The 2014 Swiss Grand Prix Theatre/Hans Reinhart Ring Award goes to Omar Porras

Bern, 24.04.2014 - On 22 May 2014 Federal Councillor Alain Berset will attend the inaugural Swiss Theatre Awards of the Federal Office of Culture (FOC). The ceremony will be held as part of the 1st Swiss Theatre Encounter at the Theater Winterthur. Following the recommendation of the Federal Jury for Theatre, the FOC has chosen Omar Porras as the first recipient of the Swiss Grand Prix Theatre/Hans Reinhart Ring award.

The inaugural Swiss Theatre Awards of the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) will be held on Thursday, 22 May 2014 as part of the first Swiss Theatre Encounter. As well as the Swiss Grand Prix Theatre/Hans Reinhart Ring award, two further awards in the Outstanding Actress/Outstanding Actor category will be presented during the ceremony. Five further prizes will be given to individuals or institutions who have made an outstanding contribution to the dramatic arts in Switzerland. Prize money for individuals will be CHF 30,000 and CHF 50,000 for institutions.

The Swiss Grand Prix Theatre award upholds the 56-year-old tradition of the Hans Reinhart Ring (1957-2013), which was started by the Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Theaterkultur (SGTK) [Swiss Society for the Dramatic Arts] and considered the highest honour in Swiss theatre. On the recommendation of the Federal Jury for the Theatre, the FOC has chosen Omar Porras as the recipient of the inaugural Swiss Grand Prix Theatre/Hans Reinhart Ring award, in recognition of an exceptional artistic career which has also greatly helped to raise the international profile of Swiss theatre. Born in Colombia in 1963, Porras has worked in Geneva since 1990, where he founded the Teatro Malandro, one of the most prolific international touring companies in Switzerland. Under his artistic direction, the company frequently takes classic plays and gives them a modern, sometimes edgy twist which makes them instantly accessible to a contemporary audience. As well as prize money of CHF 100,000, the winner will be presented at the award ceremony with a custom-made, personalised ring from the SGTK. In addition, the SGTK will also produce a publication, scheduled for the end of the year, on Omar Porras. Previously, this tribute to the winner of the Hans Reinhart Ring appeared in the Swiss Theatre Yearbook.

Award ceremony
The award ceremony will feature audiovisual presentations of and tributes to the award winners, as well as a live performance by the Basel Youth Theatre. The award ceremony is open to the public. Tickets will be on sale from early May at the Theater Winterthur: www.theater.winterthur.ch. Price: CHF 10. 

More information and images
A short profile of Omar Porras is enclosed with this press release.
High-resolution images are available at: www.theaterpreise.ch


Address for enquiries

FOC awards policy: Anne Weibel, Head of Communication Federal Office of Culture, +41 (0)58 462 79 85, anne.weibel@bak.admin.ch

Swiss Theatre Awards: Claudia Rosiny, Dance and Theatre, Cultural Creativity Section, Federal Office of Culture, +41 (0)58 465 39 19, claudia.rosiny@bak.admin.ch

Members of the media wishing to attend the award ceremony should apply for accreditation by 19 May 2014 to sarah.schwerzmann@bak.admin.ch



Publisher

Federal Office of Cultural Affairs
http://www.bak.admin.ch

https://www.schweizerkulturpreise.ch/content/awards/en/home/allgemeine-informationen/nsb-news.msg-id-52724.html