Pro Helvetia supports and promotes...

 Additional information, application deadlines, documentation

 Consideration of applications

Discipline areas

• Visual Arts
• Film
• Music
• Literature and the humanities
• Theatre
• Dance
• Culture & Society
• International
• Inter- and Multidisciplinary Projects

Forms and information sheets

Guide for Applicants 2003 (PDF file 188K)

Theatre

Objectives

In the Theatre sector Pro Helvetia promotes the quality and impact of professional Swiss theatre work. It supports proposals serving the networking and promotion of Swiss theatre groups at home and abroad, exchange among Switzerland’s various linguistic regions, intercultural dialogue, young Swiss playwrights and contemporary discourse on present-day theatre work.

Activities

Pro Helvetia can award deficit guarantees or grants for:

At home

• productions by independent theatre groups whose work is closely linked with Switzerland;
• guest performances in linguistic regions of Switzerland other than their own;
• recurrent theatre festivals with a strong Swiss presence;
• the promotion of Swiss playwrights;
• events regularly showcasing the Swiss theatre scene and promoting exchange among the linguistic regions and with foreign countries.

Abroad

• co-productions between Swiss and foreign theatre groups, with performances in Switzerland;
• guest performances of independent Swiss theatre groups of supraregional standing;
• guest performances of outstanding Swiss productions from established houses of international standing.

As a rule only travelling and transport expenses can be defrayed.

Exchanges

• active participation by Swiss stage professionals in symposia abroad;
  
• the running of workshops by Swiss stage professionals in conjunction with a foreign tour.

Intercultural dialogue

• co-productions promoting dialogue and reciprocal artistic exploration between Swiss theatre ensembles and ensembles from the southern hemisphere and other cultural regions;
• travelling and living expenses for artists from the southern hemisphere and other cultural regions who are interested in working with artists from Switzerland (co-productions).

Criteria

The general Pro Helvetia criteria apply. Moreover, in the Theatre sector, the following restrictions pertain:

in general

• Pro Helvetia awards support only to productions by professional theatre ensembles whose work is closely linked with Switzerland.
• Outside Switzerland only guest performances with at least 3 appearances at major institutions and festivals can be considered.

Production applications:

• At the time of application, productions must be able to provide evidence of at least 10 performances in Switzerland; where a choice must be made between applications of equal merit, preference will be given to productions based on texts by Swiss authors.
  
• Any theatrical production devised abroad must present a play by a contemporary Swiss author; foreign ensembles must also fulfil Pro Helvetia’s quality standards and guest performances in Switzerland must be planned.

Restrictions

The general exclusionary criteria apply.

Moreover, in the Theatre sector, grants cannot be awarded for

• individual artists;
  
• revivals;
  
• first productions;
  
• musicals, revues, mimes, clowns, acrobatics, theatrical sports projects, playback theatre;
  
• staged readings;
  
• folklore;
  
• weekend workshops, participation in workshops;
• academic lectures or study trips by theatre scholars;
• research trips;
• publications on the theatre.

Procedural rules

In addition to the general documentation, applications must be accompanied by a dramaturgic concept paper.

When submitting an application, please use the appropriate application form (“Produktionen von professionellen schweizerischen Ensembles”, “Aufführungen in andern Sprachregionen der Schweiz” or “Teilnahme an Festivals und Gastspielen im Ausland”, available in G/F) under category «Forms and information sheets»

Note: For requests over Fr. Fr. 20,000, please submit your fully documented application in triplicate.