European residency programme for cultural journalists Stockholm r es i d E n c y S u b c a se 12 – 15 F E bruary 2014 p. 3 a n k E h E l l m a n n about children’s circus and circus children / Über kinderzirkus und Zirkuskinder p. 10 a n t o n i j a l E t i n i c Virtuosity and beyond / Virtuosity and beyond p. 17 d i a n a d a m i a n - m a r t i n The ‘catastrophic’ Scenography in circus, or Wilful misleading p. 21 G r zeg o r Z k o n d r a S i u k Thec raving for order, the longing for chaos / Pragnienia porządku, tęsknoty za chaosem p. 28 i n G r i d a G E r b u t a V i č i ū t ė circus (and dance) in the background of a Virtual image / cirkas (ir šokis) virtualaus vaizdo fone p. 34 j a V i E r j i m é n ez They ellow brick road: audience and creation / El camino de ladrillos amarillos. Público y creación. i p. 41 l é a l E S c u r E a rose by any other name / – lmatila Qu’importe le flacon Compositions for Air and Space and Air for Compositions p. 46 m a r c S E r E n a Thel onely circus / El circ solitari p. 52 m o ï r a d a l a n t The art of circus, art or Entertainment: What does the circus Want today? / l’art du cirque, art ou divertissement : que veut le cirque aujourd’hui ? p. 59 o lya Stoyano V a Subcase, or The challenges of modern circus / Subcase или Bilyard Claire © предизвикателствата на новия цирк Presentation Circus arts are an art form like theatre or dance, contemporary circus. The goal of the project is but have not yet a profound level of intellectual, to facilitate the circulation of knowledge and cultural and institutional recognition it deserves, experience, to develop the critical discourses in Europe as well as at national and local level. of its participants, and to further the role of the Thereby political and financial support to this media within the circus arts and contemporary sector is quite low and there are structural society. weaknesses. There are strong imbalances in comparison to other creative areas, even when 12 residencies – 120 articles comparing the realities between regions or countries. Unpack the Arts consists of 12 residencies in Despite the growing success of circus by the 8 countries, spread over 2 years (August 2012 audience and programmers, circus arts are not – February 2014). Each residency is set within covered by abundant literature, academic the framework of a festival and follows the same research, in-depth articles, reviews,… and artists format: over the course of 4 days, the participants themselves often experience difficulties in contribute to a series of moderated thematic producing theoretical writing that communicates discussions, attend lectures by key circus experts, their practice, their creative processes and their see 3-5 shows, and meet with and interview productions. They rarely have the chance to programmed artists along with a representative exchange with critics and experts from the of the host festival. After the residencies, each performing arts on theoretical or conceptual participating journalist delivers one article. terms. These texts are collected, translated and turned Also, many art writers are clueless about into an online, multilingual publication. contemporary circus. Cultural journalists don’t This 12th and last publication collects the texts know the disciplines and techniques and overall of 10 European journalists who attended the they lack the contextual understanding to tackle residency at Subcase, Stockholm, Sweden, a piece’s dramaturgical choices, to reference 12 to 15 February 2014. other productions, or to interview artists creating We wish to thank all participants and all non text-based works. collaborators who made this residency a success. That’s why Circuscentrum and 9 important circus festivals all over Europe conceived Unpack the Arts. Unpack the Arts is a European project k o E n a l l a r y – granted by Europe Culture – that provides Director, Circuscentrum (project leader) residencies for cultural journalists in the context y ohann Floch of twelve major festivals programming Adviser 2 about children’s Über circus and circus kinderzirkus und children Zirkuskinder a n k E h E l l m a n n a n k E h E l l m a n n Sweden – the country where cheeky red-headed Schweden – das Land, in dem rotzfreche brats and robber’s daughters are considered self- rothaarige Gören und Räubertöchter als confident role models for girls, because they selbstbewusstes Vorbild für Mädchen gelten, weil diddle-diddle-dee-do what they want and and go sie wiedewiedewie-es-ihr-gefällt Ordnungshütern unpunished when taking the mickey out of the und Gesellschaft straffrei auf der Nase herum- police and society. A country where the furniture tanzen. Ein Land, in dem Möbelhäuser den stores offer their customers’ children an elaborate Kindern ihrer Kunden ein ausgefeiltes programme of entertainment: Bullerbü cinema, Bespaßungsprogramm anbieten: Bullerbü-Kino, slides and a sea of plastic balls for frolicking in. If Rutsche und ein Meer aus Plastikbällen zum the youngest feel good then so do the grown-ups Plantschen und Toben. Fühlen sich die Jüngsten and so does