| Europe Theatre Prize | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | To a personality in theatre who has promoted "understanding and the exchange of knowledge between peoples" |
| Sponsored by | European Commission |
| First award | 1987; 38 years ago (1987) |
| Website | www |
| Europe Prize Theatrical Realities | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Innovation in theatre |
| First award | 1990 (1990) |
| Website | http://www.premio-europa.org/  |
TheEurope Theatre Prize(Premio Europa per il Teatro) is an award of theEuropean Commission for a personality who has "contributed to the realisation of cultural events that promote understanding and the exchange of knowledge between peoples". "The winner is chosen for the whole of his artistic path among notable personalities of international theatre considered in all its different forms, articulations and expressions". The prize was established in 1986 when Carlo Ripa di Meana was first commissioner of culture.[1] In those years a contribution to its creation also came fromMelina Mercouri, who was patroness of the Prize, and fromJack Lang, thenFrench minister of culture and current president of the Prize.[2] TheEuropean Parliament and theEuropean Council have supported it as a "European cultural interest organisation" since 2002.[1]
In 1987 the prize was first awarded toAriane Mnouchkine for her work with theThéâtre du Soleil. She received a money prize and a sculpture ofPietro Consagra. The first international jury was chaired byIrene Papas. Recipients have included choreographerPina Bausch and stage directorPatrice Chéreau.[3]
In 1990, an additional awardEurope Prize Theatrical Realities(Premio Europa Realtà Teatrali) was established looking at innovation in theatre and first awarded toAnatoly Vasiliev. In Edition XII, they wereViliam Dočolomanský (Slovakia),Katie Mitchell (United Kingdom),Andrey Moguchy (Russia),Kristian Smeds (Finland),Teatro Meridional (Portugal) andVesturport (Iceland).[1][3] Recipients have also includedHeiner Goebbels,Oskaras Koršunovas (2002) andRimini Protokoll (2008).
The program for both awards is rich in theatrical presentations.[4] Lasting a week, it has been termed the "'Oscars' of European theatre"[5] and "Oscar of Drama".[3]
The first nine editions of the prize were awarded inTaormina. To achieve a more international aspect it became itinerant, so the ceremonies were held inTurin for Edition X, as part of the cultural program for the2006 Winter Olympics in collaboration with theTeatro Stabile. Editions XI and XII were held inThessaloniki, Greece, Edition XIII inWrocław, Poland, as part of theUNESCO'sGrotowski Year.[1]
In 2011 the awards were given at theAlexandrinsky Theatre ofSaint Petersburg, then Culture Capital of Russia.[5] A critic described the performances of innovative theatre: "Their shows demonstrate that the dialogue between the arts and cutting edge technology opens up new ways towards creation and knowledge. Computer generated images, pantomime, dancing, circus and music expand the frontiers of the theatre and make it more dramatic. Shows such asFaustus based onGoethe's play,Metamorphosis by Kafka,Mr Vertigo byPaul Auster,Cabo Verde by Natalia Luiza and Miguel Seabra, andHappiness by Maurice Maeternlick are overwhelming both in their use of technique and the emotions they exude."[3]
In 2016, the Edition XV was presented inCraiova, Romania, following the prestigiousInternational Shakespeare Festival, which reached its 10th edition in the 400th anniversary ofShakespeare's death on 23 April. This edition of the Prize was organised under the patronage of the City of Craiova, which wanted to unite the two events, in cooperation with the Shakespeare Foundation and the city's National Theatre ‘Marin Sorescu', to which can be added the contribution of theRomanian Cultural Institute.[6]
