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NEWSLETTER 23.07.2010




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Summertime is festival time. For theatre aficionados in French-speaking Switzerland, the «Festival des arts vivants» is a must. Their counterparts in the German-speaking part of the country have the «Theaterspektakel» in Zurich marked down as a highlight. Friends of folk music can, on the banks of Lake Zurich, enjoy the vivacity and innovative power in evidence in this line of music. Those less fond of open air events but nevertheless interested in keeping up with projects that Pro Helvetia supports or launches itself can now do so from home as «fans» of the Arts Council in Facebook.


Pro Helvetia Communications

 
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New Head of Dance

Felizitas Ammann will become Head of the Dance department at Pro Helvetia as of 1 October. The 36-year-old Ms Ammann currently works as project manager for Reso, the Swiss dance network. She has also made a name for herself as a dance critic. Ms Ammann will replace Andrew Holland, who is due to take on new responsibilities in his function as Deputy Director of Pro Helvetia. Moreover, the International and Programme divisions at the Arts Council were merged as part of an internal reorganisation. Details can be found in the associated media release (German, French and Italian): www.prohelvetia.ch



Become a fan of Pro Helvetia

Would you like to be up-to-date with Pro Helvetia’s programmes and promotional activities and able to comment on them at all times? Then why not link up with the Arts Council via Facebook? As a supplement to its website, Pro Helvetia has joined the world’s largest social online platform. In Switzerland alone, Facebook now counts over two million users. Take a look at our Facebook site and become a «fan»! www.facebook.com



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Celebrating modern folk music

There’s a lot going on in the Swiss folk music scene these days. And a lot will be happening in particular on 28 and 29 August, when yodellers, alphorn players, accordionists and dulcimer players from all parts of the country convene by the Lake of Zurich for the «Stubete am See» festival of new folk music. 20 groups will be performing 33 concerts altogether in the Zurich Tonhalle and on the «Bauschänzli» site. Visitors can dance to the vibrant music or, if the mood takes them, join in with their own instruments at the «Original-Stubete» events. Details at www.stubeteamsee.ch



In the heart of Nyon

Every year, the «Festival des arts vivants» - Far – attracts several thousand visitors to the heart of Nyon. With its exciting programme combining theatre, dance and performance productions from Switzerland and abroad, installations and public space actions, it has become a confirmed favourite on the festival circuit for many a lover of the arts. Highlights of this year’s edition – from 11 to 21 August ¬– include YoungSoon Cho, Laura Kalauz/Martin Schick, Carré Rouge Cie, Trickster Teatro, Elodie Pong/Gabi Deutsch/Michael Hiltbrunner and many more. The programme is available at www.festival-far.ch



Fom Wannsee to the Grisons alps

The Swiss national day, 1 August, is also celebrated on the banks of Wannsee lake, Berlin, this year. «Literarisches Colloquium Berlin» invites visitors to music, cheese and wine accompanied by an exquisite literary programme. Award-winning author Erica Pedretti looks back on 80 momentous years in her autobiographical novel «Fremd genug», in Elena Jurissevich there is a young poet from Ticino to be discovered, and Arno Camenisch draws audiences into the raw alpine world of Grisons with his debut novel «Sez Ner». Details at www.lcb.de



24 world premieres in just 48 hours

Be it large orchestra or solo, improvisation or sound installation – some of the best of contemporary Swiss music can be heard at this year’s «Tonkünstlerfest». For the first time in its 110-year history, this major event has been invited to the renowned Lucerne Festival, which this summer places special focus on the Swiss music scene. No fewer than 24 world premieres will be performed on 11 and 12 September, six of them commissioned pieces enabled by Pro Helvetia. Further information at www.tonkuenstlerfest.ch and www.lucernefestival.ch



Sound artists from Ukraine

Creators of electronic beats, three each from Ukraine and Switzerland, are on a ten-day workshop retreat in Geneva this summer. The anticipated outcome is a joint CD and a programme with which they will tour the country from 23 August onwards. Ukrainian musician Dmytro Fedorenko, aka Kotra, is the curator of this project initiated by Pro Helvetia’s liaison office in Warsaw. The other sound artists participating are Zavoloka and v4w.enko from Ukraine and Mimetic, Feldermelder and D'incise from Switzerland. Details at www.kotra.org.ua



Ever faster

Everything is urgent nowadays and has to be accomplished as quickly as possible. The pace in many walks of life is relentlessly on the increase. In its summer laboratory, the Centre d’art Neuchâtel is exploring this phenomenon with a project called «Hyperactivité». The rhythm is set: a vernissage per day in public space. The Centre by contrast is turned into a place where discussions and celebrations can be held at a more gentle pace. Further details at www.neuegalerie.ch



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Huber – chief of the gypsies

Robert Huber grew up as a «Verdingkind», a child hired out as a labourer. He was one of many victims of a campaign carried out by the Swiss Pro Juventute organisation right up to the 1970s, in which children of Yenish (gypsy) parents were systematically removed from their family to be «re-educated». Later in his life, Robert Huber did much to instil greater self-confidence into the Yenish people as president of «Radgenossenschaft der Landstrasse», a Yenish umbrella association. Willi Wottreng retraces the man’s life in his latest book entitled «Zigeunerhäuptling», published with the support of Pro Helvetia. Details at www.ofv.ch



Hand-writing as a cultural phenomenon

The art of aesthetically pleasing handwriting was taught at school as a matter of course in the 19th and well into the 20th century. It was put to practice in poetry albums, invitations, hand-written documents, and much else. In the digital age, however, hand-writing as a skill experienced a steep decline. Cultural anthropologist Paul Hugger explores this phenomenon in his richly illustrated book «Schön schreiben! Blüte und Zerfall einer Kultur». Further details at www.nzz-libro.ch



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The great spectacle

International theatre art, fine food and a unique atmosphere by the lake: From 19 August to 5 September, culture lovers can enjoy the stimulating evenings offered by the «Theaterspektakel» festival at the Landiwiese in Zurich. Besides international theatre, dance and music projects – with this year’s focus on East and Southeast Asia – the festival features a prime choice of Swiss artists such as Fabrice Gorgerat, 400asa, Mass & Fieber, Schtärneföifi, Zimmermann & de Perrot and Kolypan. More information at www.theaterspektakel.ch



Alphorns and dulcimer played in Shanghai

On 12 August it is Switzerland’s turn to be officially welcomed by the People’s Republic of China at the Expo 2010 in the presence of current President of the Confederation Doris Leuthard. Music to accompany the ceremony in Shanghai will be provided by vocal artist Erika Stucky and the alphorn duo The Roots of Communication. Things become even more folksy in the evening with contributions by string musicians Alder from Urnäsch and a folk dance duo from Appenzell. In the following days, the musicians will play for visitors to the pavilion. This series of concerts is enabled by Pro Helvetia in collaboration with Presence Switzerland. Details at www.swisspavilion.ch



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Swiss artists on tour: compass.prohelvetia.ch


Order a free subscription to Passages: www.prohelvetia.ch


One click to the website of Pro Helvetia Warsaw: www.prohelvetia.pl

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Pro Helvetia

Swiss Arts Council

Communication
Hirschengraben 22
8024 Zurich
E-Mail: communication@prohelvetia.ch
www.prohelvetia.ch

Editors: Isabel Drews, Elisabeth Hasler

Translations: Martin Striegel

Pro Helvetia supports and promotes Swiss culture in Switzerland and throughout the world.

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