CircusTalk is pleased to present Journeys Through Queer Circus with Charles Batson, a series revolving around the culture and concerns of the LGBTQIA+ community in the circus environment. This series is dedicated to creating a space for queer voices to be heard and for queer art to flourish. Join us for a four-episode deep dive into queer circus as part of our continuing dedication to improving equity and inclusion in the arts, hosted by Dr. Charles Batson. In this episode, guests Diego Martinez and Maré Oliveira speak about their experiences as queer circus professionals in the sector as well as issues they identify as important for the queer community in circus.

Known for his writing and directing, Dr. Charles Batson is a circus researcher and professor of French and Francophone studies and past president of the American Council for Québec Studies and also the Florence B. Sherwood professor of history and culture at Union College where he also co-chairs the LGBTQ+ Affairs committee. In the circus world, Charles Batson is best known for his writing (Cirque Global, Quebec’s Expanding Circus Boundaries) and of course for co-directing the academic seminar titled Circus & its Others.

Maré Oliveira (they/ them)

Circus artist-Brazil

Maré Oliveira is a body artist, with an emphasis in circus arts. They develop a research practice that has as a goal to promote intersections between the circus arts and the Afro-Brazilian cultures. Maré has a degree in social communication and currently is studying arts and theater. Maré has a presence in the contemporary circus scene in Brazil and has participated in several festivals and encounters around the country. In addition to their practice and research, Maré also works with arts education.

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Diego Martinez

Circus artist, actor-UK/Spain/Colombia

Diego Fernando Martinez is a professional circus artist and actor, with international performance experience, as well as an instructor of acting and performing arts in social projects and other contexts. Diego has demonstrated leadership skills through the direction of theatre, circus performances and shows and further explores professional experience in teamwork and exhibiting creativity through artistic creation of concepts and stories for performances, design of costumes and materials.

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Photo credits: Original Artwork provided by Jimmy Sabater

Charles Batson

Circus Academic, Professor -United States

Charles Batson is proud to identify as a circademic. A circus, theatre, and dance researcher and sometimes practitioner, as well as professor of French and Francophone studies at Union College (Schenectady, NY, USA), Batson may best be known here at CircusTalk for the “Journeys Through Queer Circus,” for the international research project Circus and its Others, and for publications such as the co-edited volume Cirque Global: Quebec’s Expanding Circus Boundaries.

Charles's profile