2022. She was previously based in Brussels as the Vice President of the European Students Union. She is a co-founder of Students Organising for Sustainability UK, and Vice Chair and Founder of the Muslim Leadership foundation. She’s a finance graduate from the University of Salford, Manchester, were she started her work becoming the first Black Muslim woman to become the President of her union, and went on to becoming the President of the National Union of Students in the UK. She currently serves as an Advisor for the Union of Justice. She’s been the student representative for almost a decade leading work on a fully funded and just education system to tackling societal injustices, leading campaigns from; climate justice to tackling racial injustice. Zamzam has been a leading voice on tackling climate injustice more specifically in the education system, diverting away from a Eurocentric lens in which the climate crisis is currently portrayed.

Laura Giudici (she/her), co-director of Vert le Futur, CCC Switzerland Project Manager and Facilitator. Laura joined VlF in 2022, focusing primarily on sustainability issues in the visual arts and museum sectors. She studied art history and cultural management and, over the past 15 years, has worked for various cultural organisations across Switzerland. Prior to joining VlF, she was Exhibition, Documentation and Communications Manager at Studio Mirko Baselgia. Alongside her work as an independent curator, author, educator and lecturer, she served as project manager at the ACACA arts and cultural centre in Graubünden. Over the past decade, Laura’s work has focused on the intersection of visual arts, ecology, and environmentally responsible cultural production. Her national network connects disciplines and linguistic regions, promoting dialogue between practice, cultural policy, and research.

Stefanie Günther Pizarro (she/her), Co-director of Vert le Futur, CCC Switzerland Project Manager and Facilitator. Stefanie has been part of Vert le Futur since its founding in 2020. She studied law, journalism, acting, and cultural management and has been active in the Swiss cultural sector for over two decades. Since 2019, she has dedicated her work to the intersection of art and sustainability, translating European best practices into the Swiss context and engaging in projects at both regional and national levels through associations such as Vert le Futur, reflector, and fOrum culture. Driven by a passion for shaping meaningful processes, connecting people across disciplines, and creating spaces where culture can evolve in sustainable and future-oriented ways, she brings together artists, cultural practitioners, and institutions to build alliances that strengthen both creative practice and ecological responsibility. Her intercultural background fosters openness, multilingualism, and cultural fluency, which infuse all aspects of her work.

Please note: an additional facilitator may join 

No problem, send us an email.