The Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim Foundation will take over the long-term patronage of the International Circus Festival YOUNG STAGE Basel and thus become a supporter and partner at the highest level. YOUNG STAGE, which is one of the world’s most important circus festivals, will take place for the 14th time in May 2023 and will once again make Basel the circus capital of Europe for one week.

Last year, the organisers of the International Circus Festival YOUNG STAGE Basel decided on a strategic reorientation with regard to partnerships with the aim of cooperating even more closely than before with cultural funding foundations and non-profit institutions. The meaningful promotional mission of the non-profit association is to come even more to the fore. The mission of YOUNG STAGE is to offer a platform and a job exchange to highly talented young artists from all over the world, to promote contemporary circus in general, to facilitate networking and to inspire children and young people. In the future, the strategy and implementation of partnerships should be even more compatible with the mission.

This mission will now be significantly supported by the Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim Foundation, which will take over the patronage of YOUNG STAGE with immediate effect. Festival director and founder Nadja Hauser is happy about the new cooperation: “The purpose of the Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim Foundation fits perfectly with the mission of our association. This new patronage partnership confirms the path we have chosen and gives us further courage and confidence to be able to carry out our festival at the same high level and to continue to promote talented, committed young artists from near and far in the future. Since the association’s meaningful promotional mission has top priority for our activities, the Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim Foundation is incredibly valuable to us as YOUNG STAGE’s new largest supporter.”

Managing Director Beat Läuchli adds: “Foundations have always been an enormously important component in the financing of our activities, which we can now further expand with the commitment of the Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim Foundation – in addition to the loyal commitment of the Christoph Merian Foundation, the Sulger Foundation, the cantonal Swisslos Fund and other foundations. Of course, we are also dependent on all our other partners – the Merian Iselin Clinic, IWB, the MCH Group and many others – to whom we would like to express our sincere thanks at this point”.

The Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim Foundation was established in 2013 to mark the 200th anniversary of Dreyfus Söhne & Cie AG, Banquiers. The aim was to combine the already existing considerable philanthropic commitment of the owner families and the bank in a foundation close to the house so that the foundation board can dedicate itself to charitable activities in a comprehensive, focused and unbound manner. The foundation pursues several purposes, which YOUNG STAGE unites on different levels. Dr. Theodor Lang, President of the Foundation Board, is also enthusiastic about the new partnership: “We have been accompanying and supporting YOUNG STAGE for many years and are pleased that the organisers are focussing even more strongly on charitable activities. YOUNG STAGE stands out so clearly from the large and commercial events in Basel. This has prompted us to sustainably increase our contribution and support by taking on the patronage partnership. We are happy and proud to be part of this chosen path in the future and thus to be able to contribute to enabling young, talented artists from all over the world to start their careers.”