Circostrada – Details, episodes & analysis

The magic of the big top is undeniable, but what does it really take to create, produce, and tour under one?

In this episode of Crossing Voices, we explore the unique challenges and opportunities of staging performances in temporary circus tents.

To set the stage, Déborah Boeno, co-author of The Big Top Guide with Axel Satgé, as well as of a case study through the prism of eco-responsibility on the BIAC festival, introduces us to the fascinating world of big tops, where artistry meets logistical complexity.

Host Maaike Muis then brings together Julien Auger from Circus I Love You and Luke Hallgarten from the British company Revel Puck to discuss the intricate balance between tradition and innovation in contemporary circus. From financial and administrative hurdles to the raw realities of self-producing, they share honest insights and practical advice on what it takes to bring contemporary circus to life under canvas. At the end of this episode, you might also discover why it is better to not own cows...

Crossing Voices – Linking European and international perspectives in contemporary circus and outdoor arts is designed to highlight the voices of key players in these sectors. This podcast is part of the red thread followed by Circostrada’s new project, CS Voices, fostering ongoing dialogue on pressing issues and inspiring meaningful change in the arts and policymaking for a more inclusive and sustainable cultural landscape.

Production: Circostrada – Kinga Kecskes & Maaike Muis

Music: Blue Dot Sessions / Mixing-mastering Marius Kooy

More info & resources: circostrada.org

Art is a powerful tool for change, and this first episode of Crossing Voices explores just that. For its first episode ever, host Maaike Muis brings together Sergi Estebanel from Spain and South African artist-activist Tandile Mbathsa to discuss how art and activism intersect. Listen to Sergi speaking about transforming public spaces through rituals, while Tandile highlights the daily struggles of being Black, queer, and gender non-conforming in South Africa, using performance as a vessel for social change.

Crossing Voices – Linking European and international perspectives in contemporary circus and outdoor arts is designed to highlight the voices of key players in the contemporary circus and outdoor arts sectors. This podcast is part of the read-thread followed by Circostrada's new project, CS Voices. The podcast aims to foster a continuous dialogue on current issues, bringing together diverse perspectives to inspire meaningful change in both the arts and policymaking, thereby contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable cultural landscape.

Production: Circostrada- Kinga Kecskes & Maaike Muis

Music: Blue dot sessions

more info and resources check: circostrada.org

Next episode January 2025. Follow and subscribe to be the first to hear it.

What does SUSTAINABILITY mean in the Circus and Outdoor Arts sector? How do organisations like La Villette and Espace Périphérique apply it in their daily practice? This is AROUND FRESH 2023. A podcast series of seven episodes leading up to the FRESH 2023 event. Maaike Muis, host of this podcast serie, talks with Rémy Boris and Marie Chapoullié from 2R2C on SUSTAINABILITY. They will be host of the 3rd day of FRESH 2023. It's the 10th edition of the flagship professional meeting co-organised by Circostrada Network and ARTCENA, this time in collaboration with key partners located in Paris and its region. This not-to-be-missed “rendez-vous” will bring together contemporary circus and outdoor arts artists, programmers, journalists, producers, researchers, and policy-makers for three days of vibrant debates and exciting exchanges. Registration is open within the limits of 350 places available. Registration is open to everyone and is free, beside the booking of on-site lunches and a boat party ticket. https://bit.ly/FRESH2023REGISTER 

Credits:

This episode was produced, edited, and hosted by: Maaike Muis. Music: Blue Dot Sessions. With big thanks to Rémy Boris and Marie Chapoullié and from the Circostrada team Kinga Kecskes and Stéphane Segreto Aguilar. Subscribe to this podcast and be the first to hear new episodes!

What does SAFETY mean in the Circus and Outdoor Arts sector? How do organisations like La Villette and Espace Périphérique apply it in their daily practice? This is AROUND FRESH 2023. A podcast series of seven episodes leading up to the FRESH 2023 event. Maaike Muis, host of this podcast serie, talks with Eleftérios Kechagioglou and Mathilde Lajarrige from Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde in Bagneux about SAFETY

This is the second of three topics highlighted during FRESH 2023. FRESH 2023 is the 10th edition of the flagship professional meeting co-organised by Circostrada Network and ARTCENA, this time in collaboration with key partners located in Paris and its region. This not-to-be-missed “rendez-vous” will bring together contemporary circus and outdoor arts players, artists, programmers, journalists, producers, researchers, and policy-makers for three days of vibrant debates and exciting exchanges. Registration started on May 15 and is open within the limits of 350 places available.

