Gessnerallee Zurich is a venue for contemporary performative arts and cooperates with local, national as well as international artists in the fields of research, production, presentation and touring. We are interested in collaborating with experienced artists, emerging artists and career changers. We see ourselves as hosts, collaborators, and enablers, and in our decisions we attach importance to making both sustainable, long-term collaborations and short-term planned projects possible.
Our focus is on the presentation and production of artists who are characterized by a high degree of reflection on social and/or aesthetic issues, who have a need for the continuous development of their artistic, aesthetic practice, who like to take risks and at the same time are sensitive to diversity and inclusion related topics and issues. Overcoming the underrepresentation of marginalized individuals and groups in the cultural field is a concern of ours. We therefore particularly encourage artists and career changers with structural experiences of discrimination to present themselves.
Artistic work is a process that always involves decisions for a certain aesthetic, for a certain form, for a certain theme - and thus leaves out other possibilities. Within the tension between the demand for openness and the need for omission, the ability to empathize, generosity, the joy of sharing, but also the will to make transparent decisions are important components of good cooperation for us.
For us, another focus is the constant examination of the question for whom we produce artistic works and how we can make the stay in our spaces as accessible, pleasant and stimulating as possible for a diverse audience. That's why we welcome the willingness to think about the visitor's perspective, the interest in the creative use of accessibility forms (such as audio description, sign language, relaxed performance, multilingual surtitles, etc.) and the collaboration in the design of communication tools.
Program decisions Season 24/25
The new program team for Gessnerallee's theater, dance, performance and music program is composed of the co-lead, program and production dramaturgy and music curation. The team is currently being assembled and will begin working in the fall of 2024. The curatorial processes will be accompanied by two permanent diversity agents. In addition, the program is critically and kindly mirrored from a diversity-sensitive perspective by the approximately five-member advisory board group Critical Friends.
New funding situation
Due to the new funding situation in the city of Zurich, the allocation processes for production funds are changing. From 2024, Gessnerallee will be able to award production funds, which previously had to be applied for from the city, directly to the artists. This will enable both long-term collaborations and short-term projects. We support artists in research, production, presentation, touring and also in larger projects as well as small try outs.
Artists with a focus of work in Zurich
Artists who see themselves as part of the Zurich artist community and are interested in a longer-term or short-term collaboration and are planning research, projects, labs, etc. in the 24/25 season can submit their plans to us by mail by October 15, 2023. The next opportunity for submission is March 15, 2024. Beginning with the 24/25 season, collaboration decisions will be made at shorter intervals every three to four months.
Open Calls
Beginning with the 24/25 season, Gessnerallee will offer regular opportunities to work on the house in specific formats through Open Calls. The first Open Call will be published in summer 2024, applications will be decided by an external jury.
International artists, guest performance requests
We will make program decisions for the first half of the 24/25 season also in the fall of 2023. International artists interested in co-producing, doing a residency, or presenting a guest performance can contact us starting in October 2023.
Contact
For questions, concerns, ideas, submissions, please contact co-directors Kathrin Veser and Miriam Walther at veserwalther@gessnerallee.ch. They are currently working for the Gessnerallee mainly on Mondays and Fridays in a reduced workload. Requests will be processed within two weeks if possible.