In 2017, the Prize returned for the Edition XVI to Italy, inRome, as a special project promoted by theminister of culture, as both an ideal conclusion to the 60th anniversary of theTreaties of Rome and the opening event of theEuropean Year of Cultural Heritage 2018. These celebrations coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Prize itself, the first cultural initiative launched by theEuropean Community in the field of theatre.[7][8] The 16th Prize was given to two emblematic figures of the international stage:Isabelle Huppert andJeremy Irons, artists capable of transferring the theatrical dimension to that of cinema and vice-versa so that the Prize went once again to actors, afterMichel Piccoli's 2001 award of the 9th Prize.[9] The ceremony finished with a staged reading ofHarold Pinter'sAshes to Ashes, masterfully performed by Huppert and Irons, who have been defined byThe Guardian 'theatrical dynamite'.[10]
In November 2018, the Europe Theatre Prize returned for the second time toSt. Petersburg, Russia, thanks to the support and patronage of theMinistry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the City Government, and was included in the VII "St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum" as a flagship event among theatrical events. TheBaltic House Theatre-Festival of St. Petersburg presented the Edition XVII of the Prize, collaborated in the realization of the event, supported and organized it in Russia, as well as hosting various scheduled performances. With its return to Russia as part of the VII Cultural Forum, the Prize once again served as a bridge that uses theatre and art to connect and encourage dialogue across geographical, cultural, political and social differences.[11]
| Edition | Year | Artist | Special Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1987 | Ariane Mnouchkine and theThéâtre du Soleil[ France] | Melina Merkourī[ Greece] |
| II | 1989 | Peter Brook[ United Kingdom/ France] | |
| III | 1990 | Giorgio Strehler[ Italy] | |
| IV | 1994 | Heiner Müller[ Germany] | |
| V | 1997 | Robert Wilson[ United States] | |
| VI | 1998 | Luca Ronconi[ Italy] | Václav Havel[ Czech Republic] |
| VII | 1999 | Pina Bausch[ Germany] | |
| VIII | 2000 | Lev Dodin[ Russia] | BITEF (Jovan Ćirilov)[ Serbia];Ibrahim Spahić[ |
| IX | 2001 | Michel Piccoli[ France] | |
| X | 2006 | Harold Pinter[ United Kingdom] | |
| XI | 2007 | Robert Lepage[ Canada] andPeter Zadek[ Germany] | |
| XII | 2008 | Patrice Chéreau[ France] | |
| XIII | 2009 | Krystian Lupa[ Poland] | |
| XIV | 2011 | Peter Stein[ Germany] | Yuri Lyubimov[ Russia] |
| XV | 2016 | Mats Ek[ Sweden] | Silviu Purcarete[ Romania] |
| XVI | 2017 | Isabelle Huppert[ France], | Wole Soyinka[ Nigeria];Fadhel Jaïbi[ |
| XVII | 2018 | Valery Fokin[13][ Russia] | Núria Espert[ Spain] |
| Edition | Year | Artist | Special Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1990 | Anatoly Vasiliev[ Soviet Union] | |
| II | 1994 | Giorgio Barberio Corsetti[ Italy], Els Comediants[ | |
| III | 1997 | Carte Blanche - Compagnia della Fortezza (Armando Punzo)[ Italy], | |
| IV | 1998 | Christoph Marthaler[ Switzerland] | |
| V | 1999 | Royal Court Theatre (Sarah Kane,Mark Ravenhill,Jez Butterworth,Conor McPherson,Martin McDonagh)[ United Kingdom] | |
| VI | 2000 | Theatergroep Hollandia (Johan Simons, Paul Koek)[ Netherlands],Societas Raffaello Sanzio (Romeo Castellucci, Chiara Guidi)[ | |
| VII | 2001 | Heiner Goebbels[ Germany], | |
| VIII | 2006 | Oskaras Koršunovas[ Lithuania], | |
| IX | 2007 | Alvis Hermanis[ Latvia], | |
| X | 2008 | Rimini Protokoll (Helgard Haug, Stefan Kaegi, Daniel Wetzel)[ Germany/ Switzerland], | Belarus Free Theatre[ Belarus](Special Mention) |
| XI | 2009 | Guy Cassiers[ Belgium],Rodrigo García[ Árpád Schilling[ François Tanguy and the Théâtre du Radeau[ | |
| XII | 2011 | Viliam Dočolomanský[ Slovakia/ Czech Republic],Katie Mitchell[ Teatro Meridional[ | |
| XIII | 2016 | Viktor Bodó[ Hungary],Andreas Kriegenburg[ National Theatre of Scotland[ Joël Pommerat[ | |
| XIV | 2017 | Susanne Kennedy[ Germany], Jernej Lorenci[ Yael Ronen[ Alessandro Sciarroni[ | Dimitris Papaioannou[ Greece] |
| XV | 2018 | Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui[ Belgium/ Morocco],Cirkus Cirkör (Tilde Björfors)[ Julien Gosselin[ Jan Klata[ Tiago Rodrigues[ |
In addition to the publication of a catalogue for every Prize edition, a series of volumes hosts the proceedings of meetings of the various editions with testimonies on the profiles and works of the winners and the proceedings of the collateral initiatives of the Prize events.[14]
