Award for Amateur Choruses from Dresden

In 2023, the State Capital of Dresden presents the Award for Amateur Choruses from Dresden in 
various categories for the seventh time.

Preamble

Dresden’s amateur choruses contribute significantly to the city’s rich cultural landscape. They offer cultural education and participation, social exchange and active music-making within civil society. Singing is one of the oldest European cultural traditions, an art form that choruses maintain and pass on to future generations.
Once again, the award honours the many forms of active engagement of amateur choruses and their impact on the city’s social life. The State Capital sends a message of solidarity and commonality by presenting the Award for Amateur Choruses from Dresden. The Award symbolizes the idealistic and cultural value of these choruses for Dresden’s cultural landscape, while supporting the choruses during their rebuilding phase after the coronavirus pandemic. 
The Award for Amateur Choruses from Dresden consists of cash prizes as well as a public performance at the Kulturpalast. Creativity is the central focus of the Award. Open-mindedness, activism, diversity and continuity are its guiding criteria.

Conditions for Participation

The Award for Amateur Choruses from Dresden is open to mixed choruses, female and male choruses, children’s and youth choruses, school choruses (Category e only), jazz and pop choruses as well as vocal ensembles and church choirs. Eligible choruses 

• are based in the State Capital of Dresden,
• have demonstrably been working continuously for at least two years at the time of application, and
• have at least 16 active members (in the case of school choruses, 10 members), of which no 
  more than a quarter may be professional singers and voice teachers. 

Categories

The 2023 Award for Amateur Choruses from Dresden will be awarded in the following categories:

a. Interpretation of a Work
The award distinguishes the performance of any choral work in German or another language. Criteria
for assessment include the selection of the work, its rendition and arrangement (submission of a 
recording and score required). Accompaniment (piano, organ, instrumental ensemble or other) is 
permissible. When submitting your application, please select one concrete work which is to be 
judged by the jury.

b. Special Project
The award distinguishes the artistic quality of one special project. Assessment criteria include the chorus’ own initiative, creativity, networking, contemporary aspects as well as the project’s relevance within the city’s concert offerings. Accompaniment (piano, organ, instrumental ensemble or other) is permissible. When submitting your application, please select ONE concrete project from the years 2022 or 2023 which is to be judged by the jury.

c. Social Activism
The award distinguishes projects and/or long-term activities in the field of social activism (e.g. in the 
areas of education or young people’s programmes, pedagogical work with special groups, or inclusion) which go beyond the chorus’ core artistic work. Assessment criteria include relevance, participation and sustainability of the activities, but also the quality and integration of the projects into the chorus’ regular work.

d. European or International Activities
The award distinguishes projects and/or long-term activities with European or international aspects (e.g. in the fields of intercultural outreach or exchange with European and/or international partners or Dresden’s twin cities). Criteria here also include relevance, participation and sustainability of the activities, but also the quality and integration of the projects into the chorus’ regular work.

e. School Choruses
The award distinguishes outstanding school choruses (overall evaluation). Assessment criteria include all aspects of their work: repertoire, relevance within the school’s programme, quality, originality, activism etc.
Beyond these categories, one independent Special Prize will be awarded for outstanding choral work. 

Application and Procedure

Applications for the Awards must be submitted online by September 29, 2023 (receipt of the application within the DresdenCloud) and include the choice of category for which the applicant wishes to be considered. Every chorus can submit applications for a maximum of two categories (please fill out a separate application form for each category!). Every application should contain the following (as a minimum):

• The application form, filled out completely and signed
• A brief presentation of the chorus (profile, chorus biography, current plans, publications and 
  releases etc.)
• Audio samples (digital sound or video recordings or internet links)

All documents must be submitted digitally (mp4 files).

Applications must be submitted via the Dresden website:
www.dresden.de/de/kultur/kulturfoerderung/kulturpreise/foerderpreis-dresdner-laienchoere.php 

Due to the long application period and the technical specifications of the DresdenCloud, applications may be submitted exclusively via the link above.

The expert jury will make a decision on the Awards on the basis of the documents submitted by mid November 2023.

Prizes

In Categories a) through d), there will be three cash prizes each (First Prize: 1.200 Euro, Second Prize: 
850 Euro, Third Prize: 600 Euro). In Category e) (School Choruses) three equal cash prizes of 850 Euro each will be awarded without a ranking. The Special Prize carries a cash value of 1,000 Euro. The jury may decide not to award specific prizes in the various Categories, or to distribute them (depending on the number and quality of applicants) among other Categories. Furthermore, acknowledgment prizes may be awarded to non-winners. There is no legal claim to any of the prizes and awards.

The awards also include participation in the “6th Dresden Chorus Day” in 2024, scheduled for June 2, 2024 at the Kulturpalast. All winning choruses will be included in the prize-winners’ concert. 

Individual groups’ active participation in the concert programme, which is under the overall artistic leadership of Prof. Gunter Berger, Chorus Director of the Philharmonische Chöre Dresden, will be determined by the jury in consultation with the choruses. 

Jury and Evaluation

The jury for the 2023 Award for Amateur Choruses from Dresden includes:

• Prof. Gunter Berger, Chairman (Chorus Director, Philharmonische Chöre Dresden)
• 2 Members of the Dresden City Council
• Additional expert jurors

The evaluation of the applications submitted will take place using a system of points, taking into consideration the various assessment criteria for the individual categories