What is ERIK?
ERIK is a sculpture, the author of which is artist Jaroslav Doležal
ERIK, although being a bird ( and at a closer look you might note that it is sitting on an egg - most certainly from the puppet's nest - and waiting what will hatch out of it), his likeness to Dr. Erik Kolár, a prominent Czech director, theoretician, pedagogue and extraordinary person, is not accidental.
For the privilege of obtaining votes vie the performances of the professional as well as amateur puppet companies and groups, which is a complete novelty in the awarding of prizes (and not only in the field of the puppet theatre)
UNIMA - ERIK Prize
UNIMA Prize
was awarded in the years 1991-1995, on the basis of a decision by the Committee of the Czech UNIMA Centre, to the best individuals and ensembles for a distinct act in the sphere of the professional and amateur puppet theatre.
1991
Professional sphere
Doc. Josef KROFTA - for the conception and realization of the KALD DAMU (branch of the alternative and puppet theatre at the Prague DAMU) /Academy of Drama/ project.
Amateur sphere
Ing. Jiří VOREL - for the unique promotion of the traditional Czech puppet theatre at the General Exhibition
1992
Professional sphere
Marek BEČKA (together with the ensemble "Buchty a loutky" (Yeast cakes and puppets) - for the production of "Tajemny cizinec" (Mysterious Stranger)
Amateur sphere
MUDr. Karel ŠEFRNA - for the production "Tak trochu" (Rather a bit)
1993
Professional sphere
Jiří VYŠOHLÍD - for production and direction contribution
Amateur sphere
Ivana FAITLOVÁ
1994
Professional sphere
Dr. Jan DVOŘÁK - for the revival of puppeteering activities and broadening its spectrum (projects at home and abroad)
Amateur sphere
Olga STRNADOVÁ
1995
Professional sphere
Tomáš DVOŘÁK - for the work of directing in the field during recent times.
Amateur sphere
Ivana FAITLOVÁ
1996
No prize has been awarded
UNIMA - ERIK prize
On the basis of the decision by the Committee of the Czech UNIMA Centre, the UNIMA prize (awarded by the committee's decision to personalities or ensembles) was in 1997 changed to the ERIK Prize, awarded for the best staging of the season based on a vote by the members of the Czech Centre of UNIMA (by mail or ballots submitted during "The Flight Over the Puppet Nest")
The results of the vote:
1997
1998
In 1999 the UNIMA Committee decided on the change of the voting system for awarding this prize. As of that year the ERIK Prize is being awarded on the basis of a poll of the audience participating in the festival One Flew over the Puppeteer´s Nest + the votes of UNIMA members + the votes of selected experts and the broader public in the field of art.
The results of the poll:
1999
Zlatovláska (Goldilocks) - performance by author Vítězslav Marčík (Theatre Studna Hosín)
2000
Sávitrí - a poetic staging of shadow theatre as presented by the Líšeň Theatre.
In 2001 a new statute of the ERIK Prize was drawn up, according to which ERIK will, as of this year, be given for the best performance of the past season on the basis of a vote by a jury set up by the Committee of UNIMA Centre but equally composed of the representatives of amateur, professional, independent and statutory theatres.