From 1 April, Lucho Smit will become the new artistic director of Festival Circolo, the largest contemporary circus festival in the Netherlands. He takes over from Wendy Moonen, who had been Artistic Director since 2012 and built the festival into an internationally acclaimed event. Festival Circolo is convinced that Smit is the right person to continue this line of work, and is very excited about his vision for the future of the festival.

An experienced circus performer himself, the 40-year-old Smit has earned his spurs in the circus world over the past decades. Says Smit, “Circus has been part of my life for more than 30 years. It is a great honour and challenge for me to take on the role of artistic director of Festival Circolo. I see opportunities to position the festival even more strongly in the Dutch and international performing arts field. In addition, I want to work for a more intense interaction between circus makers and audiences and for socially relevant circus projects. In my view, art and circus should contribute to strengthening cohesion in society.”

Lucho and Festival Circolo are no strangers to one another. In 2010, his performance “Risque Zér0” by Galapiat Cirque was the big hit of Festival Circolo. He was there again in 2021 with his acclaimed solo performance “L’âne & la Carotte”. In addition, Smit has lectured and participated in debates during previous editions of Circolo.

Lucho is regularly requested as director and/or artistic advisor by circus companies and circus schools around the world. He is also a member of the international expert jury of CircusNext, the European circus talent programme. With all of that experience and knowledge under its belt, Festival Circolo is convinced that Lucho is a valuable addition to the team and will play an important role in the future of the festival.

Main Image: Lucho Smit; News source: Festival Circolo website