• State of the Circus 2013

    The where and when of contemporary circus in 2013...

    1

    Performances

    697 performances
    +74.7% compared to 2012

    298 performances by UK groups – 42.8%
    241 / 60% in 2012
    399 performances by international groups – 57.2%
    158 / 40% in 2012
    A big share of this 74.7% increase in contemporary circus performances comes from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which in 2013 had an unusual amount of (mostly international) circus activity. In 2012 there were 62 performances in Edinburgh; in 2013 that number rose to 253.

    Another notable factor in this increase is NoFit State Circus, who in 2013 toured their show Bianco heavily alongside new production Noodles. Between these two pieces NFS gave 128 performances – 18.4% of all performances, and 43% of all performances by UK companies.

    Performances are considered international if the presenting company is based primarily outside the UK. Note that showcase and scratch events (such as Circus Bites at the Albany, or Lab:time at Jacksons Lane) are not included in the data.

    NoFit State Circus accounted for 43% of all performances given by companies based in the UK.

    Regional density

    Region # Performances 2013 % Total performances 2013 # Performances 2012 % Total performances 2012
    East 28 4% 15 3.8%
    East Midlands 15 2.2% 3 0.8%
    London 242 34.7% 188 47.1%
    North East 3 0.4% 5 1.3%
    North West 6 0.9% 5 1.3%
    Scotland 259 37.2% 69 17.3%
    South East 41 5.9% 34 8.5%
    South West 41 5.9% 52 13%
    Wales 46 6.6% 20 5%
    West Midlands 13 1.9% 4 1%
    Yorkshire 3 0.4% 4 1%
    England is split here into the English Government Office Network Regions (used by the Arts Council until July 2013 when they reformed and consolidated some of the regions). Scotland and Wales aren't divided into units as the activity is more localised and as the arts councils don't have the same kind of regional departments. Northern Ireland isn't represented in either the 2012 or 2013 data sets.

    London drops its overall percentage this year because of increased activity at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but remains dominant in England where it accounts for 61.7% of all performances.

    While the data indicates that activity has decreased in the South West it's in fact the region that's seen the most growth and development. In 2012 the number of performances was boosted by NoFit State's long run at the Eden Project with Bianco. In 2013 there's been a more diverse range of activity, driven particularly by the increased programming at St Paul's Church in Bristol.

    Yorkshire, the North East and the North West each hosted less than 1% of UK circus performances.

    Seasonality

    2

    Artistic Groups / Productions

    55 artistic groups
    +1.9% compared to 2012

    30 UK groups – 54.5%
    32 / 59% in 2012
    25 international groups – 45.5%
    22 / 41% in 2012
    Only four companies presented more than one production in the UK in 2013: Circa, Gandini Juggling, NoFit State Circus, and Ockham's Razor.
    Artistic group # Productions # Performances UK / International
    3 is a Crowd 1 25 INT
    Alessandro Sciarroni 1 1 INT
    Apocalyptic Circus 1 4 UK
    Awake Projects 1 11 UK
    Barely Methodical Troupe 1 8 UK
    Bikes & Rabbits 1 1 UK
    Casus 1 59 INT
    Circa 3 60 INT
    Circus Geeks 1 2 UK
    Circus Space / Tamasha 1 5 UK
    Cirque Alfonse 1 17 INT
    Cirque du Soleil 1 33 INT
    Cirque Eloize 1 17 INT
    Cirque Inextremiste 1 2 INT
    Cirque Jules Verne 1 1 INT
    Collectif AOC 1 8 INT
    Compagnie 111 / Aurelien Bory 1 3 INT
    Compagnie Bal 1 18 INT
    Compagnie Galapiat 1 2 INT
    Compagnie Non Nova 1 18 INT
    Crashmat Collective 1 13 UK
    Currency Artists 1 4 INT
    Inverted 1 1 UK
    Ella Robson-Guilfoyle 1 1 UK
    Enfila't 1 13 INT
    Fidget Feet 1 1 INT
    Gandini Juggling 2 28 UK
    Gravity and Other Myths 1 24 INT
    i19 1 1 INT
    Iona Kewney / Joseph Quimby 1 1 UK
    Jilted Pig 1 2 UK
    John-Paul Zaccarini 1 1 UK
    Joli Vyann 1 3 UK
    Jonathan Priest 1 1 UK
    Keziah Serreau 1 1 UK
    Le Patin Libre 1 3 INT
    Les 7 doigts de la main 1 2 INT
    Mimbre 1 1 UK
    My!Laika 1 4 INT
    NoFit State Circus 2 128 UK
    Ockham's Razor 2 51 UK
    Pangottic 1 1 UK
    Pepper Choc 1 1 UK
    Pirates of the Carabina 1 60 UK
    Race Horse Company 1 6 INT
    Silver Lining 1 2 UK
    Simone Riccio 1 4 UK
    So & So Circus Theatre 1 11 UK
    Stefan Sing & Cristiana Casadio 1 22 INT
    Stefano Di Renzo 1 2 UK
    The Purple Ladies 1 1 UK
    Tumble Circus 1 4 UK
    Upswing 1 8 UK
    Vagabond's Hat 1 2 UK
    Zimmermann & de Perrot 1 4 INT

