Circuscentrum

Some of our projects

Posted on 24 March 2015 — In: Featured

Circuscentrum does a lot. Really. We are a knowledge centre, we offer educational programmes, we support artistic creation, we publish CircusMagazine, we protect and promote the circus heritage, we are internationally active, we organise a festival and a convention, and we represent the circus sector for the Flemish authorities. Here’s a selection of some of our projects:

CircusMagazine

With a circulation of 4500, CircusMagazine is one of the most widely read circus arts magazines in Europe. In this quarterly publication we cover new and traditional circus, professional and youth circus, the work of artists and programmers, national and international news, and the past and future of circus, with beautiful pictures and great articles. All in Dutch, but a selection of articles is translated in English and published on the English pages of our website.
>> www.circuscentrum.be/en/magazines/circusmagazine

Living Circus Treasures

Some people possess so much expertise and experience around a certain craft that they can be described as ‘living human treasure’. Capturing and sharing their knowledge and stories is the ideal way to keep the intangible cultural heritage alive. On the circus level we like to speak of ‘Living Circus Treasures’: valuable circus figures that carry a wealth of information. Circuscentrum records the testimonies of these people on a regular basis.
>> www.circuscentrum.be/livingcircustreasures (sorry, mostly in Dutch)

Educational programmes

Circuscentrum offers a few important educational programmes, both pedagogical and artistic: BIC (a 20 day course to become a circus teacher); Training the trainers; Masterclasses for artists; ESAC-stage (a 10 day course for young talent) and more.
>> www.circuscentrum.be/vorming (sorry, only in Dutch)

Support for traditional circus

Traditional circus is an important aspect of circus today. Circuscentrum supports the few traditional circuses who still travel across Flanders. We bring them together and give them advice. We promote and support them in relation to local authorities. We created a great publication for the local authorities to optimise the hosting of a traditional circus in a town or city. We also have the project ‘young talent in the tent’: we drop a young artist (a graduate from a circus high school) into a traditional circus for a few weeks. That way, both parties come to know each other’s realities and the worlds of ‘new’ and ‘old’ circus can converge.

Circus Convention

Together with the youth circuses in Flanders we annually organise a Circus Convention in Dommelhof, Neerpelt. It’s a two-day gathering of more than 300 circus practitioners, with workshops, trick sharing, competitions, circus shows, and more.
>> www.circuscentrum.be/dekonvensie (sorry, only in Dutch)

Documentation centre

Our documentation centre consists of approx. 1200 circus books, publications, DVDs and magazines.
>> www.circuscentrum.1021.be

International networks & projects

Circuscentrum is an active member of important international projects and networks: circusnext, EYCO (European Youth Circus Organisation), Circostrada, CARP (Circus Arts Research Platform), INCAM (International Network of Circus Arts Magazines), FEDEC (European Federation of Professional Circus Schools).