The international, interdisciplinary research project Circus and its Others presents its fourth edition. The fourth international conference on Circus and its Others will take place in Bogotá, Colombia, from 28 February to 3 March. It will be co-organised by Charles R. Batson (Union College), Karen Fricker (Brock University) and Olga Lucia Sorzano (Artemotion, Colombia, University College Dublin, Ireland). And the Achura Karpa festival is produced by the core conference team. Circus and its Others aims to explore the ways in which contemporary circus artists and companies engage with concepts of difference, otherness and alterity in their practice. What are the contemporary challenges facing the field, and what characterises the community of people who have dedicated themselves to circus research? And how has this research evolved over the past ten years? A few days before the start of the conference in Bogotá, I spoke to Charles R. Batson, Karen Fricker and Olga Lucia Sorzano about their current perceptions of the project. Today you are listening to the Cirqueon Circus Podcast with Veronika Jošková Štefanová.

Author/Editor:Veronika Jošková Štefanová

Sound: Petr Váně

Three women breaking stereotypes. Debra Batton, Sharon Gruenert and Spenser Inwood discovered the joy of each other's strengths, challenges and weaknesses in the performance Casting Off at Jatka78 in Prague. The Australian company A Good Catch experiments with circus structures with a feminist tone and a proactive attitude. At Jatka78 I spoke to Debra, Spenser and Aleshanee Kelso, Sharon Gruenert's replacement, about age as a theme in circus performance and the alternative perspective of women's bodies in circus. You are listening to the Cirqueon Circus Podcast by Veronika Jošková Štefanová.

Author/Editor: Veronika Jošková Štefanová

Sound: Petr Váně

Photo: A Good Catch

Ana Jordao is a circus artist and dancer based in Berlin. In her new piece, she is exploring the relationship of the body and objects, but also with Vincent, her art partner, who is in charge of the rigging, while she delves into another discipline: hair hanging technique. They stayed for a residency in CIRQUEON and we all held a conversation right after the showcase of their work in progress.

Author: Barbora Schneiderová

Editor: Veronika Jošková Štefanová

Sound: Petr Váně

Photo: Jakub Dušek

Sweedish Kompani Giraff creates visual and circus performances with a passion for magic in everyday life situations. It´s shows are based on young people's perspectives and the trust in children's ability to absorb complex subjects’ issues. Internationally the company has performed in China, America, France and other parts of the world. In November 2023 presented a new performance The Goldberg variations at Jatka78 in Prague. The performance refers to both the symmetrical piece of music by Johann Sebastian Bach and to the cartoonist Rube Goldberg, who is known for his drawings of incredibly complex, chaotic machines made out of everyday objects. The director magician Axel Adlercreutz engaged two artists – the Czech juggler Filip Zahradnický and French acrobat Clémence de Felice who I interviewed after one of their performances at Jatka78. Listen to CIRQUEON CIRCUS PODCAST today with Veronika Jošková Štefanová.

Author/editor: Veronika Jošková Štefanová

Sound: Petr Váně

Photo: Goldberg Variasions, Kompani Giraff

At Cirkus Cirkör, the sky's the limit! This leading art centre utilizes the captivating language of circus to craft extraordinary artistic experiences. More than just an organization, Cirkör embodies a school, a dynamic meeting place, a laboratory of innovation, a residential space, and a comprehensive training centre.

With a mission to stage circus arts training and education for young people, both with and without disabilities, Cirkör also houses an upper secondary school. The Cirkör House, situated in Alby, Botkyrka, serves as a vibrant hub where longterm and social circus projects thrive, leaving a profound impact on community development.

As part of the Reinventing Circus Organizations project, a gathering was hosted at the Cirkör House, setting the stage for transformative discussions. One pivotal question underpinning this project's core: How can we foster a working environment that ignites a sense of ownership in individuals and allows them to resonate with the organization's goals and vision?

Join us on the engaging CIRQUEON CIRCUS PODCAST, where Veronika Jošková Štefanová had the privilege of interviewing Clara Noman, the head of the pedagogical department at Cirkör. Discover how Cirkus Cirkör empowers its team members to embrace their creativity and pursue excellence fearlessly.

If you want to learn more about Reinventing Circus Organizations project and get tools how to reinvent your organization visit our website: https://www.cirqueon.cz/cirqueon_projects/reinventing-circus-organisations

Author/editor: Veronika Jošková Štefanová

Sound: Petr Váně

It was the founders' desire to explore uncharted territories, such as training people in honest communication, that led to the creation of Coraggio – Die Kulturanstifter, an association for cultural education based in Berlin. Focused on the performing arts encompassing circus, theatre, dance, and music, Coraggio embraces a holistic approach to education, fostering the participation of children, young people and adults in cultural, social, and political spheres.

As one of the four organizations that joined the transformative Reinventing Circus Organizations project, one of Coraggio's founders, Anne Timm, and her colleague Francesco Procopio, aimed to revolutionize their approach. A meeting in Stockholm, hosted at the Cirkus Cirkör base, served as a pivotal moment in their Reinventing Circus Organizations journey.

