Zürcher Theater Spektakel

This year’s ZKB Patronage Prize marks a small but important anniversary. During the run-up to the 1996 festival, Markus Luchsinger, artistic director of the festival from 1990 to 2001, who passed away untimely last summer, approached the Zürcher Kantonalbank, one of the festival’s main sponsors, with the idea of a patronage prize. He wasn’t thinking of an award for lifetime achievement or special accomplishment. Instead he had focused on recognition of a young, innovative, hitherto little-known individual or company. A substantial prize would be awarded annually at the festival. This would represent a significant financial contribution towards future productions involving the prize-winner. Briefly, it was to be a prize with long-term effects.

Markus Luchsinger’s proposal resonated ideally with the ZKB’s idea of sustainable cultural commitment. The criteria for nomination, the jury board and the award ceremony were discussed fruitfully with the result that the ZKB Patronage Prize of 20 000 Swiss Francs (today 30 000 Swiss Francs) was awarded that very year at the festival.

Fourteen years on, we look back with joy, gratefulness and pride. There is continuity: A long-term cultural commitment such as the ZKB Patronage Prize is not to be taken for granted: it enables the festival board to develop a perspective for the promotion of young talent in a way that reaches beyond the annual festival itself. In addition there is sustainability: The list of former prize-winners confirms that the prize has fulfilled its purpose: Stefan Pucher, 400asa, Marco Berrettini, Sarah Michelson, The Living Dance Studio, Young Jean Lee, have all triumphed with their subsequent artistic creations and have justified the faith invested in them. Festival audiences were equally given an opportunity to see that the original productions were not a flash in the pan as the majority of prizewinners returned to the festival with new productions.

And finally there is the impact: The Patronage Prize has added profile to the festival program as the denotation «nominated for the ZKB Patronage Prize» has become synonymous with riveting productions of promising young artists. In this spirit, the ZKB and the festival board invite you to give the nominees of the 15th ZKB Patronage Prize your special attention. They deserve it. (esc)

ZKB Patronage Prize CHF 30,000
The Patronage Prize of the Zürcher Kantonalbank is awarded annually to an artist or a company working in independent theatre, dance theatre or performance art, who have distinguished themselves and shown innovation in the creation of new work. The aim of this prize is to support the chosen recipient in their future projects. The criteria for candidates is that the significant work for which the award is actually given has had its premiere within the past two years. The festival board nominates five to seven productions from the festival’s current programme. Precedence is given to artists who the board feel have yet to receive a level of public recognition that is commensurate with their achievements. Former winners of the prize are excluded from nomination.

ZKB Acknowledgement Prize CHF 5,000
The Acknowledgment Prize allows for additional recognition and support of a nominee whose work is considered to be outstanding. It is awarded to a company or an artist for extraordinary achievement in such areas as choreography, dramaturgy, audience participation or acting.

Jetse Batelaan, Rotterdam
Theatre director. Upon graduating from the Amsterdam School for Directing in 2003 he quickly claimed his place amongst Holland’s young theatre league with his unique and imaginative creations. His award-winning works are presented at international festivals such as the Wiener Festwochen and Le Pop’s Paris. He regularly directs the Ro Theater Rotterdam, one of the Netherland’s biggest theatre companies, and the theatre company Max. 

Sandrine Kuster, Lausanne
Actress, festival and theatre director. From 1987 to 2001 she was a member of the Swiss theatre company Cie. des Basors. From 1999 to 2002 she was the artistic director of the Festival La Bâtie in Geneva. Subsequently she graduated in cultural management at the University of Lausanne. Since 2003 she has been the director of the Théâtre Arsenic in Lausanne, a centre for the contemporary performing arts.

Hiromi Maruoka, Tokyo
Producer and cultural manager. In 2003 she initiated the Postmainstream Performing Arts Festival (PPAF) in Tokyo. As artistic director she presented companies such as the Canadian PME theatre group and Forced Entertainment from England. In 2008 she coordinated the first IETM meeting in Japan. Since 2005 she has been the director of the Tokyo Performing Arts Market (TPAM). She is also president of the PARC-Japan Center, Pacific Basin Arts Communication, an independent organisation promoting cultural exchange between Japan and the Asian Pacific region. 

Simone Truong, Zurich
Choreographer and dancer. Since graduating as a choreographer from the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Arnheim, Simone Truong, who has Chinese roots, has lived and worked in Zurich. Her piece «as long as it lasts» was shown at international festivals in Europe and toured Switzerland in 2008. The same year, she won the danceWEB European Scholarship and was runner-up at the Premio awards for young dance and theatre talent. She collaborates with her sister Monika Truong and Elaine Ho on the long-term project «Overseas».

Ariane von Graffenried, Bern
Author, independent journalist, spoken word performer and drama expert. She is a member of the authors collective Almösen, writes for theatre and for various Swiss newspapers and scientific publications. She performs in the spoken word and electronic bass duo Fitzgerald & Rimini. Her book «Fleur de Bern» will be published this August.