The bi-annual Budapest International Circus Festival, in its 12th Edition, will be held between the 8th and 14th of January, 2018. Since its beginnings, it has become one of the biggest circus festivals in the world and has established Budapest as one of the key global meeting points for the circus arts. The European Circus Association (ECA) will officially open a much anticipated year-long celebration of 250 years of circus at the Budapest festival.
Besides the classic circus competition programs (A and B program), the festival also presents a contemporary showcase and a midnight competition called “Lyrical Circus.” For the competition, three different juries will award prizes: a professional international jury; the Hungarian circus directors’ jury and the Central European circus artists’ jury. There is also a place for new performances at the Hungarian Newcomer Show.
Fekete wants to emphasize that this year’s festival will be commemorating the 250th year anniversary of circus arts based on Philip Astley who opened the amphitheater of the first modern circus in London in 1768 and later established 18 permanent circus throughout Europe. Astley’s horse production featured performers doing trick riding stunts on horses with swords. In the opening production, therefore, the Monte Carlo Golden Clown-winner Richter Flórián and his son, Kevin, are introducing a large-scale equestrian production with their team.
At the festival, the Budapest Castle Bazaar will provide a show by numerous circus and variety groups. Part of the festival programming is the Maski Theatre’s comedy show from Odessa which will be presented in the Hungarian National Theater between the 8th and 14th of January.
Eugene Chaplin will be chairing the international professional jury this year, with the following jury members deciding on the prize winners; Fabrice Becker, director of production at Cirque du Soleil, Paul Bernhard, director of the German Roncalli Circus, Laszlo Endresz, director of the UK Blackpool Tower Circus, Elisa van der Meiden, German Stardust BV Presentatrice casting director, Ludmila Shevchenko, director of the Ukrainian National Circus of Kiev, and Szun Lili, creative director of the Chinese National Acrobat Group.
Certain disciplines in the circus are now being used for specific curriculum called circus pedagogy. Festival organizers say they have been experimenting with this educational approach for two years and they have been documenting which subjects are being taught. Meanwhile, the educational component has increased festival attendance numbers by one third.
As an interesting parallel to the social circus movement, by focusing on education, the conference will examine what role circus can have in childhood education. Many European countries are participating in this endeavor. The hope is that this approach will help circus to play a larger role as an art form by making it a relevant place for teachers to bring their students to learn. Fekete has been presenting this paradigm shift to many scientific conferences as well as the St. Petersburg Cultural Forum. Currently the curriculum for circus pedagogy is being developed and adapted for traveling groups as well.
Regardless of your reason for attendance– entertainment, professional networking, education or thrills–it will be heartening to see how this art, which has been alive for generations, continues to evolve and honor tradition, and to witnessing the infinite capacity of the human spirit to regenerate meaning and adventure!
Artists List:
Chinese National Acrobatic Troupe, antipodism with umbrellas, act with umbrellas from China
Nomuna – Mongol Nomads, teeterboard and hand voltage from Mongolia
Without Socks, clown trio from Russia
Tom Brothers, icarian games from Ethiopia
Nova Africa, hand voltige from Ethiopia
Duck Cardio, perch from Mexico
Agustín Viglione, bubble manipulation from Argentina
Andrejs Fjodorovs, dogs and pigeons from Latvia
Las Bellas Chicas, Chinese pole from Cuba
Duo Solys, handstand from Cuba
Hametov Family, aerial strap from Uzbekistan
Vogyanik Jaroszlavna , trapeze from Russia
Brayan Gambit, handstand from France
Kalashnikov Brothers, diabolo from Russia
Duo Feeling, aerial strap from Ukraine
Stylazlav Viszockij, juggling from Ukraine
Los Bazan, handstand from Italy
Duo Supka, juggler from Czech Republic
Rafal Walusz, illusion from Poland
Main Image Credit: Budapest Circus
This post was last modified on January 16, 2018 2:07 pm