33 questions for the Central Laundry in Zurich

We’ve been around since:
2015

What we do in 3 words:
Culture, gastronomy, politics.

Our vision in one sentence:
We create cultural spaces.

Our annual budget:
CHF 1.5 million

We receive our funding from:
We are 85% self-financed; the remainder is covered by a rent waiver from the City of Zurich.

If we had an extra 1 million at our disposal each year, we would...
...create good working conditions and support cultural projects.

We are most efficient at ...
... organising things.

We are least efficient at ...
... not overworking ourselves.

In our first four years at ZW, we have learnt that ...
... traditional art forms no longer exist in that form. ✓
... a lunch menu for CHF 20 is very much possible in the heart of Zurich. ✓
... too much graffiti can quickly push a building into a political corner. ✓
... we need to be more cautious with Israel-Palestine events.
... we are only just getting started when it comes to inclusion. ✓
... we cannot pay as high a fee as we would like to.
... cultural work is largely unpaid work. ✓

At our upcoming anniversary party we are celebrating ...
... the continuation of the ZW until 2035.
... a provisional extension of the temporary use until the end of 2026. ✓
... ourselves and everyone who helped build the ZW.

The ZW is perfect for ...
... lone wolves.
... blind dates.
... Swifties.
... Weight Watchers.
... members of the Young FDP.
... a Sunday with the mother-in-law.
... school trips.
... everyone who understands our principles.

The ZW primarily deals with ...
... the past.
... the present.
... the future.

Our programme ...
... is wild. ✓
... breaks with traditions. ✓
... breaks with expectations.  ✓
... is curated collectively. ✓
... is dedicated to entertainment. ✓
... is dedicated to participation. ✓
... adapts to global political events.
... regularly provokes indignant emails. ✓
... isn’t exactly easy to communicate. ✓

Through our programme, we promote ...
... love. ✓
... knowledge.
... critical thinking.
... alternative facts.
... irony.
... spirituality.
... faith.
... world peace.
... endangered species.
... irrationality. ✓
... idiocy.
... justice.
... confidence.

If our programme were a dish, it would be ...
... patatas bravas.

A persistent rumour surrounding our work goes:
Die Zentralwäscherei is externally funded.

If we didn’t exist, our audience would probably ...
... go to the Rote Fabrik or the Parkplatz.

Cultural life in Zurich has something you won’t find anywhere else in the world, and that would be ...
... so much quality content in such a small space.

For Zurich’s cultural scene, we’d like to see...
... more grit, more experimentation and daring.

For District 5, we’d like to see...
... more grit, more experimentation and daring.

For people in wheelchairs, our venue is ...
accessible.

By inclusion, we mean ...
... constantly reflecting on ourselves and our programme in terms of inclusion and striving to improve.

This is how many people work for us:
35.

By team spirit, we mean ...
... lots of lively discussions and plenty of celebrations.

The average wage of our staff is:
CHF 25 per hour.

Paying wages that are well below the city’s median wage is acceptable because...
...unfortunately, it’s not acceptable at all, but we’re doing our best.

We recently made this mistake:
Taking the patatas bravas off the menu.

We’ll probably make this mistake again:
Partying too much.

The hardest part of our job is...
... not enough time and not enough money.

The best thing about our work is...
... the joy and love of our guests.

Working for culture is worthwhile because ...
... who, if not us?

The future of the Zentralwäscherei ...
... remains uncertain, as always. It’s better than it used to be, but difficult as ever.

We’d also like to share this with you:
It’s no fun without you all. It’s great to have you here.