publie 27.01.16
Sandrine Kuster - President of the Swiss Theatre Encounter Association
For the first time, the Swiss Theatre Encounter is leaving its birthplace, the Winterthur Theatre. It will be staging its third annual event in francophone Geneva, a storied land of theatrical history as well as a fertile ground, both for the fulfilment of this particular art form and for the debates and struggles that enable it to live and thrive.
The Swiss Theatre Awards ceremony, presented by the Federal Office of Culture, kicks off this major national festival that aims to take root in Switzerland by travelling each year to one of the country’s four linguistic regions. The idea is to arouse the interest of audiences for productions in a different language (but always with surtitles in German or French and in English!), influenced by a different history and a different environment…
After all, is theatre not the scene par excellence of encounters, journeys and new horizons?
Four Geneva theatres have partnered to host this year’s event, the only one of its kind in Switzerland to feature productions, debates and festive evenings.
The shorter format, down from ten to four days, will allow the public to attend two performances every day, thus giving the event a more dynamic feel. The programme includes creative productions from the independent and institutional scenes.
This third edition enjoys the backing of the City and Canton of Geneva, the municipality of Carouge. The Foundation Meyrinoise du Casino, the Federal Office of Culture, the Loterie Romande as well as several foundations and private businesses, to whom we extend our grateful thanks.
Let us hope that this theatre festival will continue to play its role as a herald of artistic and linguistic diversity, as well as a bridge between the regions and the public.
