PRO H ELV E T I A N E W SF L A SH
Swiss Stagecraft, Conversations Experimental and to the Point about Arts Outreach
If you’re interested in Swiss theatre, you’d be well advised to go in December to – France, where the Comédie de Saint Etienne, sixty kilometers southwest of Lyons, is presenting Made in Suisse, a major in-depth look at Swiss dance and drama. From 5 to 17 December the programme features productions distinguished by experimental artistic approaches and a precise aesthetic. In addition to such noted performance artists as Yan Duyvendak and Massimo Furlan, young talent the likes of Eugénie Rebetez and François Gremaud will also be on show. The roster is further enhanced by a film series offering Swiss feature and documentary productions as
well as a range of musical, literary and architectural events. Made in Suisse is an offshoot of Pro Helvetia’s La belle voisine programme, which in 2007 promoted exchange between institutions and cultural figures in Switzerland and France’s Rhône-Alpes region. The festival continues the encounters and partnerships initiated during that period. www.comedie-de-saint-etienne.fr and www.prohelvetia.ch.
The subject of arts outreach is being talked about everywhere and growing in importance, whether in work in the cultural field, arts promotion or education. Nevertheless, there is as yet no consensus on many basic issues. Whom is it intended to reach? Is arts outreach a mandate for the educational sector, or for cultural policy-makers? And who should pay for it? Experts from Switzerland and beyond will discuss these and other fundamental questions in four forums held between September and March. The knowledge exchange is intended to help raise awareness and improve the quality of arts outreach. Pro Helvetia launched the discussion series as part of its Arts and Audience programme in conjunction with four partners from two linguistic regions, the canton of Valais and the cities of Bern, Basel and Biel. The forums are intended for decision-makers in cultural and educational policy as well as heads of cultural institutions, but are also open to the general public.
In December, Massimo Furlan – shown here with Anne Delahaye in a restaging of the Eurovision Song Contest – was a guest at the Comédie de Saint Etienne.
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Photo: Pierre Nydegger
9 September 2011: www.ferme-asile.ch 25 November 2011: www.dampfzentrale.ch 20 January 2012: www.literaturhaus-basel.ch 1 March 2012: www.theater-biel.ch