Humans are currently facing complex crises on planet Earth. Since 2020, the performing arts sector has been disrupted. Now in 2023, we are at the intersection of old ways and new ways of doing. In this context, what does it mean to be a circus artist today? How can circus remain relevant in today’s contexts and how can circus help answer broader questions of human involvement in the world? 

For this year’s edition, Marie-Andrée will speak to the three seminars themes: Articulation, Innovation and Sustainability with starting point in her doctoral artistic research project, “Circus as Practices of Hope.” The lecture will open to a conversation on circus specificities and ethical considerations, and we will collectively reflect on how circus arts may remain practices of hope, solidarity, and care for the future. Read more about Marie-Andrée’s work her. Photo by Einar Kling Odencrants

This workshop looks at the specifics of dramaturgy for circus creation. Must a piece tell a story? Why are you creating this piece? Who is it for? What is the story you’re trying to tell? How do you arrive to a story, when you depart from your apparatus? What role does your circus apparatus play in telling this story? Does physical expression lend itself to a dramaturgic logic? The workshop offers a blend of theoretical and applied knowledge.

“International research points to the fact that cultural journalism, in addition to reporting and disseminating news, also increasingly places a cultural filter on the present, i.e. puts current trends and events into perspective and opens them to debate.” (Anne Liisberg) The role of culture journalism is central to framing performing arts, leading dialogue, and developing a vocabulary for different art forms. How do we write about performing arts and about circus? How does the physical translate into spoken language and written form? What do artists make of reviewes and critique, and how can they integrate it in future work? These questions and more inspire this workshop facilitated by culture journalist Anne Liisberg from ISCENE. The workshop is open to both circus/performing artists and writers/ participants with an interest in culture writing, at various levels of skill. Read more about Anne Liisberg and ISCENE here.

Everyone (from Denmark and abroad) is invited to the launch of a brand-new network for contemporary circus in Denmark! Come celebrate with us, meet the board, the members or maybe become a member. We are thrilled to invite you to a workshop of dreams and bubbles.  We’ll have a panel talk and open discussion, followed by a vision workshop, where participants are guided to imagine the future of circus, and trace the path from vision to reality, with a focus on sustainable development for the field. The launch event and workshop are presented in collaboration with DAF and Acting for Climate.

This session delves into some of the pressing details of a circus carrer, to discuss models and methods for balancing all sides of professional life. With the known gaps in the Danish contemporary circus field (precarious resources, lacking infrastructure), artists and companies find ways to thrive and create outstanding work. We invite artists and producers with a diverse career path to share lessons they’ve learned, tips and tricks of how to navigate successfully an intense sector, with a focus on crafting more sustainable work models. This session is open to all working in or with an interest for the culture sector – we recognize the interconnections of creative and culture work, and we invite to dialogue across art forms and professional backgrounds. This session is presented in collaboration with Udviklingsplatformen for Scenekunst.

In this session we create a meeting space for artists, creators, and producers with professionals in fields that blend artistic work with commercial contexts. How can circus artists and other performing arts creatives enter spaces such as the fashion world, the advertising industry, or the summer festival industry, while maintaining their unique artistic expression? What is the work and expectation dynamic in these professional relationships and how can artists at all career levels navigate it to the best of their interests? This session is presented in collaboration with Udviklingsplatformen for Scenekunst.