Unpack the Arts
Posted on 22 March 2015 — In: Featured
Unpack the Arts was a European project (2012-2014), with Circuscentrum as project leader, that provided residencies for cultural journalists in the context of twelve major festivals programming contemporary circus. The goal of the project was to facilitate the circulation of knowledge and experience, to develop the critical discourses of its participants, and to further the role of the media within the (circus) arts and contemporary society. Cultural journalists, critics and chief editors from any form of media were able to apply for the project.
Why Unpack the Arts?
The space available for arts and culture in ‘classic’ media is simply disappearing. Artists, critics and cultural workers in general lament this situation. Our concern is not to bolster ticket sales, but is instead to support the intellectual recognition of the artistic work; to bring about the institutional recognition that such visibility implies; to create opportunities to share knowledge and to discuss and disagree on the arts; and to find the most efficient way of reaching out to the masses…
The circus arts don’t yet have a high level of intellectual, cultural and institutional recognition in Europe, either at the local or the national level. Therefore political and financial support to this sector is low and there are structural weaknesses. There are strong imbalances in comparison to other creative areas and when comparing the realities between regions/countries.
Despite their public success, the circus arts are not covered by abundant literature, academic research, in-depth articles, reviews, etc – and artists themselves often experience difficulties in producing theoretical writing that communicates their practice, their creative processes and their productions. They rarely have the chance to exchange with critics and experts from the performing arts on theoretical or conceptual terms.
Another reason is that many arts writers are clueless about contemporary circus. Cultural journalists don’t know the disciplines and techniques, and overall they lack the contextual understanding to tackle a piece’s dramaturgical choices, to reference other productions, or to interview artists creating non text-based works.
What for?
>> To raise cultural journalists’ awareness of the contemporary circus scene by exposing them to artistic works and provoking discussions with key experts and artists – both on creation processes and on ways to engage with circus’ audience
>> To create a community within the press who are aware of circus’ vocabulary, history and influences, and who are able to produce literature and reviews of shows that encompass critical discourses on new trends and recognise the specific nature of circus dramaturgy
>> To offer media professionals ‘time and space’ to advance and explore their practice through intellectual encounters, artistic innovation within their work, and creative engagement across borders
>> To reach out to European citizens, in particular the ones who have a low level of cultural consumption and are usually under-represented at festivals and venues
Participants, shows and articles per residency
There were 12 residencies in 8 countries, spread over 2 years (August 2012 – February 2014). Journalists could only participate in one residency. Each residency was set within the framework of a major festival and followed the same format: over the course of 4 days, the participants contributed to a series of moderated thematic discussions, attended lectures by key circus experts, saw 3-5 shows, and met with and interviewed programmed artists along with a representative of the host festival.
After each residency, the participants delivered 1 article (approx. 2,000 words) in their native language. These texts were collected, translated in English and turned into an online, multilingual publication, with each article appearing both in its original language and as an English translation.
Twelve residencies with 10 cultural journalists, that means 120 articles in total. A great source of circus critique!
>> Copenhagen residency (DK) – Ny Cirkus Festival (15-18 August 2012)
Participating journalists: Ana Tasic (Serbia), Arthur Hofmeester (Holland), Bianca Visser (Holland), Christophoros Pavlakis (Greece), Daniela Firescu (Romania), Louise Finn (Ireland), Igor Ruzic (Croatia), Srdan Laterza (Croatia), Valentin Todorov (Bulgaria) and Zala Dobovsek (Slovenia)
