International Ibsen Award for Christoph Marthaler

Dear Sir or Madam,

Dear Colleagues,

Christoph Marthaler, associated artist of the Ruhrtriennale 2018 – 2020, is to receive the International Ibsen Award. Founded by the Norwegian government, the award is considered one of the most prestigious accolades worldwide in the field of theatre and includes prize money of 2.5 million Norwegian kroner (about 260,000 Euros).

“Christoph Marthaler has been one of the world’s most important and influential theatre directors for more than 30 years”, says Per Boye Hansen, chairman of the jury of the International Ibsen Award. He has created his own unique stage language “that paves the way for new insight into interpersonal relationships and has inspired a large international audience”.

Previous recipients of the International Ibsen Award include the British theatre director Peter Brook, the Norwegian author Jon Fosse and the director and theatre scholar Heiner Goebbels, who received the award during his directorship of the Ruhrtriennale 2012 – 2014.

Stefanie Carp, director of the Ruhrtriennale 2018 – 2020: “I am delighted for Christoph and I think it is also a good omen for his work at our festival.”

Vera Battis-Reese, managing director of Kultur Ruhr GmbH: “Congratulations to Christoph Marthaler on this major award. We are also absolutely delighted that, after Heiner Goebbels, a second central artist of the Ruhrtriennale has now been honoured with the Ibsen Award.”

The Ibsen Award will be presented during the International Ibsen Festival, which is to be held in September 2018at the National Theatre in Oslo.

Further information on the award and the detailed justification of the jury can be found on the website of the International Ibsen Award: https://www.internationalibsenaward.com/press/