Circuscentrum

About Circuscentrum

Posted on 24 March 2015 — In: Featured

Through its activities and projects Circuscentrum aims to turn Flanders into a flourishing circus region, with wide cultural support and the best possible development opportunities. Circuscentrum is the official link between the Government of Flanders and the circus sector.

Contact

Circuscentrum (Flemish Centre for Circus Arts)
Dok Noord 4F 001
9000 Ghent – Belgium
T +32 9 233 85 89 // info[at]circuscentrum.be
IBAN BE54 8939 4404 6097

What we do

The activities of Circuscentrum are built around five pillars:

>> Artistic support
Provide career support to Flemish circus artists – for new emerging talent and established performers alike. The keywords are creation, artistic advice, distribution and promotion.

>> Pedagogic support
Provide the necessary refresher training for teachers, artists and young artists. Monitor the artistic and educational value of the network of youth circuses.

>> Documentation centre
Protect, promote and honour Flemish circus heritage. Preserve and provide access to relevant literature and images.

>> Promotion & communication
Promote the Flemish circus sector, Flemish circus policy and Circuscentrum itself through various channels. Put the circus arts higher on the agenda of policy-makers and the media, and raise awareness in other art sectors.

>> International branding
Position the Flemish circus arts as a high-quality brand abroad, and engage in relevant European networks and projects.

Want more? DOWNLOAD OUR PRESENTATION BROCHURE.

Who we are

Director
Koen Allary
koen[at]circuscentrum.be

Administrator
Nele Vertriest
nele[at]circuscentrum.be

Communication
Maarten Verhelst
maarten[at]circuscentrum.be

Artistic support
Julie Descamps
julie[at]circuscentrum.be

Pedagogical support
Peter Smets
peter[at]circuscentrum.be

Documentation centre
Mui-Ling Verbist
mui-ling[at]circuscentrum.be

Secretariat
Brigitte Maeyens
info[at]circuscentrum.be

A brief history of Circuscentrum

Circuscentrum was founded in 2007 out of the non-profit organisation Circusvlo. Since 2001, Circusvlo had been the representative for a range of associations involved in amateur circus arts, working mainly on the educational and artistic development of youth circus and amateur circus arts.

Since the transition from Circusvlo to Circuscentrum, our tasks have become more extensive: the recreational division remains an important component of our organisation, complemented by focuses on the professional circus environment and circus arts heritage. Continuing initiatives such as the documentation centre and various communication projects have evolved accordingly.

In 2009, a five-year management contract was signed by Circuscentrum and the Flemish authorities, granting a yearly average subsidy of 685,000 Euros. In 2014 the second five-year management contract (with the same amount of subsidy) was signed. The policy plan for the years 2014-2018 was drawn up using five cornerstones: artistic support, pedagogical support, the documentation & knowledge centre, communication & promotion, and the concept of a dynamic organisation. All activities are tested against this policy plan. The underlying objective is an improvement in the quality of circus arts in Flanders.