Grädel Jean

Jean Grädel studied German language and literature, art history, and theatre studies in Zurich after attending the teacher training seminar in Kreuzlingen. He completed several assistant directorships, including with Leopold Lindtberg in Zurich and Vienna, as well as at the Theater am Neumarkt Zurich. In 1971, he co-founded Theater Die Claque in Baden, the first independent theatre in German-speaking Switzerland. This was followed in 1976 by the founding of the Spatz & Co group in Baden, which performed professional theatre for children and young people. He held several theatre management positions: from 1988 to 1997 at Theater an der Winkelwiese Zurich, from 1997 to 2004 at Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zurich (alongside Armin Kerber), and from 2004 to 2007 at Theater an der Sihl Zurich. Afterwards, he worked as a freelance director. His extensive body of work encompasses around 200 productions, including numerous open-air productions.

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From 1991 to 1997, he headed the Theatre and Dance division at the Pro Helvetia arts council. For many years, he served as a member of the Board of Trustees, various committees, and juries, including the Thurgau Cultural Foundation from 1999 to 2012. In addition, he taught at drama schools, led workshops, and lectured in cultural management programmes. In 2004, he was named a "Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres", an honour conferred by the French Ministry of Culture, and in 2007 he received the Cultural Award of the Canton of Thurgau.