> INSIDE: CITY RUN • START OF CHRISTMAS SEASON • BASELHEAD • WINE AND CHAMPAGNE TASTINGS • ANCIENT ART FAIR Volume 4 Issue 3 CHF 5 5 A Monthly Guide to Living in Basel November 2015 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, With the leaves already down and the ski season not yet upon us, November in Basel is not the most exciting month weather-wise. It is, however, sizzling International November 2015 Volume 4 Issue 3 with exciting activities and entertainment, starting with the fabulous Herbst- messe (Fall Fair) that is already in full swing, and ending with the official TABLE OF CONTENTS start of the Christmas season. During the last week of the month, the light- School ing of the Christmas illuminations, the opening of the Christmas markets, Events in Basel: November 2015 4–7 and the picturesque Stadtlauf (city run) all take place in the festively deco- Rheinfelden rated streets of Basel’s city center. In addition to the Christmas markets, November features many other markets Fun Outings: Beyond Basel 8 and fairs to suit every taste and interest. There are flea markets, a collec- tors’ market, sports market, a pharmacy antiques market, and of course the At academia we Markets and Fairs 9–11 beloved annual Anglican Church Christmas Bazaar. Various fairs feature the • Educate the whole individual: academically, socially, best of books, ancient art, youth education and travel, as well as weddings physically and emotionally and parties and everything that goes along with them. Festivals also abound, • Nurture students to reach their full potential and pursue Inside Basel: Basel and Books 12–13 celebrating film, art, food, gypsy music, the Czech composer Martinˇu, and excellence in everything they do the beauty of Iceland through CULTURESCAPES. And don’t miss the fantas- • Foster a love of learning and creativity tic new exhibits, from comic journalism to wildlife photography. • Develop compassionate global ambassadors Did you know? 14–15 • Emphasize team work and problem solving Above all, however, November is the month that offers the most diverse range of entertainment in Basel, from events that you can watch, such as Calendar: November 2015 16–17 Preschool / Primary / Pre-College (K-8) circuses, theater, comedy, interactive theater, musicals, variety shows, chil- • Bilingual Education (German/English) dren’s opera, Irish dance, or ballet, to those in which you can participate, like • Integrated Cambridge International Curriculum and Sports and Recreation 18–20 dance parties and classic ballroom dance. You also can enjoy tastings of Basel Stadt Curriculum French wines, Champagne, Amarone wines, and whiskies and bourbons. College (9-12) There is also an abundant range of concerts representing any type of format Workshops, Tours, and Education 21–23 and musical style. You can go to a matinée; family concert; choir perfor- • High Quality Exam Preparation mance; or chamber music, symphony, or philharmonic music concert. Mu- • Entry into Swiss and International Universities Entertainment: Night on the Town 24–31 sical styles range from classic and modern classic music to reggae, Gospel, jazz, blues, bluegrass, pipes and drums, Irish, folk music, and classic rock Phone +41 61 260 20 80 www.academia-international.ch bands like Bob Dylan, Scorpions, and Deep Purple. ■ English-medium day school: Ticket Office: Get Your Tickets Now! back page As always, there are numerous sports events to watch or participate in, such Kindergarten and Primary sections as the BaselHead rowing-regatta and the Stadtlauf. The “Räbeliechtli-Umzug” ■ Internationally recognised programmes Mark Your Calendar: Dec. 2015 / Jan. 2016 back page (turnip lantern procession) on St. Martin’s Day is also a delightful Swiss and qualifications t radition to experience. Finally, you can learn all about the long history of paper, printing, and books in Basel; a youth music competition; Basel’s Pro- ■ German second language fessional Women’s Group, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary; of instruction and how to support underprivileged children this Christmas both in Basel and abroad through an unusual gift exchange or the “Christmas in a shoe- ■ Individual coaching and mentoring box” program. ■ Part time options available Wishing you an entertaining month! Christine Global Christine Pesold Editor-in-Chief and [email protected] local Basel Life Magazine Staff: COVER: Those who make the exhausting Editor-in-Chief: trek up the 250 narrow stairs into the Passion for Christine Pesold towers of the Basler Münster are reward- Advertising & Subscription Manager / Editor: ed with a fantastic view of the city and the learning and success Susanne Hiller Rhein. Particularly the Münsterplatz below with its open spaces, trees, and Design & Print: surrounding historical buildings offers a For more information, please contact us on: Schwabe AG brand new perspective. One of these For more information about subscribing or advertising – please contact us: buildings is home to the Allgemeine Lesegesellschaft (Common Reading So- Tel: +41 61 831 06 06 | [email protected] ciety), which you can read more about in