Curiosity led me to explore how Coraggio, as a Teal organization from its inception, functions and what significant tasks lie ahead. For these insights and more, tune in to the CIQUEON CIRCUS PODCAST, hosted by Veronika Jošková Štefanová.

If you want to learn more about Reinventing Circus Organizations project and get tools how to reinvent your organization visit our website: https://www.cirqueon.cz/cirqueon_projects/reinventing-circus-organisations

Author/editor: Veronika Jošková Štefanová

Sound: Petr Váně

Reinventing Circus Organizations II – Cirkus in Beweging: Harnessing Passion for Organizational Success

In the rapidly evolving landscape of the 21st century, traditional hierarchical management no longer suffices. Especially in the realms of social and youth work. How can we use our deep passion for our work to benefit our organization?

Addressing challenges of the present and uncertainties of the future became the cornerstone of the Reinventing Circus Organizations project. Four European organizations, including Cirkus in Beweging, united in this endeavour.

Located in Leuven, Belgium, Cirkus in Beweging stands as one of the largest educational circus centres in Europe. With a wide array of public courses, attracting nearly 1,500 participants each week, the organization also spearheads international projects, youth exchanges and offers a space for professional artists to unleash their creativity.

Intrigued to learn more about how Cirkus in Beweging navigates these transformative times? Tune in to the interview with Marth De Kinder and Stef Langmans. The discussion took place during a Reinventing Circus Organizations meeting in Stockholm, hosted by another project partner, Cirkus Cirkör. Catch this insightful episode on the CIQUEON CIRCUS PODCAST, hosted by Veronika Jošková Štefanová.

If you want to learn more about Reinventing Circus Organizations project and get tools how to reinvent your organization visit our website: https://www.cirqueon.cz/cirqueon_projects/reinventing-circus-organisations

Author/editor: Veronika Jošková Štefanová

Sound: Petr Váně

How can we create a working environment that motivates people to take ownership of their work and fosters a strong identification with the organization's goals and message? This fundamental question marked the inception of the Reinventing Circus Organizations project. CIRQUEON – Centre for Contemporary Circus, one of the four European organizations involved, embarked on this journey to address the challenge.

Located in the Czech Republic, CIRQUEON is dedicated to supporting and developing contemporary circus arts. Their primary mission is to disseminate information about domestic and European events in the contemporary circus field, foster new circus projects in the Czech Republic, facilitate the growth of circus skills among experts and the general public, and collaborate with other circus centres worldwide. Curious to learn why CIRQUEON joined the Reinventing Circus Organizations project and what transformations have already taken place within the organization? Stay tuned for insights in the CIQUEON CIRCUS PODCAST, hosted by Veronika Jošková Štefanová.

If you want to learn more about Reinventing Circus Organizations project and get tools how to reinvent your organization visit our website (https://www.cirqueon.cz/cirqueon_projects/reinventing-circus-organisations).

Author/editor: Veronika Jošková Štefanová

Sound: Petr Váně

How to create a working environment that motivates people to take ownership of their work and aligns them with the goals and message of the organization? This was one of the fundamental questions that initiated the Reinventing Circus Organizations project. Four European organizations collaborated in this project with the aim of developing their structures to provide an excellent working environment for their employees and ensure the best possible experiences for their clients, students, and partners. To learn more about their journeys, you can listen to the CIQUEON CIRCUS PODCAST hosted by Veronika Jošková Štefanová, where the stories of Belgian Circus in Beweging, Czech CIRQUEON – Centre for Contemporary Circus, German Coraggio, and Swedish Cirkus Cirkör are featured.

If you want to learn more about Reinventing Circus Organizations project and get tools how to reinvent your organization visit our website (https://www.cirqueon.cz/cirqueon_projects/reinventing-circus-organisations).

Author/editor: Veronika Jošková Štefanová

Sound: Petr Váně

Two brothers, Simon and Vincent Bruynickx from French-belgian Collectif Malunès, brought a show called BITBYBIT to Letní Letná 2023. The artpiece is their way to explore and share their unique brother bond and creative relationship. Its not only interesting because of the alignment of two brothers or the work with tension throughout an hour piece. They shocked the audience mainly by rediscovering an old circus technique of teeth hanging - but there’s more to it than just using the jaw. Growing up near the famous belgian Circus Ronaldo, where the magic happened, as Vincent and Simon say, they were always inspired by connecting the old with contemporary, and in BITBYBIT the do just that - in their own way. I talked with both brothers after their Czech premiere at Letní letná just in front of their small tent in the heart of festival. Listen to CIRQUEON CIRCUS PODCAST hosted by Barbora Schneiderová.

Author: Barbora Schneiderová

Editor: Veronika Jošková Štefanová

Sound: Petr Váně

Photo: František Ortmann