Most people think of the traditional circus when they hear the word “circus.” It features clowns, animal acts, acrobatics, juggling, and such.
But contemporary circus is more diverse. It is always in motion, changing form and content, making it unpredictable and never boring.
The Tilburg based circus festival ‘Festival Circolo’ sees contemporary circus as ‘a lovechild of circus, theatre, dance, music, design, visual arts and everything that is fantasized about’ that offers a place to come together.
Yet, this view on circus isn’t widely perceived as such. Why is this?
In this symposium, we will (re)introduce you to this art form and attempt to answer questions about the attraction of contemporary circus, the challenges it faces, the future perspectives, and what it is like to live a circus life.
Our speakers:
Cedric Stalpers
Lecturer Cedric Stalpers (Tilburg University, department of Psychology) dove into this issue en researched why the general public is unfamiliar with nouveau cirque.
Lucho Smit
Artistical director of Festival Circolo Lucho Smit is an experienced circus creator who has earned his spurs in the circus world, he will share his view on the contemporary circus and the interaction between circus makers and audience.
Alice Davies
Alice Davies is a 2024 graduate from the Circus Academy at Fontys’ University of applied sciences. She is currently researching sustainability in circus practices, exploring how change and diversity are essential to the art form.
More information
This symposium is organized by Studium Generale in cooperation with Festival Circolo.
* For students, this symposium may count towards the SG-Certificate. Check the SG-Certificate website for all the terms and conditions.
Recorded 8-10-2024