The Ministry of Culture has announced that José Antonio Portillo is the recipient of the National Prize for Performing Arts for Children and Youth 2026. The jury praised his "career as a set designer, educator, and creator, where through immersive installations such as 'Biblioteca de cuerdas y nudos' and 'Biblioteca de ruidos y sonidos', he has uniquely combined the abstract and the concrete through a fascinating personal language."
Portillo has been awarded the prize for his work 'El museo del tiempo', which has actively engaged audiences of various ages, creating a vibrant and evolving universe through his poetic devices.
The National Prize for Performing Arts for Children and Youth recognises the significant contributions of individuals or entities in the field of performing arts aimed at young audiences, typically through a work or performance made public or presented during the previous year.
About José Antonio Portillo
José Antonio Portillo is an author, theatre director, set designer, and school teacher. He gained recognition with 'Artilugios para contar y crear historias', presented at the Teatralia Festival in 1998, and later at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith in London and Teatro Piccolo in Milan in 2000. Between 2002 and 2004, he participated in the European project Percursos: Projecto Artístico Europeu para um Público Jovem, developed by the Centro Cultural Belem in Lisbon, where artistic projects such as 'Museo del Tiempo' and 'Biblioteca de cuerdas y nudos' were created.
In 2016, alongside Enric Monfort, he created the stage project 'Biblioteca de ruidos y sonidos' in collaboration with the Instituto Valencia de Cultura, ADDA of Alicante, and Caja de Burgos. His community art projects include 'Caminos orgánicos', 'Archivo de gestos emocionales', and 'Museo del Tiempo'. His works have been showcased in prominent national and international venues, including the SBC Southbank - Royal Festival Hall in London, Het Paleis in Antwerp, the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space, the Zona Franca Festival, Teatro delle Briciole in Parma, Teatre Lliure in Barcelona, and Teatre Principal in Valencia.
Portillo has been a finalist multiple times for the Max Awards and has participated in the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space. He has received various accolades, including the Best Children's Performance Award from the Generalitat Valenciana, the 11th Performing Arts Projects Award from Lleida, and the Best Edited Children's and Youth Book Award in 2004 for 'Artefactes', an illustrated album.
Jury composition
The jury, chaired by Javier Monsalve Iglesias, the General Director of Performing Arts and Music, and vice-chaired by Paz Santa Cecilia Aristu, the General Director of the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music, included members such as Marta Betriu Roure, Joan Arqué Solà, Estrella Matutina García González, Rosa María Díaz Martínez-Falero, Jokin Oregi Iñurrieta, Itziar Pascual Ortiz, and Eulalia Ribera Sorolla, representing ASSITEJ (National Prize for Performing Arts for Children and Youth 2025).
Previous winners
In past editions, the award has been given to several notable recipients, including Los Titiriteros de Binéfar (2009), Aracaladanza (2010), La Rous Teatro (2011), Teatro Paraíso (2012), Máquina Teatral Teloncillo S.L (2013), and many others up to the most recent winners, L’Horta Teatre (2023), Escena Miriñaque (2024), and ASSITEJ (2025).