Circus shows viewed: GLiMT with ‘Er du os?’, La Meute with ‘Tragédie Grecque’, Cie Un loup pour l’homme with ‘Face Nord’ and Subliminati Corporation with ‘#File_Tone’
Download the pdf
>> Auch residency I (FR) – CIRCa, Festival de Cirque Actuel (31 October-3 November 2012)
Participating journalists: Agnes Bakk (Hungary), Anna Bys (Poland), Despina Psalli (Greece), Dominique Duthuit (France), Gilles Kerdreux (France), Iva Nerina (Croatia), Laurence Bertels (Belgium), Marie Painon (France), Masenjka Bacic (Croatia) and Tamas Jaszay (Hungary)
Circus shows viewed: CNAC with ‘This is the end’, Chabatz d’Entrar with ‘Perchés’, My!Laïka with ‘Popcorn Machine’, Cirque Ici/Johann Le Guillerm with ‘Secret’ and Circa with ‘Wunderkammer’
Download the pdf
>> Zagreb residency (HR) – Festival Novog Cirkusa (8-11 November 2012)
Participating journalists: Cathy Blisson (France), Claudiu Groza (Romania), Duska Radosavljevic (UK), Evianna Lehtipuu (Finland), Liv Laveyne (Belgium), Miquel Valls (Spain/Catalunya), Pauline de la Boulaye (France), Roland Vermeylen (Belgium), Susie Wild (UK/Wales), Xenia Helms (Germany)
Circus shows viewed: Victoria Chaplin & Jean-Baptiste Thierrée with ‘Le Cirque Invisible’, Cie 14:20 with ‘Gravitation’, WHS/Kalle Hakkarainen with ‘Speed Blindness’ and Claudio Stellato with ‘L’Autre’
Download the pdf
>> Stockholm residency I (SE) – Subcase (13-16 February 2013)
Participating journalists: Donald Hutera (UK), Erica Smits (Holland), Eva Pomares (Spain), Ivan Jovanovic (Serbia), Matti Linnavuori (Finland), Nathalie Allard (Belgium), Nela Lazarevic (Italy/Montenegro), Nina Jääskeläinen (Finland), Orsolya Bálint (Hungary), Sally Stott (UK)
Circus shows viewed: Los Galindos with ‘Maiurta’, Chipmunk Forge with ‘Phagel’, Ruby Rose with ‘EAT IT!’, Patrik and Wes with ‘Between Someonesons’ and Cirkus Cirkör with ‘Knitting Peace’
Download the pdf
>> Brussels residency (B) – Hors Pistes & La Pistes aux Espoirs (28 February-3 March 2013)
Participating journalists: Bruce Dessau (UK), Cesc Martinez (Spain/Catalunya), Eeva Kauppinen (Finland), Filip Tielens (Belgium), Jasna Coce (Croatia), Judit Csaki (Hungary), Merja Koskiniemi (Finland), Mette Garfield (Denmark), Rosie Trump (UK), Zita Sandor (Hungary)
Circus shows viewed: Karl Stets with ‘Cuerdo’, David Dimitri with ‘L’Homme Cirque’, Carré Curieux with ‘Le Passage’, Claudio Stellato with ‘L’Autre’ and Jean-Paul Lefeuvre with ‘Ni Omnibus’
Download the pdf
>> Rotterdam residency (NL) – Circusstad Festival (1-5 May 2013)
Participating journalists: Bryan Birtles (UK), Florentina Bratfanof (Romania), Gergana Stoytcheva (Bulgaria), Jean Lee (UK), Katarina Hrgovic (Croatia), Katerina Vlckova (Czech republic), Liliana Coutinho (Portugal), Natalia Skoczylas (Poland), Sara Nyberg (Finland), Ulla-Alexandra Mattl (Austria)
Circus shows viewed: Cie La Meute with ‘La Meute’, Gandini Juggling with ‘Smashed’, Cirque Inextremiste with ‘Extrêmités’, Leandre with ‘No Sé’, Cie Sacékripa with ‘Vu’ and Blick Théâtre with ‘Weird Night of Illusion’ (work in progress).
Download the pdf
>> Helsinki residency (FI) – Cirko festival (8-12 May 2013)
Participating journalists: Brecht Hermans (Belgium), Igor Buric (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Jelena Jindra (Croatia), Karin Van de Wiel (Holland), Lyndsey Winship (UK), Maja Mrdenovic (Montenegro), Nika Arhar (Slovenia), Nino Kovacic (Croatia), Sara Van der Kooi (Holland), Sergio Lo Gatto (Italy)
Circus shows viewed: Agit-Cirk with ‘Tenho’, Magmanus with ‘Attached’, Jay Gilligan with ‘Prototype’, Gandini Juggling with ‘Smashed’, Sanja Kosonen and Elice Abonce Muhonen with ‘Capilotractées’ and Circo Aereo with ‘Light Blue and Orange’
Download the pdf
>> Marke residency (B) – Humorologie, Festival of Emotions (27-30 June 2013)
Participating journalists: Adolfo Rossomando (Italy), Andreea Stiliuc (Romania), Elina Cire (Latvia), Helen Babbs (UK), Katalin Szemere (Hungary), Katharine Kavanagh (UK), Katri Kekalainen (Finland), Laura Dodge (UK), Seda Nigbolu (Germany), Zvonimir Peranic (Croatia)
Circus shows viewed: Are you in town? with ‘Jump or Fall’, Cie Pol & Freddy with ‘Le Cirque Démocratique de la Belgique’, Gandini Juggling with ‘Smashed’, Cie 111 with ‘Sans Objet’, Cirk La Putyka with ‘La Putyka’, Los Galindos with ‘Maiurta’.
