We spoke to three circus companies receiving financial support under the Flemish Circus Decree:
Circus Ronaldo, a company with a rich circus history; Rode Boom, where mentalism plays a central role; and Side-Show with Aline and Quintijn, who present a mix of circus and visual arts. Who are they? And what does circus mean to them?

Circus Ronaldo

• Describe your company in three sentences.

Circus Ronaldo connects the past with the future in a relatable, pure experience of the now. Always rooted in deeply human emotions, you could say that we tend more towards the theatre side of the circus spectrum. But the wonder and the fleetingness of circus remain our great love.

• What do you still want to achieve artistically? (Feel free to dream big.)

If dreaming is encouraged, I think I have the same dream as so many artists and theatremakers. To try and to save the world by teasing out the love and beauty of humankind, and in this way create unimagined, deep connections between people. Not in a quest for perfection but rather for a love that transcends the spectacular. And always full of compassion for those who stumble along the way.

• What do you consider the best circus show of all time? And why?

When I think ‘best show of all time’, my emotions quickly lead me back to memories of years past. But this is dangerous because we use our imagination to make memories bigger and bigger. So, of the more recent shows, Le Vide with Fragan Gehlker comes to mind first. This one touched me deeply because it speaks the emotional language of the modern person and at the same time you recognise that this is a language that we have been trying to speak for thousands of years. If he were to perform the show again tonight, it would speak just as much to the horrors of today.

• What is your favourite international festival? Why?

Each festival has its own values and unique qualities. I enjoy every festival each in a different way and it’s the overall experience that gives meaning to my life as an artist who tours festivals. Perhaps my favourite is the highly stimulating Oerol Festival on the Dutch island of Terschelling. Because there art and nature are can be found at their best, in motion.

• Which young Belgian circus artist(s) should we keep an eye on in the coming years?

The number of vibrant young circus artists in Flanders is always increasing. The nice thing about it is precisely this great degree of variety and personality. Perhaps because we are a small country in the middle of Europe with hundreds of years of diverse cultural cross-pollination. It’s not a bunch of young artists trying to be the best in a particular genre or trend. So for those who have wide-ranging tastes, there is no ‘best’. Keep an eye on them all!

© Danny Willems

Rode Boom

• Describe your company in three sentences.

  Rode Boom presents performing arts interspersed with surreal and symbolic imagery. Our artistic palette interweaves techniques from the world of illusion and mentalism with those of visual art, music and performance. The performances are always a poetic ode to imagination and wonder.

• What do you still want to achieve artistically? (Feel free to dream big.)

  In the future, we want to create many more wild and wonderful projects. It is our dream that Rode Boom will grow into a platform with many different creators.

• What do you consider the best circus show of all time?

  The work of Johann Le Guillerm. His artistic quest, his character and aesthetic are super powerful. I discovered Cirque Ici in Antwerp in the summer of 1997 and I’ve been a fan ever since. It completely changed how I view circus. What I find unique are his choice of materials and the connection to his visual work and site-specific creations.

• What is your favourite international festival?

  There are so many good international festivals, both in Belgium and abroad. In Flanders, my favourites are Miramiro and Theater op de Markt. In France, the festivals in Chalon-sur-Saône and Avignon. Chalon, because the scale of the festival is large but manageable, and Avignon because it brings together many different artistic disciplines.

• Which young Belgian circus artist(s) should we keep an eye on in the coming years?

  I think we will hear a lot more from Mardulier & Deprez. Their daring and wildness and the crossover between circus and other art forms is very inspiring. A quality that I also try to develop in my own work.

© Toon Van Gramberen

Side-Show

• Describe your company in three sentences.

In 2009, Aline Breucker and Quintijn Ketels founded Side-Show out of a shared fascination with the traces left behind by movement. The company’s multidisciplinary approach results in performances with a unique blend of circus and visual art.

• What do you still want to achieve artistically? (Feel free to dream big.)

Our greatest ambition is to be able to continue our work as artists within the field of circus arts. Our explicit ambition and motivation is to work towards a diverse, inclusive and sustainable sector. Of course, all this is closely linked to our own artistic practice, in which we take on the challenge of defending new forms of work, creating good conditions for our team and continuing to question a sector that is very much in a process of evolution. Our basic principle is that we are not an island; we don’t do anything alone and we always take into account the context in which projects are realised.

• What do you consider the best circus show of all time? And why?

At just about every stage of our journey we have had the opportunity to discover wonderful and unforgettable performances. Which are then replaced at other times and in different contexts by beautiful, new memories. In our view, there is no means of classification by which certain forms rise above others. We see our sector as an ecosystem in which every element has its value. Too much comparing and putting performances on a pedestal unfortunately does not encourage reflection.

• What is your favourite international festival? Why?

The festival De Clinch in Clinge (NL) is a creative haven, small festival founded by group of artists who work according to a bottom-up and artist-driven approach. It’s a valuable and unique dynamic that is primarily driven by the values of diversity and collectivity.

• Which young Belgian circus artist(s) should we keep an eye on in the coming years?

All the young circus artists who make their own way and resist the temptation to enter competitions where they hope to win a particular label. These are practices for horses, not for artists. So, circus artists who work from the heart, in collectivity and with dedication and generosity. Circus artists who have understood that building an artistic career takes time and have the patience to take things one step at a time. Circus artists who explore new ground and regularly dare to give it their all.

This article was published in a special edition of Circusmagazine - June2022