    60 productions
    +0% compared to 2012

    33 UK productions – 55%
    36 / 60% in 2012
    27 international productions – 45%
    24 / 40% in 2012

    New vs Returning

    42 new productions – 70%
    18 returning productions – 30%
    A production is considered returning if it was performed in the UK in 2012; the rest are counted as new.
    Artistic group & Production Number of performances New / Returning UK / International
    3 is a Crowd: Fright or Flight 25 New INT
    Alessandro Sciarroni: UNTITLED_I will be there when you die 1 New INT
    Apocalyptic Circus: 'Push Me Pull You!' 4 New UK
    Awake Projects: Awake 11 Returning UK
    Casus: Knee Deep 59 Returning INT
    Circa: Beyond 25 New INT
    Circa: How Like An Angel 12 Returning INT
    Circa: Wunderkammer 23 Returning INT
    Circus Geeks: Beta Testing 2 New UK
    Circus Space / Tamasha: The Arrival 5 New UK
    Cirque Alfonse: Timber 17 New INT
    Cirque du Soleil: Kooza 33 New INT
    Cirque Eloize: iD 17 Returning INT
    Cirque Inextremiste: Extremites 2 New INT
    Cirque Jules Verne: Big Bang Factory 1 New INT
    Collectif AOC: K'Boum / Barely Methodical Troupe: Overesees 8 New INT
    Compagnie 111 / Aurelien Bory: Plan B 3 Returning INT
    Compagnie Bal: La Poeme 18 New INT
    Compagnie Galapiat: Risque ZerO 2 New INT
    Compagnie Non Nova: L'Apres-midi d'un Foehn 18 New INT
    Crashmat Collective: Facade 13 New UK
    Currency: A European Exchange of Performed Ideas 4 New INT
    Double Bill - Inverted: Tessaerae / Bikes & Rabbits: Triptych 1 & 2 1 New UK
    Ella Robson-Guilfoyle: Echoes 1 New UK
    Enfila't: Folds 13 Returning INT
    Fidget Feet: Catch Me 1 New INT
    Gandini Juggling: Smashed 26 Returning UK
    Gandini Juggling: Wagner in the Garden 2 New UK
    Gravity and Other Myths: A Simple Space 24 New INT
    i19: Layers 1 New INT
    Iona Kewney / Joseph Quimby: Live Lates 1 New UK
    Jilted Pig: A Cosy Murder 2 New UK
    John Paul Zaccarini: Circus on the Couch / Jonathan Priest: Knot Circus 1 Returning UK
    Joli Vyann: Don't Drink and Dance / H2H 3 New UK
    Keziah Serreau: Strike 1 New UK
    Le Patin Libre: The Rule of 3 3 New INT
    Les 7 doigts de la main: Sequence 8 2 New INT
    Mimbre: Falling Up 1 New UK
    My!Laika: Popcorn Machine 4 New INT
    NoFit State Circus: Bianco 98 Returning UK
    NoFit State Circus: Noodles 30 New UK
    Ockham's Razor: Arc / Every Action... / Memento Mori 6 Returning UK
    Ockham's Razor: Not Until We Are Lost 45 Returning UK
    Pangottic: Logic of Nothing 1 New UK
    Pepper Choc: Fishes Have Wishes 1 New UK
    Pirates of the Carabina: Flown 60 Returning UK
    Race Horse Company: Petit Mal 6 Returning INT
    Silver Lining: Silver Lining 2 New UK
    Simone Riccio: Nothing Moves If I Don't Push It 4 Returning UK
    So & So Circus Theatre: Backgammon for Beginners 11 Returning UK
    Stefan Sing & Cristiana Casadio: Tangram 22 New INT
    Stefano Di Renzo: On My Way 2 Returning UK
    The Purple Ladies: The Alchemy of the Purple Ladies 1 New UK
    Tumble Circus: This is What We Do for a Living 4 Returning UK
    Upswing: What Happens in the Winter 8 New UK
    Vagabond's Hat: Kinesonic 2 New UK
    Zimmermann & de Perrot: Hans Was Heiri 4 New INT
    3

