Philadelphia Launches Its First-Ever Circus Festival
The Philadelphia Contemporary Circus Festival is having its inaugural celebration this May 23-June 1 throughout the city of Philadelphia. Circus artists from all over, and especially locally to Philadelphia, will be putting on shows and workshops in several venues across the city. PCCF creators Shana Kennedy and Fringe Arts have specially curated a wonderful crew to kick off this event. Shana Kennedy is also the founder of the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, and the Executive Director of Circadium, the United States’ first ever accredited college for circus arts, and Fringe Arts is a Philadelphia institution that has been helping artists from all backgrounds share their stories year round, but specifically for the yearly Fringe Festival held every September.
I recently had the pleasure of talking with Shana Kennedy, Executive Director of Circadium and the new Philadelphia Contemporary Circus Festival, launching May 23. As a member of the circus community in Philadelphia, this festival means a great deal to me, emphasizing how important our art truly is to the area, and to circus as whole.
Melissa Mellon: What inspired you to create PCCF?
Shana Kennedy: Back in 2017, I had begun collaborating with Nick Stuccio of FringeArts. We had both been to the Montreal circus festival, which is a huge event, and we dreamed of creating something like this in Philadelphia. The Hand to Hand Festival (2018-2024) was our first endeavour. When Nick stepped down from FringeArts in 2024, it seemed like time to re-vision the festival, invite in new partners, and try to expand it to include more of Philadelphia’s growing circus community.
MM: Why is Philadelphia a great hub for circus arts?
SK: Philadelphia has, for decades, been the perfect kind of city to incubate this unique art form. When I moved here in the 1990s, housing was affordable, and there was enough open space to build the kind of big studios that circus artists need. In addition, there is a rich artistic scene here – performing arts, visual arts, experimental work – Philadelphia has a really rich cultural landscape.
MM: What type of artistic message will PCCF send to the rest of the circus community?
SK: Circus can be so many different things. It starts from a foundation of physical skills, but the directions it can go are limitless. We want circus artists to not feel bound by the codes and expectations of traditional circus. They should feel empowered to bring their ideas, their identities, and their dreams to their creation processes. It’s only by meaningful investment in their training (both as athletes and as artists) that they can make great work. Additionally, we want presenters to understand that there is a big audience for contemporary circus! So we hope everyone will come out to see as many shows as possible, and bring their friends.
MM: What type of circus do you want to see emerge from the PCCF?
SK: I hope that this platform allows new and emerging circus companies to showcase their work, but also to be inspired by others. We need more circus companies in the U.S., and this is a chance for us to show the city all the things circus can be – entertaining and exciting, certainly, but also thought-provoking, wild, expressive, and complex.
MM: What role will Circadium play in future PCCFs?
SK: Circadium expects to remain a key partner in PCCF’s future incarnations. The festival is a huge benefit for our students, and we also have the ability to bring original, deeply-researched artistic work to the table.
MM: Will this become a competition like some other famous circus festivals around the world?
SK: No. We have no interest in a competitive model. Our community believes strongly in art as shared practice.
MM: How do you plan to grow PCCF for next year?
SK: We have accomplished a lot in 2025, but there is more we can do! We plan to invite anyone interested to a Visioning Session on June 16 at FringeArts. PCCF’s Executive Committee will share our ideas, but we’re also looking forward to hearing from everyone else in Philadelphia’s circus community.
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