junges theater basel

Junges Theater Basel
Junges Theater Basel
© BAK/Geoffrey Cottenceau & Romain Rousset

junges theater basel

A young theatre that moves with the times

Swiss Theatre Award 2014

Since it was set up in 1977, the junges theater basel has been the go-to place for up and coming dramatic talent in the Swiss city, making its mark far beyond Basel and indeed Switzerland. It stages professional performances for young people and organises drama courses for students aged between 14 and 24 at which they can put their theatrical skills to the test. Some of these aspirants go on to appear in the shows themselves, with conditions that are the same as for professional actors. Between two and four productions are put on every year, each of which is performed around 30 times in Basel. The directors include personalities who are themselves former members: Rafael Sanchez, Suna Gürler, Sebastian Nübling and others launched their artistic careers with the JTB and frequently pay return visits.

Productions take place in the JTB’s own venue, a converted stable in the barracks complex in Kleinbasel. The performances in Basel are mostly followed by guest appearances in Switzerland and at international festivals in Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands. Some projects are co-productions with partners such as the Ruhrtriennale music and arts festival, the Staatstheater Stuttgart, the Schauspielhaus Zurich or the Theater Basel. A relatively new innovation is the dance theatre performances. In 2014, these have included “Männer”, a lively investigation of male gender roles that entertained the audience attending the first Swiss Theatre Awards ceremony. Uwe Heinrich, who followed Hansjörg Betschart and Heidi Fischer, has been the theatre’s director since 2000. A tireless communicator, dramaturge, integrator and theatre educator, he received the City of Basel Culture Award in 2008 in recognition of his work.

“They told me to keep it short. But how am I supposed to do that,
when an award goes to a theatre that for over 30 years
has created captivating and touching productions at the cutting edge?
I can’t even go easy on the popcorn at the cinema.
I just can’t resist.
So here it is, short and simple:
The junges theater basel has received a theatre award for 2014, because what they do
is not for the moment, but for eternity.”

Heinz Gubler, jury member