the shop – is the thinking behind the wohl, so tun das auch die erwachsenen Kunden marketing strategy. And also in the arts young und kaufen − so die Überlegung der Marketing- people have long been taken seriously as an strategen. Und auch in den Künsten hat man das audience for cleverly thought-out interdisciplinary, Jungvolk längst als Adressaten von aus- co-educative, multi-cultural and trans-whatever- geklügelten interdisziplinären, ko-edukativen, style workshops and educational programmes. multikulturellen und trans-wie-auch-immer- Education beyond the regular school curriculum is gearteten Workshops und Erziehungs- booming in many European countries. But programmen ernst genommen. Bildung jenseits Scandinavia continues to successfully defend its regulärer Schulpädagogik boomt in vielen leading role in child-orientated entertainment and europäischen Ländern. Doch nach wie vor scheint education − as proven by its repeated number Skandinavien seine Vorreiterrolle in Sachen one position in the European PISA ranking. And kindgerechtem Entertainment und Edukation that is in spite (or perhaps because) of the class erfolgreich zu verteidigen − wie die wiederholte clowns, jumping jacks, paper ball jugglers and Belegung der ersten Plätze im europäischen school chair acrobats that are gladly seen in PISA-Ranking beweist. Und das obwohl oder everyday school life. gerade weil an Schwedens Ausbildungsstätten Klassenclowns, Hampelmänner, Papierknäuel- hustle & bustle headstand Parties Jongleure und Schulstuhlakrobaten durchaus and charades in the School? zum gern gesehenen schulischen Alltag gehören. How art and education can mutually compliment one another for the good of the children is halligalli-kopfstand-Party und demonstrated by the development of Cirkus affentheater in der Schule? Cirkör, Sweden‘s most famous contemporary Wie sich Kunst und Erziehung gegenseitig und circus company. The contemporary label means zum Wohle der Kinder ergänzen können, zeigt der work that forgoes such traditional circus Werdegang von Cirkus Cirkör, Schwedens wohl attributes as the tent, animals, the master of berühmteste zeitgenössische Zirkuskompanie. ceremonies and marching music. Today‘s circus Zeitgenössisch heißt, auf die traditionellen artists have an open, interdisciplinary approach to Zirkusattribute wie Zelt, Tiere, Direktor und the aesthetics, narration or choreography of their Marschmusik zu verzichten. Heutige performances. What remains of the classical Zirkusartisten haben einen interdisziplinären, circus is a fascination for the abnormal, the offenen Ansatz, was die Ästhetik, Narration oder ankE hEllmann 3 conquest of physical limitations, and the sense of Choreografie ihrer Performances angeht. childlike fantasy engendered by the unforeseen Geblieben sind Faszination für das Anormale, für twists in the dramaturgy as well as by good tricks die Überwindung physikalischer Gegebenheiten and stunts. And the risk that every artist must und kindliche Fantasie, die es für unvorher- take is ever-present. A circus career can quickly gesehene Wendungen in der Dramaturgie wie end when the mental, somatic or financial auch für gute Tricks und Stunts braucht. Auch das conditions shift only slightly. Risiko, das jeder Artist auf sich nehmen muss, ist präsent. Eine Zirkuskarriere kann schnell enden, In 1996, just over a year after its formation, Cirkus wenn sich die mentalen, somatischen oder Cirkör toured the Swedish realm − constantly on monetären Voraussetzungen auch nur um eine the look out for a suitable indoor training and Nuance verschieben. performance location. The spacious gym halls of diverse schools proved to be suitable, and school Ein knappes Jahr nach ihrer Gründung, tourte directors and circus nomads made a deal. During Cirkus Cirkör 1996 durch schwedische Gefilde the day circus training would enhance the − stets auf der Suche nach geeigneten teaching plan, and in the evenings the hall floors überdachten Trainings- und Aufführungs- metamorphosed into a circus ring. An lokalitäten. Die geräumigen Turnhallen diverser arrangement that was born out of necessity is Schulen kamen hier gelegen. Schulrektoren und today an essential element of daily life in Swedish Zirkus-Nomaden gingen einen Deal ein. Tagsüber schools and circuses. Today, as a matter of sollte Zirkustraining den Lehrplan bereichern, in course, teachers attend further education den Abendstunden dann verwandelte sich der programmes in circus education and pupils learn Hallenboden in eine Manege. Was damals aus der circus skills in workshops tailored to their age Not geboren, ist heute wesentlicher Bestandteil group and class size. Learning circus‘ acrobatic des schwedischen Schul- und Zirkus-Alltags. disciplines promotes the mental and physical Geradezu selbstverständlich belegen heute Lehrer development of children, and the act of Fortbildungsprogramme in Zirkuspädagogik und performing together in front of an audience raises Schüler erlernen zirzensisches Handwerk in für the confidence of the children as well as the pride die jeweilige Altersstufe und Klassengröße of the parents.