Urgent Concerns– Panel Talk: Circus Artists Respond to COVID-19

Welcome to CircusTalk’s online panel discussion series where we gather experts from around the world in the circus sector to discuss how the circus world is responding to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this discussion, we spoke to circus artists from different regions and diverse working scenarios. We spoke to solo artists, company members, artist-activists/organizers and company directors, all of whom are weighing similar questions about their craft and the future of the art form in a time of deep uncertainty about the ability of the performing arts to weather the shutdowns of theaters and live performances everywhere. How long will the closures continue? How are circus artists coping? What can be done in the meantime–should they be planning their next show, training, seeking emergency funding, or all of the above? How will circus be impacted in the long run and what will the circus shows of 2021 look like after such an impactful year of pandemic?

Although no one has all of the answers to the questions we asked, we hope that by facilitating an open discussion, it can help the circus world to unite and act during a difficult time and offer a ray of hope to circus people everywhere.

The guest panelists:

Joe Pinzon (USA) Short Round Productions 

Eric Bates (USA) Barcode 

Alexandra Royer (Canada) Barcode

Michael Hottier (Belgium) Back Pocket 

Julia Sanchez (Mexico)  

Delphine Cezard (Canada) 

Diego Salles (Brazil) 

Mishannock Bruno Ferrero (Sweden) 

Resources:

Manegen – a crisis fund in support of circus artists affected by COVID-19

Thank you to all of the panelists who joined us and please stay tuned for follow-up panel discussions.

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Read more about the Circus and Changing Realities 2020 Panel Series.

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