this issue of Basel Life Magazine. This info basellife.com beautiful building, which dates back to the 16th century, used to be the home of www.isrh.ch www.facebook.com/basellifemagazine the canon for the Münster, before it was purchased by the Lesegesellschaft. It www.basellife.com also houses the Basler Marionettentheater. BASEL LIFE MAGAZINE / BASEL FAMILY GmbH © Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. It is our goal to provide valuable, timely information to our readers. The opinions expressed in the articles in this magazine are those of the contributing authors and do not reflect those of other members of the editorial staff and of any organizations or agencies distributing this magazine. Though we make every attempt to provide accurate information, we cannot be held respon- sible if any event is cancelled, postponed, or modified. We encourage readers to contact the event organizers or their websites to obtain the most current event information. Please note: No part of this periodical may be duplicated in any fashion, or redistributed in any written language, without permission from the executive staff at Basel Family GmbH. If you have any questions, contact Basel Family GmbH staff at: info basellife.com. 2 Basel Life Magazine / www.basellife.com photo credit: © susanne hiller November 2015 3 ISRH_Inserat_en_90x270mm_Basel_Family_Magazin.indd 1 12.08.2015 11:03:46 Events in Basel: SeptemberNovember 2015 2015 Ben Vautier. Is Everything Art? Puppet Theater—Pinocchio Joe Sacco. Comics Journalist Until January 22, 2016 November 4, 11, 14, and 15 November 7, 2015 – April 24, 2016 Ben Vautier has been part of the art scene since the The Basler Marionettentheater will be pre- Joe Sacco (born 1960) is a Maltese journalist and cartoonist living in the late 1950s as an artist, performer, organizer, linguis- senting the classic story of Pinocchio, the United States. He has revived “comics journalism” and developed it to tic inventor, and re-thinker of art. He is one of the pio- wooden figure that comes to life one night perfection. Today, he is considered the most important representative neers of the Fluxus movement in Europe and is known when a fairy breathes life into him. Families of the genre. His reports from conflict zones offer deep insight into ar- for his text images that, using brief, pithy phrases, with kids starting at age 5 can enjoy this eas of the world where discrimination, hate, persecution, and war are equally question and challenge life and art. Museum magical story and the lost art of large-mari- ever-present. In his books, Sacco lends a voice to people suffering from Tinguely stages the first comprehensive retrospective onette theater. The shows start at 15:00, violent conflicts and thus arouses understanding and empathy in the of Ben Vautier’s works in Switzerland. Alongside an lasts 85 minutes (including intermission), readers. The raw material for Sacco’s reports consists mainly of inter- overview of the first 20 years of his creativity, Vautier and are in Basel dialect. Tickets can be pur- views conducted on site and is supplemented by intense research, in this exhibit sets up more than 30 rooms with over chased online, at Bider & Tanner, or at the sketches, and photographs. The exhibition at the Cartoonmuseum 400 works—comments on various social, artistic, and theater box office. Basel comprises more than 200 original drawings, from Sacco’s auto- political topics—and takes a stance. www.bmtheater.ch biographical and political early works to his well-known reports “Pal- www.tinguely.ch estine,” “Safe Area Goražde,” and “Footnotes in Gaza” and his latest satirical works. Clair-Obscur Film Festival www.cartoonmuseum.ch November 5–7 All are invited to the Markthalle for this 18th edition of the Clair-Obscur Räbeliechtli-Umzug (Turnip Lantern Procession) film festival, where you can expect the unexpected. There will be inter- November 11 CULTURESCAPES—Iceland 2015 Station Circus national movies of all genres, all lengths, and all kinds of performanc- Until November 28 November 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 12 es. A platform for the friends of the cinema, cineasts, and consumers A wonderful November tradi- of moving pictures. The organizers are dedicated to independence, tion in Basel and surrounding Each year, the CULTURESCAPES festival helps audiences gain a deep- Set up at the Dreispitz, Station Circus features various circus acts selflessness, ensuring artistic freedom, and accepting no compromise; areas, as well as other parts er insight into the current cultural and creative activities of a different throughout the year. They can be reached by trams 10 and 11 or busses they succeed in making the audience scrutinize what is being offered, of German-speaking Switzer- country. The focus of this 30th edition of CULTURESCAPES is Iceland. 36, 37, and 47, stop “Dreispitz.” which is a far cry from the usual commercial entertainment fare of TV land, is the Räbeliechtli-Um- The festival will be focusing on four different aspects of Iceland: nature November 1: The Nicole & Martin theater/circus group will be present- and movies.