New Funding Means Big Plans from Circostrada Network
Circostrada, the European network for contemporary circus and street arts, has been awarded three more years of funding by Creative Europe. With this grant, the network will continue to lead the way into the industry’s future through its ongoing advocacy and the new CS Body/ies project, which explores new issues and perspectives within circus and street arts.
In a recent decision, Creative Europe and the European Commission have voted to renew their pledge to support the Circostrada network, awarding it another three-year funding grant. This award recognizes the network’s ongoing work and advocacy for contemporary circus and street arts— two sectors all-too-often overlooked within performing arts.
Founded in 2003, Circostrada has since become one of the loudest voices in a world- and industry-wide movement for artistic legitimacy. The network was founded with the aim to develop and strengthen the circus and street arts sectors, winning them widespread recognition across Europe and around the globe. To that end, Circostrada also serves as a nexus point between its members and Europe’s esteemed cultural institutions. Its membership to date enfolds 114 arts organizations from 36 countries within Europe and beyond.
This latest grant allows Circostrada to continue work on its CS Body/ies project, a forward-thinking initiative to generate new, industry-wide frameworks to address the issues of modernity. Since September 2021, the network has been curating three years of activities revolving around the “red thread,” or central theme, of different “bodies” in circus and street arts. Each subsequent year of the project will offer seminars, workshops, trainings, and other events that explore one thematic aspect of the body:
- The current year (September 2021-August 2022) focuses on “living body/ies,” and encourages members to discuss and create sustainable frameworks and eco-friendly practices.
- The second year (Sept 2022-Aug 2023), “diverse body/ies,” will tackle matters of fairness, equity, and accessibility in order to generate concepts of best practices that include all workers.
- The third year (September 2023-Aug 2024), “common body/ies,” addresses solidarity, community involvement, and ways to ensure the resiliency and wellbeing of our workers.
In statements made to CircusTalk, Circostrada Network Coordinator Stéphane Segreto-Aguilar acknowledged that the next three years will challenge the circus and street arts sectors “to support and put into action fairer and more inclusive ways of working, creating, producing, touring, and collaborating.The team and I are really excited to see how each context, activity, and member of our network will contribute to this project,” Stéphane says.
.
Main image : Courtesy of Circostrada website. Photo © Declan Colohan
.
Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.
🎧 Join us on the StageLync Podcast for inspiring stories from the world of performing arts! Tune in to hear from the creative minds who bring magic to life, both onstage and behind the scenes. 🎙️ 👉 Listen now!
