Marcel Schwald

mars@paraform.ch

CV

Director, writer, dramaturg and performer. He studied "intercultural theatre and performance" at Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht and "applied theatre studies" at Giessen University. Federal Certificate of Proficiency as Commercial Executive in Art Trade (incl. Educator's Diploma). CAS Arts and International Cooperation, Zurich Academy of the Arts (ZHdK). (…)

His productions are shown internationally at theatres and festivals (e.g. Kaserne Basel, Dampfzentrale Bern, Schauspielhaus Zürich, Sélection Suisse en Avignon, Festival Impulse NRW, Beijing Fringe Festival, Het Veem Theater Amsterdam, International Theatre Festival Napoli). 

Awards

2022 - Basler Kulturpreis (Culture Award of the City of Basel) with Les Reines Prochaines & Friends (…)
  • 2021-2024 - Reso Programmer's Selection for "Touch Isolation", with Chris Leuenberger
  • 2018 - Danse&Dramaturgie, a program initiiated by Théâtre Sévelin 36, in collaboration with Dampfzentrale Bern, Tanzhaus Zürich, TU-Théâtre de l’Usine, ROXY Birsfelden
  • 2017 - Nomination as «Emerging director of the year» by «Theater heute» magazine's board of critics
  • 2015/2016 - PRAIRIE support for residency by Migros-Kulturprozent
  • 2014 - Swiss ministry of culture, Swiss dance award «Kulturerbe Tanz» 
  • 2013 - PRAIRIE, program of co-production by Migros-Kulturprozent with innovative Swiss theatre collectives
  • 2012/13 - Stücklabor Basel, writer-in-residency Konzert Theater Bern
  • 2010 - Kunstkredit Basel, free art project
  • 2008 - Pro Helvetia grant, international forum of Theatertreffen Berlin
  • 2006 - Mobile Academy Warsaw

Artist Statement

The pieces we create want to come close to people and provoke reactions. They are often  (…)

based on improvisation of actors and performers. Recurrent topics are social hierarchies and the possibility of self-empowerment. More recent works are critically reflecting eurocentric perspectives in political and aesthetic contexts and are aiming to think new perspectives on current globalisation issues. As a basis for these questions I may use classics from literature like Gertrude Stein's  "The Making of Americans" or phenomenons like the gender debate - as seen in our latest piece «EF_FEMININITY». Besides working as the sole director of pieces, I increased working collectively in transdisciplinary constellations, most frequently with choreographer Chris Leuenberger (documentary dance pieces such as „Kreutzberg“, „Ef_femininity“ and "Touch Isolation") or musical performances with the feminist art big band Les Reines Prochaines and Friends ("Let's Sing Arbeiterin*", "Alte Tiere - hochgestapelt!"). New activities include accompanying creative processes of colleagues such as Living Smile Vidya, Grazia Pergoletti and Chris Leuenberger or formats which transfer knowledge and foster exchange such as the late-night talks "WEIA WAGA" at the Opera of Basel with dramaturg Jonas Gillmann or collaborations with gender scientist Andrea Zimmermann ("The Art of Intervention").

 

Contact

 


mars@paraform.ch