Download the pdf
>> Edinburgh residency (UK) – Edinburgh Festival Fringe (13-16 August 2013)
Participating journalists: Andrea Radai (Hungary), Catherine Makereel (Belgium), Constança Carvalho Homem (Portugal), Darinka Pilari (Hungary), Hana Strejckova (Czech Republic), Ilka Franzmann (Germany), Laura Bevione (Italy), Lene Van Langenhove (Belgium), Maja Hrgovic (Croatia), Martin Kudlac (Slovakia)
Circus shows viewed: Jeanne Mordoj/Company Bal with ‘La Poème’, Cie Non Nova with ‘L’après-midi d’un foehn’, Casus with ‘Knee Deep’, 3 is a Crowd with ‘Fright or Flight’, Circa with ‘Wunderkammer’, NoFit State with ‘Noodles’, La Clique with ‘Cabaret’
Download the pdf
>> Auch residency II (FR) – CIRCa, Festival de Cirque Actuel (18-21 October 2013)
Participating journalists: Agne Biliunaite (Lithuania), Alan Misiewicz (Poland), Dario Todorovic (Croatia), Herman Bashiron Mendolicchio (Italy), Nicolás Agüero Canessa (Argentina/France), Petra Zist (Slovenia), Tessa Overbeek (Holland), Thomas Schaupp (Germany), Ivana Slunjski (Croatia), Zane Radzobe (Latvia)
Circus shows viewed: Akoreacro with ‘Klaxon’, Aurélien Bory & Groupe acrobatique de Tanger with ‘Azimut’, Cridacompany with ‘Manana es manana’, Cirque Aïtal with ‘Pour le meilleur et pour le pire’, Cie La Meute with ‘La Meute’, Cie Pré-O-Coupé / Nikolaus with ‘Tout est bien !’
Download the pdf
>> London residency (UK) – London International Mime Festival (9-11 January 2014)
Alen Biskupovic (Croatia), Anna Hakansson (Sweden), Anna Krolica (Poland), Amèlia Bautista Batllori (Spain), Bauke Lievens (Belgium), Joost Goutziers (Holland), Natasha Hassiotis (Greece), Orjan Abrahamsson (Sweden), Robert Alagjozovski (Macedonia), Veronika Stefanova (Czech Republic)
Circus shows viewed: Company Non Nova with ‘L’après-midi d’un Foehn’, Company MPTA/Mathurin Bolze with ‘A Bas Bruit’, Fuerzabruta with ‘Fuerzabruta’, Company Non Nova with ‘Vortex’
Download the pdf
>> Stockholm residency II (SE) – Subcase (12-15 February 2014)
Anke Hellmann (Germany), Antonija Letinic (Croatia), Diana Damian-Martin (UK/Romania), Grzegorz Kondrasiuk (Poland), Ingrida Gerbutaviciute (Lithuania), Javier Jimenez (Spain), Léa Lescure (France), Marc Serena (Spain), Moïra Dalant (France), Olya Stoyanova (Bulgaria)
Circus shows viewed: Ilmatila with ‘Compositions for Air and Space’, Water on Mars with ‘The Show’, Ron Beeri with ‘YAD’, Kapsel with ‘Bevis’ and Magmanus with ‘Attached’
Download the pdf
Guide to funding opportunities for cultural journalists in Europe
The partners of Unpack the Arts approached On the Move in 2012 to work on a specific guide to funding opportunities for European cultural journalists’ mobility, based on the model of the Guide to Funding Opportunities for the international mobility of artists and cultural professionals in Europe.
The research team quickly realised how limited the sources of funding for the mobility of cultural journalists are. After consultation with the Unpack the Arts partners, it was decided to revise the content of the guide in order to complement the information presented with a research section and produce a more complete advocacy tool for those lobbying national and EU funders and policy-makers. The research/advocacy section is based particularly on the feedback given by the first groups of cultural journalists to take part in the Unpack the Arts residencies.
This document therefore has a double aim:
(1) to help cultural journalists identify creative ways to fund their mobility, and
(2) to advise policy-makers and funders on how to support cultural journalists’ mobility as a concrete way of enhancing cultural diversity, cultural participation, the professionalisation of cultural workers, and the importance of the role of culture in Europe.
You may be interested in this publication if you are:
> Arts writers, critics and theorists, working for (online) magazines, newspapers, radio, television, new media platforms, or any other form of media;
> Media professionals focusing on the arts in general;
> Writers and researchers in the cultural field with access to any form of media for the occasional publication of your writings;
> Freelance, self-employed or employed by a media or cultural organisation;
> Policy makers and/or cultural mobility funders
Partners & support
Unpack the Arts was a European project funded with support of the Culture Programme of the European Union.
Project Leader: Circuscentrum
Co-organisers: Copenhagen International Theatre, CIRCa, Subtopia, Mala prsa – Festival novog cirkusa, Les Halles de Schaerbeek, CircusInfo Finland, Circusstad Festival Rotterdam, Humorologie – Festival of Emotions, Crying out Loud
Facilitator on all residencies: Yohann Floch
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.