On December 12th, Congolese choreographer Faustin Linyekula received the Principal Prince Claus Award of € 100,000 from Prince Constantijn, Honorary Co-Chairman of the Prince Claus Fund, at the 2007 Awards Ceremony in ‘t Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in Amsterdam. Also present at the Ceremony were Her Majesty Queen Beatrix, the Prince of Orange, Prince Friso, Princess Màxima, Princess Laurentien, Princess Mabel and Prime Minister Balkenende. Faustin Linyekula prepared a new choreography on the theme 'Culture and Conflict' which he performed before approximately 600 specially invited guests. The Ceremony started with a lively performance by 2007 Awards Laureate Hollis Liverpool, alias Chalkdust, from Trinidad and Tobago. Musician, Historian and specialist in Calypso, Chalkdust had prepared a special Calypso song in honour of the Prince Claus Fund’s work supporting artists and culture around the world.
Take a look at some photos
The Prince Claus Fund has selected Culture and Conflict as an area of special interest and as the theme for the 2007 Prince Claus Awards.
Culture, for the Prince Claus Fund, is a basic human need. Culture has the power either to provoke or diminish conflict. This year the Prince Claus Awards honour artists and organisations that have worked to counteract the destructive power of conflict by opposing beauty to devastation, opening spaces and forms of dialogue, restoring respect for others and enhancing dignity and self-esteem.
Faustin Linyekula (1974, Democratic Republic of Congo) Describing himself as a storyteller, Faustin Linyekula uses movements, text, sound and images to communicate the complex experience of living in the violent conflict that has gripped his country for decades, and to help people examine and reconstruct their lives. The Prince Claus Fund honours Faustin Linyekula for his outstanding choreography, his bold return to Congo, his innovative stimulation of culture despite instability and turbulence, and his commitment to the development of his country. Read more
Patricia Ariza (1948, Colombia) is a director, actor, playwright and poet, and a leader in alternative and engaged theatre in Colombia, where an undeclared civil war has continued for nearly 40 years. Ariza is honoured particularly for her work with children, the elderly and local communities. Read more
Augusto Boal (1931, Brazil) is a theatre-maker and cultural revolutionary who developed his own model of socially engaged theatre by devising new techniques which are used in different fields of human activities like education, mental health and popular culture as well as in prisons and municipalities. Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed has inspired people and theatre experts worldwide. Read more
Emily Jacir (1970, Palestine) is a visual artist who employs a variety of media including film, photography, installation, performance, video, writing and sound to explore issues around conflict, including the experience of people in her homeland, Palestine, and around the world. Her work transcends national boundaries, resonating among many exiled communities and populations in conflict. Read more
Harutyun Khachatryan (1955, Georgia/Armenia) is an Armenian filmmaker who began his career in a period when the Soviet Union collapsed and inter-ethnic tensions were leading to war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. His films depict Armenian history and true reality with an exceptionally moving visual and poetic voice. In 2004, Khachatryan founded Yerevan's Golden Apricot International Film Festival, forging links internationally and stimulating local development. Read more
Ars Aevi (1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina) was founded by a group of intellectuals in 1992 as bombs were falling on Sarajevo. Their idea to create a museum of contemporary art that would be a symbol of belief in the future also exemplified their determination to restore the city as a crossroads of cultures and a place of tolerance. Read more
The Sudanese Writers Union (1985, Sudan), one of the few platforms for intellectual debate in the country, reflects the multi-cultural identity of Sudan, bringing together men and women writers from different disciplines, schools of thought, and regional and ethnic backgrounds. The Union engages in candid dialogue on social and political issues and is a model of a successful, democratic cultural organisation. Read more
Radio Isanganiro (2002, Burundi) is a private radio station founded by a group of Burundian journalists that has attracted an audience of more than four million listeners. By its method of deploying reporters in inter-ethnic pairs, striving, in contrast to much local media, for balance and avoiding sensationalism, Radio Isanganiro has helped change how Burundians think about themselves and others. Read more
Godfrey Mwampembwa, alias Gado (1969, Tanzania) is the most widely syndicated cartoonist in East and Central Africa. His daily cartoon is the most popular attraction in the prominent Kenyan newspaper The Nation. Gado’s courage inspires many journalists and the sharp analysis, stinging wit and humanity of his cartoons are contributing to democratisation and freedom of expression in East Africa. Read more
Oscar Hagerman (1936, Mexico) is an architect and designer committed to the use of design to improve the living conditions of marginalised people. For the past 35 years, Hagerman has collaborated with local indigenous communities in the development of beautiful and effective constructions (buildings and furniture) that incorporate their values and meet their needs.
Read more
Hollis Liverpool, alias Chalkdust (1941, Trinidad and Tobago) is an outstanding calypso musician, composer and performer who has developed music as a voice for the disadvantaged, a playful and effective way to criticise power and comment on controversial issues. As a teacher, historian and writer, he has explored the roots of calypso and contributed significantly to cultural research in Trinidad. Read more
Faustin Linyekula receives Principal Prince Claus Award from HRH Prince Constantijn on 12 December 2007 Photo: Capital Photos
HRH Prince Constantijn, HRH Princess Laurentien, Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You, Faustin Linyekula, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix, HRH the Prince of Orange, HRH Princess Màxima, HRH Princess Mabel, HRH Prince Friso, the wife of Faustin Linyekula and HE Prime Minister Balkenende.Photo: Capital photos
Faustin Linyekula performs on 12 December 2007 Photo: Capital Photos
The Committee for the 2007 Prince Claus Awards
Report from the jury (English)
Report from the jury (Spanish)
Since 1997 the Prince Claus Awards are presented annually to artists, thinkers and cultural organisations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Fund through its Awards programme, seeks to identify and celebrate artists, cultural groups and organisations in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, who are doing outstanding work to expose, analyse, reduce and resolve conflicts through their innovative cultural actions.
