Foundation

The SAPA Foundation collects, documents, archives and promotes works in the field of the performing arts (dance, theatre, performance) that have been produced in Switzerland, are related to Switzerland or are significant for Switzerland. All these documents form the Helvetica of the Performing Arts.

History

Three entities merged into two, and eventually consolidated into one: ASD, mediathektanz.ch, STS, CSD/STA evolved into SAPA. The SAPA Foundation, known as the Swiss Archive of the Performing Arts (Schweizer Archiv der Darstellenden Künste/Collection Suisse de la danse), emerged in 2017 through the fusion of the Swiss Dance Archive/Collection Suisse de la danse and the Swiss Theatre Collection. This foundation can trace its roots back to a longstanding tradition of collecting.

The Swiss Theatre Collection originated from the Swiss Society for Theatre Culture (SGTK), established in 1927. Its primary objective was not only to accumulate national and international theatre literature but also to gather visual materials and theatre building models. These artifacts were later made accessible to the public in a museum. While current goals may differ, remnants of this earlier collecting activity persist.

In 1993, Jean Pierre Pastori, a dance researcher and journalist, took the initiative in Lausanne to preserve the rich choreographic tradition around Lake Geneva. The iconic costume of Flore Revalles, the star of the Ballets Russes, swiftly became a highlight of the Archives Suisse de la danse.

Wolfgang Brunner in Zurich demonstrated a keen awareness that times and collections evolve. In collaboration with Eva Richterich, he founded mediathek tanz.ch in 2005 for the enduring archival of audiovisual recordings of dance productions.

Recognizing the benefits of a collaboration between East and West, the foundation stone for the Swiss Dance Archive/Collection Suisse de la Danse was laid in 2011.

The example caught on – with the merger of STA and STS, a new entity was created. Thanks to the different collection profiles of the predecessor institutions, the archive holdings complement each other, encompassing the performing arts from all of Switzerland and across all disciplines. SAPA has been diverse and multilingual since 2017

Strategy 2023-2027

In 2017, the SAPA Foundation emerged from the fusion between the Swiss Dance Archive and the Swiss Theatre Collection, after five years the fusion process is complete. Time to take stock and develop a strategy for the coming years.

The main concern remains the preservation of the cultural heritage of the performing arts in all its facets, and this in the age of digital change. SAPA appeals to the willingness of the public sector as well as private sponsors to support these developments and advocates for increased cooperation between the archival institutions.

Strategy 2023-2027

Annual reports

Board of Trustees

As the supreme body of the SAPA Foundation, the Board of Trustees, ensures that the Foundation pursues and achieves its goals.

Responsibility

The Board of Trustees is the strategic executive body of the Foundation and delegates overall operational management to the Director. The Board of Trustees is elected for a term of three years, with the possibility of re-election for two further terms. The Board of Trustees is composed of specialists in the fields in which the SAPA Foundation operates. This particularly relates to the following fields: archives and special collections, information technology, research and outreach, and communication.

Members

Jacques Cordonier, President

former Head of Service Centre for Culture of Canton Valais

Adrian Balmer

Commercial Director Lucerne Theatre

Alain Dubois

Cantonal Archivist, State Archives Valais

Paola Gilardi

Journalist and Publicist, Co-President Swiss Society of Theatre Arts SGTK

Stefan Länzlinger

Head of Archiving Department, Swiss Social Archives

Léonore Porchet

Politician, art historian

Prof. Dr. Christina Thurner

Professor of Dance Studies, Institute of Theatre Studies, University of Bern

Thomas Tribolet

Lawyer

Team

Responsibility for the three SAPA offices and their 20 qualified employees is held by the Director, Beate Schlichenmaier.

Presentation

The team comprises a total of 10 full-time equivalents.

They are supported by temporary employees as well as a pool of volunteers who provide their valuable expertise in specialised areas free of charge.

In terms of training, SAPA offers internships for budding information and documentation specialists, as well as other sector-related internship opportunities by arrangement.

SAPA also advocates professional and social integration and is a partner in the following institutions:

Benevol Bern
Diaconis Berner Stellennetz
GEWA
HEKS Visite Zürich-Schaffhausen
Kompetenzzentrum Arbeit
SintegrA Zürich
Stellennetz, Fachstelle für Arbeitsintegration Zürich