Erasmus Prize 2014 awarded to Frie Leysen

Frie Leysen (1950) is a fearless champion of the arts and contributes to innovation in international theatre. She is a vigorous advocate of unknown theatre-makers, driven by her own artistic curiosity coupled with a desire to give audiences a special experience. She is always searching for new generations of artists and new forms of theatre, and is committed to providing a podium for non-Western productions in Europe.

Between 1980 to 1991, Frie Leysen was the founding director of deSingel in Antwerp. Under her management, deSingel became an internationally renowned arts centre with a unique programme. In 1994 she founded the bilingual Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussels. In the ten years that she headed this festival, it grew into an influential festival for both Belgian and international arts. In the following years, she expanded her area of work to extend into Europe and beyond. Since 2014 she is working as theatre director of the Vienna Festival in Austria.

The Erasmus Prize is awarded annually to a person or institution that has made an exceptional contribution to culture, society or social science. The award consists of a cash prize of € 150,000. The award ceremony will take place on a date to be determined in the autumn of 2014.