Zürcher Theater Spektakel

Stadt Zürich Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich Swiss RE ZKB - Zürcher Kantonalbank Tagesanzeiger

ZKB Patronage Prize

The ZKB Patronage Prize 2010 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)

Criteria for nomination

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.

Ancient prize winners

2010 Patronage Prize: Faifai, Japan: My name is I love you; Acknowledgement Prize: Marcela Levi and Flavia Meireles, Brasil: around the hole everything is edge.

2009 Patronage Prize: Laura Kalauz & Martin Schick, Argentinien/Schweiz: Title; Acknowledgement Prize: Kassys, Niederlande: Good Cop Bad Cop.

2008 
Patronage Prize: Le Boustrophédon, France: Court-miracles; Acknowledgement Prize: CulturArte, Moçambique: Mafalala 2.

2007
Patronage Prize: Young Jean Lee's Theater Company, Corea/USA: Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven; Acknowledgement Prize: Back to Back Theatre, Australia: Small Metal Objects.

2006 Patronage Prize: Zuhe Niao, China: Tongue's Memoy of Home; Acknowledgement Prize: Elevator Repair Service, USA: Gatz

2005 Patronage Prize: Richard Maxwell, USA: Good Samaritans; Acknowledgement Prize: Hassan Madjooni, Actor, Mehr Theatre Iran: Amid the Cloud from Amir Reza Koohestani.

2004 Patronage Prize: Living Dance Studio, China: Report on Body; Acknowledgement Prize: Wayne Traub, Belgium: Maria Dolores: Wayne Wash I

2003 Patronage Prize: Museum of Modern Oddities, Katy Bowman & Neil Thomas, Australia: Odd Hours; Acknowledgement Prize: Nuri Harun Ates, Turkey: Countertenor in Mustafa Avkirans Neos Cosmos 3+3+963

2002 Patronage Prize: Sarah Michelson, USA: Group Experience; Acknowledgement Prize: Kolypan, Switzerland: Die Vladimir-Show

2001 L’alakran, Switzerland: Der spanische Metzger; Anerkennungspreis: Aydin Teker, Türkei: Density

2000 400asa, Switzerland: Medeää ex aequo with Marcela Soltan; Actress BlackSkyWhite Theatre, Russland

1999 Marco Berrettini, France: Sturmwetter prépare l'an d'Emile ex aequo with Gilles Jobin, Schweiz: Braindance

1998 Huis aan de Amstel, Niederlande, Fast gelungen; Acknowledgement Prize für Enzo Scanzi, Actor, Switzerland

1997 Stefan Pucher, Germany: Dreamcity

1996 Smadar Yaaron, Actress Akko Theater Zentrum, Israel: Arbeit macht frei from Toitland Europa ex aequo with Alias Compagnie, Switzerland: Moving a Perhaps