French theatre director and puppeteer Clément Peretjatko has been awarded the 2024 international “Prix Michael Meschke for the preservation and renewal of puppetry arts.”
Peretjatko graduated from ESNAM of Charleville-Mézières (National Superior School of Puppetry Arts), where Meschke was one of his teachers. He is also President of the UNIMA Europe Commission. (Union Internationale de la Marionnette).
Peretjatko’s multiple commitments include supporting and encouraging artists or companies of various nationalities facing material or political difficulties. Notably, he works to assist threatened companies in Ukraine, such as the Puppet Theatre of Mariupol.
The “Prix Michael Meschke” was founded in 2006 as a private initiative by theatre director and puppeteer Michael Meschke. The purpose is to promote threatened folk-art traditions and encourage artistic renewal. The prize consists of €5000 and a diploma, given every two years by a committee headed by Elisabeth Beijer Meschke in Stockholm, Sweden.
Award winners:
2006 AntigoniParoussi, docent, University of Athens, Greece
2008 Nang Yai-performers of Wat Ban Don, Thailand
2010 Mohammed Shamen, puppeteer, New Delhi, India
2012 Bernd Ogrodnik, puppet constructor, filmmaker, Borgarnes, Island
2014 PiewnamChalermyart, puppeteer, Bangkok, Thailand
2016 Bashar Sayouni, youth leader for Syrian refugees in Sweden
2018 The Leksand association for string puppets and figures, Leksand, Sweden
2020 KhinMaungHtwe, HtweOo Marionette Theatre, Yangon, Myanmar
2022 Irina and Roman Rudenko, Mariupol Puppet Theatre, Ukraine
2024 Clément Peretjatko, theatre director, puppeteer, Lyon, France
In the name of UNIMA International, congratulations on this well-deserved honor!