• Research Documents

    Arts Council England
    Research Area: Production

    Published by ACE in 2005 following changes in licensing regulations, this guide provides information and advice on how the legislative changes affect those working in circus and street arts (and the local authorities that host them), giving two sample licenses.

    Airborne: mapping of youth circus activity in the UK

    Produced by the researcher Leila Jancovich on behalf of Arts Council England as part of the Young People’s Participatory Theatre project, the bulk of this document is the presentation of statistical data from a series of questionnaires and consultations targeting the UK youth circus sector. The report gives an idea of the geographic spread and demographic range of youth circus, the organisational structure of providers and their level of activity, and the funding and impact of the sector, among other things. The report makes a series of recommendations for actions to develop the sector.

    An Overview of Circus and Street Arts in Belgium (CASCAS)

    CASCAS (Circus And Street Arts Come And See) was a European project to promote intercultural understanding and exchange. Between May 2010 and November 2011 it arranged four tours for four small groups of circus and street arts professionals in the project's partner countries (UK, Sweden, Finland and Belgium) as a way of introducing them to that country's conditions and working practices. As part of the project, four briefing documents were produced — short guides to the circus and street arts sectors in the partner countries that give a basic overview of government policy, key festivals and venues, example companies, etcetera.

    An Overview of Circus and Street Arts in Finland (CASCAS)

    CASCAS (Circus And Street Arts Come And See) was a European project to promote intercultural understanding and exchange. Between May 2010 and November 2011 it arranged four tours for four small groups of circus and street arts professionals in the project's partner countries (UK, Sweden, Finland and Belgium) as a way of introducing them to that country's conditions and working practices. As part of the project, four briefing documents were produced — short guides to the circus and street arts sectors in the partner countries that give a basic overview of government policy, key festivals and venues, example companies, etcetera.

    An Overview of Circus and Street Arts in Sweden CASCAS)

    CASCAS (Circus And Street Arts Come And See) was a European project to promote intercultural understanding and exchange. Between May 2010 and November 2011 it arranged four tours for four small groups of circus and street arts professionals in the project's partner countries (UK, Sweden, Finland and Belgium) as a way of introducing them to that country's conditions and working practices. As part of the project, four briefing documents were produced — short guides to the circus and street arts sectors in the partner countries that give a basic overview of government policy, key festivals and venues, example companies, etcetera.

    An Overview of Circus and Street Arts in the UK and ROI (CASCAS)

    CASCAS (Circus And Street Arts Come And See) was a European project to promote intercultural understanding and exchange. Between May 2010 and November 2011 it arranged four tours for four small groups of circus and street arts professionals in the project's partner countries (UK, Sweden, Finland and Belgium) as a way of introducing them to that country's conditions and working practices. As part of the project, four briefing documents were produced — short guides to the circus and street arts sectors in the partner countries that give a basic overview of government policy, key festivals and venues, example companies, etcetera.

    Artists Speak Out

    A free excerpt from HorsLesMurs' Stradda magazine showcasing one of their dossiers – a collection of articles focused on a particular idea or artistic movement.

    Arts Writers & Circus Arts

    Following a residency in Paris in June 2009, seven critics and cultural commentators each wrote an article on the current state and future possibilities of circus criticism. The articles are presented in original language and English.

    Arts Writers & Circus Arts [vol. 2]

    A collection of articles produced by the eight cultural journalists who attended a residency organised by Circostrada in the frame of Helsinki's Cirko Festival in May 2010. The pieces all respond in some way to the idea of contemporary circus' new and multifaceted aesthetics. The articles are presented in original language and English.

    DOCH

    Published by DOCH's own press, Circoanalysis: Circus, Therapy and Psychoanalysis is the final thesis of the PhD John-Paul Zaccarini undertook at the university.

    Circus and street arts - Artistic residency centres in Belgium
    Research Area: Reference

    A directory of residency centres in Belgium that cater specifically to circus and street arts. The guide is in French, but is useful nonetheless as a point of reference, providing contact details for all the listed organisations.

    Circus and Street Arts - Lieux de résidence en France
    Research Area: Reference

    Following on from their directory of centres in Belgium, this (much more substantial) Circostrada guide lists the organisations that offer circus and street arts residencies in France. The document is written in French.

    Circus and Street Arts: Encouraging European Cooperation Projects
    Research Area: Reference

    This Circostrada guide collects information on European-level cooperative projects within the circus and street arts sectors, describing the shape of each initiative and detailing its funding. The document is published each year with the goal of encouraging further joint projects and European activity.

    Circus and Street Arts: Professional Organisations in Europe
    Research Area: Reference

    This Circostrada publication provides a guide to the federations, trade unions and local networks across Europe that are dedicated to circus or street arts. Each organisation is represented with information on its constitution and major activities.

    Arts Council England
    Research Area: Policy

    Taking a check on the health of the circus sector (circa October 2006) in order to develop recommendations for its development, this document gives a brief overview of the nature of circus as a cross-disciplinary, physical artform before examining its existing infrastructure – venues, festivals, networks, audiences, legislation, etcetera.

