These are the Piket Art Prizes nominees of 2020

"My housemate thought there was a fire," Jonge Poerink says about her nomination. "Luckily, it was just good news. I am incredibly happy and proud. It’s always nice to hear that you've done something right. And especially during this tough time of crisis, I could really use some good news," says the actress, who is known for roles like In My Head, I Am a Thin Girl.

"In this time of corona, it is very difficult for artists, especially young artists, to be visible," says jury chairperson Winnie Sorgdrager. Therefore, this year the foundation has allocated a support contribution of 2,000 euros for the nominees to help them get through this time. This is important for our society. Art is inspiring, art can provide comfort, and we must not forget that, especially in difficult times." For this reason, the foundation's board has allocated an additional 18,000 euros this year, bringing the total to 42,000 euros.

Boston Gallacher, a dancer with NDT 1, was also nominated in 2018. "This nomination is just as much of a surprise as the first one," says the Scottish Gallacher. Painting nominee Afra Eisma finds the nomination "fantastic." "I was really pleasantly surprised."

The expert jury Painting discusses the nominees.

The expert jury Dance discusses the nominees.

The expert jury Dramatic Arts discusses the nominees.

The jury

A professional jury selects the nominees and winners in each discipline and identifies the young talents that stand out. This year, the jury consists of chairperson Winnie Sorgdrager (former minister, former chairperson of the Council for Culture), Suzanne Swarts (director of Museum Voorlinden), visual artist Joncquil de Vries, Stacz Wilhelm (former artistic director of production house Korzo), Isabelle Chaffaud (MEYER-CHAFFAUD), John de Weerd (programmer at Zaal 3 and the Parade), and Antoinette Jelgersma (actress at Het Nationale Theater).

Announcement of winners and exhibition

In November, the three winners per discipline will be announced. They will receive a cash prize of 8,000 euros and an award, which will be created this year by former nominee Suzie van Staaveren. From July 10 to August 31, there will be a small exhibition on the second floor of the Central Library at Spui in The Hague showcasing the Piket Art Awards, with videos about the awards and the nominees.

About the Piket Art Awards

The Piket Art Awards have been presented since 2014 to young professional artists who have a connection to The Hague, either because they developed there or because their work contributes to the cultural climate of the city. The award is named after Frederik Hendrik Piket (1927-2011), a lawyer and member of the Dutch Senate for the CHU (later CDA), who was a great lover of art and culture. After his passing, a foundation was established to annually support three promising artists under the age of 30 with an award.

Photo: Hessel Waalewijn