In the heart of Brussels, Catherine Magis, a visionary circus artist, turned her dream into reality by establishing Espace Catastrophe, today called UP Circus and Performing Arts, a multi-faceted creation space dedicated to the circus arts. Despite being met with skepticism about merging diverse artistic activities under one roof and the difficulties in securing a space for the project, Catherine persevered. She transformed not one, but two crumbling spaces into a flourishing hub for the circus community. During the 2024 UP Festival, at an IMCAM International Network of Circus Arts Magazines gathering, Catherine passionately discussed her project’s genesis.

Catherine Magis created an artistic sanctuary and established the foundations of contemporary circus in French-speaking Belgium. Returning from her training at Montreal’s National Circus School in 1993, Catherine, fueled by her own need for a training and creative space in Brussels, embarked on an ambitious journey to create a venue for artists with similar needs. “Everybody told me then that I was crazy to believe that the same space could work for training, creation, residencies, and presenting work. And I heard what they said, but I didn’t agree with it,” shared Catherine, with sparks in her eyes. 

Catherine founded her own company, Catastrophe, and two years later, she opened Espace Catastrophe, one of Europe’s first 100% circus creation centers, which she ran with her partner Benoit Litt. The quest for the creation space began with a search around Brussels and Catherine’s desire to stay out of the local political circles to ensure the independence of the project. This intent led her to a partnership with St Gilles Glacière, a new private landlord ready to invest his inheritance. They saw potential in a dilapidated building, envisioning it as the perfect venue. Starting with 200 square meters, the space grew to 1,500 square meters, becoming a beacon for the burgeoning circus scene and attracting media attention for its innovative approach. 

What began as a dream in 1995, flourished with the support of volunteers, eventually becoming a hub for the community.

“At the beginning, nobody believed in the project,” Catherine recalls, “but my mother did. I come from a large family with five brothers; advocacy and volunteering have always been important to us. So, my mother began to volunteer, followed by my brothers. Eventually, artists started to see the value and joined in, turning it into a big volunteer effort.”

The local press, intrigued by this novel venture in a cultural landscape where the circus was scarcely known, began highlighting the initiative and writing about circus. “I was an artist and initially didn’t know how to engage with the media, but I gradually realized that having favorable press coverage is incredibly important for securing institutional funding,” says Catherine.

By2015 Catherine and her team were already looking for a bigger facility, –approximately 5000 square meters. They had some promising leads from the Mayor’s Office, but the project’s growth faced unexpected challenges; political changes due to Mayor Yvan Mayeur’s resignation in 2016 resulted in project cancellations and impacted the arts throughout Brussels, forcing Espace Catastrophe to keep looking.

In 2018, they hosted the “Fresh Circus” festival in partnership with the National Theater, demonstrating the cultural importance of their mission to new political leaders. The community’s resilience was remarkable, and they rallied together in the face of adversity, ranging from political shifts and later, the COVID-19 pandemic.

After a few uncertain years, with support from regional authorities, Espace Catastrophe relocated in 2021 to an old printing house in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, a rapidly developing neighborhood in Brussels.This move further demonstrated Catherine’s perseverance and her exceptional ability to envision the potential in spaces.

Now known as UP Circus and Performing Arts, this 6,700 square meter center leads circus creation in French-speaking Belgium. The organization has plans to construct a 400-seat circus theater to further Catherine’s original vision and expand the organization’s mission.

Catherine’s vision also led to the creation of a festival in 1998, initially named Pistes de Lancement,, and which evolved into the UP FESTIVAL by 2014. The festival that brings daring circus creations to audiences has spread to several prestigious venues across Brussels. In 2018, UP FESTIVAL earned the title of Best International Event at the Visit-Brussels Awards.

The 2024 UP FESTIVAL, which lasted 12 days and took place in 15 different venues in Brussels, featured 28 diverse shows in 63 performances, mostly selling out and captivating both local and international festival-goers. 

The festival adopts an unconventional approach by not only utilizing Brussels’ most renowned cultural venues—like BRONKS, Centre culturel d’Uccle, Jacques Franck, Halles de Schaerbeek, Maison des Cultures | MCCS, Théâtre Marni, Théâtre Varia & Wolubilis—but also extending across the city’s tapestry with events in circus tents, halls, apartments, and public spaces.

Alongside the festival program this year was a three-day action-packed professional segment where programmers from Belgium and around the world enjoyed artistic works at various stages, including pitch sessions, showcases, and live performances, all integral parts of the festival’s offerings.

The story of UP Circus and Performing Arts is a testament to Catherine’s original vision and the growth of contemporary circus in Brussels and beyond. It’s a journey of community, resilience, and artistic innovation, culminating in a festival that celebrates circus art and serves as a crucial meeting point for artists at various career stages.

In a subsequent article we will talk to artists representing each of the three stages, providing a case study of the artist’s journey from ideation and creation to the actual presentation of their show. 

Main image: Catherine Magis  is among artists at heir new space in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean.
All images are courtesy of UP Festival. Source: https://www.facebook.com/up.circus.and.performing.arts

Andrea Honis

Founder and COO -United States

Andrea, Founder of CircusTalk, is a fifth-generation member of the Hungarian Eötvös-Picard circus family. Prior to CircusTalk, she worked in advertising and performing arts management. Before starting the CircusTalk project she was Assistant Producer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’s family series “Reel to Real” in New York City. Andrea holds a BA in Business Administration and an MFA in Performing Arts Management.