Registration is open to everyone and is free, beside the booking of on-site lunches and a boat party ticket. https://bit.ly/FRESH2023REGISTER 

Credits: This episode was produced, edited, mixed and hosted by: Maaike Muis. Music: Blue Dot Sessions With big thanks to Eleftérios Kechagioglu and Mathilde Lajarrige and from the Circostrada team Kinga Kecskes and Stéphane Segreto Aguilar. Subscribe to this podcast and be the first to hear new episodes!

What does CARE mean in the Circus and Outdoor Arts sector?

How do organisations like La Villette and Espace Périphérique apply it in their daily practice?

This is AROUND FRESH 2023. A podcast series of seven episodes leading up to the FRESH 2023 event. Maaike Muis, host of this podcast serie, talks with Raffaella Benanti from La Villette and Sylvie Cadenat from Espace Périférique about CARE. This is the first of three topics highlighted during FRESH 2023. FRESH2023 is the 10th edition of the flagship professional meeting co-organised by Circostrada Network and ARTCENA, this time in collaboration with key partners located in Paris and its region.

This not-to-be-missed “rendez-vous” will bring together contemporary circus and outdoor arts players, artists, programmers, journalists, producers, researchers, and policy-makers for three days of vibrant debates and exciting exchanges. Registration started on May 15 and is open within the limits of 350 places available. Registration is open to everyone and is free, beside the booking of on-site lunches and a boat party ticket. https://bit.ly/FRESH2023REGISTER Credits: This episode was produced, edited, mixed and hosted by: Maaike Muis. Music: Blue Dot Sessions With big thanks to Raffaela Benanti and Sylvie Cadenat, and from the Circostrada team Kinga Kecskes and Stéphane Segreto Aguilar. Subscribe to this podcast and be the first to hear new episodes!

Credits:This episode was produced, edited, mixed and hosted by: Maaike Muis. Music: Blue Dot Sessions. With big thanks to Raffaela Benanti and Sylvie Cadenat, and from the Circostrada team Kinga Kesckes and Stéphane Segreto Aguilar. 

This podcast is a collection of the thoughts and ideas that came up during he first edition of Spark. An event that took place on April 28th to 29th 2022 in Tilburg (The Netherlands), co-organised with Festival Circolo. It was an event for discussing and imagining the future of big tops and exploring new possibilities for the mobility of circus tents and big tops,

Spark brought together a small group of participants combining Circostrada members, artists architects and designers that exchanged best practices, experiences and brainstorm collectively to come up with a list of recommendations to circulate within the field at local, national, and European levels.  

• introduction
• 1st experience under a big top, 2:28
• circus life, 5:30
• challenges. 9:47
• solutions and ideas 15:28
• the future 22:46
• credits 25:45

This podcast was commissioned by Circostrada and festival Circolo.

Interviews, productions and host: Maaike van Langen. Editing and coaching: Geert Vlieger. Music via Blue dot sessions.

Many thanks to:

All the participants of Spark Tilburg, in particular: Antonia Kuzmanic, Milan Manić, Nikola Mijatović, Marc Eysink Smeets, Anne-Agathe Prin, Jiri Turek, Anne Schaap, Nix Pretlover, Rik Makes, Tom Rack. Festival Circolo. Theater de Nieuwe Vorst and off course Circostrada. 

Circostrada is coordinated by ARTCENA and co-funded by the French Ministry of Culture and the Creative Europe programme of the European commission.  If you want to know more about Circostrada Network's missions, activities, members, latest news and resources, check out www.circostrada.org

The second day of FRESH 2023 was dedicated to the concept of safety in the arts started during a morning session at Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde. We had the pleasure of hosting a roundtable discussion with the facilitation of Chrissie Faniadis gathering Isabel Joly, Juhyung Lee, Clive Lyttle and Elisabeth Efua Sutherland, during which we have explored the importance of creating and maintaining safe creative spaces in order to regenerate the performing arts sector in general, and the circus and arts in the public space in particular.

On the third and last day of FRESH 2023 - International Event for the Development of Contemporary Circus and Outdoor Arts, we have explored the concept of sustainability. The day started with a morning session organised in partnership with De Rue De Cirque, inside the big top of Village de cirque festival.

To open the session we had Eric lenoir, landscape designer, and author, who invited us to reflect on how we can integrate systems of cooperation that are omnipresent in ecosystems into our ways of creating and working.

Marija Baranauskaitė Liberman and Andrea Salustri continued the journey via a 30-minute conversation on their mutual artistic practices through the lens of sustainability.

We also had the pleasure to host a roundtable discussion with the facilitation of Gwendolenn Sharp gathering Danielle Devery, Joris Janssens, Théo Mouzard (Collectif Etc), Olle Strandberg Colling, and Jin Yim who shared ideas about how solidarity and cooperation can foster a more holistic approach to sustainabilit