Ruth Widmer Graff
Theatre entrepreneur
Ruth trained as a kindergarten teacher and theatre educationalist. Since 1982, she has been a freelance theatre educationalist and theatre entrepreneur. She has been awarded the culture prize of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft (2003), the culture prize of the Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank (2001) and the children and youth media prize ‘Die Rote Zora’ (1997). From 2005 to 2012, Ruth was also a member of the Basel cantonal parliament and from 2016 has been a judge at Basel’s criminal court. Since 2019, she has created and run a very wide range of cultural events as a ‘culture professional ready for anything’ (though COVID-19 really put paid to her plans). Until January 2021, she received income support from the regional job centre. Since February 2021, she has now received a ‘universal basic income’, Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance (AHV/AVS, the state pension).
Ruth’s topics:
#PensionProvision
#Unemployment
#Family
#FinancialPlanning
#Freelancer
#Tax
#Self-employed
Three questions for Ruth
To be or not to be! Have you ever faced this question in your life?
I have been close to financial collapse and have had to relaunch my career several times in life. That has given me experience in finding financial sponsors and confident in my ability to develop new and feasible ideas.
Have you ever had pension role models?
I come from a family which was careful with money and planned for the long term. I was also aware that I had to have money for more than just the immediate future, i.e. a reserve which would make up for ups and downs in my income, and also funds for my children’s professional training.
What pensions advice would you offer your younger self?
Sort out your pension earlier, right at the start of your career, and think about yourself. Social security matters to all of us – right from the start!
Popular questions
