Circus festivals epitomise the evolution of circus, however, during one of the festivals I worked at this season I had to explain that there are no more elephants in the circus these days. Apparently, this came across as strange to the person asking the question, and at first I didn’t think too much of it, but the more I looked I realised that as much as contemporary circus celebrates its evolution and departure from traditional circus, we still utilise its characteristics and format. Not without modern comforts and additions of course. I can now enjoy an impeccable flat white at the festival, and artists might stay in hotels rather than caravans, but visually the festivals are still borrowing the aesthetics of the golden age of traditional circus, so maybe it’s not so strange that some audiences feel like they get something else than what they bargained for at a festival. So I asked myself, as as a circus artist, how can we make festivals that are both inclusive to all styles and all audiences?
As a circus performer and avid consumer of circus shows, festivals are a reason to rejoice. I am a huge fan of them, since they allow binge-watching of circus. During festivals, I take full advantage of all-day programming and see one show after the next. During this intense consumption of circus I do wonder if the festival format really is all it could be?
After my experiences at festivals around Europe I’ve come to realise the different settings they can provide and some nuances that I think are worth discussing.
Focusing on the Big Names
As the festival brings about a momentary immigration of audiences from far and wide, does this also cater to smaller companies and upcoming shows? In my experience the result is seeing the same names in festival after festival, (which became exceedingly clear in my research Strength in Numbers: The 34%) which I think creates a homogenised scene where the audience doesn’t recognise the diversity of the art form, but rather recognises a few famous names.
Focusing on Artists
Some festivals, like CIRCa in Auch, or Circusstad in Rotterdam, offer a second sort of program, catered to the artists themselves. A series of meet-and-greets, pitch meetings and artist-producer speed datings are organised as a catalyst to lay the foundation for the next generation of shows. These events are important and can very well be the stepping stone needed to get a project off the ground, but while focusing on the artists is important, these kinds of measures do nothing to foster the next generation of circus audiences, andwhat would a show be without an audience?
So, who is the target potential circus audience? Everyone, of course.
This is really a question of audiences. As much as any producer or artist may feel that their work depends solely on them, that is not the whole truth. Without inviting and encouraging new audiences to see circus, there´ll be no new circus.So, who is the target potential circus audience? Everyone, of course. What are then the ways festivals and circus shows can interact with the not-yet-initiated circus audiences? How do we approach the next generation of audiences?
Focusing on the Community
Focusing on the Local
Roberto Magro stressed that the point of the audience is participating in the show, not just by witnessing it, but also physically joining it. This is the result of a three part mixture between the artists, the space and the audience. One of the performances was along a mountain trail leading up to a large cavern. The walk itself took more than an hour and a half and led the audience through mini-performances by over thirty artists along the way. The trek up the mountain becomes a participatory element and by the time the audience is gathered in the cave at the top they’ve become completely immersed in the setting and performance. In such a remote space both the artists and audience become intrinsically aware that neither one could exist without the other. This is emphasised even further by the fact that the festival exists (and has done so for nine editions) completely without financial support from any external sources, and operates without selling tickets. It sparks the radical notion that a festival is not an event where artists claim a space to present their work, but rather that a festival is an event where a community creates something spectacular together. Be it through performing, cooking, hosting, lending machinery, guiding lost artists, painting or watching the shows.
At the end of the day, there isn´t a single answer to how festivals can or should operate. Everything from DIY festivals to dinner show varietés will keep existing and make space for all kinds of work, progressive or populist, and as long as we’re all aware that there are more ways to approach the way we present our work, and that we might all benefit from a path less traveled from time to time, circus will keep on evolving.
As a circus artist, contact with the audience is paramount, and amongst me and my colleagues good audience contact seems to be a (mostly) coincidental occurrence as a result of things like a good venue, timing, setting, a circus experienced audience or luck. That, however, feels far too random for me. If we for a moment don’t consider the audience as an outsider whose purpose is to look at us performing, we have to think of the audience as another ensemble member with a different role to play; and also convey this feeling to the audience. I don´t think the amazing inclusion I experienced in Brocante is a unique occurrence, but rather something that can be translated into any performance anywhere. In turn ‘educating an audience’ wouldn’t be about having an audience that knows certain shows or names or themes, but rather having an audience that knows that they are as much a part of the show as the artists are. And that is an audience that would keep on returning to the circus, as they are now part of it.
All photos courtesy of Bartolomeo Eugenio Rossi
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This post was last modified on February 23, 2021 6:12 pm