COINCIDENCIA team is changing!
Starting on May 20 2019, we welcome a new Head of COINCIDENCIA in Zurich: Tobias Brenk. Tobias studied Applied Theatre Studies in Giessen and worked for 10 years as curator and production manager at the Kaserne Basel, a centre for contemporary theatre, dance, performing arts and innovative popular music in Switzerland. From 2012 to 2016, he worked as a curator for the international Theaterfestival Basel, whose artistic direction he took over for the 2018 festival edition.
The position was previously occupied by Jasper Walgrave, who is leaving Pro Helvetia to continue his academic studies. For his doctorate degree project he will conduct an investigation of cultural relations between Switzerland and South Africa during apartheid (1948-1994). Jasper started working for Pro Helvetia in 2007 as head of the Southern African Liaison Office, first in Cape Town, then in Johannesburg. Since 2014, he was based in Zurich, first as the head of the Pro Helvetia Liaison Offices, then heading COINCIDENCIA.
Another change is in progress: from June 2019, the Regional Coordinator for South America will be Maria Vial, based in Santiago, Chile, who also continues as the programme agent for Chile, Bolivia and Peru. Vial studied theatre, sound, dance and literature and has worked with several Chilean directors and choreographers. She co-founded «Nave», carrying out its co-direction until 2018. Nave is a creation and residency centre whose mission is to support, collaborate and nurture processes of creation and investigation of the Live Arts in Santiago.
Benjamin Seroussi is leaving the regional coordination to focus on fatherhood and on the project «Casa do Povo», which he directs in São Paulo, where he also worked as an associate curator of the «31st Bienal de São Paulo» in 2014, and as a chief-curator of «Vila Itororó Canteiro Aberto», from 2014 to 2017. Consequently, Catarina Duncan, the current agent for COINCIDENCIA in Brazil, takes over the representation of the program in the country completely.
In the name of Pro Helvetia and the COINCIDENCIA team, we would like to thank Jasper Walgrave and Benjamin Seroussi for the great job they have being doing with us!