    Circus in Scotland: A Blueprint for the Development of the Sector 2012 – 2017
    Research Area: Policy

    A five-year development plan that looks at the current state and future needs of the artform, Circus in Scotland: A Blueprint for the Development of the Sector 2012 – 2017 has been produced and published by Articulation, Scotland's umbrella organisation for physical performance.

    Contemporary Circus in the Czech Republic

    Published by the Czech contemporary circus centre Cirqueon, this document is an introduction to the various aspects of the CZ scene, covering a brief overview of the artform, government policy and levels of subvention, and operational models within the sector, as well as giving details on some key companies, festivals and organisations.

    Directory of Circus Training Organisations – Europe and Beyond
    Research Area: Pedagogy and Training

    A bilingual French-English directory of organisations offering circus training, collated and published by FEDEC. The directory is divided into casual/leisure, preparatory, professional, continuing education, and unspecified.

    European Capitals of Culture and Circus Arts
    Research Area: Policy

    Summarising the information from a European seminar arranged in 2011 by Circostrada Network in partnership with the French national information centre for street arts and circus HorsLesMurs and the Dutch festival Circo Circolo, this publication gives an overview of the evolution of the European Capital of Cultures programme, suggests some ways in which circus and outdoor arts suit the priorities of the programme, and ends with a short series of recommendations to circus stakeholders, ECOC teams, and policymakers.

    European Circus Arts Bibliography
    Research Area: Reference

    Compiled by the circus performer and lecturer Phillipe Goudard and the archivist Magali Libong, this bibliography collects a range of specialist works covering contemporary and traditional circus, listing novels and screenplays alongside scholarly theses, photography books, magazines, and practical guides.

    European Circus Charter for Hosting Circuses in Towns
    Research Area: Policy

    Developed by a large European working group, the European Circus Charter for Hosting Circuses in Towns lays out a model of good practice to which local authorities, circuses and other hosts can subscribe. It divides into four parts: How to host a circus?, Location, Installation, and Performance, colour coding its recommendations to distinguish between circus and local authority commitments.

    FEDEC Basic Circus Arts Instruction Manual
    Research Area: Pedagogy and Training

    A ten-chapter PDF guide to basic circus arts instruction covering: static trapeze, rope and silks; tightwire and slack rope; aerial cradle; Chinese pole; acrobatics (handstand, hand to hand, banquine); swinging trapeze and cloudswing; safety and rigging; teeterboard; Russian bar. The guides are available in English and French; some can also be downloaded in German.

    Fresh Circus 2: European seminar on the sustainable development of circus arts

    Documenting the second Fresh Circus seminar, which took place 12-13 April 2012 at Parc de la Villette in Paris, this publication collects reports from the event's ten breakout working groups. The seminar's uniting theme was an exploration of the 'sustainable development' of circus arts, with sessions covering such subjects as artistic residencies, cultural journalism, cooperation with businesses, the role of new media in developing audiences, and the effect of globalisation on circus aesthetics.

    Fresh Circus: European Seminar for the Development of Contemporary Circus

    Published by Circostrada, this report covers the activity at the first Fresh Circus, a European seminar bringing together 288 professionals from all corners of contemporary circus (producers, directors, artists, critics, policy-makers, etcetera). The different chapters of the document cover the various thematic working sessions that made-up the main part of the seminar.

    How do you spell circus?

    A free excerpt from HorsLesMurs' Stradda magazine showcasing one of their dossiers – a collection of articles focused on a particular idea or artistic movement.

    Miroir Project Part 2 – Analysis of the Key Skills of Young Professional Circus
    Research Area: Pedagogy and Training

    A FEDEC publication presenting the results of a survey of young circus artists and circus employers examining what the two groups want/need.

    New Directions in Circus Research

    A one-day symposium hosted by La Trobe University’s Centre for Creative Arts 5 December 2011, New Directions in Circus Research presented some of the recent projects and approaches adopted by researchers and scholars. The presenters included: Tomi Purovaara, Gail Kelly, Dr Jane Mullett, Rockie Stone, Dr Andrea Lemon, Hamish McCormick, Professor Peta Tait, Stine Degerbøl, Dr Gillian Arrighi, Dr David Carlin, Reuben Stanton, Associate Professor James Thom, Dr Kim Baston, Camilla Damkjaer, and Ivan Kralj.

    New Magic: The Emergence of a Contemporary Art

    A free excerpt from HorsLesMurs' Stradda magazine showcasing one of their dossiers – a collection of articles focused on a particular idea or artistic movement.

    Organising an Artistic Event in the Public Space
    Research Area: Production

    A detailed practical walkthrough for organising an artistic event in an outdoor, public space that covers insurance, safety, installation, environmental concerns, and various other factors.

    Postcards From Street Arts and Circus

    One of the outputs of the CASCAS (Circus and Street Arts Come and See) project, which saw four groups of industry professionals tour the circus and street arts scenes in the UK, Sweden, Finland and Belgium, Postcards From Street Arts and Circus is a short, pamphlet-length book written by the researcher Yohann Floch, who accompanied the tours in all four countries.

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