Since their launch in 2001, the ZKB Prizes have contributed to the profile of the festival programme. The label «nominated for the ZKB Patronage Prize» has succeeded in denoting exciting and unique up-and-coming talents. Together with the Zürcher Kantonalbank, we are looking forward to continue our long-term commitment this year.
Winners of the ZKB prizes 2024
At the end of the festival on Saturday, August 31, the ZKB prizes were awarded, with which the Zürcher Kantonalbank, as the main partner, has been honoring artists performing at the festival for over twenty years. Rébecca Chaillon received the ZKB Sponsorship Award, worth CHF 30,000, for her piece «WHITEWASHING». The jury (Anikó Rácz, Katharina Germo, Krystel Khoury, Ysaline Rochat and Nia Agustina) explained their decision as follows: «We experienced a multilayered work that speaks through highly poetical and poignant texts, rugged humour, evocative and captivating images. Here, theater is no longer an institution meant to reproduce schemes we are used to, rather a place where a new, empowering world emerges, in which we are given the agency to constitute and reinvent our own myths. A brilliant and outstanding masterpiece.»
The jury awarded the recognition prize of CHF 5000 to Chun Shing Au for the short piece «GPO Box No.211». «Beside its poetry, we esteem the ways in which the work transports our gazes and unpretentiously searches for a theatrical language that can speak for itself when words are not allowed, bodies are controlled and oppressed, public as well as private spaces are constantly watched over.» said the jury.
The Audience Award, worth CHF 10,000, went to Argentinian artist Tiziano Cruz for «Wayqeycuna», a ceremony that creates a visually powerful and unifying counterpoint to the experiences of violence and exclusion that are part of daily normality for Cruz and the indigenous communities in white-dominated Argentina.
Here you can find the jury's statement.
The ZKB Audience Prize Fr. 10,000.-
Since 2016, spectators at the Zürcher Theater Spektakel have been able to cast their vote for the ZKB Audience Prize. At the entrance to the nominees’ productions, they are handed out a ballot to rate the show. The prize is awarded to the production with the best audience ratings.
In this win-win situation, not only artists, but also the audience can benefit. All voters automatically enter a raffle for one of the following prizes:
- 1st prize: VIP package for the ZKB award ceremony 2025
- 2nd prize: 2 performance vochers for the Zürcher Theater Spektakel 2025
- 3rd prize: Food voucher worth 100 Swiss Francs for the Zürcher Theater Spektakel
ZKB Patronage Prize Fr. 30,000.-
The ZKB Patronage Prize is awarded to a company or an artist working in theatre, dance or performance art. The aim of this prize is to support the chosen recipient in their future projects. It is awarded to a performance whose premiere has taken place within the past three years and represents independent theatre in a distinctive way. The nominees are chosen by the festival board. Precedence is given to artists who have yet to receive a level of public recognition commensurate with their achievements. Former prize-winners are excluded from nomination.
Nominees 2023
- Tiziano Cruz (Jujuy, Buenos Aires) – «Wayqeycuna»
- Calvin Ratladi (Pretoria) – «A Hole in Waiting»
- Nastaran Razawi Khorasani (Rotterdam) – «Songs for no one»
- Mario Banushi (Athen) – «Taverna Miresia»
- Zora Snake (Yaoundé) – «L'Opéra du Villageois»
- Emma Martin & United Fall (Carlow) – «Birdboy»
- Rébecca Chaillon (Montreuil, Saint-Luce) – «Whitewashing»
- Rebecca Weingartner (Basel) – «SOLIDARITY!»
ZKB Acknowledgment Prize Fr. 5000.-
The ZKB Acknowledgement Prize allows for additional recognition and support of a nominee. It is awarded to a company or artist for extraordinary achievement in such areas as choreography, dramaturgy, audience participation or acting. All productions shown in «Short Pieces» are nominated for the ZKB Acknowledgment Prize, unless they have previously been nominated.
Nominees 2024
- Nicolas Fattouh (Beirut, Montreal) – «Living with a piece of furniture»
- Chun Shing Au (Hongkong, Amsterdam) – «GPO Box No.211»
- Eman Hussein (Kairo, Zürich) – Smell of Cement
- Gergö D. Farkas (Budapest) – Deep Fake
- Mariia&Magdalyna (Kyjiw) – human?..
- Samir Laghouati-Rashwan (Marseille) – On vous voit
International Jury
An independent jury of five experts decides on awarding the ZKB Prizes. The jury panel is chosen by the programme board and is presided by one of its members, who is not entitled to vote. The jury’s decisions, but not their consultations, are made public. The 2024 jury is composed as follows:
ANIKÓ RÁCZ
Anikó Rácz is the artistic director of SÍN Arts Centre, Budapest. She also co-programs the dance venue of Sziget Festival. She leads workshops internationally on artistic career development.
Katarina Germo
Katharina Germo has been co-director of Fabriktheater Rote Fabrik Zurich since 2023. Previously, she was programme dramaturg at ROXY Birsfelden. As a dramaturg, she also works with independent theater groups.
Krystel Khoury
Krystel Khoury is a dramaturg and researcher from Beirut. She is head of the ISAC arts and choreographies department in Brussels and programme associate of Mophradat, a feminist art organisation, working with artists from the Arab world.
Ysaline Rochat
Ysaline Rochat is an independent curator and cultural worker in the field of performing arts. Most recently, she was co-director of festival Les Urbaines in Lausanne.
Nia Agustina
Nia Agustina is a dramaturg, author and curator. She works for the Indonesian Dance Festival. In 2014, Nia co-founded Paradance Platform in Yogyakarta, dedicated to nurturing young dance practitioners.
Former Prize Winners
2023
Patronage Prize: Nadia Beugré – «L’homme rare»
Acknowledgement Prize: Khun Sreynoch & Ny Lai – «Sronoh & Snow White»
Audience Prize: Basel Zaraa – «Dear Laila»
2022
Patronage Prize: Ali Chahrour – «The Love Behind My Eyes»
Acknowledgement Prize: Martha Luisa Hernández Cadenas – «No soy unicorno»
Audience Prize: SMALL CITIZENS – «The Children of Amazi (Kinder des Wassers)»
2021
Patronage Prize: Mallika Taneja – «Allegedly»
Acknowledgement Prize: Edna Jaime – «O Bom Combate (The Good Fight)»
Audience Prize: Tschuku Tschuku – «Zilin» & Marina Otero Argentinien – «FUCK ME»
2020
Due to the corona pandemic and the ensuing conditions for the festival, the criteria for nomination and awarding prizes could not be applied. Accordingly, Zürcher Kantonalbank and the festival direction have decided not to award any ZKB Prizes in 2020.
2019
Patronage Prize: Samara Hersch & Lara Thoms – «We All Know What's Happening»
Acknowledgement Prize: Ira Melkonyan & The Rubberbodies Collective «Upstairs Geology 50/50»
Audience Prize: Samara Hersch & Lara Thoms – «We All Know What's Happening»
2018
Patronage Prize: Silke Huysman & Hannes Dereere – «Mining Stories»
Acknowledgement Prize: Youness Atbane & Youness Aboulakoul – «The Architects»
Audience Prize: Casus Circus – «Driftwood»
2017
Patronage Prize: Wojtek Ziemilski & Nowy Teatr – «Jeden gest (One Gesture)»
Acknowledgement Prize: Fatoumata Bagayoko – «Fatou t'as tout fait»
Audience Prize: Lukas Avendaño – «No soy persona. Soy mariposa»
For a complete list of the prize winners since 1996 please check here