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| Circostrada | |
|---|---|
| Name | Circostrada |
| Formation | 1999 |
| Type | Network |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Region served | Europe |
| Languages | English, French |
Circostrada is a European network dedicated to the development, promotion, and research of circus and street arts. It connects cultural institutions, festivals, producers, researchers, and artists to foster policy advocacy, professional development, and cross-border collaboration across the European Union, Council of Europe, and neighbouring states. Drawing on partnerships with major cultural actors, Circostrada operates at the intersection of artistic creation, cultural policy, and international cooperation.
Circostrada was established in 1999 amid renewed interest in circus and street arts across Europe following initiatives by the European Commission and the European Cultural Foundation. Early activity aligned with movements such as the post-1989 expansion of cultural exchange involving the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the cultural programming of the European Capital of Culture initiative. Through the 2000s Circostrada engaged with festivals like Avignon Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Festival d'Avignon while responding to regulatory frameworks shaped by the Lisbon Treaty era and the cultural strands of the Creative Europe programme. In subsequent decades the network collaborated on projects inspired by contemporary practice in cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, and Rome, and by research produced in partnership with institutions like the University of Glasgow, Université Paris 8, and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Circostrada is structured as a collaborative network with a secretariat that coordinates activities from its Paris base. Governance typically involves a steering committee and advisory board featuring representatives from prominent organizations including the Institut français, British Council, Goethe-Institut, Fondation Royaumont, and municipal cultural departments from cities such as Bordeaux and Lisbon. Decision-making incorporates stakeholder assemblies similar to governance models used by the European Cultural Foundation and follows reporting practices observed in networks like Trans Europe Halles and Europa Nostra. Legal and financial oversight aligns with French association law and accords with funding requirements of bodies such as the European Commission and private foundations like the Open Society Foundations.
Circostrada runs programs spanning information exchange, capacity-building, research, and advocacy. Activities have included conferences hosted in collaboration with venues like La Villette, residency exchanges with companies from Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, and training initiatives mirroring programmes by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation and Fondazione Nazionale della Danza. The network organises thematic seminars on touring and accessibility inspired by practice in Copenhagen and Stockholm, and curates portals of resources comparable to platforms established by On the Move and Arts Council England. It also facilitates artist mobility projects modelled after transnational schemes supported by the European Network of Cultural Centres and conducts mentorships linked to festivals such as Nuits de Fourvière and Juste pour Rire.
Circostrada’s financing model combines institutional grants, project-based funding, and membership contributions. Core partners have included the European Commission, national cultural agencies like Pro Helvetia and Instituto Cervantes, and philanthropic funders such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Project partners have spanned major festival organizers—Festival Internacional de Teatro de Madrid, SICAB—and research centres including the Institut National de l'Audiovisuel and university departments at Università di Bologna and Sorbonne Université. Collaborative funding mechanisms echo consortia formed for Creative Europe projects and bilateral cultural agreements managed by ministries such as the Ministry of Culture (France) and Ministero della Cultura.
Circostrada has contributed to the professionalisation and visibility of circus and street arts across Europe, influencing programming practices in institutions like Palais de Chaillot and municipal festivals in Lyon and Brussels. Evaluations of its projects draw on methodologies used by UNESCO cultural indicators and impact studies carried out by the European Cultural Foundation and independent research groups at Université libre de Bruxelles and Goldsmiths, University of London. Outcomes cited include increased artist mobility comparable to shifts noted in reports from IETM and enhanced policy recognition in municipal cultural strategies akin to those developed in Amsterdam and Glasgow.
Membership comprises a diverse array of organizations: presenting venues, producing companies, festivals, training centres, research bodies, and public authorities. Notable members and affiliates have included entities from Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Sweden, reflecting the pan-European reach similar to membership models of European Festivals Association and Circus Arts Network UK. The network’s events offer meeting points for representatives from institutions such as Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II, Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Sadler's Wells, and municipal cultural services from capitals like Vienna and Prague.
Circostrada publishes reports, toolkits, and thematic dossiers addressing touring, audience development, policy, and training. Its outputs are distributed alongside research published by organizations like IETM, On the Move, and the European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture, and are used by cultural managers at venues including Théâtre de la Ville, Het Nationale Theater, and academic programmes at Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp). Resources include case studies, mapping exercises, and policy briefs that inform festival producers at events such as Biennale de Lyon and contribute to curricula at institutions like Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
Category:Circus arts organizations