    Venues

    77 venues
    +1.3% compared to 2012

    New vs Returning

    45 new venues – 58.4%
    32 returning venues – 41.6%
    A venue is considered returning if it programmed at least one contemporary circus production during 2012; the rest are counted as new.
    57% of venues that programmed one or more contemporary circus productions in 2012 programmed no circus in 2013.

    Number of shows programmed

    56 venues programmed 1 contemporary circus production – 72.7%
    14 venues programmed 2 contemporary circus productions – 18.2%
    5 venues programmed 3 contemporary circus productions – 6.5%
    1 venue programmed 7 contemporary circus productions – 1.3%
    1 venue programmed 14 contemporary circus productions – 1.3%
    Venue # Productions New / Returning
    47/49 1 New
    Aberystwyth Arts Centre 2 New
    Adnams Spiegeltent 1 New
    Alexandra Palace 1 New
    All Saints Church 1 New
    ARC 2 Returning
    artsdepot 1 Returning
    Assembly George Square 1 Returning
    Assembly Hall 1 New
    Assembly Rooms Ludlow 1 New
    Assembly Roxy 1 New
    Auden Theatre 1 New
    Brighton Dome 1 New
    Brixton Ice Rink 1 New
    C venues - C 1 New
    Cambridge Junction 1 Returning
    Creative Common 3 Returning
    Eden Court 1 New
    Farnham Maltings 1 Returning
    Gardyne Theatre 1 New
    Gilded Balloon Teviot 1 New
    Great Yarmouth Hippodrome 2 Returning
    Gwyn Hall 3 Returning
    Harlow Playhouse 1 New
    Hull Truck Theatre 2 New
    Jacksons Lane 14 Returning
    Key Theatre 1 Returning
    Latitude Festival 1 New
    Leatherhead Theatre 1 New
    Lichfield Garrick 1 New
    Lighthouse 1 Returning
    Linbury Studio Theatre 2 Returning
    Lincoln Drill Hall 2 Returning
    London Wonderground 2 New
    MAC 1 New
    Macrobert 1 New
    Malvern Theatres 1 New
    New Town Theatre 1 New
    New Wolsey Theatre 1 New
    NoFit State Big Top 1 New
    Norwich Cathedral 1 Returning
    Norwich Theatre Royal 1 New
    Peacock Theatre 1 New
    Platform Theatre 1 New
    Pleasance Dome 1 New
    Purcell Room 2 Returning
    Quarterhouse 1 Returning
    Queen Elizabeth Hall 2 Returning
    Riverside Studios 1 New
    Rose Theatre Kingston 1 New
    Royal Albert Hall 1 Returning
    Sherman Cymru 1 Returning
    South Street 1 New
    St Bartholomew the Great 1 New
    St George's Theatre 1 New
    St Paul's Church 7 Returning
    Stahl Theatre 1 New
    Stratford Circus 2 Returning
    Summerhall 2 Returning
    The Albany 1 Returning
    The Barbican 1 Returning
    The Black-E 1 New
    The Castle 1 New
    The Festival Spiegeltent 1 New
    The Lowry 2 New
    The Old Market 1 New
    The Old Town Hall 1 New
    The Place 3 New
    The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre 1 Returning
    The Roundhouse 3 Returning
    Theatr Brycheiniog 1 Returning
    Theatr Mwldan 1 Returning
    Theatre Royal Brighton 1 Returning
    Udderbelly 1 New
    Underbelly 2 Returning
    Wales Millennium Centre 3 Returning
    Warwick Arts Centre 2 New
    The statistics above are derived from Sideshow's event listings - raw data here [.csv]. Mapping tools used: Tile Mill, MapBox, QGIS, Color Brewer.

    Previously: State of the Circus 2012.